The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-03-07
Life-Saving Service.
From St. Nicholn.

While we are listening to the wild storms
of winter howling around our comfortable
homes, let us take look at the home and
life of the brave life-savers, who are guard
ing life and property along our coasts.
Few people realize what these men have
to endure, or how many heroic deeds could
of these little stations
In the year 1891 the disasters ON our
ocean and lake coasts numbered 49l, with
passenger list of 3491 of these 344l
were saved by the gallant keepers and their
brave men, and over $50 persons were
cared for at the different stations
We can judge from this report how eff
ficient must be the corps of officers in this
important department of the Government;
millions of dollars worth of property, in the
shape of valuable cargoes, are yearly saved
from the greedy ocean by the crews of the
e-Saving Service.
There are now on the American coasts
$50 stations properly equipped, and the
cost TO the Government is made good by
the value of lives and money saved; in
deed, under the present system, there are
fewer lives lost yearly on the whole coast
line than were formerly sacrificed on the
Jersey coast alone in that time.
The general superintendent of the Life
Saving Service resides at Washington; there
are district superintendents who have
charge of all stations in their district, which
they must visit once in three months.
Each district superintendent must inspect
the public property, and drill the various
crews in all exercises, on the occasion of
his visit of inspection.
A journal of the daily doings at each
station is forwarded weekly to the Depart
ment at Washington; where wrecks occur,
and lives or vessels are lost, rigid investi-
cation is made by the Department, with a
view to detecting any possible neglect or
carelessness on the part of the life-savers
On Tuesdays there is boat practice; this
consists in hauling the boat carriage to the
beach, unloading, launching her, and pull
ing out through the surf-backing, turn
ing or doing just what the keeper com
mands, he steering the boat. After prac-
tice, the boat is put on the carriage, hauled
back to the boat house, cleaned. and left
in perfect order. Wednesday is signal
drill day There is an international code
of signals, composed Of flags representing
the different letters of the alphabet. Each
surfman has set of miniature flags, and
he signals to the keeper, who answers them
with his fags-so any man at the station
can read message from wrecked ship
All the principal maritime nations have
adopted this code, and as vessels are pro-
vided with flags, and books containing the
key to different signals, printed in many
languages, communication between vessels
and stations can be easily carried on, what
ever the ships nationality.
Thursday is the day for drilling with
beach apparatus. A pole planted in the
sand represents the mast of the wrecked
ship. The beach apparatus, beach-cart,
hawsers, guns, lines, blocks, and buoy are
all run out in short time and all the man
euvers gone through with, as if in actually
rescuing a crew; from the time the word
''action' is spoken by the keeper till the
supposed rescued man is brought to the
supposed beach, only six minutes have
passed 1t seems almost incredible, but
their training has made all the men models
of promptness and obedience. After this
drill the crew returns the beach apparatus
to the station, leaving everything, as usual,
in order.