The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-12-01
GALLANT LIFE SAVERS.
Statistics Regarding the Work Of
the Coast Guards.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE RESCUED

And Millions Worth OF Property Saved
from Destruction-The Percentage oil
Loss of Life and Property Greatly Re
duced.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-The report of Mr.
kimball, the general superintendent OF
the life saving service for the year ended
June 30 exhibits the most satisfactory re.
suits yet accomplished by that service.
Although the total number of disasters
was greater than In any prior year the
percentage Of lives and property lost was
less The next best record was that of the
year 1895. In that year the loss Of life was
one out of every 224 persons involved, and
the loss Of property IA per cent. Of the
amount imperiled, while during the last
year the loss was only one person out OF
260, and IL 1-5 per cent, of property.
At the close Of the year the establish
ment comprised 256 stations, of which 1S6
were located on tho Atlantic and gulf
coasts, 90 on the great lakes, IA on the Pa
cific coast and one at the Falls of the Ohio,
Louisville, KY
The number Of disasters to documentcd
vessels within the scope of the service was
437, involving 460S persons, of whom 4 ,505
were saved and 10 lost. The estimated
value of the vessels was 1850, 40, and Of
the cargoes 50, $40, $3.50, aggregating q total
of Sl2, 72652O. OF this amount 81, 1872, $50
was lost. Tho number of doculnonted
vessels totally lost was 81. There were
also during the year 243 casualties to I'M
documented all craft, sailboats, rowboats,
etc. OF the 594 persons on board 5S7 were
saved and lost The value of the prop
erty in these casualties Is estimated at
S1l9,265, of which ,915 was saved. The
total number of shipwrecked persons sue
cored at stations was 6l9. The total num-
Der of days succor was afforded was /, 4SG
Other persons mot on board vessels) to
the number of elghty-two, were rescued
from drowning, all Of whom would prob
ably have persisted but for the vigilance
and prompt assistance Of the life saving
crews.
In the year the crews saved and assisted
to save 472 vessels valued, with their car
goes at s4,S53,ll0. OF this number 3l8
were saved without outside assistance ag-
gregating, with their cargoes value of
$977, 495, with loss Of only Sill ,7l2 In the
iof iiiotuhSco Gho iiic saving
crews assisted other agencies In saving
property valued at IS, 500, IT'S, out of total
of s3,s75Gl5 imperilled. Less important
assistance was rendered to 1877 other YES
sells in distress.
The patrolmen also warned from danger
by their night signals 2lO vessels, and by
day signals 49, The loss of life and prop
erty averted in these 800 instances, of
course, cannot be estimated, but the cir
cumstances under which Il large proper
ton of the warning were made indicate
that it must have been very considerable.
The cost of maintaining the service for
the year was 81 ,401 ,S05
Attention is invited to the inadequacy
of the compensation of the superinten-
dents of life saving districts who are
charged with onerous duties and required
to furnish heavy bonds in some cases
with penalty as high as $4,000 An an
nual compensation of $1,000 is recon-
mended. The existing discrimination in
the rates of wages paid the surfmen--a
small minority receiving S65 per month
while the majority receive only Cocoon
tinues to be u source Of serious discomfort
and complaint. The general superintcn.
dent recommends that uniform rate be
established and that it be fixed at So per
month.