Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-01-16
The Periis of the Surf.

The traveller who, approaching the
Atlantic coast by night at this season of
the year, sees a continuous line oflights
up and down the shore as far as his eye
can reach, has little idea in general of
the elaborate arrangements that are
made by the government 10 save his
life, should accident or mismanagement
put his his vessel in peril. The men
attached TO the $50 stations of the Uni
ted Statss life-saving service are con-
tinually 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 hard
er the storm, the worse the night, the
more watchful are they in their vigils; !;
and il would be almost impossible for
an unfortunate vessel to be in distress
anywhere along the coast without being
speedily seen. Every one of the sta
tions is in charge of a competent keep
er. but this is not enough for the pur-
poses Of the government, and each year
the stations are all visited and rigidly
inspected by the assistant inspectors of
the department-compe officers
from the United States revenue marine
service. This inspection is made as
early in the winter as practicable, to
get the squads well organized for the
coming year.
The life-saving station at Point Ju-
dith, r. L., is a fair sample of those to
he found all along the coast. A two
story frame house, sealed without and
within, small, but substantial with a
tall flagstaff 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 a large
stove. Up stairs are three sleeping
rooms, each containing several iron
cots well supplied with plenty of thick
blankets. The crew consists of keep
er and six surfmen. They are taught
that their first duty is to save life.
When they can rescue property from
destruction, they are TO oit, but moth
ing is TO prevent them from endeavor-
ing, first, to rescue every soul in dan
ger. For this purpose they are first in
structed ih the method of reviying ap-
parently drowned persons. Every sta
ton is provided with a case of restora-
tives, containing two bottles of brandy
two of sherry, a bottle Of snuff, one of
ammonia, and preparation of iron TO
be used as styptic on wounds. Also
a box of prepared mustard pIasters, a
roll of adhesive plaster, tIndle of
flannel for rubbing, sponges, bar dages,
and number of probangs for cleaning
ont the mouth and throat
The equipments of each life-.aving
station are a large surf boat, life car,
lines, and hawsers, a mortar for throw
ing line over the vessel, and many
smaller instruments TO be used in opa-
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
mortar is brought out, a slender but
exceedingly strong Italian hemp line is
attached to ii, and the shot is fired so as
to drop the line, if fpossible. 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