Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-02-01
UNITED STATES LIFE SAVING SERVICE.


service, its present condition, It's facilities
for doing the work assigned to it, the num-
Der and distribution of its stations, and IFS
record in past years. In paper recently
read before the Society Of Arts of Boston, by
Capt. ID. a. Lyle, U. S. A., on "The Rise,
Progress and Methods of the United States
Life Saving Service" some instructive
information on the above points was con.
veyed. 1t appears that the credit for cstab.
fishing the first lfe-savng service in this
country belongs to the Massachusetts IIu.
name Society, which as early as 1882 erected
huts IN desola.e places along the coast, be
ginning with Lovelrs Island, in Boston har-
Dor. Its first lifeb0at station was built in
1877 at Cohasset, and existed for more than
half century entirely on voluntary contri-
buttons, and did its work by voluntary crews
until i'll 1S40 an unexpended balance of $4,000
from the lighthouse appropriation was d.
rected by Congress to be spent under the
supervision of this society. In 1866 Con.
gress appropriated for this same purpose
$4,000, in 1867 $4,000, in 1870 S15, coo,
and in 1872 the United States extended its
lifc-saving service to Cape Cod, SO that the
society's work came almost entirely under
govcrnmt Mt care. 1t still exists and does
good work, although two or three similar So
cieties that were organized had short exist.
ence.
But it was not until 1S4s that the first
steps leading to the establishment of
the present United States Life Saving
Service were taken In that year The sum
OF SlO,OoO was appropriated by Congress for
the maintenance of eight regular stations on
the New Jersey coast, each properly equip
ped with boats and life cars. The next wear
the appropriation was 100000, one-half of
which was spent on the coast of Long Island
aud the other hall on the New Jersey shore.
with the $4,000 additional mentioned above
for Cape Cod, thus securing stations stimuli
| taneously on the coast of Massachusetts, New
York and New Jersey. In 1850 the appro-
priation was again $500, 900, one half for the
coast Of Long Island and Watch Hill aud
the remainder for stations and boats in
North and South Carolina, Georgia, Flor-
da and Texas. The increasing interest in the
general subject was evidenced two wears
later by the organization of the Light House
Board, scientific project for lighting the
coast resulting finally in the establishment
Of over 1900 lights many of them of the most
approved patterns. At the same time the
valuable work of the coast and hydrographic
survey began to be seen, and it is possible
that the rapid development of these services
led to reaction. In 1858 "a the appropfi-
alton was only SAC, 900; there being IA
stations on Long Island, II in New jersey
and % elsewhere, with so lifeboats, but
until 1870 no crews were employed at these
stations.
The Winter Of 1S70l will long be remcm.
bered as season Of terrible gales and
disastrous wrecks all along the sea-
board, and the appalling loss of life
at that time woke the nation from its lcth-
argy, and led to the establ ishment OF the
coast patrol aud the tuanning of the life
boats with trained and competent crews. In
March, 1878, the service was extended to
the coasts of Massachusetts, Virginia and
North Carolina and the lake shores. From
1871 to 1873 with insufficient appropra
tons, it was constant struggle to render
the service equal to the tasks imposed upon
it, and it took the wreck of the war steamer
Huron and of the steamship Metropolis to
bring The country to realizing sense of the
inadequacyof the service to the demands up
on it. 1t resulted in 1878 in the establish
ment of the United States Life Saving SER
vice, making our government the first in the
world to take such step.
BY the last official report it appears that
there are now in this country 1S9 regularly
appointed and equipped life saving stations.
They are distributed as follows: Seven in
the first distric' Maine and New Hamp-
shire E; second district, Massachusetts, IS
third, Rhode Island and Long Island, 81
fourth, New Jersey. 40; fifth, Cape uen-
lopcn to Cape Charles, Ii sixth, Cape
Henry to Cape Hatteras, q seventh, east
coast of Floiidl, s. eighth, Gulf coast, 5;
ninth, Lakes f lie aud Ontario, 10; tenth,
Lakes Huron and Superior, 10; eleventh.
Lake Michigan, 10; twelfth, Pacific coast,
7. There are IA on the Atlantic coast, 81
on the lakes and enc at the fall of the Ohio
and Louisville.
And now as to the record Of the service
For the year 1889 The following statistics are
given: During this year there were in all
345 disasters property involved, $4,766,-
900 property saved, So LOG, 900 lost, ST..
6j9, 900; persons involved, 239S; saved,
1886 lost, 70 'hipwrecked persons succor-
ed, 4GS TOLL number Of dys of succor,
1879 vessels totally lost, 81 net expenses,
S51l ,400,7 salaries $23, $50 total ex-
reuse, 1894 SS9.14 ; average cost per life
saved, S24930 For the period from No
vember 1871 to June 80, 1SS2-a little over
ten years-the number of disasters were
1892 value OF vessels, $l9,355, 900 value
OF cargoes, S022,00O; property involved,
500, PA 900 saved, SIS 065, 900 lost, SILL
2l3, 900 persons involved, IA, 702 saved.
if,~'o Iust, tV' \ol lillS nuluDtr leo were
on the Huron and Metropolis, lost through
the station being closed or being far away |
persons afforded succor, 307S days Of sue.
cor, Sl20 In 1876 the ratio Of loss to the
persons involved was to 30 90 in 1882 the |
ratio was to 1888, decrease Of 1899 |
per cent in six Yeas
The above figures make an excellent show
ug for the service, and are in themselves
he mos, eloquent tribute to the
Taithfulness and efficiency of Its officers
md men, The apparatus and methods of
he service are the most complete aud cili-
,ient, probably, of any liGc-saying service in