The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-11-18
A LIFE-SAVING STATION.
The Governments Exhibit at the
Worlds Fair.
An Interesting Feature OF the Great Ex-
position Which Will become
. Permanent In
stitution.

The life-saving bureau of the treas
ury department will be represented 1T
the Work. Columbian exposition at
Chicago by life-Saving station and APP
paratus that will show tO perfection
this humane feature Of the federal gov
ernment. The most essential feature
of the exhibit, the station itself, Il rap
idly nearing completion on the lake
front within the space To bc dedi -ated
To the exposition The station viii bc
fully equipped with all the apparatus
pertaining To "A first-claSS lake life-saving
station, and besides the articles used in
work on the great lakes il will have on
exhibition boats of the styles used on
the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and on
the falls Of the Ohio 1T Louisville, with
such other apparatus as Is peculiar To
the work in any part of the | Cnited
States For instance. at Louisville two
hfe skiffs and two reels are used. this
apparatus being in usc nowhere else.
The station will be manned by one of
the regular life saving crews, who viii
perform a daily drill. and il may Toe
that some of the visitors will have an
opportunity t. observe the work as il is
actually performed in storms. for the
station is erected on one of the most
dangerous parts of the coast n the
vicinity of Chicago The station APP
paratus and crew are there not only for
exhibition. but for business whenever
any vessel needs assistance
The station il II be u permanent one
when the exposition Is over. The gov
crnmcnt was not able TO secure salts
factory title to the site of thy present
Chicago hfe saving station. and in the
last sundry civil appropriation bill, con-
gress inserted Il proviso that new sta
tion should be erected within the
grounds set apart for the worlds fair,
on condition, however, that there
must first be coded To the United States
the title To the site selected.
The bureau obtained gold medal for
its exhibit at the fish and fisheries ex-
hibit in London, where it simply showed
its apparatus and did not attempt to
put it in operation. Superintendent Kim
ball is willing to put the American sys-
tenn into u competitive test with that
used in any other country. The medals
and awards received viii be placed ON
exhibition and also some apparatus
showing the progress of life saving in
ventiOn. Side by side will be shown
modern Lyle gun for throwing a sue
c"ring line To the crew of a distressed
vessel and the old-style mortar which
was used when this method of saving
life was first adopted. The bureau has
in its possession the first mortar and
first ball ever used in America in life
saving work About thirty years ago it
was used Ia throw a line To the crew Of
the British ship Ayrshire in danger Of
, going on Squan Beach, y. j. The ball
struck the deck and carried the line to
the passengers and crew. by means of
| the life line POI persons We're saved ont
of a total of 222 persons on board. The
/ ship sank and the ball went to the bot
| tom. About twenty years aftSrward.
through the working of the waves the
ball was brought to view again and
| sent to the life-s;iving bureau.