The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-09-27
WELLINGTON LoRA1N COUNTY, OHIO, SEPTEMBER 81

hollow blast. q dismal noto as we hear IL
when we are safe on the land, but sweet
to the anxious captain whose vessel is
laboring through the gloom under close
reefed topsails, and uncertain of her
exact position. One of these horns is
very complicated in its structure, and
screeches in rough, broken blare, q
note far-reaching beyond any smooth,
whistling sound that could be made.
Finally, buoys, which at first were SIM
ply tight casks, but now are usually
made of boiler-iron, are anchored on
small reefs, to which are hung bells,
rung constantly by the tossing of their
support; and on other reefs, buoys are
fixed having hollow cap so arranged
that when a big wave rushes over. it
shuts in body of air, under great s=a
sudden pressure, which can only escape
through whistle in the top of the cap,
uttering long warning wall to tell its
made to carry lights, some by ordinary
oil-lanterns, others by having their hol-
low interiors filed with greatly COM
pressed gas, which burns in a strong
globe of glass, and cannot be blown or
drenched out
But the ordinary duty of the buoy is
to mark the line of inner channels, and
by their color they tell on which side of
them the pilot must steer,
Tokeep the boys all anchored, replace
them if lost, or put new ones where
needed; to visit the light-ships, and
carry provisions and letters to their
crews; to see that all the lighthouses are
in shape, and the various parts of the
machinery in good working order, is the
duty of an inspector, who has a certain
district of coast under his care, and con-
tinually travels up and down it in q
steamer called 'stender."
Lighthouses and sirens and buoys and
coast surveys are all intended to
prevent shipwreck; but, as 1 have
said, the ocean is still supreme.
So we add to our precautions ar
rangements to help those cast away.
Societies to save wrecked persons have
existed in China, it is said, for centuries,
but in Europe are scarcely over hundred
years old and the first life-boat was not
made until 1884. Those European hu-
name societies, especially in Great
Britain, placed life-boats and gears in
certain shore towns, and organized crews
who promise to go out to the aid of any
lost ship, and to take good care of the
persons rescued. In America, however,
our coasts are so extensive, and so much
of the dangerous part of them is far
away from any villages, or even farm
houses, that the government was obliged
to do anything that was to be done.
Thus came about the Life Saving Service,
as it is called, which now hasi its stations
close together along our whole sea-coast,
and upon the great lakes, covering more
than ten thousand miles in all.
Each of these stations is a snug house
on the beach, tenanted by a keeper and
six men, all of whom are chosen for
their skill in swimming, and in handling
boat in the surf-something every man
who " follows the sea" cannot do.
During all the season, from October
| till May, two men from each station are
necessarily patrolling the beach at night,
each walking until he meets the patrol
man from the next station. No matter
how foul the weather, these watchmen
are out until daylight looking for disas.
ters. The moment they discover vessel
ashore, or likely to become disabled, they
summon their companions, and hasten to
launch their boat. These boats are oi
two kinds. On the lakes and on the
steep Pacific coast is used the very heavy
English life-boat, fitted with maSts and
sails if necessary, and which a steam
tug is required to tow to the scene oi
the wroels, if it is not close in shore.
But upon our fiat, sandy Atlantic beaches
lighter kind of surf-boat, made oi
cedar, can only be handled. This is
built with air-cases at each end and
under the thwarts, so that it cannot sink
The station-men dragit on its low wagon
to the scene of its use, unless horses are
to be had, and when it is launched, they
sit at the six oars, each with his corE
belt buckled around him, and his eye
fixed on the steersman, who stands in
the stern, ready to obey his sGghtes
motion of command, for rowing through
the angry waves that dash themselve:
on a storm-beaten beach is matter re
quiring extraordinary skill and strength
Then, when the vessel is reached, come:
another struggle to avoid being strucl
and crushed by the plunging ship, o.
the broken spars and rigging pounding
about the hull. But skill and caution
generally enable the crew to rescue
the unfortunate castaways one by one
though frequently several trips must bt
made, in each one of which every surf
man risks his life, and in many a saC
case has lost il.
1t is q common occurrence, however
that the sea will run so high that no boa
could possibly be launched. Then th'
only possibility of rescue for the crew il
by means of line which shall bridg'
the space between the ship and the liant
before the hull falls to pieces. We reaC
in old tales of wrecks of how some brav'
seaman would tie light line around hi
waist, and dare the dreadful waves, ant
the more dreadful undertow, to save hi
comrades. If he got safely upon tn
beach, he drew hawser on shore AM
made it fast. Now we do not ask this
but with small cannon made for tn
purpose, strong cord attached to tn
cannon-ball is fired over the ship, evel
though it be several hundred yards dis
tant. Seizing this line as it falls acros
their vessel, the imperilled sailors haul u
them larger line, called n "whip,
which they fasten in a taclle-block il
such a way that still heavier line can b
stretched between the wreck and the land
and made fast. Then by means of a smal
side-line and pulleys a double canva
bag, shaped like pair of knee-breeches
is sent back and forth between the shi
: and the shore, bringing a man eac
time, until all are saved. Should ther
: be many persons on board, though. an
RTSstI uitSlc uSSSsSdiN, snAoAhi SO'SAC
metallic boat, called the life-car, is sen
out, into which several persons can &c
at once.
Such are the principal means of savin
life practised by the Life Saving Service
and you will believe that they are goo
in device, and managed with great ski
and grand courage. when tell you tbs
in 1880, out of nearly two thousan
= narSops yvhoSa lives were endanpered h
shipwreck upon the American coasts
all but nine were sayed.-ErneSt Luge,
. soil, IN Vide AsOG5e.
Two muscular men of kildare
Ark, agreed to settle their quarrel wit
a single blow OF the fist. to be struck b