Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1895-01-12
PERILS OF THE OCEAN
INVENTIVE GENIUS TO THE AID OF
DISTRESSED MARINERS.

DIST RESSEO MARINERS.
Many Absurd Devices ProYcred-Au Are
! Considered by the Life Saving Service
Board-Cutting the Throat of the Timid
| With n Feather.
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, n
board on life saving appliances appoint
ed by the secretary of the treasury is
connected with the life saving service
and convenes upon the call of the presi
dent about once year to consider the
merits of all boats, apparatus or moth
DDS which may be presented to them
with a 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 tho
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 in good faith are so ridiculously
absurd as to require but very short re-
port and the decision is found i'm
practicable. the board being good
enough to ''cut his throat with feath
err in order that timid genii with
meritorious apparatus may not be un-
duly discouraged or frightened at the
decision made upon these devices and
thereby deferred from presenting some
thing which might be of incalculablo
value to humanity.
One of the peculiar facts ascertained
by the Investigations of the board is
that those who lie probably most apt 90
submit models and descriptions are those
who know least about the real dangers
and consequent needs of a stranded or
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 out through
the surf, apparatus for effecting COM
munication between the shore and
stranded vessels and means for prevent
ing strandings. The devices to be con
sidered as coming first are most natural
ly those to prevent strandings, and onl,
recently a scheme was presented i'll
which the government was urged to
stretch very large cable the entiro
length of the coast some distance fro!n
the shore anchored with mushroom an
chors. Thus if a vessel were dragging
her anchor she would float over this ca.
BILE toward the rocks until the flukcs OF
her anchor engaged with the cable,
where she would be held safe and sound.
No provision is made for preventing tho
parting of her chains, however. But the
scheme of stretching large cable from
Maine to Mexico and stringing thereon
mushroom anchors like bangles Oh u
necklace will hardly meet the approval
of congress.
Another amateur submits sketches
and drawings, minus the pretty painted
model, however, of great boat intend
ed to run simply by opening a cato
valve in two large longitudinal tube;
which open fore and aft below the wa
ter line. The valves are open when the
boat is launched, and the water rushcs
into the forward intake and passes out
at the stern. The water passing out,
pushes the boat forward, and the intake
helps relieve the resistance ON the bows,
so that the boat, of course, is pro-
PEELED by the water passing through
these tubes. The boat thus goes Oh for
aynr fbrpu Srl tho c11rf most cDap1il lI- ba-
cause the water is driven out through
the stern most forcibly in boisterous
sea. To stop tho boat the valves are
closed
Another bright man with less cum
bersome contrivance, although the ac-
tion is as hard or harder to understand,
suggests a lifeboat or life raft built upon
the exact model of window shutter or
blind, arguing that the water, operating
upon the Stats, will set them vibrat-
ing, and that this vibration by its ac-
tiou upon it's own motive force will
cause the boat to work forward against
wind and tide. Bathers at Atlantic City
Il couple of summers ago will no doubt
remember this inventor and his shutter.
A heart swelling with pity-it ough5
to be woman 's-for the poor drenched
captains wife, rescued through tho
mountainous surf from vessel fast
breaking up, has suggested canvas
cover similar TO wagon cover tightly
fastened down to the gunwale rs a pro-
lection from the wet. The dear soul,
however, never stopped to consider tho
tremendous force with which the break
ers, which at times turn "a foot life
boat end over, would ride down that
fragile protection, burying i'll it's folds
every ono underneath And those mem-
bers of the board who had served ut sea
shivered when they read the description
of this protection" and pictured to
themselves their exciting endeavors to
eXtricate themselves from the ruin of
the death dealing contrivance suggested
in love and kindness by an ignorant
friend Washington Star.