The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-09-27
THE GOVERNMENT LlFE.SAYINC
SERVICE.

The United States Life-Saving Service,
though little known to the thousands of
persons who Journey in coa>twise steam
crs or frequent the seashore in summer,
is one of the noblest and most serviceable
of the subordinate branches of our Gov
eminent | can best bring it before your
readers, perhaps, by describing visit to
Lite.Saving Station Number A." of the
Second or MASSACHUSETTS District, situated
here ON the Island of Nantucket. 1t is
under command of Capt. Joseph Winslow,
a gentleman who has followed the sea for
thiriy-six years, and was master OF the
last whaling vessel that ever came into
Nantucket Harbor, once the chief seat of
the whole whaling trade of the United
States.
covered excursion wagons used for driv.
ing parties about the island, small COM
pany of us went one afternoon with the
Captain to Surf Side on the south side,
where the station is situated
Following the several parallel wheel
tracks which serve as road over the
rolling grassy downs, for two miles, we
came in sight of the small two-storied
gray building of wood with its penthouse
roof and simply ornamental sides. 1T
looks" said the Captain, pointing it out
very much like Spanish monastery
such as they have in Chilli, Peru and along
the South American coast" By this
time all the wheel-tracks hal converged
and were absorbed in single pair of
ruts; then even that disappeared, as we
sheered" out into the grass tor shorter
cut. and made our way to the low drive
tufted with beach grass where the station
stands and OverlOOks the breakers of the
broad Atlantic rolling in upon this shore
thirty miles out from the mainland.
The house is for,y-two feet long and
eighteen feet wide. The upper story is
divided into dormitory, and a store
room for lighter apparatus, or for extra
beds, sometimes used by the castaways
until they can proceed to the maitland.
The lower floor has mess-rOOm at the
rear, the front part being devoted to the
surf-5oat and its wagon, the lite-car. NOR
tar, ladders, etc. This room has huge fold
ing-doors facing the sea, so that the appa-
ratus can be run out without delay.
The surf.boat is simply large and solid
wooden boat without keel, SO that she can
be launched on an inch or two of water; for
otherwise great deal of time would be lost
in getting afloat. We expressed surprise
that the Government should not furnish a
l
something of that sort; anc the keeper adj
mitted that for a perilous service like this
it was by all means advisable 10 have such
a craft. Nevertheless, the. Government
continues contentedly to risk the lives Of
these brave servitsrs by declining to go to
the small additional expense Of getting
them perfectly safe boat. 1t is true,
money has been spent in large sums for
the life.saving service, and some of the
stations have already been supplied with
an improved surf-bOat; but the Treasury
Department will provide these only as
fast as the old and very inferior boats
wear out. Objects of more peculiar inter
est were the mortar and the life-car.
The mortar is used for throwing a solid
shot, attached by wire to whip-line, over
stranded vessels, whenever these arc near
enough to make such y procedure possible.
The whip-line attached to the shot is 72O
yards in length, but it can hardly be used
with effect beyond 400 or SEQ yards. The
crew Of the wreck are expected to haul on
the line thus thrown, which is attached to
haulinc.line and block. BY means OF
these strong hawser is pulled out from
shore. Boards with simple directions
painted On them are kept in readiness, and
are sent out on the line thus established
from shore to ship, so that the wrecked
crew may know how to perform their par
in the rescue. 1t is now that the life-cal
comes intosplsy. This is a cylindrical iron
chamber, nearly air-tight, and provided
with keel in case it should fall into the
water. There is room inside of it for per
haps half dozen persons, closely packed
who step. in through an opening in the
top. mis- opening 10 closed by strong
loov ~ -
crs for life" in new sense; and the onl,
air they have from the outside must com,
through a hundred or two Of very small
holes, literally no larger than those 'of ,
nutmeg-grater. However, there is no
much danger of fastidi0usness on the par
of persons who take passage in this safe
though comfor.less, c0ntrivance: and cri,
icism would certainly be out of plac
while the travellers arc aiding safely along
suspended by the hawser, through or pei
haps many feet above the bfeakers, whicl
would otherwise have smothered or crushe'
them to death.
OF course, where the space is 60 limited
nothing whatever in the way of goods Cal
he allowed to go into the car. On thi
point Capt. Winsl0w observed cmplati
cally: "Our orders are that even If eold
dust should be put into the bottom Of TN
car we must throw 4 out" The creani
cation is exclusivelF humane, and its sys
tenn, therefore, ID ul6ont to obviate ever,
possible delay in cases where very shoi
interval of lost dime may mean lost live
that might have bean saved.
To insure promptitude and effectiveness
the crew-consisting Of six picked me-
and the keeper-drill continually by
manual specially prepared for the pun
pose, and each man has his part assigne.
him by written notice posted up in tn
mess room, where is can be- seen at d
hours, so that no error need ever aris
from doubt or Misunderstanding. Tn
discipline is 80 excellent that q this sts
tion the boat can 1t an instant's warnin
Ia snnA "A Al.n lasSa.r. 90 snrSAS. k6nHs a