New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-13
Tt[HIITENITJyG CREUN.

During the recent snow storm on the coast OF
Great Britain, tie loss of life from shipVrock
was appaling Nine vessels were lost on the
Abcrdeenshirc coast alone, and over 100 persons
drowned. The ship Bnnrhydlng was wrecked
further south. and the crew, thirty in number,
all lost. Several small vessels, names un-
known. went ashore on the rocks OF the North
umbciland coast, and not soul Wa, saved.
These are but the first reports OF lo,,,S; 1t IL
unknown how many Will follow. The SINGULAR
point to American readers Is that tn" SHIPS 20
down with all their crews on board; 10 effort
whatever apparently being made o. r'"'r for
their relief. Yet it Was but the other uly We
called attention to the mnn!iircnt sun- be-
slowed in one month rs prize Il. .dcy To the life
saving crews in England; and there can 6e no
question of the good work done by them every
year in rescuiug life and property.
The difference between tie English ll'c-say-
ing service and ouG Cwn is that the first does
noble work at spssmodlc intervals; 1t can
ALWAYS be rcckoncd on if the Peril j, not very
great, but on occasions OF supreme peril il is apt
to fall shOtt 10 il did last w"c6; while tho
American is steady and faithful to ITS duty at
all times The record Of work doLc Toy this
service during the winter Just past when
written, viii, we venture 10 Say, s1pa~s ne
faithful endurance and actual conqunrmg Of
death that of any oiher year. The reason oil
the difference between the ,wO services Is That
while the work done by the Engllsh crews Is "a
voluntary act Of courage or humanity, To be- re
wardcd by prizes, that of our crews is their
duty, undertaken by them and paid Tor by the
Government. The EnZi!shmln, seeing ship
going down, puts his pity for the victims and his
hope of a medal on one scale, and his love Of life
on the other, and If the danger il great selfish
ness carries it, and Le watches the crew drown
from shore. Nobody blamcs him; he is no
more of coward than his ncighbors. But
there is no stronger incentive to any man than
flat which urges the American liic-~aying sol
der to risk his life 10 save the drowning. II is
not the pIttance OF money which be Is TO be
paid, it is the sense Of duty and of response
bihty; tins is his work, no other mans. IL is
the feeling of individual duty which is the salt
and SAVIOR of our everyday life. IL brings the
ignorant soldier face to face with the enemy of
a cause he cares nothing about; it keeps the
engineer on his engine when the bridge is going
down, or the captain on the ship till the last
boat is filled. 1t is not altogether hcrosm nor
humanity, it is motive which If not ~ high
as these, is more durable and steadfast than
either.
Our Government has done we'll to establish
our ife-saving service on this solid basis, and
the English coast would be better guarded if
the motive and structure of their service was
made the Same as ours. At the same time it
would be we'll if more of the enthusiasm aud
interest which are felt by the English people in
tho work Of thcir volunteer crews rOui6 hp
kindcd among Americans. The paid soldier
fights all the better if he knows he is watched
by friendly eyes as he goes into battle, and our
Door coast soldier, as he faced the dangers of
this Arctic winter and brought crew after crew
on shore wOuld have gone with more heart and
courage to his work il he had felt that his
country approved it heartily enough to care for
his wife ard children should he DIE