The New York herald., 1871-02-14

sudden and awful death. IL II not too much TO ro
labor unrequiteds Is possible ever to prosecute
The great ends OF pnianthropic purpose under
REMOVE ALL. THE BARNACLEs.
On the Jersey coast, particularly at Long Beach,
the worthless crews should be removed and better
material substituted, thea pay them well, ana
much toward the efficiency OF the llfeboat service
has been zone. There should also be rewards ex-
tended for any especial act OF dangerous ana sue
cessiul duty IN SAVING life and property. The gov
ernments OF the Old World, with their Imperfect
perceptions OF the rights OF men and the claims OF
labor are not backward IA recognizing and amply
rewarding acts or numarlly IN saving life rom hre
anu mood ana WIN sucn example She enlteu states
should heartily recognize, by just rewards, the ser.
vices of its citizens, FOR acts such as those now aud
then are rendered by boatmcn OF the lIleSavng
stations OF New Jersey ana Long Island.
LIFEBoArS
ihe D0atS now III use ut the llfe-saylng stations
are unit and inadequate Tor the purpose. They are
ten or more years DID, and many are leaky. Accord
ing to the American idea In the construction OF
heboats hghtness Is regarded as cardina. princl-
pie all Unnecessary weight being avoided, inside
aii-casing at the waist being dispensed witn no iron
Keel necessary 0r desirable the boat depending Tor
It's tef-rlghling qualities chiefly upon Its high and
buoyant ends aud the peculiar shape or It's bottom.
IL cannot rest In any other than an upright position.
II ls alleged IN American experience 10 nave been
round that lie ana surf boats, well built OF light put
strong and castic materials, are much more safely
ana easily transported on shore and are managed
Win more facility III water. Ihey VIII bear
THE RoUGHgsT USAGE
ordinarily encountered, whether on the strand
among the breakers or alongside OF q wreck, and
VIII generaiy perform better service than heavy
boats constructed upon the old plan OF unyieldng
and stubborn wood and iron.
at different llmes tnerc have been three sorts OF
boats furnished to the New Jersey and Long Island
stations The first was metallic boat with wooden
keel piece; found TO be unsafe and removed. The
second was metallic lilebeat or corrugated iron
ThiS boat was not self-rightlng, and had many OBJ
jectons. 1t was also removed. In consequence OF
these failures Congress was memoralized by under
writers and others petitionins that the several STA
uons should be furnished win wooden
SEIf-hIQHrING LIFEBoATS,
Whlcn mad recently been invented and brought into
notice both IN Europe and III this country. Accord
ingly, on the l2t. OF june. 1o5S, Congress made
appiopriatipn for tne purchase Of the ''bes! self
Jersey ana she best ieboats for the coast of
Long lsand.n On the sGn OF October, 1858, the
secretary oil the Treasury appointed three commis-
sioners 10 recommend the nieooat best adapted, in
all It's conditions, for the saving OF human life
from sbipwreck on The coast OF the United states.
These commissioners did their work and reported;
yet very httie that was essential grew out OF IL.
The boat use furnished Tile stations, but
1t Is not what is required. For some unexplained
reasons meme OF the seli-rghtng boats applied for
or recommended
HAVE BEEN SUPPLIED
10 the station houses. The beat III has but four
oars This Is not enough mol less than SIX required
on the Jersey coast. The government should furnish
additional men and improved boats TO the stations;
but, II The present are retained they should be re-
apannd rho ar oHna w If M 1ars cork ienuer az
alr-tight Chambers removed, as they are OF little
service now.
In the construction of British lfeboats the points
considered ap, ear to be-
Fnst-EXtra Duoyancy.
iseConI-SeI-relief,
Taa'd-Baasling
-richtlng.
FUM-Stabllity.
Str0s-Speed
Serents-Storage.
Eigitb-Srrengtn Of materials.
