The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-03
LIFE SAVERS ALONG SHORE
THEIR H4RDsHTrs DURING EIGHT
MoHrss or aAs. YEAk -

Lives-storas or Wind. Han, and sso~
Test Their Eaasrancs on Pntroi-Dsiii
Drills Develop Expsrtness-A Trip with .
eurFaaa % . stsrny NseAs-waS Thei
e Nave AsirsA Cssgress Ssr More rsY.
For several years past Congress has been pe-
titioned Mt each session to pass bill incress.
Ing tho pay Of the keepers and crews Of the
coast life. saving service. Bills have been In.
troduced into both HouseS aud have boon ad-
vocated sometimes by distinguished legis-
Iators. There has been no party opposition to
the measure. but, on the contrary. q very gen.
follow 10 due TO hitohes In the law
making machinery rather than to any
other nsmable cause. unless II DO the half
heartod spirit In which the measure was re-
Glrded Tho comparatively small number Of
persons to be benefited and the last that the
service IL almost II not entirely. free from
political manipulation. seryed to make the
measure Of small account in the eyes OF legis-
lators 10 comparison with tho thousand other
bllls which crowded the calendar. and each
Succeeding Congress has In turn showed It into
corner and left It there Thus tts projectors
lost interest after while. and during the last
two sessions It has been heard Of very little.
This measure Is before Congress again. In.
y
clergyman OF Asbury Park. the Rev. .. Edward
Young. who became fred by the condition OF
the surfmon in the life-saviug stations In his
neighborhood md. after an investlga tng tour
UP and down the coast. he went to Washington
to work up enthusiasm among the lawmakers.
Several bills on the subject were In both
Houses, notably those OF Senator william r.
> Frye Of Maine and Representative James
Buchanan OF New Jersey. but there was no
more chance OF getting any Of them passed
this year than in any previous year. Mr..
Soung got the aid OF influential oflceholders
who were his personal friends. and obtained
interviews with large number Of members Of
both Houses, and. on invitation. delivered an
address before tho committee that has charge
OF the bills before the House. As direct re-
suit Of his efforts the Senate passed 9 bill adj
Nsncing the pay Of surfnen from $50 to S65 Q
month and OF keepers from 500 to $500 .
year. and the House committee voted unani-
mously to recommend bill paying the surf
men SIS and the keepers $1,000
ThBt 10 the condition now. But the measure
has been that Tar In former Congresses. and
. has failed Of enactment. It may fail this year
, also The fact that the House and the Senate
favor different schedules Of pay makes DOM
G promise necessary. and endanse the success
OF either. That is an element OF uncertainty
which has not Affected the issue ia former
years. Persons intimately interested in the
fpeAsurs declare that nothing short OF pro-
nouncsd public opinion In its favor can push
it. TO q decisive issue In Congress- But
the public has no pronounced opinion on the
subject. because 1t knows little or nothing Of
the practical everyday workings Of tho service
and the everyday results ACCOMPLISHED. II
was to inform the public Of what the coast
life-saving service is and does. that Sun re-
porter visited q number OF stations on the
dangerous New Jersey coast during and fol.
lowing the recent great storm. and observed
the crews at their work
WHAT THE LIEE-sAv1Sa SERVICE rs.
ing service was reorganized and the present
system went into effect. The service has been
OF slow growth. having been managed from
the beginning In . rather conservative and
altogether economical spirit Nevertheless. It
is far In advance OF any similar system any
whore In the world and is nearly adequate to
the demands upon It The apparatus was the
outgrowth OF its needs and is the best to be
rot. Its drills are effective and tts general re-
free from political mSnipai.ton as msnssed
sRdsy It's % are are sturdy practical
oar and haul line and breast a. winters tenn
pest. Their selection Is not hanpered BY
The isG
e1aminattons yearly, and are thrown out often
as s %s SSn snd |
managed more IRE, vigorously to It's own best in.
The. TIE 9a@ yJ St ltetsvins stations in the
ss sSa the ' Ss
only seven. bec9use the gentle slopes and mild
aa Il gss Il: iss;5
y sls ;ss
One is at the falls Of the Ohio. near Louisviie.
KY where Ya formerly many lives were lost The
to the sns end 81 fera Ese9 nlss
year the dangerous shores ores q a' the Whoi ole
country arc patrolled from sunset 10 sunrise
syy,t sturdy i. snorspep. ready AZ sight o.
these eisht months siss cts sf II
os t. tss q sbe
eS: and on thick
u zss's Coast t. dsy Or a asS, and the A.
fhs entire Atlantic coast is divided into int d di.:
Portable frame building. which houses the ap-
=. s.sa e TE ss Sp sfas
fss and Sss Sssan:
sass can I S:tsnss TO Yh %d.. Sst
han . mile II is 4sed to shoot lines
too Violent 70 permit q launching boat
through the breakers. The wrecked sailors
pail on the line until small rope appears.
> ~ the ether end 70 sand anchor ashore.
buoy. device for carrying indiyidaals through
be fuIf; OF the heavier metal NE oar. which
ness with which the surfmen face tho fercest
storms In their efforts to save life. the risks
which they run: their untirinS zeal. and their
ospeated Acts OF bravery are matters OF cur
tent history familiar to all.
WHAT THE SERVICE HAS DONE.
In tho twenty year s since the generalization
erty worth In the aggregate S75.OOOWW have
The on s SS1 S II, rRa sSysS
crews 6f fte service. Tint ia very general
x s,nr dat ott IL