Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-19

The hfe-saving service was really born in the
summer of 1913, when Congressman Vim. A.
Newell of New Jersey, after several frightful
disasters had occurred on the coast. persuaded
Congress to appropriate $4,000 for providing
surf boats and other appliances for the protec-
ton Of life and property from shipwreck on the
Jersey coast between Sandy Hook and Little
Egg Harbor. BY means of this money and
other sums obtained from the next Congress
twenty-five stations were erected on the coasts
OF New jersey and Long Island. manned by
volunteers. They repeated the records
OF the old Humane Society's life savers,
and demonstrated III very few years
that such an expenditure was most profitable
one. The appropriations. and with them the
stations and appliances. increased yearly. and
in lSJ4-immediately after a shocking disaster
On the Jersey shore by which 800 lives were
lost-a law was passed providing for the en-
pioyment OF a local superintendent and
keeper for each station, and placing the prop
erty in charge OF a bonded custodian.
But the service was still wOfully weak, and
disasters continued to occur yearly, monthly,
weekly almost, throughout the season OF
storms. The trouble lay in the lack of respon-
sIble crews &c man the life boats. and equally
IN the absence Of an efficient patrolling of the
cossL Wrecks might occur within few miles
of a well-equIpped station and the keeper be in
utter ignorance of the fact until il was too late
TO render aid. As IN many other branches OF
life 10 needed several severe lessons 10 wake up
the public, AMI particularly the legislators Of
the country, TO realizing sense Of what was
needed and then to induce them 20 provide the
lacking means.
AFTER THE WAR
For several years after the war the country
wAs too busiiy occupied with political trouble
to worry about the fate of the few hundred
poor mOrtais who were annually devoured BY
the sea and the service remained in a stationary
Stage, or rather retrOgressIye, for the old an
paratus was wearing out AMI being stolen and
new appliances we're not being provided until
the year 1871. when IL was frsI made INFO a
system and controlled by one directing head.
lhls vas the work OF one man
alone. sumner l. Kimball who
for nearly twenyy years has labored diligently
for the good Of the work upon which his life
has been spent He made chief of tn,
revenue marine bureau Of the Treasury in
that year, the life-saying service being then an
unimportant, undeyeloped. Ineffective Branch
Of that bureau. The stations were in a state of
1isreparr most OF the apparatus was lost or
useless. the crews were irresponsible and in a
miserable state Of discipline, aud to right this
condition of affairs was a most herculean
task. But with clearness Of sight and
wonderful accuracy OF Judgment
Mr.. Kimbail went to WORK. With the aid of
Capt John Faunce Of the revenue service he
first made thorough Inspection OF the sta
lions. He found a mountain OF trouble. The
appropriations were small and their
strIcted, but every dollar Was made TO 90 to its
utmost limit The first thing to be done was
10 induce Congress to give more FUNDS. but
this could rot be accomplished until several
horrible disasters had occurred to remind the
legislators that they were wasting human lives
BY their false economy