New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-26

the only river life-saving station IN the WORTH
,he teener and bis men worked five days ana
NIGHTS continuously without sleeping .no"
patrol covering nine miles OF river 'front.'. inoy
brought ashore il. their boats 400 persons anu
the number OF these who were III peru 10 eS''-
mated at 200. The life-saving station oecanno
the centre through which supplies were us,
tributed to 1000 needy persons. AT ClevelaIu
fine crew rescued and brought ashore thirty
seven persons.
At Cincinnati 200 persons were orouSn'
ashore by the crews, mary or thep oei"S y"
situations of danger, and the boats carrleu sup
plies. that work keeping them busy DAYS anu
NIGHTS. IN between 1000 and 1000 persons.
The Cleveland crew aent down to CINCINNATI
with twelve boats, and rendered great help'
The crew at Port Marblehead, on Lake Erie'
received n telegraphic summons 10 Cincinna'i,
and. loading their boat on n sleigh, pusneu IL
more than four miles oyer the ice IN storn u
Sandusky. where they got word that thelr ser
vices would not be needed, and returned as
they came.
MANY other instances might be given or their
endurance and labor which accomplished more
for the preservation of life than equal courage
and resolution have often done when playeu i'll
more dramatic scenes of peril These services
will never be forgotten by the grateful people
to whom they were rendered, ana must nave
the effect to strengthen this already popular
service in the affections OF regions OF the
country which have not had occasion heretofore
70 realize 40 keeny its usefulness. 1t Is impos-
sible 10 avoid the reflection that the Service
might mot and probably would not, maintain
this high standard Of efficiency II 1t were al
lowed 20 pass under u political control.
Few things in the record OF the laie Congress
bave given more satisfaction, probably, than lts
virtual refusal to take any steps toward putting
the Lfe-Saving Service under the Navy De-
partment. The recommendation for the trans
fer WAS no doubt made by Secretary Chandler
from n sincere belief that this would be n wise
way in which to employ part OF the horde OF
idle naval officers, and there may be some VINO
share the belief; but the general Judgment
seems to he clearly against it. Under Superlh-
tendent Kmbal the Service has become the best
of It's kind in the world and there Is not s'ls-
picion of politics anywhere about 1t. The point
zeal abuses Of navy yards are too familiar not
to stand IA warning against the danger OIL
putting the Llfe-Saving Service within the
reach of the same influences.
It is a source Of satisfaction, too, to see that
Congress has treated the Service well in IFS APP
proprlations-Dot with special llbeiality, per
haps. but with justice. One Improvement
should he authorized by the next Congress-
which has waited too long already. Twelve
stations on the North Carolina coast are nov
connected by telephone, thus making 1t possible
for one station to make an instant call upon
another for reinforccments Of men and boats IN
CAGE of need An appropriation smaller than Is
usually required to start granite poSt-0iiice IN
n prairie town will furnish the coasts OF New
Jersey Long Island and Cape Cod with SINH
lar apparatus, thus vastly increasing the efiici-
eucy of the Service. The proposition is one
that must commend itself to every mind, and we
hone tue XLYIIIth Congress will act accord
ingly.