Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1890-11-01

Not5 8 e s!gsE ! ssl = "a "a :: IEs
almost a e M 1 M l
.as a,,s i 8! -
This improvement Of the service kas
been wonderfully rapid, and 10 little has
been written about Il that not one out Of
hundred Of those who 1.-Two II tho big
cities dr away from the coast has any
idea d the good done and the terrible
risks run by the crews of these stations
and the number of lives they rescue and
the value Of the property they save.
II you 20 down to Sesbright on the II
o'clock Sandy Hook boat and get OF at
Ga!ilep Station you can get very good
idea u how wrecked vessel IL rescued,
and jqst how her passengers are taken
safely from the rigging of the sinking
boat to the shore through and over
wxvcsas high ~ two.story house. The
crew of the station of Galilee drill every
Mond4y and Thursday vt two o'clock,
until The end Of this month and
go through the maneuvres Of saw
ing Life 90 realistically that there Is a.
ways = crowd Of summer boarders and
natives to watch them. The least imag.
inative mind will delight in the orderly
rush and the rapidity Of the drill, and Il
-takcs very little to picture what real
rescue looks like.
The life saving station at Monmouth
Beacitis built Of wood and divided up
inside something after the mapner Of q
fire cugiuc house. The first floor, facing
the sca, is where the life-saving appara-
tus, the boats, gun carriages and mortars
are stored; back Of this is the kitchen
whore Che men eat and smoke, and over
head = the long sleeping room.
The surfmen take up their residence
here on September 1, and remain in quar-
tiers for eight months. They are kept ~
close % the station as city firemen are,
and their duties, when in action and
whom patrolling the beach, are quite a.
severe md dangerous. The patrol con-
sists ok two men from each station, one
to follow the beach to tho right and the
other u the left. Whenever the stations
are near enough the patrolmen meet
those of tho adjoining houses half
way, so that the beach is
thoroughly covered. When they start
out they receive . certain number Of
checks, which they exchange rid the
Ey nnAsf3eF mes, go
the 1n0z1inE 6Ae checks d o. ]
will Ill be 10 the possession 0f The NEXT
station on tho left or right, and vice
versa. Each patrolman carries . beach
lantern and two or three rcd nandlights.
As soon as he sees o wreck or vessel in
distress he burns one of these red lights
both to alarm the station and to give
notice to the wreck that help is near at
hand. This patrol duty is considered
ono of the most important features of
the service, and any neglect of duty is
punished with instant dismissal, with no
chance OF re-appointment. Inside the
station are three great factors In saving
life-the ordinary surf boat, the breeches
buoy and the life car.
The surf boat rests on two sets Of heav.
lily built wheels with broad ties six inches
across. When the boat is wanted the
men harness themselves to it by thick
ropes and push and pull it on to the
beach. This il what they do At the cx-
hibition drills, and it Is ~ exciting a.
the sudden exit of fire engine from its
fire house. The keeper of the house,
who ranks first in command and who is
the only officer, calls halt when the
wheels strike the beach as near the water
- It is possible for It to 60.
Then the drag-ropes are dropped from
the shoulders Of the men and the boat is
lifted by means of two wooden bars from
the wheels and dropped into the sand.
Take life belts r. shouts the Captain,
and the men scramble into their big
n~lS snn N~h ~hn l. Ahs. n~A
order, and the 14-foot oars rise In the air
simultaneously and drop together into
the rowlocks, with the handles under the
risings at the side. Then the prettiest
part Of the show follows a. the men run
the boat through the first breakers. The
two bowmen spring in first and the others
stand to their waist in the water, waiting
for the Captain to give the order to Shove
At just the proper moment he shouts and
they drive the big boat out into the
breakers and vault over the sides, whip
out their oars and pull her up over the
first rows Of breakers.
After that they toss the oars, stow
them away, cross them and drop them
into their places again a. easily as
housemaid handles q broom. a
The return is ~ exciting and as risky
q performauce, q tho launch and the
bcaching Of the boat shows . skill and
knowledge Of the surf which ILLS the
landsman with admiring awe.
The other drill is the one with the
beach apparatus, and is even more inter-
esting.
The beach wagon is pulled out - the
s,,rf hoat IN hv the crew fhemsalvas and