Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-08-18
Life.Savsng Apparatus.

loss n q the Ecenipg Star: The lamentable
dr. If life by the burning Of the wawaset in
-ces me at this time to call public attention
direct to an improved lfe-saving apparatus,
especially adapted to such accidents on rivers.
1t consists of any desired number of life pre-
beads upon a string, and fastened thereon at
about the length of each feat apart. They may
be made of sheet copper, sheet tin, or cork, and
OF any desired shape. Thus for each two feet
Of rope there is life preserver, 30 that a rope
two hundred feet long contains one hundred
life preservers. A line of the floats is to be
The stern Of the boat, on deck. ready to be
be thrown overheard in moment, aud others,
II desired, are to be placed in other positions
outer edge of the deck, SUSPENDED bv small
cords easily broken to let it down into the water
The utility and safety of this de vice must be OBJ
vous The line floats, and can sustain at least as
many persons as there are floats simply by their
seizing the rope between the fieats, or lash
lines and loops attached to each. Passengers
can with perfect security seize hold of this line
and jump at once into the water or 1ump in nv
IL. And, II persons are struggling about in the
water scattered, one person, with a boat at
tached TO one end of the line, can in a minuta
sweep 1T along around and save them: and then
they can all be quickly lowed ashore together.
Or saie communication can be established by
1t between a wrecked vessel and the shore /
submitted this plan by a model and DESCRIPTION.
now IN the Treasury department, to the com
mission authorized by Congress to examine and
iVPOIt Oh iue-saFlnp inventions in 1858; and ii
was reported favorably upon with one or two
suggested objections. 1 will copy this report
VeI batim:
ID. ). BROWNS LINE OF BUoYs consists of a
series OF cylindrical vessels, hollow snd air
tight, about twelve inches in length and eight
inches In diameter, with a hollow tube extend
ing through the center OF each, from end to end A.,
LOT the purpose of passing the buoy line through
Tor the attachment of the bUoys. These buoys
are TO be made of sheet copper; they are to be
htted with means for grasping them firmly, as
well as an extra line for the purpose of lashipg
persons TO the buOys, and are To be about one
root apart. The purpose of this arrangement is
apparent, and as means of sustaining persons
overheard there is no doubt it would be unite
effective. There are two reasons, however that
perhaps would render their general adOption
doubtful, to wit the difficulty of keeping them
properly slowed, so as to have them at all times
IN readiness for immediate use, and their liabiI-
ity to injury. Could these obstacles be over
come, Mr.. Browns system, modified would
doubtless come into use"
, With regard TO these objections, have to saw
that see no reason why these life-preseryers
are any more liable to injury than others, and
u Is obvious that If one or o considerable num-
Der were useless, that it would not be fatal, and
would only impair the usefulness of so much of
the line; and as TO their readiness for USE I
nave always thought and claimed that the float
ing line Is peculiarly excellent in that respect
IL IS compact i'll stowage and easy to handle
j. s. Brown.