New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-16
INEFFICIENT LIFE-sAvING AGENCY.

CHARGES OF NEGLECT OF Duty AGAINST THE CoAsl
IFE-sAVING sERVICE-TIiE RESPONSIBILITY 10"
The loss OF LIFE on THE GlOVANNl-l"N'-
RANCE OF DUTIES AND LACK OF EQUIPMENTS Al
ru, sr,TIoXs-MEN APPOINTED TO THE SER
VICE As A REWARD FOR POLITICAL SUPPORT
Az q result of the losses of life and prop
,r,y through recent shipping disasters along the coast
charges of ineapaoity and neglect OF duty nave pee"
preferred against persons emplor ed at some OF he
bfes,vinc stations and 1t stated that the matter Will
soon he invests gated Washington II Is charged lnI
nsuy OF the stations not provided Win all the app
nuccs for saving which the law requires that the
men are unaequanted with their duties that theS oo
not attend watches or paIr0i Culy anu 'n"' to"'A
ineficeney prevails
The pe1e!epcy and neglect OF the Life Saving Service
WAS II Is alleged illustrated in the OF the steamer
vicksUurg. which. while a heavy gale was preVdlus'
went ashore 1880 on Ere lslahd Oh req ~
In TINS case the officers OF the vessel gave signals OF o
tress by means rockets and guns IN sight and nearing
of Stations Nos II and o. The on duty at the sta
tons apueared 10 be entirely ignorant that vessel had
tuu ashore near them The purser of the steamer de-
tares that night just such an one as might oe
expected 70 shpwrecks, so that guaro shoulu
have been the watch for disasters Tue captain see
ing that help was at hand and tearing th"'
the vessel would 90 TO pieces before morning
yet not daring TO trust the passengers IN
the boats with which the steamer was provided
soon after midnight, in company with the purser'
started for the shore order possible, to obtain as
tstance They succeeded in landing at $3.50 a. m Tine
purser says that walked three miles, to station NO
a. where he found everybody asleep After rOusing
them they refused get out boat but finally two OF
the men were persuaded back with HIM to station
No u, where the occupants were also fouhd
asleep They then took boat and Win
IT rescued the passengers and crew, the steward
only beng lost one Of these stations was unprovded
with boats which made 1t 40 draw the lie
Uh,e Upr
lance OF more miles. The rules and reguia-
lions winch govern these e-stations require patroi
presence of certain number OF boats AT every
station in condition Tor launching
The charges against the persons at the wrecklng sta
lion near which the Giovanni lost are still more
serious claimed that if the station had been pro
vided with the appliances which the regulations re-
unirc there would have been little, If any loss Of life,
and that the for the deaths OF the captain
and crew rests upon the the station The super
Inteudeu; OF that station, b. C. Sparrow IN CON-
muncaton 10 Boston Globe states that the vessel
was 800 yards off shore and that 2pound shot with
line he'd. fred from a mortar wnleh was
charged with four ounces OF powder but at the sno
Ouy reached yards and consequently fell 70 yrds
short OF vessel Those acquainted win the 1acts
that, IN such cases rockets WIN snlaI rope az
tached end of which Is fastened 10 larger rope OF
cable then set OIL In the direction OF the vessel ana
that they will carry line between 800 and 1000 yards
Tue steward the sole survivor OF the Giovanni says
that the station entirely unsuppHed WIN rockets
aud according ~ ali reports none seem 10 nave Oeeh
used -.,., a.. a., -.
formation and government OF the le-savlng stations
mention among The appliances which must be kept on
hand. rocket lines and quantities OF rockets
aud also gives full directions for the use OF the rOckeis
The IL OF the service also give full directions
III the proper OF the mortar in cases OF shpWreck
and asserted that If these rdles were observed,
comm uuication could have been effected with the
wrecked vessel, and all board would have been
saved. The following statement which was gwen yes
tcIday TRIBUNE reporter, il said TO explain the
cause OF the VI vigilance on the part OF the men OF
some Of the life saving stations:
When the stations were first established the service
war very efficient and the persons employed were those
who were familiar with handling boats. and with the
various duties req lred Of them. TIE organization
then a company incorporated under an act OF the Leg
isaiure Tue Company which had the oversight OF the
shores Long Island and New-Jersey, was known as
tue IAfe.Sa Benevolent Association OF NeW-EOrk
II began operations March, 1919, with incOrpo-
smoug whom Walter Il. Jones, BaTche McEyers,
JOSIAH l. Hale George GrswOld, Daniel Lord, An
tbouy Is. Nelson. Charles Ii. Marshall, Moses III.
GrBnell, John l.. AsPnwall, and a A. Low.
IL TIC ytai ls5g the Company compelled 10 seek
aid from Congress- and the Government then requested
that u be allowed voice IN the management. Another
appropriation made few years afterward, and IN
1871 tnc Government took complete control and manage
meBt Of the stations along the New-JeTsey and Long
Island coasts of the stations the Cape Cod
shore Tbe old and experienced men who mad pre-
vOusly been IN charge we're, after little while, re
moved. The appointment OF the employees became
political matter and the places given TO persons
who mad become inefficient but stl bad some claims on
The part ~ power In this way many OF the stations
have gradually been filled by those VINO are negligent
la TO keep material requisite for SAVING lie, ylo-
late al tie requiring OOkouts aud patrols, and ID
Instance entirely uudcqualned with or uD-
able TO uee the materials left III their hands.