New-York tribune., 1881-09-11
ON GEIRD


The life-saving ations along the coast were
opened and manned on September |. and ON
the next day "a searching drill took place in each
to test the knowledge and promptitude of the
men Ill their duties. The crews, as a rule.
consist OF the same members as last wear
lhey nave been in previous years pretty
thoroughly wccdcd of incompetent or unwilling
men, ana 1t Is the desire of the Superintendent
TO retain III the service the men who prove
themselves worthy until age or death removes
them. The result of this policy begins already
to show itself. The crews are skilled in their
work; they come back to it with all the hearty
goodwill and affection for it that association and
habit can give, and they have, too, that ESPRIT
dc corps which has been proved to be the most
powerful moving force of all drilled organiza-
| tons. All this would be lacking in crews made
up of new members each year. As it is, the
men returned last Thursday to their old quar-
ters with friendly greetings, and handled the
apparatus with skill born Of long familiarity.
During the long watches of the coming winter.
no doubt they will fight their battles with
storm and sea over again. not without little
wholesome jealousy, perhaps, of such of their
number as have been decorated with the gold
medal given for extraordinary bravery. 1t
would be going too far. perhaps, to say that
and drowning men on the bar, but it is certain
they go to their aid with the wild, enthusiastic
| energy which the volunteer liremen of cid times
used to bring to n fire.
The station-houSes have been thoroughly re-
paired during the summer, and OF the openinr
day were models of order and precision com
plete as that of a man-Of- war; From the life
boats and cars, mortars and signal coors, down
to the smallest tool in its place on the wall. all
were ready and ut hand for instant use. When
the drill took place the men in line responded
to the examination aS to the especial duty as
signed each one in case of disaster; then the
disaster having presumably occurred, the
signals were run out, the life-boat was rolled on
to the beach, the mortar was fred with such
skill rs to bring ii line over mast with the first
attempt, n pulley was rugged and a cable at-
tdchcd, and the passengers rescued by means
of the breecheS-buoy and the life-car Nothing
could be more satisfactory than the skill,
swlttness and accuracy of these trained life
saving soldiers in handling their appliances
An examination, too of the neat books kent
for years past bv the keepers, the careful sol
dicrly attention to detail in recording the work
or shortcomings of each member of the crew
down to the quaint ending ut the bottom of the
page, land SO, under God, end, this day.r
strengthens the conviction that the guarding of
our coast is in the hands of carefully disci
plined and faithful men.
But there are one or two points which would
give an intelligent spectator uneasiness One is
the fact that many of the stations are vet un-
supplied with the extra bedding, clothing, medi-
cine, etc, which the Woman's National Relief
Association have endcavored to raise. Contri
buttons, it appears, have been scanty. We urge
ltp Of
earnest consideration, and to give it notr before
the October high tides drive the usual
number of shattered schooners and shps
on the murderous bars. The other def
cheney, and still more important one
is the want of horses at each STA
ton. The boat (hcavily built to resist the
waves Is lett to seven men to drag through the
deep sand INTO the water il may be for ii .e rods
or, as III the case of the Huron, ten miles thew
tug manfully ut it and move it by inches while
hundreds of lives probably are depending on
their speed, and are completely exhausted by
the time the boat is in the water and their real
work begins. The stations being far from
other houses, it is seldom practicable for the
keepers to hire horses in an emergency. evcn
did the economy of the Government admit sucb
outlay. IL seems to us that such economy il
suicidal to the efficiency of the service. II
should have funds enough placed at it's disposol
to keep two horses at each station at least
where the sand renders the work impracticoble
by men.
NOME AGAIN.
During the week just past the vast outyoinc