Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1894-01-18
LIFE SAVING SERVICE.
Interesting Letter from a Life Saver
on the Jersey Coast.
BY y. F.. TREwoRGr.

| BY j.. f. TREwoRGY.
BAY PEAD, n. j., Jan. 8, 1894.
To the Editor Of The american:
As | walk my lonely patrol along th
sandy coast of New Jersey, l sometime
think perhaps my old friends would lk
TO know what had become of John, espec
tally my shipmates and those who q
down to the sea In ships, and those friend
OF my boyhood days who may be scattere,
on the Pacific coast, and | know of n,
better way to let them know than througl
the columns Of your paper, 1t Away
from acquantances in the columns o
your paper.
am in the United States life saving service
station No 10, Bay Head. n j., which l.
located at the head Of BRnegat Bay, from
which this place derived its name, ben!
merely central between the high lands o
Neversink and Barnegat, or two and one
half miles TO the south Of Manasquan In
let For the benefit of my sailor friends
will tell them how they may distinguish
the house should they sail close enough
10 the coast; it Il located one street bach
from the bluffs, there being three one
story rustic cottages on the beach. front
Ing on the highest part Of the bluffs be
tween the station-house aud the sea. in tn,
south end of the town.
The station has tower at the north
east corner, with the imitation OF clocA
painted on the side. marking the hour OF
10 90 There used 10 be an old boiler or
the bar belonging 10 the steamer "Qleen'
which was wrecked here twenty odd year,
ago il shows very plainly at high water
making a good mark for location; but il
has rusted IF and washed down this win.
ter
II any Of our Ellsworth vessels pas
near the coast In good weather, and have
the International code Of signals on board
and wish % communicate with Us, we viii
answer them or having their signal letters
st them. and they will be recognized.
Wi>hIn. for an answer, watch the flag
pole south Of the house
vii now try 70 describe our duty.
The tirs' and main duty Il 10 the patrol
The north patrol is to Maua>quan Inlet,
two and "ue-half miles, south one and
one half miles. The north patrol carries
patrolman's clock to The kcy-port
there he uuluck- an iron box and
gnt- Key and strikes TIDE clock at the
middle Of the watch. The watches are
four hours long; the man going south
meets man from no. ID station, and *.
changes checks like baggage checks, with
thc district numbers Of station and mum
ber of surfman On them
There are three watches two go ont at
sunset aud return Al ocl, * two 20 ont
at aud return at Il two 20 out at IL and
return at 1 and then the two that go out
at sunset 20 out At in the morning.
THIS changes the watches just the same
as the day wAtche, change the watches on
ship board Each pttrolman carries two
signals; when vessels approach too near
for safety, We warn them of by burning
one Of them II we hni a ve>~ i on shore
we burn two. and then return ID the hons.
for aid
The other duties arr the drills. Each
drll j. performed once week II the
weather is not suitable on the day allotted
when the weather j. suitable. First,
Tuesday. bost driN; Wednesday, interna-
tional code Of signals THURSDAY, beach
apparatus which /. getting the line to
wreck al Il handling crew Friday, resu,clta
lion drill; Saturday. scrub day The cook
Ing l. done hy the crew Each man taxes
his turn in thick weather when the extent
of our patrol cannot be seen, for then the
patrol must be Kept up IN the day time
TAi, is All wish to say in regard to the
service. but having seen many misstate,
menfs Id print in regard to the surfman's ;
pay, viii say the pay t, S6J per month,
and We Ind ourselves
Bay Head i small borough Of some l2O
people. There are four boarding houses.
mostly for summer residents Yachting
il INDUCED IN very extensively during the
summer months, The Pennsylvania rail
road runs through the borough, ard on
down the beach halfway % Barnegat, and
then across The pay.
haSea little more matter Of Importance
| wish 20 put into this letter, Just as
had closed and signed what Is written
above, there came call from the lookout
vessel in distress. The call was to man
the llfe-b at As we arrived on the beach
We beheld a three -masted schooner al
anchor with ensign set, union down, and
burgee in the rigging for tug. Another
three master was gong up the beach with
colors in the rigging for a tug, and the
tug in pursuit. They were about -four
miles from Shore. As we arrived at the
scene, we found the schooner "Maria