Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-09-07

can be thrown directly over the SHIN.
the line must fall on board, and that
one end will be in the hands of the
crew, while the other is held by the
people on the shore? 1t would be verv
strange If then the men couldn't he
rescued III some way, wouldn't it?
The entire apparatus is kept stored
in a cart at the Life Saving Stations,
just as the fire engines stand in con-
slant readiness at the engine-house;
and at moments notice of they 90
rafting along shore to the scene of the
wreck, three or four horses, FIVE or six
coast guardSmen.
In this cart are rockets and rocket
lines, a strong MANILA line, running
through a pulley block, another rope
so big as to be called hawser, some
tally-boards upon which are printed
directions to the ships crew, signal
lights, tail, triangular frame on
Whlch TO rest or faSten ropes, and q
sling life-buoy.
This llfe-buoy is sort of basket, the
rim OF which is cork, that it NAV float,
the body attached to the rim being a
kind of sack or breeches' in which
man may sit after he climbs in.
To their end of the rocket-line the
men on shore fasten the small rope
which runs through the pulley-block.
They do it in such a way that when
the ships crew pull on the rocket line
they will drag the pulley-block on
board, with the small rope in it, the
taco ends of aChich are held on shore
With this rope block comes the tally
board telling them to fasten the pulley
high up on the mast by means of the
| tail-string attached to the block.
Then the big rope, on which the life
basket is to travel back and forth. is
secured upon the pulley-rope, and the
men on ship pull that aboard and
fasten it up about two feet higher than
the pully-block.
Meantime the shore-men stretch
their end of the hawser over the tall.
triangular frame and make it fast.
But first the life basket, by means ofa
pulley-block, is slipped on the hawser.
The two ends of the MANILA rope,
which runs through the pulley which
| is fastened on the ship-mast, are tied
to this basket-pully. -.
And now the shore-people pull on
the little MANILA rope; they pull and
pull, and it glides around through the
ships pulley, and the life-basket runs
| along the hawser to the ship.
Then one Of the crew climbs into the
basket, and the men on shore pull
again, on the opposite side of the rope,
and the life-basket, with its precious
load, comes running back to shore
| along the hawser.
| So it goes, back and forth, until all
7 the crew have been brought across.
Some of them get pretty wet, and some
get soundly thrashed by the breakers,
but they are certain to be saved, as the
cork rim of the basket, being under
the arms, keeps the head above water.
In our country they sometimes send
closed life-cars to and fro over the haw-
ser. This car is entered from the top by
means Of little trap-door. 1t contains
air enough to last four persons fifteen
minutes. l suspect the little girls
would prefer to come ashore from the
wreck in this nice, dry way, and per-
haps the boys would, too.
Isn't this brave work for rockets
much Drawer than even being part of
the Centennial fireworks p. Il.
Douglass, IN Wide-AaC0ke.