The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-02
THE LIFE-sAvERs AT WORK.
prscsicing With the Breeches Buoy
and Launching the Lifeboat-

From the Ne,U YorE World.
Sam the busy season of the ife-sav-
inc corps along the coast will be-
ci1 and the sturdy crews of the little
cations are hard ct work practicing with
Tfs-line. breeches buoy and surf boat for
che vinter gales and bowling seas. A re-
,,rtar tramped across the sands of Long
Reach. L. l.. the other day and made call
On Capt. Van Wickiin, who Is in command
~ Station 80, with wa chful eye to the
,r;nd for the slightest signs of an approach
inc storm. Whether it be due to a rule of
,be department or simply the good-natured
oheraeteristics of the men themselves, il is
certainly true that visitors are always well
.,med with warm hospitality by life-savers.
The crews are never too tired to show all
,be appliances Of the service and explain
lain and again to curious visitors eyery-
.5ino they want to know.
Lie his brother surfmen along the coast.
Can't Van Wicklin was ready to repeat the
s,ory of how wrecked mariners are broug 1T
safely TO shore and pointed out the value of
tbis and that ingenious contrivance with
~. .Ta' enthusiasm of a boy at circus. To
rive a practical demonstration of the eff
ee;ancy of his little command the capita in
ceIIei his men into the drill-room and in
sormed them that he would show how
lives are saved by means of the breeches
brov OF course, as there was no wrecked
shin TO fasten the line to, the demonstration
was made on land. The station flag pole.
WHICH sands about 100 yards from the
station on a sand hill. was to be the ship in
distress for the occasion.
One of the crew was sent to the flag pole
-. x<.~f,, kokx< %fF
az a signal of distress. A quick order from
Can't Van Wicklin, and the next moment
the crew were hauling the carriage con-
tanning the appurtenances to the brooches
buov over the sand at a great rate. At the
TOP of the knoll they stopped, and in ac-
cordance with orders piled the ropes and
Lyle gun on the sand in position ready for
use A charge of giant powder was hastily
rammed into the gun and on top of this was
placed heavy bar of steel at one end of
which was fastened long piece of neatly
coiled rope.
While the captain was preparing the
charge and aiming the gun for the flag pole,
as the imaginary ship, the other members
heavy cross beams to which the pulleys and
heavy ropes were attached.
"Stand ready" cried the captain. The
crew Immediately took their positions at
the ropes, and second later off went the
bar of steel through the air like rocket, tax
ing with it the rapidly uncoiling line The
captains aim was good one, for a second
later the ''shipwrecked sailor" was hauling
in the big rope, which had now been at
tached 10 the first line When he took
hold of the big rope, he found black board
tied to it with the following instructions
painted in white letters:
AMoEa fhio ho focf oh Arro foo
above the tart block. See that all is Clear,
and that the block runs free, and show sig
nal to the shore"
the sailor fastened the rope as he was
told, and showed the signal The crew
then hoisted a huge prop ike tent-pole
under the rope about ten fee5 from where
it was fastened in the sand. In the mean
time the light line had been run out again by
series Of pulleys, and when it had com
pleted the circuit the brooches buoy was at
tached and quickly sent towards the sailor
over the imaginary waves. The sailor, who
had fastened the rope about eight feet UP the
pole, climbed into the buoy, and with a
rush and hurrah the crew brought him
safe back to Shore
Every man in the crew." said Can't Van
Wicklin, has regular position and spe-
clal duty to perform, and that alone he is
required to do, unless an emergency REQUIRES
his services else where.'
The life car is another adjunct and a
valuable one. to the saving of life. 1t is an
Enclosed boat, built of thin sheet iron,
about ten feet long, aud pointed at both
ends. At the top of the car is small trap
door, which is just large enough to admit
the passage of a medium sized man. At
each end are two iron rings through which
the ropes are run and the rigging from the
shore to the ship is the same as that used
with the breaches buoy. The car is only
used when the surf is too high for both the
breeches buoy and the life boat, and when
the ship is liable to 20 to pieces at any
moment. The car will accommodate six or
eight persons, while the buoy only carries
one at time. 1t has been used with great
success in high sea, as the men at the oars
are protected from the waves. The single
passenger in the buoy often goes under a
heavy wave. and IN one case on the coast near
Maine man being rescued in this way was
drowned before he could be hauled ashorel
After the ropes and the buoy were run
back to the station the order was given for
practice with the life boats. The men
stood at the ropes and at the proper order
out OF the station they rushed with the boat
on Its carriages. A stiff pull of nearly 200
yards brought them to the waters edge.
where the wheels were unlocked and taken
apart. letting the boat fall gently on
the sand with her nose pointing towards the
sea.
Each man then buckled around his waist
huge cork life preserver, and laying his
oar along the gunwale, took his stand near
MS seat. At another order the boat was
pushed through the sand until her nose
was just touched by retreating wave.
;, DO you want to get wetW asked Capt
van Wlcklin, of the reporter who apreed
10 take ducking for the sake of trip
through the surf.
Each OF The crew had on a suit of heavy
Oil clothes and wore big $50 wester."
which reached two feet down his back.
Lhere they stood, almost motionless at
tneir positions, the captain at the stern,
waiting for favorable moment.
Stand by" cried Capt. Van Wicklin,
ana IN second the boat was being showed
through the shallow water. When the
crew we're knee-deep in the bubbling surf,
tney were ordered aboard, and aboard
tney went in hurry. Each man sprang
10 MS seat and it was but the work of an
instant to grasp the oar and run it through
tne rowlock. The captain iu the mean
Time had jumped to his seat at the stern
next to the reporter, and had run
1 S, big oar which he used as a rudder.
ne boat was carried swiftly out
oy the receding wave, but not far
enough for comfort, for the next wave
proke over the bow, drenching every one
Vi the crew. The oars were then piled
Win will, and in short time the gallant
p poat was riding the waves like feather,