The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1882-02-18
The Guardians Of Our Coast.

With such record u " no longer
marvel that the American III. saving In.
siitution has taken so firm hold OF the
public heart. Tbs territory which II
guards ten thousand or more miles
Is divided into twelve districts. The
Atlantic coast presents one long success.
sion Of varied dangers. beginning with
Maine. where the capricious currents
are forever playing sly games about the
narrow capes, reefs, sunkcn rocks and
peaks Of islands half submerged, paving
the coast like the teeth In sharks jaw,
taking In Cape Cod, that great arm Of
sand forty miles outward and upward.
with its half-sunkon, cycr-shifting sand.
bars, the islands and the rough, rocky
points on the Rhode Island coast
dreadful TO mariners and the long, un-
pe0pled six hundred miles Of beach from
Mosnuk Point, Long Island, 10 Cape
Fear. North Carolina. terminating with
the arid coral formation Of the coast Of
Florida. five hundred miles In extent
The great lakes. group Of enormous
inland seas, with twenty-five hundred
miles of American coast-line. are sub
ject 10 sudden and violent gales, which
pile mp seas so stupendousthnt anchored
vessels are swept fore and ait, often
causing their complete destruction;
whileoihcrs. running. for shelter In har.
born, miss The narrow entrances, aud
are blown helplessly upon juttlng piers,
or the still more dangerous beach. The
stations consist Of three classes, several
" denominated llfc-saving stations. lilo
boat stations and houses of refuge. Each
Of The twelve districts Is provided With
local superintendent, who must
be \ resident OF The district and famil'
iariy acquainted with its inhabitants.
His compensation is one thousand dol.
lars per annnm, with the exception Of
those ON the coast OF Long Island and
New Jersey, who, having too many sta
tions 10 look after 10 attend TO other
business, are paid iiiteeh hundred dol.
lars apiece. These officers are required
TO give from twenty 70 thirty thousand
dollar bonds rs disbursing agents. being
intrusted with the payment OF the men
under them In addition TO their general
duties. They are responsible Tor the SO.
lection OF The Keepers oil the staiions-a
duty requiring much knowledge and ex'
collent indginent-who arc not, how
ever, confirmed without the acgules..
ccnee of the Inspector, who is supposed
70 have no local interests or preeJndices.
The crews are chosen by the Keepers.
The keepers and crews are examined BY
board Of inspectors, consisting oi an
officer Of the revenue marine, a surgeon
of The Marine Hospital Service. and an
expert s'iriman whose 1usilllcaiions are
Wen known 70 determine by q ludgmen,
wholly impartial Their character' good
health anu general htness. ms poafu
y seinpo.efed 70 dismiss a.. incompetent
men on the spot, and require the Keeper
TO employ others without delay: Inc
whole work y under constant inspcc-
ton. lhe stations are visited frequent
y. and The men eHamlned In inc exer,
clscs OF tho apparatus drill, and
obliged TO give verbal reasons Tor
every step IN their operations They
are trained with their liie-boais IN The
surf, In the use OF the life-dress, In saw
Ing drowning persons BY swimming to
their rnlief, IN the methods OF restoring
the partially drowned. and IN signaling.
Everything In and about the stations
moves with military precision. When
a wreck Is attended with loss Of life, q
rigid examination follows to see i any