The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-07-20
NOT ON DUTY.
Unwise Policy That Controls the Life Saw
ing Service.
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence
CHICAGO, July 17-One would imagine
that the recent heavy storms and attend
ant loss Of life on the lake and Atlantic
coasts would bring wildly home to the
national legislators the disgraceful facts
concerning the term of employment and
the pay received by the members of ouI
life saving service.
Although these men must be of at least
average intelligence, of bravery far ex-
ceeding the general standard and always
and in every way reliable, their stipend is
but $50 a month for eight months in the
year, or $500 altogether, and between the
last day Of April and the first day of Sep
tember they are not on duty, the theory
being. / suppose, that if any one is foolish
enough to be shipwrecked during that
portion of the year not set down as stormy
in the Farmers Almanac he commits a
breach of good taste, and his rescue, if he
be rescued, is quite as much an accident
as his death in case he is not saved. This
state of things as TO the life savers re-
minds me forcibly of the 30 called Cleve-
land system of street illumination, by
which the lamps were not lighted on
nights that, according to the calendar,
should be bathed in moonlight When it
clouds to hide Luna's face and rain to
flood the cutters, the streets were dark and
dangerous. In one city that adopted the
plan the mayor one night, when moonlight
was scheduled, fell into an open area, while
on his way home through the gloomy
streets. and broke his leg. IL was then
decided to change the system and light the
lamps every night and all night Two or
mo 70 hon I rplH
have scoffcd and declared it preposterous.
Yet it is true, and not a bit more prepos-
terous than the existing facts regarding
the life saving service. 1t should be re-
membered that we who object to the pres
ent plan do not base our chief fault finding
upon the alleged injustice 70 the men,
though it is good cause for complaining,
but upon the risk of loss of life, to say
nothing Of loss Of property, from summer
storms that is involved.
If the men themselves were not more
humane than congress, the summer loss
of life from shore wrecks would be much
larger than it Is. But, singular as it may
appear, the life savers are allowed to live
during the summer in the vicinity of the
stations that are their homes in the win
ter. The captain of each station is permit
ted to call his crew together by flying the
proper signal, and they have never been
known to refuse TO respond to the sum
mons Sometimes, however the men, or
the majority OF them, chance to be else
where when a storm comes. for, like the
rest OF Us, they have to work if they would
eat, and then the results are liable to be
disastrous. Last August there was
wreck on the south shore of Long Island
which must inevitably have resulted in
the loss Of several lives but for the cour-
age and presence of mind displayed by
few persons, three of whom are women.
outside the regular life saving crew.
On that occasion Captain Rhodes Of the
Long Beach life saving crew was the only
member Of the service within call He was
assisted by his 15-year- old daughter Jen-
ME, Mrs. James Is. Rayner and her 49,
year-old son, Mrs. 4. NJ. Moseman and
TWO or three men. The names Of the
brave women who filed the breach left
unpruyided for by congress, To the saving
OF the Il lives that were imperiled by the
schooner : wreck. may have no meaning 20
the casual reader, but they should be re-
corded somewhere in COmmemOration Of
their unusual and praiscworthy services.
The 10000 miles Of seacoast belon ciu-
70 the United States are guarded BY 266
stations, l65 Of which are upon the At
lantic coast, 5 on the gulf of Mexico S on
the Pacific. 10 on the great lakes and / on
the Ohio at the falls Of Louisville, and in
appurtenances for the saving Of life and
the character Of the men employed our
service i inferior 70 that Of no other na-
ton. Il would certainly appear to be wise
and humane for the government 10 90 a
little further IN the matter Of expenditure
and provide for saving life the wear round
instead of only when the almanac saws
look out Tor storms"
!. c. Soaring.