The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-03-29
Our National Life Saving Service.
Success of Mr. kimbaIl, Chief of ihe Rev
enue Marine, as an Organizer.

enue Marine, as an Organizer.
Those who went to the Centennial last year
and looked for the useful and humanitarian as
well as for the merely glitterng and ornament
al I'D that vast exhibition, probably noticed on
the lake, back of Machinery Hall the United
States Government exhibition of Life Saving
Stations with the apparatus connected with
that service. The exhibit was in charge of
Lieut. Walter Walton, very gentlemanly and
courteous officer, who explained its operation in
the clearest and peasantest manner possible.
The Station under Lieut.. Waltou's charge was
an exact model of those now located on our
coast, and showed the practical working of the
various applan connected with the service
as they might beiseen in actual use.--life-boats,
life-oars, cork jackets, beach lanterns, Coston
lights, medicine chests, and all other necessary
appurtenanceS in perfect aud complete working
order. Amongst other curiosites Lieut.. Wal
too exhibited the first ball fred in the United
States to save life from shipwreck, II was
thrown with line attached to the shin Ayre-
shire, which was wrecked on Squam Beach
Jan. II, 1856. On that occasion the Ottinger
life car was used for the first time, aud POI
lives were saved thereby. Lieut.. Walton ex-
planned and illustrated the practical use of the
life or surf car. In case of wreck when the sea
is too rough for the surf boats ball with line
attached to it by spiral wire, is thrown from
mortar over the vessel and the line is then
hauled on board. Attached to this small line
| is hauling line, and to this last, hawser
| which is made fast to the vessel. Then the
| life car, invented by Captain Ottinger is sent
Il rd MI so L.
| shore to vessel. Eleven persons can be packed
into the car, made of boiler iron, which is then
closed, water (but not air. tight, and drawn
ashore, repeating its trips from vessel to shore
until all are saved. This life or surf car is in
connection with the mortars and rockets,
very useful and valuable invention, aud has
already been the means of saving thousands OF
lives. Its usefulness is only limited by the
range of the mortar or rocket by means of
which the first line is thrown. The mortars
now in use at our stations will not throw
| line more than 375 to 400 yards. The Boxer
rocket in use by the Royal National Life Boat
Institution of Great Britain will throw about
| the same distance. The great majority of
wrecks probably lie within the present range
of mortars usually used. Captain Ottinger has
recently shown that he can by mortar of pe-
cular construction throw a line much greater
distance, say with the extraordinary range of
63l yards, but the gun is so heavy and cumber-
some, that it cannot be handled with sufficient
ease to make it available at much distance
from the station, consequently its usefulness is
somewhat restricted. Again it is doubtful if
| range of over $50 yards is desirable on account
| of the difficulty of managing the life car more
| than that distance from the shore. So that
| what IS wanted is a reliable means Of throwing
a line, by mortar not too heavy to be readily
| moved from place to place, to a wreck say $50
yards from the shore. With such projectie
our life saving instrumentalties would seem to
be nearly perfect.
Our exhibit at the Centennial Exposition of
a complete national life saving station in per-
| feet working order, attracted great attention,
not only from our own people, but it was also
visited by many foreigners, including officers
connected with life saving stations in other
countries. Those officers examined with great
particularly into the details of the system, and
the opinion amongst them seemed to be that it
| was unequaled in the world.
Now to whom are we indebted for the sue
cesstul reorganization and present efficiency
| of this institution which we may safely say has
reduced the loss of life and property by ship
wreck on our coast to its minimum; increasing
the stations in four years from ffty-four to one
| hundred and tifty-seven, and saving in that
time 3,15S lives out of 3,201 imperIled, q
saving ratio never equalled 10 any other coun-
try? 1t can hardly be believed, but il is a fact
| that up to the year 184S our government had
made no effort to prevent the loss of life by
shipwreck on our coast. In that year a COM
mencement was made in consequence of the
Jersey coast during the preceding winter.
