The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-08-03
THE LIFeBoAT IN SERVICE.
A Sketch of the Work Performed on the
English Coast.

A Sketch of the Work Performed on the
English Coast.
We will imagine the watch set and al
the other good Caster folk in bed. The
night wears away, until as day begins to
break a longer look than ordinary is taken
through the glass and a discussion of bear
i gs. etc, ensues, with the result that
vessel is deserted fast aground on the
Cross Sand with a heavy sea breaking
over her.
Out dash the men on to the staging
One lays hold of the cord attached to the
cIapper of the bell and the other PUSHES at
breakneck pace down the steps and up the
gap, shouting and hammering at the
doors as 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 a twinkling the men have
donned their seagear, and are making
bee line ACROSS the sands for the Iifeboat.
The surf is smashing on the beach IN tons,
and the wind is bowling across the beach
and up the gap, bringing with 1t clouds OF
sand until the air seems almost SOLID WIN
it The red tanned lugsails are carried
down and placed in the boat ready for
hosting, 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-off warp which is anchored
ont 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
ND 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 foresan 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
a 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 a small schooner, and her
crew-two men and two wretched, half
starved looking boys and an equally
fredericksburg mOngrel cur-are bud
died together in the weather shrouds OF
the foremast; the miZzenwast has already
gone over the side The hfeboat fights
her way to windward, then anchors, and
lowering her Tugs veers down to the
wreck, drops alongside and takes in the
poor 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.