Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-06-13

70 cary, Dee1uee Ahflr crews, from &n 70
twelve persons.
Even as those stations where the most
approved seif-sishtisg and slf-baiIips boats
are furnished, the surf. bosss are generally
preferred BY iise-sssing crews Tor shofi
distances, and when the number OF i'm
pefiled people il not large. A.
respects ssfety, they will compare favor
ably with any other boats. During the
Is years they have been used they have
been launched 6730 times in actual service
ard have landed 6735 persons. In al
this service they have ,capsiz, d but IA
times.
Sises 1876 there have been put into the
U. 8. Service 81 self-fighting and self-bail-
ing lifs-boass Of the model Of : boat
received from the Royal (Eoglish) Ma
tiopAi Life boat Instifu,ion.
They are 20 feet 8 inches in length.
feet. inches beam, 8 feet I Ia
ipches deep amid ships, l foot 10 inches
sheer Of gunvsle, straight bottomed, pull
oars and weigh 1000 los. This weight ID
made necessary BY the device Of heavy isou
keel 10 aid The self.sishting quality. They
have made AL trips q d saved Ss4 persons.
They have cspsised on service four timss.
There are two other varieties Of eelf-right-
ing and bailing boats in the service the
Riohafdson snd The Dobbins. modiAeationa
Of the life-boat jast described. though
lighter. They have not been used often
enough to furnish any practicable baais Of
comparison. but have given good results 90
far"
Thus it il seen that the English life
boat aud the American surf-boas are esch
used, according to the locations and condi-
tions in which they are needed. On the
Atlantic side the surf-bo takes the pref
erence, generally, - the chief dangers. the
line of surf and outlying breakers. are
sarmounted in great measure by practice
and favorable chances. On the lakes and
western coast, or wherever long excursions
Of an extremely hsz udous nature occur,
the life-boat 10 thought to be safer.
The Lyle gun, probably, ID the next most
useful article. IL was invented BIZ Captain
d. A. Lyle Of the U. 8. army. (I qaot.
from Mr.. Kimball tits OF bronze, with
smooth, l-2 inca bore, weighs with car
riage 1856 los. snd carries II pound shot
This shot is . solid, elongated cylinder
IA l.2 inches long, into the base OF which
is screwed an eye bolt for attaching the
.hos line. When the gun 10 fred the
weight and inertis OF the line cause the
pscjsctile to reverse (tbe eye bolt at frs,
peingAt the muzzle.) The shot lines are
of three sizes, numbered 4, 7 and 8. No.
4, the smallest, Is only used where the yes.
sci IL beyond the raoge Of the larger lines.
A range Of 695 yards has been reached
with No. 4, under favorable circumstances
Rockets and the Coston hand light are
important factors-the latter, ignited BY
percussion, shows vivid red flame. and
warns vessels in peril Of their danger and
those stranded Of succor at hand. Rockets
communicate with stations, crews. etc.
A code Of signals, for Communication with
imperiled or wrecked craft, has been per.
fscted aud adopted.
Next come the life line or cable. the life
in brinsinsthe wrecked to shore. After the
Lyle gun has sent the hot line across the
deck or rigging of the stranded vessel. the
sailors on board haul by means Of that linz
the cable, to which are attached instruction.
how to fasten 1t (most of them however
have been previously instfucted)a Tbi,
cable, having pulley and smaller line
attached, 10 fastened to one Of the masts OF
the vessel 81 . certain height. Then, or
this arrangement the life-caf or the breechei
buoy 10 drawn from shore to ship and bacl
again with it, load. The shore end of thu
cable 10 raised to considerable height BY
crotch, and 10 secured by strong SAND
anchor.
The breeches buoy 10 large life pre-
server which goes arourd the body under
the arms, and having . canvas trousers bst
s.tached 20 the under eide. The person Il
be saved gets into this up to his arm pitt
and is rapidly and safely drawn to shore
with no harm except, perhaps, more or lesl
Of wettiDg. and the latter only occur
where the distance 10 great or the lines hav,
been srranged with difficulty - t, height
The life.csr consists of Q covered, galvsn
lied sheet iron boat, either hauled to and frs
BY An ordinary line through the wateS, or By
one attached to the cable, A. cifcumsssLcel
require. The boat is provided with hatch
perforated with small air holes (punched
upwards). Into this boat several ps rson,
can enter, The hatch 10 closed ard ths
almost alright and water Ugh, boat pulled
to shore.
Nervous persons, and espe cialIy womer
and children, are CONVENE .ly and securely
saved by this method.
All these appliances, except the boats
sre hauled from the stations TO the place,
OF danger by improved carriages, TIL,
boats have vehicles of his il own which no,
only bring them but lsuoch them far int
the surf, thus helping them TO avoid thii
danger.
Another appliance to reach the hip |.
the heaviDg stick. This the life saving
crew use When the venef 10 near shor,
or il she can tie ess ly approached BY boats
A line attached to ths stick can often be
shore.
The Hunt gun (somewhst differently
constructed from the Lyle gun and more
powerful, but compiicated) 10 sometimeI
used for long djs,atce ranges There II
also used AZ some et.tions the Cunningham
rockes--a peculiar kind Of stick attached
to line and fired from . tabuiaf gun,
Thi, method, however, 10 only effective d
.peeisl times and places. The shove men.
toned are the principal appliances used by
The service, although whenever . COED
thirg 10 found. Mr. Kimb.ii "soes for is
ard rests costent Only when the Govern
meLt has ordered is use
i now only remains for me to ins.anc.
case or two Of shipvfeck where the use
and effectiveness Of these articles and the
bravery. courage, Hardship and endurance
Of those using Them are best illustrated.
Out Of hundreds Of quite similar events
shail take the terrible storm OF February
3td, 1880. and only the coast OF Nsw Jer.
sey. where il was aeverest, when Corey
Leland, Lorg Branch, Cape May and ether
summer r. sorts were fearfully danageA-
noe only the buildings and abasmenis bal
toe beaches themselves. During the tvslve
h,urs The gale lasted thera were 2ve wrecks
within the n-ld Of four respective stations,
several more nat far away, and one went
d,vn y sea By collisicP. Three were
n Aine vessels.
The illustrations I take are a. follows
{ssd from report Of 1880:
The three masted schooner. Stephen
Harding Of DAmariscosta. Me-. laden with
safd pine. and bound from Ce.sr Keys,
Fla, TO New York, with crew Of NJ per-
sons including the captain, Stephen Hard
ing, whose wife was on bosrd, hxd collidsd
OF the New Jersey coast with sbe schooner
fContinued on fourth page |
Mssehiah's Surprise.