The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-27
OUR LIFE.siVING SERVICE.
what a Useless, Iii-manaRed and One-horse
Affair " IL.

What a Useless, Ill-manaRed and One-horse
Affair " Is.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Str. IL
IL a very amentahie fact, and but little known
that the Tifc-Saving Service OF the United States
IL practically useless except In calm weather, aud
a. calm weather is not generally the time that
shipwrccks occur, 1t may he put down ~ useless
altogether.
This statement NAV seem bold and startling,
but a. facts are stubborn things. prupus' 20
give q few of them in suhstantiation OF the truth
Of our assertion, well knowing that no one can
gain~iy them.
In the first place the station houses arc too far
apart for the beach to be efficiently pa rolled tie
usual distance being from twelve to fourteen
miles, though in some few instances there are
stations only ten miles apart.
Second. There Is no method 81 transporting
the mOrtar sand anchor. car line "a hcnyy haw-
YER on which TIA, life ear work.-and tackles for
settling the line taut, to the scene of thc wreck.
These articles weigh from one thousand To-
twelve hundred pounds. and are Of such nature
a. to mako 10 impossible for six mon to carry
them hy hand for amy reasonable distance.
Third. There ave uo means of getting the boat
to q wreck except through hauling the truck on
which She Is placed Ivy hand. no Horses being
allowed for tho purpose This would 10 almost
an impo-sihitvi ii WIS blowing gale vt wind.
as Aiit fditu " 80 NfhNN llIl III 20 tfllll ~ IH
quitcs all the united cNcrti"n OF Tie crew
to propcl the boat truck 40 a speed ~ one mile
an hour. II will he .scn that IN the event oi
wreck occurring az Instance. 81 IN 90 seven
miles from the station. 10 would under tho most
ausniciuua cirrun- fnnces take ~ least six or
seven hours to get To the scene Of the Disaster,
after IL became .noWn at the station. Then the
mon, instead of having AL the H. cucigics fresh TO
battle with ne raging Atlantic surf, would be
completely exhausted and useless.
Fourth. The boats usyd are not life boats ut
all. but miserable. friil. cranky. worthless
things. built uf soft wood that cannot stand
sea. much less a boiling SURF badly appointed
and 81. ily capsiled. There are no watcr-tight
compartments. or anything 10 give cNfr, huuy-
aucy. apd II Is a recognized fact among AL the
fishermen of the cuast of North carolina and
virginia that the oil fiat -Niis used to ut nets
for blue Ash. eau get through the SURF when the
lie boat would be- stove tn pieces In the attempt
These four ptciicdfions, dealing ontrcD Win
the incmciency 1t meal- supplied lYr the Lur-
pose II saving He. Hlr surely enough TO- satisfy
the reader that With the beet management the
United states life saving service Is - une-h"r-e
affair. and altogether unworthy or a eve At ma
In the service renders the limited means NJ the
disposal II the keepers Of no actual u-e what
over. \ wreck may occur at night within hum
dt'd yards ~ station ana no one TIE ht the
wiser regarding 10 TN morning. Two men are
supposed 70 be on duty every, night as patrol
oue going north and the other south along the
beach. They keep on walking until the patrol
men from the next station are met This l. gencr-
nlly AT o'clock in the morning. They rest for
about half an hour and then start for home,
which they reach about o'clock.
Now, ia the event Of one Of these natr0lncn
discovering "A vessel in distress. he would have
10 hasten back to his station To- arouse the sleep
the useless boat would have to Ice dragged along
tho beach IN the manner before described.
The regulations printed for the goycrnance u
| the Litc-~aNing service saN that - each patrol
| man shall have % hand lantern. rur,c and Cos
t2a llshl to ,isna nis station "a t,s eteni ot
Use Of these pyroteChnic Displays II there Is no
| one to see them. No watch T. kept AZ the sta
! ton ~ night, for a. soon as the pdtr"lmcn de-
part. Keeper. crew, and all turn ia. and ~ have
| said. wreck would not be discovered except by
accident. even NJ Ia Yard from tine station, un-
! Ill the patrolman returned IN the morning.
MANY ui the crews Of the lilc-Sating stations
! are Totally ineXpcricm,cd and hardly know how
| 10 pun AN oar in smooth water 1t i not with
| vui precedent for the keeper TO bce man who
| had never seen boat In li9 life until appointed
boy political influence to iii the place al salary
! W $40 year This was the ease with the keeper
of l.fe-Slving station ~. during the early part
| fullct. was appointed keeper through political
| Influence, although lac never pIufV~sed to know
anything whatever about the business. having
| always been engaged IN mercantile pursuits
1t may be hs well To mention the TACT That In
many Instances the beach Is not latrullcd al
lshing camp. whore they sleep til morning.
They might ~ well do II. for any vessel in dis
almost A. soon ~ the men could get in with the
| Information. OF course If there were a lookout
kept ut the station. II would be u very different
| matter. and pAtrolling would be 81 some use II
| they had any way Il Bringing up the life-saviu.
| gcar IN rcSu0r $50 tn % signal.
station hor .'- on the coast 10 be Of use should
| not bee more than seven miles apart. Lie boats
| should be used Instead Of the death boats. that
| the present Kind have proved Themselves To hc
Seamen and surfinsn should hc employed in
stead Of the wretched creatures now often COM
| posing while crews. and they ought To Ice kept
on all the year round. Instead of for only foui
months, IA AZ present. All of these improve.
| mruf- could Dee made al a cost uf "a million and
a half lllirs year. including the keep of hor~r.
Tor dragging m" heavy boat and mortar with
srcue u The wreck. This estimate is for foul
hnudr'i stations.