The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-23

their escaped prey. and the risk of the boat running
head foremost before -comber' Is very great as she
must mi eapsiza instantly II she is not checked
crew Obliged hold the boat back until there
| is favorable chance 10 run in ashore
MORTAR IN OPERATION.
If the vessel strikes close to the shore so that she
can be reached BY line, the hand wagon, loaded
with the mortar and its apparatus is run down 70
| the beach. The sand anchor is fastened down. the
crotch--two planks abont twelve feet long-is adj
lusted and the mortar placed in position: The hrst
and second shots may fail either from the force OF
the wind miscalcuation of the distance or the part
ing of the line attached to the ball. When commu-
| nication is last established with the wreck the
on board haul on the line and in short time
the whip and hawser ready for work The breeehes
buoy is sent the hawser 10 the vessel, a man
steps into it and is securely fastened the crew on
shore pull in the whip and N few seconds the man
| is beside them. The life apparatus is managed
IN the same manner, car being capable OF holding
six grown people.
board is attached to the line after communication
is established with the wreck giving the following in
structions III English and French TO the shipwrecLed
crew
Make the tail o the block fast q the lower mast its
Cast of rocket line that The rope the block runs
II frequently happens that the slpwrcched crew
will do nothing toward assisting the rescue Of their
lives. Ii Is astonishing find what intense ~
norance and stupidity prevail on such occasions
Masters and mates should be obliged to make them
selves acquainted with the working OF the lie saving
apparatus as they sometimes render the eAerons OF
the government useless by their neglect to obey
the instructions given them.
THE BEACH.
vigant patrol is kept ON the beach from sunset
to sunrise and during the day should the weather
he dark and threatening. II is divided into 1--WE
watches. follows:-Snnset to 7. NJ. 10 10
10 to > A. NJ. 2 to g. to sunrise. Two
leave the station, lanterns in hand. One proceeds
north to the limits of his district and the other
south Both must wait at the end of their
until they joined by the patrols from the adioin
ing stations Thus unbroken line of sentries
guards the coast and the mariner rests more easily
when he knows that he viii be warned when lie APP
proaches the point OF danger. and that there are
hearts prepared to so to his rescue should he
be cast away.
IN THE o1DEN TIME.
The merit of this admirable system Of vigilance
may be appreciated when one contrasts it with the
unguarded condition OF the coast formerly, and the
terrible loss Of life and property that occurred every
year this coast. Then ship might beat to pieces
in the cruel breakers. and her and passengers
perish within short distance Of the shore. As an
instance. the packet ship Powhatan went ashore
about twenty years ago the beach below Barnegat
Inlet. She struck close to the shore and went
to pieces Over three hundred lives lost not
one the crew passengers escaping. the same
night the brig Manhattan went ashore the
beach. only man reaching the snore alive He
wandered M and down the inhospitable beach
in binding storm and persisted before
assistance reached him. When the first government
houses were built many years ago. and they lew
and far between, crews attached to them and
they practically useless. There all the ap-
pliances for the OF shipwrecked mariners but
to work them. The first gun fired in the
Lne-Saving Service nearly twenty-nine years ago. as
may be from the following inscription
medal in the possession Of Captain Chadwick. keeper
Of station 12:-
:
! Presented TO Mr. John Manson BY the Life Saw
Sing Benevolent Association Of New York
To commemorate the firing by him o the first gnns
scDarred Win cannon bali carving ! line from ,hes
s2o men, women ana children were safely landed on 5
sqaan Beach New , Jersey during ~ violent gale and
SERVICE AND UNDERWRITERS.
