The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-26
Steam LiGeboats for Coast Service.

On Thursday there wcro two wrecks on
the coast of New Jersey. In both cases tho
soamcn, twenty persons in ALL were rescued
by the crews Of the Government life saving
service The letter Of our correspondent at
Asbury Park indicated that the Deal Beach
crew might possibly have done their work
more speedily with the lifcboat than with
the line and movable buoy which they pre-
fcrrcd to use; but this only emphasizes the
Importance, which these disasters illustrate.
OF having an efficient organization for saw
ing the lives Of mariners shipwrecked on
our coasts.
Tho efficiency OF this service must depend,
OF course, largely upon the character Of the
men employed in II; hut IL IL plain that thor
labors, hdocvcr courageous and we'll direct
ed cannot yield the best results, unless cN-
crted through the most approved appliances
which science has devised. In Great Brit
ain, where the average number OF ship
wrecks il nearly two thousand year, the
advantage OF providing tho lifc-snving sta
tlons with improved apparatus Of every sort
is more thoroughly appreciated than IL
seems to be in this country Great atton-
tion Is devoted to the subject by English
inventors, aud a high degree Of excellence
has already been attained IN tho various
mechanical methods employed FOR rescuIng
sailors from wrecked vessels. A recognized
want a the coast service however, is "a bet
ter lifeboat than has yet been made The
use OF steam instead OF muscular power, a.
the means Of propulsion, would obviously
be an Improvement, II the practical difficult
ties that have thus far prevented the con-
struction ofan available steam lifcbOat could
be overcome.
The one great advantage of such hfc-
boat would be its ability 10 steam against
wind and waves which would defy the efforts
81 the strongest oarsmen. But sample
float provided with steam engine will not
satisfy the conditions Of the problem. Tho
craft desired is ono that can be used 30 take
men of wrecks II must he capable ~ being
handled rs readily md easily as rowhoat.
The outside machinery must bee protected
from contact with floating cargo, spars, or
cordagc. And finally, the screw must be 50
placed that IL cannot be thrown out Of tho
water by the tossing Of the vessel. and thus
made IL rcvolvc at dangerous volOcit Y.
A steam launch Of the common pattern,
| even II constructed SO that IL caunot sink,
does not fulfil these requisites, and pos
sessc- no practical advantage as liicboat.
But decided advance toward the ideal
steam l!fcboat appears lately to have been
made by Mr.. EDMUND THoMPso", Of whose
invocation We find an account ia the recent
London newspapers. He ko'pe the prup.l-
Ter constantly in the water, and SO prevents
L from whit is technically termed racing,
by placing it in a tunnel underneath the
after half Of the boat, instead Of Mt tho
stern. In this position the screw will hardly
be foulcd by floating articles, hut if nccdful
IL can be further protected 10y metallic has-
kct work. The necessary bu0yancy is to be
secured by making the hull OF two shells OF
| steel, IA inner and outer sheet, with The
space between them separated into largo
number OF water-tight compartments A
| large boat OF this description Is now build
ing under the direction of the inventor, and
the satisfactory results which he has OBJ
tanned with small model induce confident
anticipations Of the success Of tho design.
Yet even II this one does not succeed IL Is,
nevertheless, more than likely that hfoboats
will eventually como TO be propelled 10y
steam. Most persons at all familiar with
shipping casualties on our own coast or that
Of England can recall cases whore rescue
has been prevented simply by the inability
Of any men TO row out to the wreck against
n storm which could not have beaten back
steam lifeboat The superiority OF steam
power in such cases, II it only can be
utilized, presents the strongest incentive to
devise means for overcoming the practical
obstacles 10 which we have referred. Whom
these difficulties are conquered and steam
is successfully applied t. liicboats the cni-
cheney of the lifc-saving service in both
countries will be greatly Increased.