The Grenada gazette., 1889-01-10
a LIFE-SAVING STATION.
Something of Interest About Its
Important Duties.
Hardy, Faithful Set Of Men, Whose
Ever-Encrgatic Purpose Is the
Salvation Of Life and
Property.

Last autumn I received an invitation
| to spend a few days at one of the life
saving stations on the "back of Cape
Cod" ! had been looking over an an
nual report of the service, and had
found it full of interest. 1t showed, fol
instance, that within the limits of the
coast guarded by the service there
were, during the year, two hundred
and fifty disasters, involving property
valued at more than four million dol
lars, of which nearly three million dol.
lars worth was saved by the crews OF
the stations; and that out of eighteen
hundred and seventy-eight persons on
these wrecks, eighteen hundred and
tifty-four were rescued. But a visit to
one of the stations reveals many things
of which the reports give but meager
idea.
There are nearly two hundred sta
tions on the Atlantic, the Gulf and the
Pacific coasts, and on the Great Lakes,
and most of them open at the begin
ming of September for eight months,
with crews of seven or eight men each.
The Pamet River Station, where
stayed, was a long wooden building,
with two sleeping-rooms p-stairs, and
below the kitchen and "boat-room. ~
In this room are the surf-boat, the life
boat and the car loaded with rockets,
hawsers, lines, the Lyle gun, invented
by Lieutenant D. A. Lyle, and all the
appliances for saving life and prop
erty.
The life Of the crew is very method
!ical. During the daytime one man
keeps watch of the shore from the sta
tion, while the others polish the brass
and steel work, or drill themselves in
the method of saving persons appar-
emily drowned, and in other duties.
They had supper about half-past four
o'clock, and just as the sun set two
men started along the beach, one in
each direction, to be gone till eight
o'clock. Two others, who were to 90
out on beach duty later in the night,
soon went up to bed, and ! was left be-
low with the captain, or keeper, who,
by the way, is one of the best of story
tcllers. But beside his stories, he gave
me a good deal of information about
the service which may be of interest
The work of the crew in winter is
very severe. In many place the beach
Is narrow, and is rendered impossible
In stormy weather by the breaking
turf At such times the surf-men must
patrol along the bluff, which is now
high and now low, now level and now
steep. The sand is loose here, and
when the wind is blowing alongshore,
it flies in binding clouds, so that even
d horse will not make headway against
Il, unless his face is covered. Some
hines the men have their fingers and
toes frozen, sometimes they are so be-
pumbed that they can hardly creep
llong, and sometimes they lose their
ives in trying to save others. If the
patrol discovers a wreck. he at once
burns Coston Signal Light, to notify |
she vessel that it is seen. Then he hur-
,ies back to the station with the news,
ind, if the waves permit, the surf-boat
) launched.
But generally, in storms, the surf
'uns too high to allow that In this
sase, the cart, loaded with all |
he needed apparatus, and weigh
ng nearly twelve hundred pounds,
5 dragged along the shore by |
he men until the nearest point to the |
wreck is reached. Then. by means of |
,ome wonderful inventions, lines are
mot out to the wreck and fastened,
ind a communication is established.
I the vessel will only hold together
ong enough, all on board can then be
lrawn ashore In the ''breeches buoy"
III this seems on paper, like simple
,peration. But success means con-
inued and patient drill, as we'll as
iours Of heavy and dangerous work in
he icy surf.
Some time ago, on fearful winter
light, three vessels came ashore at
nee. near this station. One OF them,
he captain saw, was fisherman"
md as vessels of this class carry, OF
ourse, more men than the coasters,
le first Went to work on her. The
lrst line shot out went through her
igging, and the crew, who were all
N deck and half.frozen, could not
each it. The second line broke. The
hird fell directly across the deck,
md before long every man on
'oard was saved. When . tew