Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1894-12-27
PERIIIS OF THE OCEAN
INVENTIVE GENIUS TO THE AID or
DISTRESSED MARINERS.

considered by the Life Saving Service
Board-Cutting the Throat of the Timid
With Feather. ..i
In order that the surfmen who patrol
our beaches, ready to lend their assist.
ance to distressed mariners, may have
at their command the most efficient ap.
paratus inventive genius can suggest, a
board on life saving appliances appoint.
ed by the secretary of the treasuryls
connected with the life saving serviee
and convenes upon the call of the presi-
dent about once year to consider the
merits Of all boats, apparatus or meth.
ods which maybe presented to them
with view to adoption In that service
if found practicable This board makes
public tests Of the apparatus presented
for adoption, and their report is EN-
bodied in the annual report of the life
saving service for the year in which the
Investigations were made.
Many valuable suggestions are
brought to the attention of the board
which secure for the use of the service
strong lines and effective gear. But
some Of the schemes and apparatus Of
fered iu good faith are so ridiculously
absurd as to require but very shortre.
port, and the decision is found I'M
practicable" the board being good
enough to ''cut his throat with fevth
er" In order that timid gunii with
meritorious apparatus may not he nu-
duly discouraged or frightened ut the
decision made upon these devices and
thereby deferred from presenting some
thing which might be Of inoalculable
value to humanity.
One of the peculiar facts ascertaineo
by the Investigations Of the board IS
That those who are probably most apt 10
. submit models and descriptions arc 'noso
-yho know least about the real dangers
and consequent needs OF II strahoe" OF
stranding vessel. Some of the concep-
tions of the inland residents are truly
marvellous. ...
The subject easily divides itself into
three heads: Boats for going ont through
the surf, apparatus for effecting COM
munication between tho shore aud
stranded vessels, and means for prevent.
ing strandings. The devices to be con
sidered as coming first arc most natural
ly those to prevent strandings, and only
recently scheme was presented IN
which the government was urged &
stretch very large cable tho eutiro
length of the coast some distance fror,
the shore anchored with mushroom an
chors Thus if vessel were dragging
her anchor she would float over this Gu
BILE toward the rocks until the fiukes OF
her anchor engaged with the caple'
where she would be held safe and sound.
No provision is made for preventing the
parting of her chains, however. But the
scheme of stretching largo cable from
Maine to Mexico and stringing thereon
mushroom anchors like bangles ON a
necklace will hardly meet the approval
of congress-
Another amateur submits sketches
and drawings, minus the pretty painted
model, however, Of great boat inteiidi
ed to run simply by opening gate
valve in two large longitudinal tubes
which open fore and aft below tho wa
ter line. The valves ore open when the
boat is launched, and tho water rushes
into the forward intake and passes ont
at the stern. The water, passing out,
pushes the boat forward, and the intake
helps relieve the resistance on the bows,
80 that the boat of course, is pro-
PEELED by the water passing through
these tubes. The boat thus goes on for.
ever through the surf most speedily be-
cause the water is driven out through
the stern most forcibly in boisterous
sea. To stop the boat tho valves are
closed.
Another bright man with less oum-
bersome contrivanoe, although tho ac-
tion is as hard or harder to understand,
suggests lifeboat or life raft built upon
the exact model of window shutter or
blind, arguing that tho water, operating
upon the Stats, will set them vibrat-
ing aY1 that this vibration by its ac-
ton upon its own motive force will
cause the boat to work forward against
wind and tide. Bathers at Atlantic City
u couple Of summers ago will 40 doubt
remember this iuyantor and his shutter.
A heart swelling with pity---it ought
to be woman 's--lor tho poor dronohed
captains wife, rescued through tao
mountainous surf from vessel fast
breaking up, has suggested canyas
cover similar to u wagon cover tightly
fastened down to the gunwalo M q pro-
tection from the wet. Tho dear soul.
however, never stopped % con iior tho
tremendous forco with which trG lho k u.
ers, which at timos tGrn Nal nyt 'lfo-
boat end over, would Iii3 town uiat
fragile protection, burying in IL, 1olds
every ono underneath. And those mem
bers of the board who had served aE sea
shivered when they read the description
Of this protection" and pictured to
themselves their exciting ondeavors to
extricate themselves from the ruin Vt
tho death dealing contriyanco suggested
in love and kindness by nn ignorant
friend Washington Stgr.
Roman House ueatora.