The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-01-26
LIFE-SAVING SERVICE.
The international Code,, of Signal.
ing by Day and by Night.
How the Life Boat is Manned.
Sending Line to the Wreck
.-Brfnging the Life Car
into Service.

demonstrated in these governmental depart
ments, and of these there are none more In
teresting than the exhibit made by the
United States life-saving servise. It appeals
strongly to every thinking person. It shows
the great care and skill which pervades the
system inaugurated and sustained by the
government. Every appliance to save life,
to rescue the imperiled at sea, seems to have
been adopted.
SIGNAL FLAGS.
In the daytime communication is carried
on between vessels and stations by means of
flags The symbols of the international code
consist of eighteen flags, grouped as follows:
One burges, four pennants and thirteen
square flags. Every nation represented in
this code provides its vessels with set OF
these flags and their Interpretation, and the
simple hosting of the different combinations
according to the schedule laid out, Is unmis-
taxable English to any life-saving station on
the American coast, no matter what the
nationality OF the vessel may be. These flags
represent eighteen letters Of the English
alphabet, and no two are alike In color.
The different colored flags represent letters,
the letters represent sentences, and converse
ton is carried on between stations and yes
sells by simply hosting the combinations of
flags according to. the signal key.
At night, if any signaling has to be done,
white, green and red rockets are sent up.
the different combinations Of colors express
ing certain wants and giving affirmative or
neg tive answers. For instance, ship want
ing a pilet would make her wishes known by
sending up three rockets in quick succession
white, red, white; red, white, red-I am in
distress; green, white, green-yes; white,
red, white-no. On the more
DANGEROUS COASTS
there are sometimes two or three stations sit
uated five miles apart. At night lookout is
left in the station, and the rest Of the crew
patrol the beach, meeting the crew Of the sec
ond station half way, exchanging checks and
then making their way back to their respec-
tive startiL G points. If a patrolman sees an
accident Or vessel in distress, signals are
fired calling the attention Of the rest of the
men to that point. The life-boats are then
put on surf wagons, drawn by horses,
and carried down to the sea. These
boats are self-bailing and self
righting; that is, if one of them up
sets, it Immediately rights itself, and balls
out my water shipped as fast as it comes in.
A boat of this description is manned by
twelve oarsmen and one steersman, and will
carry in safety thirty additional people. Be-
hind the surf wagons follows the hand-cart
drawn by the crew, containing Lisle guns,
whip lines, shot lines, taking boxes and other
necessary articles. For examples sake we
will say that ship has been driven on the
rocks some three-quarters of mile or mile
from the shore, and is gradually being bat.
tered to pieces If lives are to be saved there
is no time for play. The lfe-savers, first of
all, want to reach the ship with rope so
that 1t may have direct connection with the
shore, and this is
THE WAY THEY DO TT.
If there are no trees in convenient distance
to which heavy rope can be attached, "a trench
three and one half feet deep is dug In the
sand, and in this the sand-anchor, composed
Of two heavy wood cross-pieces, is buried.
The rope, after being securely fastened to
this anchor, is then run over a crotch from
fifteen to eighteen feet high. Attention is
now given to the taking box, which consists
of smaller rope wound around forty eight
pegs. BY lifting up the board on which
these pegs are mounted the rope slides Off in
&C. on the sand, and in being fired from
the mortar C. n not possible get tangled or
twisted in its rapid flight to and over the
vessel. The shot is an iron piece, resembling
very closely in shape and in length car
coupling-pin A small opening In its end ad-
mits screw, and to this screw through a
ring is fastened the small line to be fired,
which, its turn, is made fast to the larger
rope before mentioned. The mortar is then
loaded with from two and half to four
ounces of powder, according to the distance
| of the vessel from shore, the shot is placed in
position,
AFIZZ AND A BANG,
| and away goes the small line along with its
| iron predecessor over the ships deck, where
| willing hands seize itand eventually pull in
| the strong, heavy rope from the shore. At
| tached to this latter are tally boards, giving
| the following instructions in many different
| languages: 'Make the tail of the block fast
| to the lower mast well up. If masts are
| gone then to the best place you can find
| Cast off rocket line, see that the rope in the
block runs free. and show signal to the shore. y
| A second shot fros1 the mortar carries an
other line, and this enables the breeches buoy
block to be drawn from shore to ship, and
vice versa, over the main rope. This rope,
| after being made fast to the ships masts,
| is hauled taut on shore, by three sets of
| blocks, to the rear of the tall crotch over
which it runs.
There is q slant from the ship In, and the
crotch, as may now be seen, is used to give the
rope sufficient altitude over the angry sea
waves
THE BREECHEs BUOY BLOCK,
that is hauled backward and forward with
passengers, consists of large round cork
| ring covered with canvas, to the under side
of which is firmly attached a pair Of knee
breeches. A passenger lowers half Of his body
through the cork opening-the knee-breeches
| prevent his being washed out, the cork buoy
keeps half the body above water, and he il
pulled safely to shore with no damage beyond
a thorough drenching.
THF LIFE CAR.
/ If it be found necessary to carry shoreward
at one time more than single passenger, the
| life car is brought into service. It's bottom
| is shaped like that of q lap-streak boat.
and that portion OF it showing out oi
| water is oval, with small aperture on
| top and In the centre It accommodates
five or six people, and after they are safely
slowed inside, the opening is securely closed
and battened down. The main rope on which
| it runs, unlike the one connected with tht
breeches-buoy, is taken from It's high crotch
and lowered to the surface of the water. II
rough weather, while being drawn into short
by means of windlass, it rolls over anf
| over and is alternately under and above tht
water. To prevent the bruising up Of the ex
culsionists within, the inside Is thorough,
fitted out with the softest Of padding, ane
very minute diamond shaped holes in the tor
of the car furnish all the air needed, dilute(
with very Insignificant and hardly notice
able quantity of salt water. This car is mad,
out of heavy galvanized iron, riveted, ans
weighs 700 pounds.