Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-12-27

wETr.rS FOE rHT Posr- NTELusESoER-

OF the gratifying results volen nsNe
attended the operations OF the Lie
Saving Service on our dangerous coasts
We like the manner IN which the Work
has been performed under its efficient
chief, Sumner I. kimbail, who has
been interchangeable IN his eDdesvors 10
prosote this branch Of the GoEefn-
msnt service, which was, at the time OF
bis assn ming charge. sene tSslseiyears
ago, IN q state of Utter inerncisccy.
There Sere :ev broken down huts ca
the coasts of Long Island and New
Jersey called life saving stations bot no
one fer years back remembered tns
utiIty o. these stations When Mr..
kimball took charge of this service, Dc
called TO bis aid men OF experience.
who bad seen yesrs OF serves on bota
our caAsis-ths Atlantic and Pacific
men like Captain j h. Msrryman and
John W. White both well known IN
these . sters). Who assisted HIM IN re
organizing and building up the service,
which mas nov grown t. the number of
nearly 300 men and s3 stations. The
organization of the service Is complete
in its workings. and scarcely do the
palers ever chronicle iE their accounts
Of disasters 10 shipping On tie Atlantic
Coast q list Of deaths of the crew or
passengers. On the coasts of Long
Island and New Jersey there are
upwards of seventy stations, or one
station a. each interval of i've miles
distance some are little nearerB- Dur-
ing the stormy mouths, from the lst OF
October TO the LIST OF May, six men are
az these stations, IN charge Of keeper
or captain. Each station is crowded
with lifeboat, and all the appliances
for saving shlpwrecked mariners. These
stations are large and commodious
buildings OF 40 by Is feet, and two
stories high, well provisioned 10 case
the crews OF passengess of vessels
wrecked are obliged to remain a mum
Der of days. Ibey are provided, be-
sides the boat and tackle, with gun or
mortar, for communicating with shot
and line from the shore to the vessel
stranded, in case the sea should be too
high for boat TO be sent TO the rescue
of the stranded ship. The service Is
divided in districts, commencing with
Eastern coast down to Florida, Texas,
the great lakes, and the Pacific. Each
district is under the immediate charge
of a superintendent, whose dHty it is to
inspect every station in bis district at
short intervals, and drill the crews with
boat and mortar, life car and other ap-
piianoes for reaching wreck and saw
ing life. In addition TO these superin-
tendeEts, general superintendent,
usually an officer of the Revenue Ma
rine Service, with a small vessel under
his command, goes from place to place
at unknown periods when not expected,
and inspects the stations, perhaps when
the crews are engaged in the humane
work of extrioatinR coaster from the
dangerous and numerous shoals of the
Eastern coast.
The captains of revenue cutters are
also by Law Inspectors of the Life Saw
ing Service within the district covered
BY their cruising grounds. Such is the
thorough and efficient manner the work
10 performed, that out of 81 disasters
to vessels during the past tisoal year,
endsngering the lives of 2439 persons,
242s we're saved aud only IL lost. There
Is a district of the Life Saving Service
on this coast, comprising California,
Oregon and Washington Territory, in
charge of Major Blakeny, no .oubt a
very efficient officer, who does his duty
according to the regulations of the ser
vice and visits this part of the country
as often as once every six months, re-
manning a day or two. We have never
been called upon to describe any vslua-
BILE and heroic deed of the Life Saving
Service on this eide. and without wish
ing to criticise its workings we know of
several wrecks happening within thou
sand miles of the straits, and the Life
saving Service did nothing. Fer in
stance. what can Mr.. Kimball or Major
Blakeny expect of the station at Neah
Bay? 1t is true that there is keeper
or captain stationed there, who keeps
the building and what it contains in
good order. But what if a vessel should
be wrecked in the vicinity of this sta
ton. what would the keeper do He
would be like the captain of a vessel
without crsw-unable to do anything.
The Chief of the Life Saving Service
has directed that he will call volunteers
from the Indian reservation to assist
him in launching his boat and Re wing
her to the scene of disaster. Does he
succeed in doing 80 +? No; the Indian
prefers his canoe, and cannot be in
duced to expose his life in boat he
knows nothing about. IL the tide
should happen to be low wnen the boat
is required to be launched, and surf
rolling on the beach, it would be impos-
sible, even with the best crew. as there
is shelving rock extending 200 yards
seward from the station. Fortunately
there have been no wrecks in this vIcini
ty for a number of years. Bot we have
nothing to warrant that a disaster NAV
not happen. The last wreck vas that
of the bark Lizzie Marshall, Captain
Begman, VITO Is now On the bark Julia
| EnaFh Ghia vasaat xua 90 taA II
opposite Neah Bay, on the Vancouver
snore. No assistance was rendered
from the Life Saving Station. The
large life boat Was launched by meu
from tug boat, who took her in TOW
with her lonely keeper, and
before she could be- put &c
any use she broke adrift and became
a wreck. she was afterwards picked
up and towed here by the revenue cut
ter Wolcott aud is still on eur beach, a
monument Of the total uselessness OF
this branch Of the service as far as oul
immediate vicinity IL concerned. Capt
Bereman's wife and the crew barely
escaped with their lives, while Cuarle,
Hibberlier. one of the seanen, va,
drowned in his efforts 30 react
the shore. Ia the interest Of our sea
ing community ard thousands o.
passengers who travel yearly be
tween the Sound, Victoria and SaI
Francisco, We invite Mr.. Kim
ball and his senior inspector OF
the Life Saving Stations. Captain
j. II. Merriman, TO visit this coast, aus
If necessary locate a new site for tn,
station at Neah Bay, where boat cal
be launched at all times. and station ,
crew to serve during the winter months
skilled in handling boats in rough wa
ter. A part of the annual appropria
tons could be usefally expended il
extending this branch Of the service {,
our shores.