Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-07-12
LIFELINE ROCKETS
The Most UsofuI Life-SavIng Apparatus
 Ever Invented.

The Most Useful Life-SavIng Apparatus
 Ever Invented.
 "srhere have been a vast number of inventions of life-saving apparatus to be used in times of ,shipwrecl1," said Captain Fairchild, of the steamboat board, to New York Star reporter.
 'sMany of them" he continued, have proved practicable and useful When vessel strikes sandy bar of main shore during heavy gale prompt and immediate measures must be taken with view toward saving life and property. Sky-rockets are sent up, and the attention of the life-saving agents on the shore is attracted. Invariably high surf is to be encountered on @ dangerous coast, and to launch life boat is almost next to an impossibility. The practicable method known of saving the lives thus imperiled aboard 1eck is to make connectIon between the land and the wreck by means of g hawser. X brooches sling is rigged on the hawser, and the shipwrecked per sons are brought ashore singly. The great trouble, however, is in getting the line from the shore to the wreck. It is we'll known how difficult it is to get a line to the vessel from the shore in the teeth of gale, but the very difficulties in the way of such task would be helps l toward getting line to shore from the wreck. With this object in view, some genius has invented perfect Ene-car- rying rocket, which is designed to carry line from vessel to shore in case of wreck. The invention consists of 2 rocket carrying a tube containing a coiled line, which is paid out of the tube as the rocket and tube pass through the air on their flight from the vessl to the shore. In most cases stranding occurs on a lee shore in gales of wind. A l proiectile with a shot line attached to | it, fired from the shore toward a vessel, is loaded with the weight of a line, and in the second place impeded by the force of the wind, hence the range is | greatly lessened. A vessel presents but a small mark, and if the wind be quar- tering or gusty it is difficult to aim a | shot so as to cause the line to fall on the vessel. On the other hand, a shot fired from the vessel toward the shore under such circumstances flies with | the wind, and of course will carry 8 l line a much greater distance; besides, no accuracy of aim is required. The initial difficulty of establishing com munication with the shore might thus be overcome, and line be got from the vessel to the lite=saving crews, who could then attach the hauling lines and speedily make the necessary connections for the use of the sling, the boatswain's chair or the life-car. Guns or mortars, such as are used by the life saving stations, lould not be used on a wreck, They require horizontal foundation to rest on, whereas wreck is often on beam ends. With gale of wind and waves washing the deck it would be well-nigh impossible to ar range line so that it could be used,
 When the United States warships were wrecked at Samoa there were plenty of guns on the naval vessels, but the only proiectile found practicable and used was a common sky-rocket shot from the flagship into the rigging of the Vandalia few yards away. Re- peated attempts were made te get lines ashore in that dreadful emergency, but they all failed because the vessels had no suitable line-carrying apparatus"