The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-04-15
THE LIFE,CAR.
How IL Does its work--A Case in Point..
The Work the Lifc-Car has Done,

How II Does its Worked Case in Point.
The Work the Lifc-Car has Done.
A writer gives the following descrip-
tion of the life-car and its operations in
saving life from wreck. He says:
When it SO happens that ship is
driven ashore on q beach, the surf of
which precludes the possibility of
launching the hfe-boat, the life-car is
brought into service. The car is made
of light galvanized iron, and is design
ed, when closed, to be nearly water
tight. 1t is sufficiently large TO contain
four grown persons, or eight children,
and is used exclusively in the American
service. To either end of this car short
ropes of equal length are attached, ter
minating in metal rings, the use of
which will be made apparent as we pro-
ceed. On tho first signal of distress
from the stranded vessel, those in charge
of the life-saving station hurry to that
point on the beach nearest the wreck.
Here it is evident that to make the chr
available they must first establish some
line of communication with the crew on
the stranded vessel, and that is accom-
plished rs follows A small mortar of
five and one-half inch caliber is loaded
with the requisite charge to send a
twenty-pound iron ball above and over
the wreck. This ball has small staple
in it, to which, before it is placed in
the mortar, the end of light line is at
tached, the line itself being either
spread out on the beach, or so arranged
on frame as to be readily detached
At times a rocket is used in place of
the mortar.
Should the men at the station be ex-
pert or practical marksmen, the first
discharge of the mortar send the ball
with the line directly over the ship
deck. Here it is eagerly secured and
"hauled in, and thus a heavy hawser,
end light but strong line, are finally
stretched from the shore to the ship
All is now in readiness for the life-car.
The rings, to which we have alluded to
above, are slipped over the shore-line of
the hawser, while the end of the lighter
line that accompanies it is attached to
the outer end of the car. A second
light line is fastened to the rear end,
and paid out as the crew of the vessel
drag the car toward them through the
surf. Thus we have regular means of
communication established between the
vessel and the shore. So soon as the
car reaches the ships deck it is opened
and loaded with its precious freight, the
lid isthen closed, the signal given, and the
car begins its shoreward journey, drawn
by the coast-men on shore, and steadied
by those who remain on the ship.
A hazardous journey, the reader
doubtless surmises, and yet, in view OF
the end attained, we doubt whether the
happy occupants of the lfe-car would
have exchanged their narrow couch fol
the richest state-room on the proudes
vessel that floats the sea. Thus mucl
for the life-c car and the method by which
its services are rendered. A word now
as to the actual value of these services
and this we will confne. to brief story
of the wreck of the Ayrshire, as given a
the time by a faithful chronicler of tht
event. 1t was the middle of January
and during severe snow storm. Tht
ship Ayrshire, with about two hundred
passengers, had been driven upon tht
shore near Long Branch, New Jersey, b,
the storm, and lay there stranded, tn
sea beating over her, and surf so heav,
rolling in as made it impossible for an,
boat to reach her. 1t happened that
life-saving station was near, and the life
car was soon at the beach. So accurate
was the first fire, that the line fell di
rectly across the wreck. 1t was caugh
by the crew, and the hawser and life lin
hauled aboard. Soon the car followed
and in comparatively short time ever,
one of the two hundred passengers, in
cludlng meA, women, children, ant
babes, were brought safely through tin
raging surf, and landed at the station
The car that performed this service wa
at once retired with honors.
From q recent authority, we learl
that since the first establishment of tn
service the records of the Treasury de
partment up to 1872 show that five thou
sand six hundred and four lives hav
been saved in twenty-five years, an aver
age of two hundred and twenty-four pc
year. This yearly average is about hal
that of Great Britain, a comparison whicl
is wholly favorable, when the extent O
her commerce is considered and com
pared with our own.