National Republican., 1884-11-28
LIFE sAviNG SERVICE.


Showing the Lives and Property Saved DUR
ing the Last Fiscal Year.
The general superintendent of the life saving
service IN his annual report for the year ended
June 80, tSSl, says There were at the close of
the last fiscal year 2Oi stations, Of which 1856
were on the Atlantic, 81 on the lakes, OIL the
Pacific, and nj the falls Of the Ohio-LOuls-
vile, Ky, The reports OF the district officers
show that the total number OF disasters to
vessels during The year was i39; total value of
property involved, SlOBO7 $40; total value Of
property saved. ~ lGl, ,3ji; total value of prop.
crty lost, LAG, 5SG; total number of persons
involved, i,i32; total number of persons saved,
i,il2; total number of persons lost, 20; total
number of person succored at stations, j32;
total number of days suCCor afforded, l,3l9;
number OF vessels totally lost O..
In addition to persons saved from vessels
there were twCnty-onC persons rescued who
had fallen from wharves, piers, &C. and who
would have pcrlshed without the help OF the
liiCsayiug crews,
The investigations held after each case of
loss Of life show that the twenty persons VINO
pcrished were scvcfally beyond human aid,
and that In no instance could their loss be ut.
tributed to any failure In duty on the part OF
the liiC.savlng crews.
The number of disasters during the year eX.
coed by twenty.threc the number of the year
preceding which was scventy.one more than
In any previous year In the history of the ser
vice. The amount Of property involved was
S336j 22O greater than In the preceding year
but the amount lost was Sl2l, ,i3i less than that
of the preceding year, while the amount saved
was s3,iSg,65i more. The number OF lives lost
was one more than In the preceding year, but
the pfupOrtlOnatc loss OF life between the two
years IL eXuCtly the same. The assistance
rendered during the year in saving vessels
and cargoes has been much larger than in
any previous year. three hundred and
thirty.ninc vessels, which is hfty.three
more than in the preceding year, having
been worked of when stranded, re.
| paired when damaged, piloIed out of danger
| Gus places aud similarly assisted by the sta
| tion crew There were besides $40 instances,
! ll5 more than In the preceding year where
vessels running into danger of stranding were
warned oil by the night signals of the patrols,
must Ofthcm thus being probably saved from
| partial or total destruction.
| The following general summary Is given
! OF the statistics OF the service from the
| datcof the introduction Of the present sys-
| TEN, in 1871, to the close Of the fiscal year.
! The loss of life, as stated below, includes
| lS3 lost at the wrecks of the Huron and
| Metropolis which, the report says instruct jus.
| tiCe are not Chargcable to the service: Mum
| bcr of disasters, 2,ji7; value of property in
| volved Si1l29@li value of property saved,
sS2,S9o, JAG; value of property lost Sli 80 9bS,
! number of persons involved, S,2li, number ol
| persons saved, - III; number of persons lost,
! i46; number OF persons suCcored at stations
| a,26l; number of days sucCor afforded
| ll,627. Deducting the number OF PERSONS who
| perished ut the wrecks of the Huron and Me
| tropolis from the figures given above, the lives
lost would leave the remarkable exhibit o.
only 2G3 IN the thirteen years embraced by tn,
| above table
Since the last report five additional stations
have been completed Two stations have beer
rebuilt A station is building and also five
houses of refuge. Proposals have been invited
for the construction of stations on Morr
island, South Carolina; one at Jupiter inlet
another on Santa Rosa island, Florida. Title
to eight sites for stations have been secured
and plans and specifications are in preparation
for the construction of stations thereon. II |
intended that all these stations shall be bull
during the next year, If sufficient appropria
tiOns ure provided.
In conclusion, Supt Kmball says: 9TH
splendid efficiency of the corps Is attributable
mainly to its being made up entirely on ground
orprOiGssional qualification the policy of keep
influences having been steadily continued"