The New York herald., 1879-02-08

and Virginia. which was last year in unsatisfac-
tory condition on account of local political inter-
ference in the attempted control of the selection of
crews was this year found to have not an incompe-
tent man in the district showing the virtue OF the
remedial measures of the service in such cases.
THE NEW STATIONS.
OF the stations authorized to be established by
the act of June Is the three authorized between Cape
Henry and Cape Charles have been completed, and
thirteen on the coast OF North Carolina between cape
Henry and Cape Hateras. were. by the terms or the
contract, to be completed on the 18th of November,
but the work has been somewhat delayed by
the great storms of tho 22d and 23d OF DC
tober. which swept away much OF the ma
terials. The points designated for the establish.
ment OF stations upon the New England coast and
upon the lakes have been examined, and sites have
been selected for stations at Cranberry Isles Me-;
scitnate; Mass, and Watch Hill; r. L. ON the sea,
Refuge, on Lake Huron and at Bayley's Harbor,
Manistee.. Ludington. Muskegon and Kcnosha, on
these stes except ut Scituate. not in time.
however. to admit of the construction of
Plans and specifications in of preparation,
and the work will be undertaken early in the
spring as practicable. Measures toward the estab.
lishment of the stations authorized for the Gulf
coast have been delayed by the prevalence of yellow
fever at the South. but the work will soon be COM
menced The arduous character of life at
the stations and patrol duty illustrated by
the General Superntendents account of the
great storm Of October a,.o % r ana 49, rrda in
away and number of the men were exposed To great
peril and we'll nigh pershed. In one instance
another patrolman was found in the morning by
his comrades lying prone on sand hill, cinging to
the ground where he had lain all night completely
surrounded by water.
THE NEW GUN.
The report records remarkable improvement in
life saving ordnance by which greater range and n
considerable reduction in weight are effected The
new gun, which is of bronze, weighs. with its bed
and shot. only 2O2 pounds and has attained maxi
mum range of 695 yards The mortar heretofore in
general ut the stations weighed 312 pounds.
and its maximum range was 42i yards.
~ arhia ant will hp
ciated when il is remembered that the apparatus has
to be dragged in most instances by hand and by only
men, whatever the distance may be from the
station to the of the wreck. which makes the
diminution of the burden exceedingly desirable. The
increase OF the range s aisS ngn S re-
sian, where many pershed because the wrecks
were just beyond the reach OF line shots. The sta
tions have been supplied with the new guns.
This improvement is due to the genius of Lieutenant
d. A. Lyle. of the Ordnance Department of the army,
who was detailed to assist the Life Saving Service at
the instance of the General Superintendent in con-
ducting experiments in 1877 with this object in view.
Lieutenant Lyles report OF his experiments is an
nexed to the report Of the General Superintendent,
by whom 1t is spoken OF in mighty complimentary
terms and pronounced standard authority upon the
subject Of life saving ordnance.
TELEPHONE.
The telephone has been introduced at each station
between Cape Henry and Kitty Hawk, in the sixth
of the Signal Service to which the telegraph line
upon that coast belongs The first use to which it
put to transmit the intelligence OF the occur
renee Of q wreck to headquarters
MEDALS AND BOOKS.
Medals for saving lite have been awarded to several
persons. number of books have been donated for
the of station crews. and in several instances,
through the public spirit and humanity Of private
citizens sites have been given for the erection Of
stations.
WRECKS CASUALTIES
Due acknowledgment is made for the generous ac-
ton Of Congress in organizing the Life Saving Service
by the act of June IL, 1878. This legislation is
ported to have had the effect Of greatly inspirting
the life saving crews in illustration Of which the
General Superintendent publishes a series Of brief
narratives OF the services performed by the at
ninety-six disasters which occurred during the first
three months of the present active season, some of
which are quite thrilling. These accounts also
vivdly illustrate the nature and value of the work
done in saving property as we'll as life
compilation OF the statistics OF wrecks and casual
ties which have occurred on near the coasts and
the rivers of the United States. and to American
vessels at the coasts of foreign countries,
collected under the authority of the act of June 90
1874. is included in the report This compilation.
arranged 1t s in distinctive tables with reference
to the value of vessels and cargoes and loss to
the same insurance, tonnage. number Of passen-
gers. crew, number of lives lost nature and cause
of casualty, &C., must be highly valuable to under
writer's vessel and other persons interested
in shipping. noteworthy fact mentioned in the
General superintendent remarks upon these staiis-
tics is the constant and rapid decrease in the loss of
life upon our coast in proportion to the number of
persons board vessels suffering casualty and to
the number Of disasters. He shows the de-
crease to be nearly fifty per cent since
precedented agitation of the public mind
within the last few years with respect marine dis
asers which has resulted in protective legislation in
volving increase in the number of life saving
stations, lighthouses. beacons and buoys. and the
institution of improved steamboat inspections and
regulations for navigation and has also resulted i'll
valuable inventions for the management Of vessels
well for the saving of life in of accident.
besides leading shipowners to exercise greater dis
crmination in the selection of their officers and
equipments. and care for the condition Of their