The San Francisco call., 1896-01-23
A Life-Saving Station to Be Es.
tabliShed on the North
Shore.
DEFINITE RECOMMENDATIONS.
Site Selected and An Efficient Station
and Patrol With Telephones
Decided On.

1t has been practically settled that Point
Bonita, on the north shore of the Golden
Gate, is to have life-saving station. That
shore through all the steady development
of the port of San Francisco has remained
unprotected. or rather no protection has
been offered TO shipping in distress along
its forbidding rocks and reefs, and the re-
suit is a matter of history. Nearly every
cove and rock marks the spot where some
proud ship met her fate, and where, too,
not few brave sailors went down forever.
These facts impressed themselves long
ago upon the United States Life-saving
Service officials, who fully appreciated the
importance of taking immediate steps to
place protection upon the Marin shores.
But it took time to put the machinery of
Government with its red tape in motion,
and meanwhile the Elizabeth, the City Of
New York and a schooner went down
across the Golden Gate. The time has at
last come, however, when an efficient
station with boats, life lines, patrols, ETC.,
is to be esta bished at Point Bonita.
The Superintendent and Inspector of
the United States Life-saving Service in
this port has recommended 10 the chief of
the service III Washington, y. c., that this
station be established at the earliest pos
sible date. The chief carefully digested
the recommendation, saw merit in its
urgent claims, and last week reported
favorably upon it to the Congressional
committee. Since then an expression has
been obtained from the committee that
warrants a conclusion that Congress will
make an appropriation for the station
The local officials of the Life-saving Ser
vice stated yesterday that they were fully
satisfied at last that Point Bonita would
have station suitable for any emergency.
AS to the exact location of the proposed
station the superintendent would not say
what spot has been chosen. 1t was
enough, he thought, to state that the shore
In and about Point Bonita had been Scien-
titically surveyed and examined with a
view TO selecting site, and after a mature
consideration of prevailing winds. coast
lines, rocks and effects OF storms on the
various coves, the service had settled upon
place which was almost without defects
from lifeboat mans point of view.
I'VE have not yet made plans, such as
you would call plans-that is, detailed
drawings and designs for the station and
its appliances. That is an after considera-
ton. In a general way, however, our
plans are pretty clearly defined upon the
matter, and we know to a nicely Just what
is needed and what we shall have While
there are two, or, you may say, three sta
tions on this side OF the Golden Gate, the
whole north shore has been left unpro-
tected. Anybody who knows the charac-
ter of the currents and other conditions
between the heads knows. too, what this
means.
"We intend to have a lifeboat station
similar to the station out near Fort Point.
1t will be connected by telephone with
Lime Point, and there the wire will be
taken across the straits on the cable to
Fort Point, where connection viii be made
with the stations on this side, and also
with the office in the Appraisers building.
BY means ofrhis telephone communica-
ton we can know Immediately on this
side what Is taking place along the oppo-
site shore and up beyond Point Bonita
Some time ago, when a schooner was
ashore near the lighthouse, danger signals
were displayed, and the siren was kept
sounding danger signals. But the weather
was so thick and the fog so heavy that no.
body could hear the siren across the
Golden Gate. This was going on for
hours until by chance rift came in the
fog. In a few moments our men on this
side saw the vessel on the rocks. A boat
was launched a Fort Point, and we saved
every man on that wreck. This is an in
stance OF the uncertain value of life
saving stations on this side for service
across the straits. When a strong tide is
flooding in between the heads it is impos-
sible to pull lifeboat against it or to
cross the Golden Gate, and then the ser
vice is helpless without the aid OF a tug
boat.
'It is seldom that boat can be launched
in the surf out on the ocean beach, so as
sistance from that station to a vessel in
distress across the straits is very doubtful.
Then our station on the beach is more of a
lifeline station than a lfeboat station. as
1t relies mainly on It's lifeline work for say
ing life. a ship will come far inshore
along the beach before she is in danger,
and then when she runs aground our men
can reach her with lifelines thrown from
guns. We have taken off men from wrecks
in this way very successfully. No change
is contemplated in the service at Fort
Point or on the beach, as all the coast
about Point Lobos must be watched, and
we need another staff of men to look out
for the north side. The place we have Sc
lected is so situated that a boat can be
launched in any weather and rowed right
out into the heavy seas, and when such a
protection on the north shore is a reality
We will have the entrance to the port OF
San Francisco as well protected as we
could hone 10 save IT "