The yigilant lookout maintained at present by the
government renders il impossible for masters
their vessels purposely ashore without being
detected Instances are not rare when an old shin
i1y ins and ball Wit worfb
stun has been wrecked the Jersey coast the I'M
derwrers being the only victims. Whatever opinions
people along the shore might have of such nefarious
work there means Of proving the guilt of the
parties. The log book of the government station
keeper is fatal telltae, should such attempt
be made Again, more vessels are warned Of danger
approaching close 10 the shore by the patrols
than those which wrecked. In many eases a
cosstng vessel has struck on the shoals Of of the
inlets and the Of the adjoining station have got
her OF safely, even wnen her captain was about to
abandon her. Some of the work ascribed to tine
Coast Wrccking Company on this coast actually
done by the lfeboat men, according to the statements
of many residents not connected with the service
For such work the life saving crews receive
the thanks OF those whose property they rescue from
the grasp of the shoals.
II is long, weary Journey from Cape May to Point
Pleasant, the beaches are isolated and the
of conveyance very limited and primitive. Commu-
nication with the mainland is often difficult and
when there is succession OF storms the crews Of
some of the stations cut off from the land
efectuaily as II they were on board liahtship
There are very few residents the beaches besides
X
idermsts adopts in the Of stnaing. The stories
told by these toerS OF the indeed wonderful.
Sitting beside weather beaten fisherman in vehicle
which belongs to some unknown species or the
genus wagon. drawn by an unfortunate quadruped
who have been raised on sand and seawee1.
the sharp wind cutting into ones face like knife |
have heard narratives wonderful than
those related 10 the 'Pacha Of Many Tales"
Inhsppy for tine truth Of them facts
show that cases of of shpwrecked
few and far between before the govern
meut houses were built. Even then the absence Of
and tb..uf .lta
paraging the good intentions Of THE volunteers il is
impossible occasions. for them 70 render efficient
service. A. superintendent kinball truly says. ~
real feboat crew. capable Of splendid service in the
terrible hours Of marine ordca cannot be inipro-
yised and terms can oyerstate the Importance OF
having at command for such seasons crews carefully
trained their heroic work and skilled by long drill
in the use of the life-saying apparatus"
The Life saving Service station exhibited at the
Centennial is PLACED at Cape May Point. the light
house aud il known az No. 49, The keeper is G. II.
Hand. experienced surfinan. The distinguishing
feature OF this station is the gun presented 70 the
government by the German Consul General Ii throws
cylindrical proertie with rounded ends in which il
fitted rubber washer to which the line is attached.
The rubber prevents too great strain the line and
lessons the danger 81 parting it. This gun win throw
the shot with line els yards. Two miles above cape
May is Station No 30. George Hdreth. keeper. This
Is also model house everything connected with the
service being perfect order At Two Mile Beach.
No. -. Thomas l.. Van Wrinkle, keeper, fresh sup
ply of bedding is needed.
Six miles above cape May 10 Turtle Gut Station,
No. 81, Elijah Hand, keeper. This is very danger
Gus inlet constantly changing aud forming
shoas. ON October -, during the terrible storm
that ragged along the coast that night, the went
10 the assistance OF the schooner N. T. Potter which
had run ashore at distance from tine station.
II was 4 long. laborous task to pull the surf boat
and it, carriage through the soft, wet sand 20 the
point opposite the stranded vessel. They took of
the shipwreCked in safety, with the exception
Of two. who drowned before the vessel struck.
At Hereford Inlet. another bad point on the coast,
placed No. 80. close 80 the lighthouse. During the
storm October - the surf swept the beach
and moved the house of its underpinning, carrying
IL back more than fifteen yards. The old government
kalst gh wfg rsA ItNifn alan lNNla n
crashed against the station. Fortunately no other
damage was done The crew, with Keeper Cressc had
inst returned from wreck, and were c0mpelDl TO
take again TO the surf boat themselves They
found shelter in the lighthouse until the tide fell
sufficiently TO permit them to return to the station
At stone Harbor, No. 80. Keeper H. O. Holmes and his
crew have Of the most extensive and perious dis
trcts on the TO guard. IL ~ seven mile beach,
extending north as Townsend Inlet, and il is
imnnasihle for single 70 attend 10 il. Another