The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-07-01
THE LlFEeoAT in SERVICE.
A Sketch Of the Work Performed on the
English Coast.

AASiioA So4oC
We will imagine the watch set and all
the other good Caister folk in bed. The
night wears away, until as day begins to
break q longer look than ordinary is taken
through the glass and discussion of bear
ings, etc., ensues, with the result that q
vessel Is deserted fast aground on the
Cross Sand with q heavy sea breaking
over her.
Out dash the men on to the staging.
One LAYS hold of the cord attached to the
clapper of the bell and the other rushes at
breakneck pace down the steps and up the
gap, shouting and hammering at the
doors rs he goes. Then breaks out Babel
of sounds Men rush from every door and
side road, some Of them with their trous-
ers on, pulling on their shirts as they run,
stumbling in the dark, through the heavy
sand, but all making for one point, the
shed. There, hung up to the rails at the
roof, are their oilers, sou'westers, and boat
stockings, under the benches their big sea
boots. In q twinkling the men have
donned their seagear, and are making q
bee line across the sands for the lifeboat.
The surf is smashing on the beach in tons,
and the wind is bowling across the beach
and up the gap, bringing with it clouds OF
sand until the air seems almost solid WITH
It. The red tanned lugsails are carried
down and placed In the boat ready for
hoisting, and the skids laid down forward
of the boat; the legs which kept the boat
on an even keel are taken away and re-
placed by the broad backs Of the sturdy
beachmen, amid shouts Of @Hold her up;;"'
the hauling-of warp which Is anchored
out to seaward, is taken in over the pulley
in the bow, and the boat begins to move
on her porpoise-oiled skids.
AS she goes over and clears the one at
her stern it is caught up by the side hand
les by two beachmen and taken to her
bows, and placed in line ready to pick her
up again as she comes steadily on
down the sand. Then the men tumble on
board and haul at the warp
Then the remaining men keep her
moving over her skids until she dashes
her bows into a mass of water just
breaking and laundering on the beach,
and shipping tons Of it and giving her
crew the first smother of many they Will
have before they return, she moves
slowly on. Another breaker catches her
ere she has fairly gathered way and she
looks almost like coming back, but the
beachmen on shore have had the sett
ready. They ship it on to the stern and
shove her off into the smother. Up goes
the foresau with run; up goes the mlz-
zen, and the boat thrashes through the
broken water; overheard goes the haul
ing-off warp and she is clear of the beach
and fighting her way through the heavy
sea to the wreck; sea after sea breaks over
her until they can see nothing Of that
boat only feel it under their feet, hang
like grim death to the ridge-rope and take
breath when the sea gives them chance
Over the Barber they thrash, then over
the scroby. They have to make long
leg to fetch the wreck, and as they rise on
wave they can sometimes make her out
dimly with seas spouting fountains over
her. She is small schooner, and her
crew-two men and two wretched, half
starved looking boys and an equally
wretched- looking mongrel cur-are huo-
died together in the weather shrouds OF
the foremast; the mizzenwast has already
gone over the side. The lifeboat fights
her way to windward, then anchors, and
lowering her lugs veers down to the
wreck, drops alongside and taxes In tne
Door half-drowned wretches and their
poor dog, hauls back to the anchor, then
up sail and away to the beach, where the
rest of the company is awaiting them
English Illustrated Magazine.