The evening times., 1896-10-28
American Life Savers Are the
Best and Most Efficient.
PARIS WILL EMULATE US
At the Exposition Of 1900 There VIII
BE an International Display, I'm
Which the System In Vogue Here
VIII Play a Prominent Part-Rec-
ord of Our Life Guards.


these specially arranged features which the
| Queen City OF the Seine is now evolving is
an international display OF life saving ap-
| ,saTavtIS. inch will Dc held in the Bois de
| Vinctnnes.
| n Committee has been appointed under
| the presidency of NM. Gomot and Boucher
Cadart to draw up the program. The sec
| tion of life-savlng apparatus Will have an
| exhibit at the Champ de Mars, but the prac-
| tcai experiments which constitute the
most moving spectacles by reproducing The
| methods employed in different countries,
| " i'll take place in the Bois de Vinccnnes.
| The lake in the Bos de Vincennes is to
| be specially cleaned out and decpened in
| places, for the purpose OF conducting the
| experiments in life saving from the water,
| either at sea or inland. a number ut boats
and even model ship in distress are to be
| anchored at u distance from the bank, so as
| To give facility for using he life saving ap-
paratus employed on the coast, Whether by
| sailors or volunteer brigades.
| n number OF men selected from the brig
AIDES Will represent passengers who will
| be rescued from the shore in case of a
| supposed wreck, or in boats in case OF "a
| ship supposed to be laundering. 1t is also
contemplated To give an Illustration Of the
means OF raising submerged vessels, in
GLIDING the operations of divers.
THE METHODS.
In regard to life saving inland, every
method and every difficulty encountered
can be Illustrated, whether as To the man
ner Of Scizing a drowning man, diving for
him and supporting an inSensible form. or
bringing it To land. The method of dealing
with persons apparently dead, in order to
restore animation, can also be illustrated,
50 that the public will be able 10 see how
To- act In the case OF an accident occurring
in their presence.
There are II host Of other novel expert
meItS, such as runaway horses, railway
collisions and accidents Of every deScrip-
ton, conten platedf for the exhibition. What
part the other nations will take in the eN-
hibitOn is not vet determined. but ii prom
iSeS to hsve the effect at least OF awaken
ing great public interest in the origin and
development OF the life saving services OF
various countries.
The history or that Of the United States
is especially Interesting In SiS one ofthe
most Important OF the speeches ever deliv-
cred in Congress favoring an appropriation
Of money for any object was made by II.
a. Newell " New Jersey. In his speech
Mr.. Newell asked Congress to set ;sidc a
certsin fixed sum each year for the found
ing and m aintenanCe OF a life saving SER
vice. for the benefit of commerce.
Before 1913. huwever-in fact, since the
beginning of the present century Massa-
Chusctts Humane Society had attempted to
fulfill the need by establishing. through pri-
vate benevolence, shelter houses irregularly
along the shores or its State, where ship
wrecked sailors. who were fortunate enough
TO fiat ashore on the wreckage OF their
lost ship, might obtain food and ten porary
housing
BEGINNING TO WORK.
The results brought about by Mr.. Newelrs
speech. however, were the definite begin
nil of do RI 1.sv1t az n4tl
TEN that has saved the lives or thousands
OF shipwreCked mariners, many OF them
Americans, and the rescue OF millions OF
dollars worth OF property. The system as
1t DOW exists, though very extensive. is SIM
ply organized. the % 900 miles Of our coast
being divided into twelve districts. each
district having the number OF stations its
need requires There are altogether 22i
stations including one inland station at the
Fails of the Ohio, near Louisville. Each
station is governed by the keeper, who
usually holds his office for years.
lie is tie maior-dCmo of the small COM
munity, varying from seven To twelve men,
whom he commands. The head keeper acts
as Judge. general and monitor, all questions
being referred to him, and what he Saysis
usually implicitly obeycd. 1t is the duty
OF the keeper TO drill the men in boat prac-
tice. signals. resuscitation ofthose partially
drowned and general nautical knowledge
at least four times a week. The men,
except the keeper, are in active service
ten months in the year. During July and
August they are excused from active duty,
although liable to he called upon any time
when needed.
The pay Of the men is $50 a month for
ten months, or 5000 n year They live to-
gether in a nice little cottage provided by
the government. and although having to buy
their clothing and most of their food out OF
their salary they manage to saveevcry year
nice sum, being men of plain habits. The
government also furnishes 4 library of good
novels for the use of all at each station,
and in some instances private parties have
given donations Of useful and valuable
books
PATROL THE BEACH
one of the principal duties of the life
saver is to patrol the beach during the
night, which is divided into four watches,
to warn Off vessels coming dangerously
near shore and to discover any in trouble
Each man going to bis wateS is given brass
checks, on which are inscribed the number
of his district, station and himself Every
time he meets the ether patrol at the end
OF his beat he exchanges checks with him.
In this manner an accurate account can be
kept whether man has traversed his beat
and not fallen asleep. If the other patrol
does not appear the waiting one is required
to go to the station and report him to the
keeper. And Woe To that watcbman who
cannot give satisfactory reasons for his
non-appearance.
When patrol sees vessel in danger or
discovers n wreck he fires off Il rocket,
meaning take care; you are seen" After
making sure that the vessel is in trouble
he goes to his station and gives the alarm.
Then hustle Commences, somewhat re-
sembling that at fire station When the
alarm is sounded. The horse furnished by
Uncle Sam is hltcbet to a low wagon load
ed with a boat, mortar gun, ropes, life pre-
servers and the many other things that
go to make up well-equipped station,
and away all go, the men running along
side the wagon, helping 1t along in sandy
places by pushing.
If the sea is not too rough the boat is
launched; if it is, another means of rescue
is used, namely, the mortar gun.
THE CANNON.
This is brass cannon, which fires
round shot to which is attached a cord,
the other end Of which is fastened to some
thing on the beach. The object Of the gun
Der Is to place the shot on the far side of
the vessel, so that the line will fall on
the sinking ships deck. This is then
fastened by those on toard to the vessel $
malnmast, making communication with
shore. A pulley runs on this cord. If the
weather is not too rough, the brecches
buoy Is used, or, If SO, the life car. This
latter is water-tght rowboat, holding
fifteen persons, the air being admitted
through slater trap door that serves fol
entrance.
The life car was invented in $50 by
Capt. Douglass, the first chief Of the SER
vice, and has been the means OF saving the
lives Of many hundreds OF persons. The
present superintendent of the life saving
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