The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-12
A NEW LIFE-BOAT.
IL Glides Into the Sea on an Inclined
Plane-The Invention OF "a French
From the New York World.


From the New York World.
Launching a life-boat. as every one
knows, is difficult and delicate operation
France, ever fertile in invention, now
comes forward with a new method of
launching a life-boat. Ordinarily life
boat is launched by the crew. and. if sue
cessfully launched, is carried out on the
receding wave, but not until some mem
bers of the crew have received a complete
drenching. If the first attempt is not a
success, the boat is thrown back on the
beach, and the start must be made once
more.
This new non-submersible life-boat does
away with any possibility of failure. and
permits the boat to be put in the water
completely manned-the crew in their
places, ready to bend to the oars, without
mishap or delay.
The trial took place at Boulogne-sur-
Mer, where is located the second Oldest
life-saving station in the world. 1t was
established as long ago as 1925. The men
are both French and English. The new
apparatus, which is the invention of e. de
Peilly, consists of an inclined plane, or
shipway, with rails reaching down to the
waters edge and having an angle of about
% degrees; also, of an automatic car per-
fectly poised and formed of two frames,
which can be folded together at mo
ment's notice.
A movable support is fastened to the two
lower edges of the under frame and holds
the upper frame in a position which may
be varied from the horizontal to the neces-
sary inclination for the automatic launch
ing of the life-boat. The car, held in posi-
ton by chain, winding around a wind
lass glides on the rails of the shipway,
carrying the boat horizontally on the up
per framework, and in this position the
boat is launched, provided the tide is
high enough. AT low tide the supports may
be manipulated so as TO give the boat the
proper angle at the instant it reaches the
sea.
At given signal a whistle was heard.
and the crew clambored into the boat. A
second whistle meant Get ready" AT
the third a heavy rumble was heard. then
splash and the boat was in the waves.
Twenty vigorous arms manned the oars.
which at once began to dip in unison. In
the bow stood pilot, long boat hook in
his hand. and in the stern, maneuverlrg
an immense oar, which served him as a
rudder, was the captain
Another experiment consisted in esteb-
fishing breeches buoy between the shore
and a wrecked vessel. The honor of this
new dPPlidlCe uelOuBS 10 modest
chanic of the country named De Cain
de very adroitly substituted for the ira,
ditional ring supporting the basket-the
great defect of which was that the frlc-
ton rubbed and frayed the rope upon
which 1t slid-a little apparatus formed o,
two pulieys adjusted on the same plan.
the cable passing between the grooves of
these pulleys.
The hawser gun was charged, and threw
line with a rod attached, 500 feet TO-
ward the vessel. This line was immedi
ately seized, and by means of it the don
bic lines of the. breeches buoy. with its
pulleys, We're hauled aboard. and then fol-
lowed the cable upon which the basket
works. In few seconds the pulleys were
securely fastened to an upright rod on the
ship. the cable was hauled taut and Tho
basket sent to its destination on shore
All that now remained for the people on
the Vessel 30 do was to take their places
successfully in the basket, which made
successive trips rapidly and successfully
between the shore and the ship, until an
the people on board were landed,