Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-09-27
LIFELINE ROCKETS.
The Mos, Useful Lifs-savlns Apparatus
Ever Invented.

fhe Most Useful Ate-savtng Apparatus
Ever Invented.
There have been vast number ~
inventions OF life-saving apparatus TO
BE- used In times OF shipwreck." said
Captain Fairchild. of the steamboat
board, to New Yak star reporter.
''Many OF them. :. continued. have
proved practicable and useful. When
vessel strikes q 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 lite-saving agents
on the shore Is attracted. Invariably
high surf is 20 be encountered on q
dangerous coast and 10 launch life
boat is almost next u an impossibility.
Tho practicable method known of
saving the lives thus imperiled
aboard . wreck is to make
connection between the land
and the wreck by means of q
hRwser. A 'breeches sling is rugged on
the hawser, and the shipwrecked per-
sons are brought ashore singly. The
great trouble, however, is In getting the
4 line from the shore to the wreck. II is
\ we'll known how difficult IL Is TO get .
line to the vessel from the shore In the
teeth OF a gale, but the very difficulties
In the way of such task would he helps
toward getting line to shore from tho
wreck. With this object in view, some
genius has invented perfect l.ne-car-
rying rocket which is designed TO carry
line from vessel TO shore in case OF
. WFarE Tho tuHnnttAn loft .N a
rocket carrying tube containing a
coiled line, which is paid out of the tube
as the rocket and tube pass through thu
air on their fight from the vessl to the
shore In most cases stranding occurs
on lee shore in gales of wind. A
projectile with a shot line attached u
1t, fired from the shore toward vessel
is loaded with the weight OF line, and
in the second place impeded by the
force of the wind, hence the range /,
greatly lessened. A vessel presents but
a small mark, and il the wind be quar-
tering or gusty il Is difficult to aim q
shot so as to cause the line TO fall or
the vessel On the other hand. a sho
fired from the vessel toward the shore
under such circumstances fies with
hhN Nihas vi GOAIot Will
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 tn,
vessel to the life-saving crews, VIII,
|, could then attach the hauling linel
and speedily make the necessar,
connections for the use of the sling, tn
boatswain's chair or the life-car. Gun
or mortars, such as are used by the life
saving stations, could not be used on
wreck. They require borizonta
foundation TO rest on, whereas a wrec
is often on beam ends. With gale @
wind and waves washing the deck
would be well-nigh impossible TO Al
9 range line SO that it could be used.
I when the United States warship
: we're wrecked at Samoa there wer
plenty of guns on the naval vessels, bu
e the only proiectile found practical bl
: and used was a common sky-rockc
8 shot from the flagship into the riggin
OF the Vandalia few yards away RI
p peated attempts were made te get line
9 ashore in that dreadful emergency, bu
they all failed because the vessels ha
c no suitable line-carrying apparatus"