The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-12-17
THE PERILS OF TIE SEA.
CLEARING THE WAY FOR ANOTHER DIS
4sILR LIKE THE HURON'S.
u...,,a Management OF the Life Saving
= service on the Coast OF New Jersey-The
ui.m,s.si or Russell White who Saved the
s,..,. or the Rusinud aud the Kjuhrm.

y se,,,ce on the Coast OF New Jersey-The
pI.mis.si of uu..ei White WI" save" '"e
Nrev. OF the Rusiand aud the kjusnm'
j Reports Of an alarming character are III |
circulation respecting the condition oil inc ne
sevins service on the dangerous strip OF coast
6etwocn Cape May and Sandy Hook. tbs cur
ren,ly affirmed along the Jersey shore that un-
lac a nrompt and sweeping change is enforced |
NV pubuc opinion. the present winter VIII hot
n,ose without another Of those frightful calami-
,,es ,f which the wrock OF the Huron lie the
latest example.
n might bo supposed that tho supcrlnten-
dcnce OF most important district containing
largo number Of lie-saving stations wou'u pe
committed 10 man specially adapted py se"-
taring experience. or long residence upon 'io
$40 coas, 10 pronounco on the fitness OF appl-
canta and measure the services Of his subordl-
pates As a matter Of fact. the opposite is llc
caae. Mono Of the requisite aualhcatlohs are
,,oa, .4.od BY tho present superintendent. who
tsa small local politician named Havens hv-
ine AT Drlcksburg. some dozen miles inland
from, the beach. During his tenure OF office
This individual has appointed tho keepers OF
ststions and the members Of lifcboat crews
with single sye to his own political advance
mont and with hrazen disregard OF efficiency
and desert. The wretched Incompetence OF the
service In his district hns long been a matter OF
potorioty to people dwelling along the shore. but
The dissatisfaction and disgust have eliminated
since all occurrence which at most critical
pooson has stripped station, already ill-famed
for disaster. OF its most useful and rcsolute
tmpoyees. plain statement OF the facts
IJoui station will illustrate the general mis-
t,anssoment OF the hie.saying service on the
V,rseY coast.
Roughly speaking the strip OF bench supposed
H. be protected by Station 6 corresponds TO tho
.eueinents Of Deal anl Asbury Park. 1t was
tlose " the northern boundary OF this section
hat the European steamship Rusland was
sriven ashore in n frightiul esstcrly gale on the
t7th VI last March. On the other side not far
from tle southern limit of the station and ex
,cty of the village of Ocean Grove. tho Norwe-
gian bark Eukam. on the 26th OF last Decem-
ber little less than n yHar ago. struck and
went 10 pieces In an awful SPA. under the eyes OF
hundreds gathered on the beach. and impatient
10 render aid Now neither OF these disasters
occurred within the area Of Station G, but none
rould he found to man the boats of Stations
rnd 7. the undertaking being pronounced dos
Iera,e At this crisis while tho waves were
rweeping the decks Of the stranded ships. q
tnglc member OF the liioboats quota attached
h. Station determined. Notwithstanding the
Il ssuasion of hs superors, to face the surf and
pave the imperillei crewe. ln tho cas-. Of the
Husband some OF his conrad y = EN- To- nave
been fired. by the contngion Of tho example. but
VIXEN tie Norwegian yessel struck he could hnt
none Of the paid employees to second nm; ana
was forced to rely on the assistance oil his
brother and three others. oil voluntssrs.
The name Of this man is Russell white and y
among all Americans who have cnuse in their
own prraons or in thos" OF beloved friends To-
tcel the terror of shipwreck as was the name of
Erace Darling among the people q Great
Britain. This humble hero Of tho surf. who in
Ne So,s @ Q. short # II. #. 9si o~ sprhs Ssns. IS
hight. active man. 35 years Of age mol
rat aud retiring in disposition, and Win moth
less eye and kindly smile. His neighbors and
The dwellers along the shore relate many tales
OF this mans daring: among others. the story
of his saving two summer visitors Mt Deal vino
We're cep5zed of the boarh and hopelossly en-
tangled in heavy net. On this occasion his iel-
low fisherman warned him not To approach tho
meshes OF the not. This suggestion was not
contrived to rescue. gave him gold medal
which however. he Ii never seen 10 wear. =,
wegiar bark Rlukam was discovered stranded
amid the breakers IN the beach NJ Ocean Grove.
arrived with mortar and llns. but without a car.
