The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-01-17
PERILs OFTHE OCEAN
iNvENTNE GENIUS 70 THE AID o
DISTRESSED MARINERS

I
Many Absurd Devices Profrered-AIi Are
Considered by the Life saving Services
noard-Cutting the Throat Of the Tisnid
with . Featlner.
In order that the surfmen who patrol
cur beaches, ready to lend their assist.
ance to distressed mariners, may have
nj their command the most efficient ap-
paratus inventive genius can suggest. =
board on life saving appliances appoints
ed by the secretary OF the treasury Il
connected with the life saving service
and convenes upon the call OF the presi-
dent about once o year to consider tins
merits of all boats, apparatus or meth
DDS which may be presented 70 them
with a view b adoption I'm that service
il found practicable. This board makes
public tests of the apparatus presented
for adoption, and their report IL eIn-
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 90 r~idiculously
absurd as to require but Q very short re-
port. and the decision is found inn.
practicable. the board being good
enough to .'cut his throat with q feath-
or' i'm order that timid genii with
meritorious apparatus may not be I'M
duly discouraged or frightened at the
decision made upon these devices and
thereby deferred from presenting some
thing which might DO Of in~calculable
value TO Humanity.
One of the peculiar facts ascertained
by the Investigations of the board IL
that those who are probably most apt 70
submit models and descriptions are those
who know least about the real dangers
and consequent needs of q stranded or
stranding vessel. Some of the concep-
tions OF the inland residents are truly
marvellous.
The subject easily div. .es 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 STANDINGS. The devices to be con-
, sidered as coming first are most natural
ly those to prevent STANDINGS, and only
recently a scheme was presented In
which the government was urged e
stretch o very large cable the entire
length of the coast some distance fror1
the shore anchored with mushroom nm.
ohors. Thus il a vessel were dragging
7 her anchor she would float over this ca
] BILE toward the rocks until the flukes O
: her anchor engaged with the cable
] where she would be held safe and sound
! No provision il made for preventing thu
y parting OF her chains, however. But th'
{ scheme Of stretching q large cable from
Maine to Mexico and stringing thereon
mushroom anchors like bangles on
necklace will hardly meet the approva
of congress.
Z Another amateur submits sketche
and drawings, minus the pretty painteI
model, however. of a great boat intend
! ed to run simply by opening . gat
!, valve in two large longitudinal tube
which open fore and aft below the wa
ter line. The valves are open when til
boat is launched, and the water rushe
It into the forward intake and passes on
1t nc the stern. The water, passing oul
pushes the boat forward, and the intak
helps relieve the resistance on the bows
so that the boat, of course, is prt
PEELED by the water passing throug
these tubes. The boat thus goes ON FOL
= over through the surf most speedily b.
u cause the water ID driven ont throug
y the stern most forcibly in a boisterou
!. sea. To stop the boat tho valves a,
closed.
Another bright man with a less Gun
bersome continuance, although b a.
= tion il rs hard or harder o understand
4 suggests a lifeboat or life raft built upo
the exact model of a window shutter (
s. blind, arguing that the water, operatin
= upon the stats, will set them vibra
- ing, and that this vibration by its az
tiou upon its own motive force WI
&, cause the boat to work forward again
wind and tide. Bathcrs at Atlantic Git
q couple OF summers ago will NC don
1 remember This inventor and his shuttle
nd "a heart swelling with pity-it ougl
TO be o woman's--for the poor drenche
Ell captains wife, rescued through I'll
n, mountainous surf from q vessel fa
of breaking mp, has suggested a caliv
CHI cover similar to q wagon cover tight
mt fastened down 70 the gunwale as q ps
we lection from the wet. The dear son
however, never stopped 70 consider b
tremendous force with which the brea
ers. which ut times turn q 34 foot lii
= boat end oven, would ride down oh
fragile protection, burying In IT'S fol
ahs every one underneath. And those mer
-, bers OF the board who had served at S
- shigered when they read tho descripti'
Of this protection and pictured
themselves their exciting cndeavors
~ extricate themselves from the ruin
the death dealing continuance suggest
ed In love and kindness by an ignorn
Observation-Disclosures Sta.
his