From that time to 1871, small appropriations
were obtained from Congress from time to
few cheap houses were built few boats
purchased and a few men empIOyed. but inef-
| hciency throughout the service, if it
But the terribly fatal disasters along
| the coast in the winter of 1870 and 1871
| thoroughly aroused the country Congress yot-
ed large amount, and thorough re-orgauizs-
uon OF the service was called for. Tnat re-or-
gaulzati0n was happly, as We believe, for its
success, entrusted to Sumner l. Klmbsil, a ma
i've OF Sanford in this State, at that time and at
present the efficient chief of the bureau marine
service. MIR. Klmbali brought to the task fine
talents with great executive ability, united to
an ardent love of and sympathy with the work,
| fully realizing that the saving OF thousands of
| lives and milliens of property every year, was
involved in the failure or success OF his exer-
/ tons.
He at once proceeded to the hsrculean task
| before him. IncompeteDts were removed, no
matter who stood behind them, aud faithful.
| suitable men took their places. TIE duty OF
| Keeping journals and records and making rsgu-
| lar reports was established The duties of su.
perlntendents, keepers and surfmen were dis
| tncty defined, new and improved apparatus
| obtained, AMI soon every man employed in the
| service realized that at last the institution had
| head, and that thorough organization was do
| ing its work. The result of Mr.. KimaalI's efi-
| cheney was that in the five years from 1871,
with 1lo wrecks on the coast of Long Island
and New Jersey, only sixteen lives were lost
an average OF 81 per annum, in strong contrast
with the slaughter of the preceding years.
In making honorable mention of Mr. Kim
ball in connection with the reorganization of
the lfe-saving service, we do not of course wish
to ignore or undervalue the services of his as
slstants Like skillful general in organizing
his forces for campaign, Mr.. Kimball as the
chief and responsible head scrutinzed with
care the qualifications of his subordinates SO
that he might select and bring into action the
oil lnpfo tlaINl T,aro
his plans produced harmony and co-ope ration,
and success was the natural result. Captains
Ottinger, Merryman, MCGOWAN and Lieut. WAL
ton, who have been Mr.. KimbalPs principal as
slstants, deserve much credit for their intelli-
gent and untiring efforts in carrying out plans
matured by the chief of the service. In this
connection we must refer to the cordial sup
| port given to the Life Saving Service by our
distinguished citizen, Hon. Lot NJ. Morrill,, the
late Secretary of the Treasury. Under his di-
rections all appropriations for the service are
expended, and he has at all times whether as
Senator or Secretary, contributed fully of his
la6ors and influence to Its development. Our
other honorable Senators and Representatives
have always manifested their sympathy with
this benehcent institution, and gwen it their
hearty support by voice and vote.
Mr. Kimball is constantly on the watch
ready to correct any errors or check any inefi
clency, also eager to examine and adopt any
worthy plan or contrivance by which the SER
vice may be benefited. He is now arranging
to have the life saving stations connected with
the storm signal stations, so far as may be
practicable. Nine stations thus already
connected. The great benefit to be derived
from connection of the two systems is very
apparent. In cases where the telegraph can
not be Immediately connected with the stations
continuing storm signals are displayed on the
nearest available points in the neighborhood.
Such signals have already proved of great
value in diminishing the number Of disasters.
1,265 cautionary signals were raised during the
last year. In Mr.. KimbalP report to Congress
last December we have his WORK and plans in
very interesting and valuable detail. There
seems to be hardly any room for gain in eff
cheney. We may of course anticipate improve
ments in apparatus from the fertile brains of
our tireless inventors. Congress is now thor
oughly in earnest and hearty sympathy with
the Service. We may be confident that it will
not hesitate to authorize any judicious expendi-
ture Ia the right direction; so tnas our light
house system, our storm signal system and our
life saving system, as great national humanita-
rian developments will soon place our country
in the front rank of the nations in the great
service of saving human life.
Al. WI1A Ill., D.