New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-04-25
REPORT OF THE LIFE-S4VING SERIJCE


The report for the fiscal year ending June
80, 1879, of this Department, has just been
issued, and ought to be widely clrcu-
lated. THE TRIBUNE has so frequently, from
time to time, called the attention of its readers
to occasional acts of this important arm OF Gov
ernment service, that it is only necessary for
us now to give them q brief resume f.the whole
work accomplished during the past year, its
cost, and its value to the country.
The Life-Saving establishment in 1879 num-
bered 173 stations. These were manned with
crews for different lengths Of time, the longest
period being from September L to April 80,
upon the dangerous coasts of New-Jersey,
Maine and Massachusetts. Upon the Florida
coast, where shipwrecks are rare, only houses
of refuge are maintained; and upon the whole
Pacific coast there are but six stations, and
these depend wholly upon volunteer effort.
During the year 219 disasters occurred to vessels
within reach of help from the stations. There
were 2, 1Oj'perso On board of them, of whom
2,O49 were saved and 56 lost. The total value
of the vessels and their cargOes was estimated
at SO, 1897, 1856. Of this amount moro than
one-half was saved, although more than one
fourth Of the shipwrecked vessels were total
wreck. It will be remembered that the sole
object of this service is the rescue Of life the
saving Of property is a secondary cOnsidera-
ton, and only attended to after every one of the
messengers and crew has been brought on
shore. Now, the total cost of the service, in
Guiding all salaries from that of the superinten-
dents to the crew, expenditures for the build
ing, repair and support Of the stations and
houses of refuge, for apparatus, for travelling
expenses of inspectors, for sustenance Of res
cued crews, for fuel, ETC., amounted TO but
$363579 during this year, while the actual
cash value of the property saved amounted to
81 ,445,0S6.
The saving Of human life, with its priceless
value, is over and above this amount to which
the service brings the nation in its debtor.
This statement of the outlay and profit of this
service ought to satisfy the most querulous
grumbler Cf any such remain) of those who
disputed for years whether 1t paid for itself.
The most close-fsted Of our taxpayers, little as
he may be disposed to open his hand to aid
in saving the lives of shipwrecked human beings,
has no right to complain of o Government IN
vestment which pays three hundred per cent in
hard cash back to the country. A sum total is
offered in this report of the work done by the
service since the date of introduction of the
present system, which sets forth It's mere prac-
teal utility still more clearly. The total value
of property (vessels and cargOes) imperlled has
been SIG, GAG, OPT; the total value of property
saved has been $9,510,40s But this salvage,
however commendable to the practical man, has
been but side issue of tho real work accom-
plished. When we look at the record Of lives
saved in the last eight years, we doubt whether
any Government since the world began has ever
been able to show page of history as fair and
worthy of honest pride. The number of lives
imperilled in that time was 1892. OF these
5000 were saved, and but 1852 lost, and of
these 1877 were lost at the wrecks OF the Huron
and Metropolis and one or two smaller vessels,
when the stations we're not open or were so far
distant as to make their apparatus unavailable.
Since the time of the close Of this report,
June 80, 1879, great improvements have been
made in the appliances for life-saving, and
crews and keepers have been rigidly sifted out.
We may hope, therefore, that the work done
Will be still better in future. We do not grudge
our hearty commentator of this branch of
Government service, simply because there Is no
other of which the work is moro useful in pur-
pose or Is more zealOusly and thoroughly accom-
plished. 1t should be ennobling to every
American boy to know that he lives under q
Government capable Of undertaking work so
hnely human In its purpOrt, and which can find