IL seems 10 be agreed that II sufficient buoyancy
can be obtained by cork II Is lar preferable to
cases, not being Liable to accident. 1t is pro-
tected by light wooden casing or by gutta percna
TO keep the water out, SO that II bilged AGAINST
rock or vessel still the raft could hoat VIII THIS DO
remenlberedY
Station houses should be supplied with tho llfebelt
mentioned by Captain Ward, Royal Navy. This IN
one OF The safest boats OF the Royal National Instu
non for the Preservation OF Liie &C, In unusu-
fere with the moyements OF the wearer;
1t protects the bods from blows, and Is a
warm covering In cold weather. 1t has effective
buoyant power. Eight hundred OF these belts have
been supplied 20 The crews OF the royal institutions
and the coXswans OF the boats ned responsible
his life belt on. Thus IL should be the OF
New jersey and Long Island. There Should be an
abundance OF these life belts. not only for boat
men, but also for the use OF the shiywrecKed un-
fortunates. They might be SEAL Oh BOARD Dy yari-
Gus means.
The beaches" or islands upon the Jersey and
Long Island coasts, which form the barriers against
the ocean, are not ell lnhabited and lew OF them
could supply much assistance TO wreck. Notice 10
the mainland, therefore becomes principal necea-
sity Tie Way government runs the service now. Ef
the coast population nearly all are surf boatmcn
skliul daring and accustomed to the breakers II q
shIpWreck should occur, and the alarm on shore be
given, men Will not be wanting. The means for
Timely notice should everywhere be provided.
To this end every station house requires a large
mounted 1ed piece that could be loaded run TO the
top or sand hlil and fired. Any noise less than
tne explosion OF iargc neid piece during storm
OF no better use than boys popgun,
THROWING LINES TO VESSELS
The mortars, shot anu lines as used upon our
coast are insufficient for the work intended. Many
interesting experiments have been made IN England
and France in tnis Particular but the United states
have done but little towards perfecting any plan.
The mortars III use on the Jersey coast the small
535 kind, weighing, with their bedplate, perhaps
15O pounds.
The metallic life car, which has saved many hun
dreds Of shipwIecked persons, owes its availability
TO a communication with stranded vessel by
means Of a line and hawser. 1t would afford field
OF interesting and valuable experiments or some OF
our anc artillery officers TO ascertain the best de-
GUN AND PRoJECTILE
for this purpose u is believed that the guns should
lie OF brass ana that they should be mounted Tor
service on carriages rather than, like mortars be
lad on ihe ground, perhaps N WEI PAGES ana used
also think thai q gun resembling a mountain
howitzer with heavy shot colt, with an attach.
ment ike that o 4 gun harpoon, might ne made
available. But this question: together with the best
sort OF lines and the proper arrangement for firing
ence to engineer oicers OF the army and the national
oerallty. IL Is OF such importance as to require IN
slant and earnest reception.
DRILLING THE CREWS.
Tue keepers and crews OF each station should be
drilled 10 understand their duties. II mas never
been done our coast, and is sad commentary on
the inehic.ency Of those in charge OF the matter
PATRoLLING THE COAST
There should be no neglect III the crews patTong |
the coast IN dangerous weather. Any neglect OF |
this great cuty, as found In the OF station house
No. l5, Long Beach, on Tuesday night last should |
subject the delinouents TO dismissal. /
KEEPERS OF STATION HOUSES.
All keepers should live at or near their station |
houses. The farce OF their residing, ike Warner
Kensey, OF NO. L. Long Beach, and William Crane, !
OF No. Is, the one q hundred more miles away |
ana the other SIX OF seven should at once be |
stopped. They might rs well be In Washington or |
San Francisco, SO lar as aid to snipwrecked vessel
Is cencerned.
SUPERINTENDENT
1t Is sad that the lue-saying services cannot be |
carried on by considerations for the public good
alone. Politicians have been at Its governmental al
head. aud It's effcieucy has been less in conse-
quence The present superintendent, Henry w.
Sawyer, OF New Jersey, ana Henry f. Hunting, Of
Long Island, however are spoken OF as faithful and