Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1895-04-11
PERILS OF THE OCEAN
INVENTIVE GENIUS TO The AID or
DISTRESSED MARINERS.

Many Absurd Devices ProGiered.-All Are
Considered by The Life Saving Service
Board-Cuitins the Throat OF the rinid
with a Feather.
IN order that the surfmen who patrol
oar beaches, ready to lend their assist.
fnco to distressed mariners, may havo
ut their command the most efIicieut an.
paratus inventive genius can suggest, a
board ON life saving appliances appoint
cd by the secretary OF the treasury is
connected with the lie saving service
and convenoS upon the call of the prcsi-
dent about once year to consider the
merits CT all boats, apparatus or meth,
ods which may be presented to thon
with view to adoption in that service
ii 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 tho 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
ferod in good faith arc so ridiculously
absurd as to require but n 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 gonii with
mcritorious apparatus may not he un-
duly discouraged or frightened at the
decision made upon these ucylces and
thereby dotorrcd from presenting some
thing which might bo of incalculablo
value to humanity.
One Of tho peculiar facts ascertaineG
by tho Investigations of the board is
t--at those WHO arc probably most apt to
submit models and descriptions arc those
who know least about the rcal dangers
and consequent needs of stranded or
stranding vessel. Some of tho conccp.
tions of tho inland residents are truly
marvellous.
Tho subject easily divides itso!f into
thrao heads: Beats for going ont through
tho surf, apparatus for eifecting COM
muuication between tho shore and
stranded vessels, and means for prevent.
ing strnndin2s The devices to bo con.
sidored as coming first are most natural
ly those to prevent strandings, and only
recontly n scheme was presented in
which tho government was urged to
stretch very largo oablo the entire
length of tho coast some distance from
tho shore anchored with mushroom an.
chors. Thus If vessel were dragging
her anchor she would float over this ca
hle toward the rocks until the fukes of
her anchor engaged with the cable,
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 tho approval
of congress
Another amateur submits sketches
and drawings, minus the pretty painted
model, however, of a great boat intend
ed to run simply by opening q gate
valve in two largo longitudinal tubes
which open fore and aft below tho wa
ter line. The valves Gro open when the
boat is launched, and tho water rushes
into the forward intake and passes out
at tho stern. The water, passing out,
pushes the boat forward, and the intake
helps relieve the resistance ON the bows,
so that tho boat, of course, is pro.
PEELED by tho 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 foroibly in u boisterous
sea- To stop tho boat tho valves arc
closed.
Another bright man with less cum.
ber5ome contrivancc, although tho ac-
tion is as hard or harder to understand,
suggests lifoboat or life raft built upon
the exact model Of u window shutter or
blind, arguing that the water, operating
upon the stats, will set thonl vibrat.
ing, ald that this vibration by its nc.
tion upon its own motive force will
cause the boat to work forward against
Hii'A anu tlhb lDbNuNIS lI LAllsklNlt lily
q couple Of summers ago will no doubt
remember this Inventor and hiI shutter.
A heart swelling with pity--it ought
to be u woman's-for tho poor dconched
captains wife, rescued through the
mountainous surf from n vessel fast
breaking up, has suggested n canvas
cover similar to wagon cover tightly
fastened down to the gunwale az p1o.
lection from the wet The dear soul,
however, mover 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 in its folds
every ono underneath. And those mem.
bers Of tho board who had served at sca
shivered when they read the description
of this protection" and pictured to
themselves their exciting endeavors to
extricate themselves from tho ruin Of
tho death dealing contrivance suggested
in love and kindness by an ignorant
friend. Washington Star.
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Roman House Heaters. -
Methods used by tho Romans for
warming their houses were clever. In