OF course the apparatus was useless without its
more "n irretrievable bocause tho employees OF
Station 7 had also forgotten TO bring their boat.
THIS latter piece OF nsglect by ,hs way Is o1-
doubtless, may be said for it, namely. that II you
bring no boat, unple9ssnt people cannot insist ,
cfefficoncy was being exhibited by the men at,
lachrd II station 7. hundreds OF spectators had
assembled on the beach, from which n me III III
ana the wretched crew cliDHinR 10 the rigging
and beckoning in an agony Il % %appeawH 10 ,hon
attached 70 tie liieboa, belonging to Station Noi
E. Tie had dragged small fisherman yawl
from q distance Of about half a mile down 10 IN"
eige of the breakers and now called upon
other paid employees OF the service % pun WIN
him % s9ir Esry mSn ,s rsy rsigsrs n1 and sr sn,
nmlhs these reeusants. on whom the quaint
lia,o Of tho shore bsstows tne ntlc OF re- r.,
discriminating Superintendent has sine FRO
noted over Whites head TO De htspeI o. stA'
lon 6, and who. We may adj, signnlzed his af-
ccssiDn to office by dis .hHr.ing White IRON us
On the OCCASION mentioned White. finding n0
hoip forthcoming from his Ollcial associht :
called upon outsiders To lend hand, and his
brother. Drummond White with throe o!Aer7
whole Village stood on The beach with w.
eyes but folded arms these iiye vonnteer.
lnlhel out 10 the doomed v ssel. AMI brought
Of hcr crew To- TIA. last man.
About threo months atrrthis disastrr name
". ON t4e i7th Of Nlar.h, lS'1 Russ Nb,1t BE- the
Line steamship ltusland strike ou tllo h.a,i al
Long Branch. not lar I" the north oi me lea
line The place If thr wrack ten within h,
confines Of another district. Tut he nt once CAV
the alarm. aud hurried i9rwudd the iiie-sayln-
apparatus belonging To- ~. 9. When he reach,
and rev Of No. 8 on tho ground. There It
n9douh that lrghtiu sea was On ami that q
luHf'tl f1ull Ouiy ht luullfntu WIN
FISK On the other hand. II was uncertain how
long the vessel would hold together, and 1t i
objectionable that had the storm increased
instead Of slack-ning. she must have spi
asundrr before morning, Under these circum
stances II was proposed to White, who was n
trusted 10y Allen. then keeper Of Station 6, witt
the command In such emergencies, that boti
boat should bo hauled up on the shore, and th'
prolert u rescue abandoned by common con
sent as utterly impra'ticable. White SAID NJ
proposed 10 board the ship; and so he did
bringing Of large proportion OF the crew anC
pa-5cngers before any assistance was furnished
BY ile other ifeboat
The next morning, when NIL hands were
saNnd this man White went about his business
W. lad simply done his duty, and was not eN.
peo'ug praise The person. however, who had
mil' the propos ton above named remained
ph iL. SCENE OF the wreck and explained viii
mlLut ur-- and yOlubility 10 tho reporters o
the Nov York press tho exclusive and sigma
''n'u attaching 10 his personal exertions. II
wa an Instance Of the not infrequont irony o
H5'"ry that the name Of Russe White was
7'u Is mentioned in tho accounts published
Nh iNe next morning. Luckily, however tht
q lpitn Il the Husband was cognlzant Of all tn
it'- md made II his business To see the ed
it'l7 oi the chief newspapers and have the
3" 900 4 corrected.
A. the statements horo made nr0 supported