The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-05-03
THE NEAH LIFEBOAT.
Proper Location of Station is on
Waddah Island.
ENFORCING THE PILOT LAW.
Ths Plsage ~ Kettle Ealls-Harrissn's
Visit - Psgst sssaa-1ws Rasl-
rosds ss Boise.
snFoac'no THE PILOT LAW.

PoRr TovzsKxp. May L-At . recent
meeting Of the Chamber Of Commerce of
this city . comUitts was appointed TO In
angurate means for improving the ife-sav-
ing service at Neah bay, project OF great
importance to the maritime interests of
the Sound. Judge Swan at another meet
ing Of the chamber held last evening pre-
sented the report OF the committee. giving
the first authentic account of the condition
OF the service. The report was Is follows:
PoRT TowxsExD. April 30. lsoo
To the Onicers and Members Of the Port Town
send hamber Of Commerce tSeatscm<a: Your
committee. appointed ct the meeting held ON
Wednesday evening. April =, lso0. TO inquire
regarding the condition Of the United States
Ife-sAving station u Neah bay. near Cape Flat
terry. csllam county. Warrington. respectfully
present the following report:
From the written and oral evidence submitted
TO us. we ind that the present boathouse of the
sfat1on II located on bank at the west side Of
SeAh bay. directly In front of which bank IL .
reef OF rocks. bare ct low water for several hun
dred yards, making II unsafe 70 launch the life
boat exceps 1t high wateS and impossible to
launch II 1t three quarters ebb and at low tide
without great dtficnity and danger.
The hiebsat hnt furnished ~ the govern
mont which was one of the largest and best
selfrighting boats. was taken to Neah boy on
the 18th Of December, 1877. on the United States
steamer corwin, Captain John W. White
After IL had been placed In the boathouse it
remained quietly until 1854. when. on the "a Of
February Of that year. the bark Lizzie Marshall,
Captain Bergman, was wrecked ~ Nitttnst, on
the southwest coast Of Vancouver island. oppo-
site Neah bay. The mate, with . boats crew,
went for assistance to the lifesAving station,
asd with the assistance OF Captain Frank
Kxnr>k - HH-sx y rs-Ak q
ans, the hfeboat was launched for the first and
onfy time daring the seven years it had been in
the boathouse.
The keeper of the life~saving station. Q man of
no practical experience, was unable 70 take
proper care of the lifebOat while il was being
towed to the wreck by . fugboat which hap
pened into Neah bay, and the boat broke sdrift
and went ashore on the rocks and bilged She
was subsequently lowed to Neah bay During
the last week OF April. 1854, two months after
the liieboat was wrecked, the United States rev.
enue cutter woicott, Captain Moore having on
board Major T. J. Blakeney. superintendent OF
the ltfes aging service on the Pacific coast, pro-
ceeded TO Neah bay and lowed the lifeboat to
Port Townsend. where It lay on the beach two
or three years, and was then sold 70 fisherman
for q This fne boat has been replaced by
surf boat which We are informed has never
been launched
while Major Blakeney was Ct Neah bay, he
examined Waddah island, and stated tina. he
should recommend Il - the proper location for
the life-saving station, and should recommend
that II be placed In charge Of . competent
keeper. with full crew; bat mp 10 the present
time nothing has been done of the slightest
service to commerce, and the ufe-saving station
~ Neah bay remains a. q monument Of fneffi-
cheney and Encouragement which u . reproaeh
upon the government
A commerce Is rapidly increasing on Puget
sound. the dangers of shipwreck It the entrance
20 Fuca straits are proportionately increased.
and the necessity becomes more obvious OF hav-
ing an efficient iife-saving service inaugurated
at that dangerous locality, which should be
done the present summer. and not wait till
winter storms have caused shipwreck and loss
OF life, which will arouse the public to demand
that this inefficient service be remedied.
Yoar committee would therefore recommend
that the Chamber Of Commerce respectfully ask
the attention Of the superintendent Of the life
saving service In Washington to this matter,
and that our senators and representatives in
congress be requested to use their best endeav-
ors to have the Cape Flattery life-saving station
placed st once In an effective working condition.
All OF which II respectfully submitted,
JANIS G. SWAN,
J. H. SrErsoN,
LESLIE CuLLoM,
Committee.