New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-07-18

lite-serving service. He, however, regards
it as one Of the best inventions of the day
for vessels wrecked at sea.
The boat consists of two lifeboats fastened
together, thus securing great breadth of
beam without the accompanyi ing surface of
resistance to the water This double boat
can not by any possibility be upset. 1t is
self bailing, like the English lifeboate, and
is provided with water tight compartments
for the storing of provisions and fresh
water. vessel provided with two or three
of these could guarantee, in the opinion of
Mr.. kimball, perfect safety to her passen-
| gers. The general adoption of this boat
| will, he thinks, be the means of saving the
lives of many passengers on vessels foun-
! dered at sea. These boats are easily
launched, can not be swsmped, and will
Outride the heaviest seas. They are SO pro-
vided that large party could be cared for
in them for many days at sea, long enough.
There are to be two classes of boats used
on the lakes at the remote stations.
Where keeper and crew are stationed
light surfboat will be used. This is for the
reason that the English lifeboat is too heavy
to be transported from point to point, as it
weighs in the neighborhood OF 5000 pounds
The surfboat used on the Atlantic coast is
At such places as Chicago, Grand Haven.
st. Joseph, Milwaukee, and points desig-
mated as mere hfeboat stations, the English
llfeboat, selfrighting and self-bailing, will
be used. This boat will be in charge of a
keeper who receives salary Of $500 year.
For his crew he will have to depend on vol
unteers. 1t will be the business of the
keeper to enroll a certain number of men
who will be subject to his call IN time of
need, and the pay of these men is limited to
$l0 each for each particular service. The.
crews at remote stations are paid $40 q
month during the season. The pressing
need of the life service upon the lakes can |
be shown by few comparative statistics:
The life-savipg service has been estab- |
lished on the Atlantic coast for upward of |
four years. and during that time it has |
rescued 245i people from imminent danger
and come to the rescue of 161 vessels that |
were unable to help Themselves. During
that time only eighteen lives have been
lost within the domain of the stations and
fifteen OF these were lost upon the bark
Giovanni, which was wrecked in an mac
cessible locality off Cape Cod OF the other
three lost, two OF them were killed by
falling mast, SO that the life saving service
claims that only one life has been really
lost by them during their four years. ser.
vice. The amount of property saved is
very large. and pays hundred times the
cost of the service.
AT present all of the property received BY |
tho service is restored to the owners. 1t the
government were allowed . reasonable per |
cent fer salvage, then the life service would
become more than selfsuppoYting. Upon
The lakes, where the life service has never {
existed, there 10 q loss Of life in the latest
eports for the year ending june 80. 1874, of
Eighty three lives. On the Pacific coast i
here were seventy-six lives lost in the same :
ear. From the success of the service on
he Atlantic coast it is reasona able to infer
hat fully ninety per cent of these lives =
would have been saved had tho life-saving d
ervice been there esta Dlished. Mr.. Kim .
all says they have the greatest possible 9
uccess with volunteer crews, as the keeper :,
ways has more than he needs. The pay is 7
cry small. It may seem incredible that fe
len will rick their lives for $40, or for .,
itrance Of $40 Q month, but there is an at Z!
action about the service that never feels | "
,e need of men. The greatest results have
zen accomplished by tho distribution of
old Eedals. A medal of tho first class is | !,
1ly obtained where man has saved life at =
10 immediate peril Of his own. These A
edals are given upon the highest testimony
personal yalOr furnished to tho secretary -
the treasury himself. They are valued =
7 men OF the life service moro than for nj
ne, and the struggle TO get them leads to ii
q most daring conceivable feats. IN