The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-12-20
THE PERILs OF THE SURF.

the United states-.- ntercstinu Particu-
lars.
The traveller who, approaching the
Atlantic coast by night at this season of
the year, sees continuous line of lights
up and down the shore as far as his
vision can reach, has little idea in general
of the elaborate arrangements that are
made by the government to save his
! life, should accident or mismanagement
put his vessel in peril. The men at
tached to the $50 stations of the United
States life-saving service are continually
patrolling the beach, and every night
the light of their bright lanterns can be
seen in an almost unbroken line, from
the uppermost point of Maine to the
lowest point Of Florida. The harder
the storm, the worse the night, the more
watchful are they in their vigils; and it
would be almost impossible for an un-
fortunate vessel to be in distress any
where along the coast without being
speedily seen. Every one OF the stations
is under charge of competent keeper,
but this is not enough for the purposes of
the government, and each year the sta
tions are all visited and rigidly inspected
by the assistant inspectors of the depart
ment-competento officers from the United
States revenue marine service. This in
spection is made as early in the winter
as practicable, to get the squads well or
ganized for the coming year.
The life-saving station at Point Judith,
r. L., is a fair sample of those to be
found all along the coast. A two.story
frame house, sealed without and within,
small, but substantial, with tall flag
staff projecting from its roof. On the
ground floor, with huge door opening
on the sea front. is the boat-room, the
largest in the house. Back of this is
the living room for the crew, clean, and
well warmed by huge stove. Up stairs
are three sleeping rooms, each contain
ing several iron cots we'll supplied with
plenty of thick blankets. The crew
consists of keeper and six surfmen.
They are taught that their first duty is
to save life. When they con rescue
property from destruction, they are to
do it, but nothing is to prevent them
from endeavoring, first, to rescue every
soul in danger. For this purpose they
reviving apparently drowned persons.
Every station is provided with case OF
restoratives, containing two bottles of
brandy, two of sherry, bottle of snuff,
one of ammonia, and a preparation of
iron to be used as a styptic on wounds.
Also box of prepared mustard plasters,
a roll of adhesive plaster, bundle of
flannel for rubbing, sponges, bandages,
and number of probangs for cleaning
out the mouth and throat.
The equipments of each life-saving
station are large surf-boat, life-car,
lines, and hawsers, g mortar for throw
ing a line over the vessel, and many
smaller implements to be used in ope-
rating these principal ones. In ordinary
cases, when vessel is discovered ashore,
the life-saving men go out to her in their
surf-boat and bring her passengers and
crew ashore. But there are many times
when it would be certain death to the
men to venture out through the surf, no
matter how strong their boat. Then the
life-car is brought into service. The NOR
tar is brought out, slender but exceed
ingly strong italian hemp line is attached
to it, and the shot is fired so as to drop
the line, if possible, Immediately over
the vessels deck. The first time that
the mortar and ball were ever used in the
United States Life-saving service, the
| first shot fell short. A second shot was
fired, and the ball just cleared the ves-
sells rail and went through her deck.
The line was caught, and more than 200
lives were saved The crew of the vessel,
after the shot is fired, draw in the small
line and find hawser attached to it,
with directions painted on board, in
English and French, how to make the
hawser fast to the mast, and rig the
tackle. A smaller line also goes out
with the hawser, by which the life-car is
drawn back and forth between the ship
and the shore. saving six lives, at every
| trip. The life-car is nearly air-tight,
and is built in the form of small COW
cred boat, so that should it, by any acci-
dent, break from the hawser, its passen-
gers would still be safe. Sometimes it
is not necessary to use the life-car, and
then an implement known as the
"breeches buoy" is sent out. This is
something like a pair of short, wide,
rubber pantaloons, with seat or ledge
for the occupant to sit on. A cork buoy
around the band prevents it from sink
ing, and the persons on the vessel can
soon be drawn ashore. Each man, upon
going into the surf, whether for business
or practice, is required to wear a large
but very convenient cork jacket, with
which it is impossible for him to sink.
The stations are also furnished with sew
eral of the Merriman life-saving suits,
with which a man can float upon the
water for hours without being drowned
or even chilled or wet.
The inside and everyday work of a
life-saving station is a well-aranged
piece Of machinery. By day and by
night patrols are kept walking up and
down the beach, each provided with q
Coston light and lantern. Where no
bays or inlets prevent, the patrolman
from one station meets the patrolman
from the next, SO that almost perfect
communication is maintained between
them. In the house, one man scrubs
the floor, another makes the beds, 9
third takes care of the lanterns, and in
the stations where the men do their own
housekeeping, others take turns at cook
ing and baking. York Times.