New-York tribune., 1878-01-04
THE UATCHnEN ON THE CO1SE
THEIR OPERATIONS FOR A YEAR-MoRE STATIONS
NEEDED--ONE DISTRICT RENDERED INEFFICIENT
BY LOCAL POLITICIANS.

THEIR OPERATIONS FOR A YEAR-M0RE STATIONS
NEEDED-oNE DISTRICT RENDERED INEFFICIENT
By LOCAL POLITICIANS.
WASHINGTON Jan. 3.-AIr. Sumner A. Kim
ball. general superintendent of the e Saving Service
has submitted his annual report. There have been,
during year. 134 disasters TO vessels within the mn
its Of the operations Of the ryce, board ot which
there inst 1500 persons The estimated value o tne
vessels was 81 9s67, and that OF their cargoes Sl30G
$685. making total OF s. 293332. The number of lives
saved was l.iG1 The number of those lost, 3d. snip
wrecked persons numbering sos sheltered at the
stations total number of DAYS OF shelter being 9O3
The total amount OF property saved Sl7i3Gi7 ana
the amount lost, ,5796SJ. The number OF disasters
resulting in total loss to vessels and cargocs was 81.
On nearly every of disaster aid Of some sort
rendered by the Of the stations either m soc
coring the shipwrecked in saving property and
upon fifty occasions by the OF the fcsavng appa-
ratus an aggregate OF 81 persons we're landed There
were four fatal disasters within the limits OF the
operations of the service IN 1876, ana py
coincidence the number has occurred our
ing the present year TIE four WRECKS reIefren
to involved the loss OF thirty yninc lives and la DO IN
stance was the result referahc to the crEduct OF the
fe-savn crews or any defects in the methods OF de-
lycrance employed by the Government. The record Is
solely of perishing y their own inprience or
i'll fortune The wrecks alluded 10 were the CircasSan,
the Massachusetts, the Amerique. and the schooners
Margaret and Lucy.
the date of annual report. but have been com
pletey equipped and put operation during the past
fiscal year life boat station a Buffalo. District No =;
life saying station az Crosse Point Evanstom Ds'rict
No IO and three life boat stations in District No III
Gacac COAST. located respectively at Neah Bay shoa,-
water Bay and Cape Disarpnininen have hecn erecina
An excellent site for the Life Boat station authorized
san Francisco. ha' neen ohtalned through tgo
courtesy of city authorities OF san Francisco Wthn
the limits of Golden Gate PARK Just south Oi tue nm
House, and contract pa hern entered mo tor th con,
-frtte4f ian ~
contract the station - % be completed by December
%, 1873.
Under the mead Of EIanin On OF Keepers aud crews,
superintendent Kimbaii SAYS:
The condition District No the Board o. Examiners
found quite unsatisfactory. Oi The eight keeprs ex
amned. five were Incompetent, and of the snIfmen
more than 0nc-nfth unqualified for their
duties At many places evidence Of neglect ana
indifference wrie abundant aud the new app9raiu.
IN some eases had been arranged aud put
in order for use although had been Tor some time at
the statn ns. fhc Hoard endea'ofcd to impress th'
ketpers and with full Of the grave rcspOn
-hiitics resting upon them aud To stimulate thth 10
efforts in acquiring p.onciency IN their Gntcs Inc ck
also made diligent inquiry into the cause o, tn9
jvt il resulted generally from an utter isc"nc'ptiO
on the part o ne s;crntendcni o MS dn'1' & and IRE re-
formed IN his mn ~ me Efforts ana Ftfc'enHi"hs oI
certain small local politicians. sont "i them hoding
petty official positions. who impudcnty claimed 10 rrpe
seAt hc wishes 81 the department, az" "d e",'.S"
by adroiily pmciiciug on hi- iear- to sccnte the
tio, both . keeper, and snrfucn; thereby producing
general nal administration ui affairs IA the district their
through the patronage Of these parasites and r"inieIs
They had sncese5rd in |o9Ininy ePn,fol nf "sF
bm Jelitye aut the sccuiiiy Of his position dcthHed
by frequent cndravors which were actual! made ior his
displacement Dy local political fcilous
1hc report gives 10 the important question Of
improvement IN hic-sayng appliances Ah Increased
compcnsaou In the pay Of keepers of the yariods sta
iions Is recommended aud a,O increase OF the mum
Der oi stations. 1nc superintendent says:
The experience OF iLe Last few years has plainly
showed TIE need OF additional stations on The COASTS oi
Virginia aud North Carolina u was hoped. ~ was
stated report OF st that tae expense ~ -
ar examination oi the saidtcf, with that y"w.
was made during The il-t "inlcr nni SPrns'
Inadequate On the co1s:s named iherr are NO" but h
stations the distance between which average Ten mr-'
on ,ll,rr ,,nti,ns of the Atlantic const witch admit %
the patro' the stations from three - four m''s
apaI: fully great enough toadnit pf enforce
iGcnt OF t regulation IN the ncrce ~ Winter with
saicy L. the patrolncn Ihr distance l. also ~ gcai
10 materially hplr the chances in reaching in ir !"
cn. n r.-cuc The sapwrcck- which may midway
between ttaons. IL - therefore recommended tnat
authority b. given for establishing additional station. on
this coast Intermediate point, between those existing
Five other, should also c located between the southern
most statioB ana Cape Fear.
strong petitions for t!ir establishment OF "a hicboat
station at Galveston. and upon other portions o he
coast o 1rxas. have been received. The c"mincr,c 'i
past rev years and The Increase % the SHIPPING ~ The
frequency Of disasters - 10 n.iiil Toe appeal Iher
DISASTERS extend 10 ShppnS at "th.r points on 'he ,"a'
ESPECIALLY Hose iosi Aistu 10 Tie loftf 'l tu'
nOrthcss whcA sweep the Calf Four Iiiehoat sta
tons are therefore, rcconnrdfd to Ice esiaDshra 1.s
Galveston. 1T Pass CVaO, one NJ Mustang Island
aud one 40 BgaIC, Santiago.
On nc s.cst Likes. additional stations should
be c,tabii-nci, follows: GA Lake Nlch-
gan. complete hfesaying stauons at sleeping,
Bear l'oiHC and BHicy's Udibor, and
life boat stations al KcnO-bn aud Muskegon. Oa Lake
Huron, complete lifc sayiug-sthuOns ~ O.d fChi Aux
Bardues near Port Austin, and at Middle Island; aud
life boat station at sand Beach. There shouid AL De
established complete lf,-.ayEg stations AT Cranberry
Isles, Maine, ana Watch Ill., H. l.
IL recommended that provision be made which will
enable the stations to De opened for service the At
lanc scaboard annually, from the lst Of september to
the lst Of May, II not Tor the enilre year.
4 TREASURY CiRCULAR