The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-12-01
GALLANT LITE SAVERS.
Statistics Regarding the Work Of
the Coast Guards.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE RESCUED

And Millions worth Of Property Saved
from Destruction The Percentage of
Loss of Life and Property Greatly RE-
duced.
WASHINGTON, Dec THE report OF Mr..
Bimball, 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 II 1-5 per cent, of property.
At the close of the year the establish
ment comprised 256 stations, of which 1856
were located on the Atlantic and gulf
coasts, 50 on the great lakes, Il on the Pa
cifc coast and one at tho Falls of the Ohio,
Louisville, Ky.
The number of disasters to documented
vessels within the scope Of the servlce was
49, involving 4,6OS persons, of whom 4,595
were saved and l3 lost The estimated
value of the vessels was s., $50, l40, and Of
the cargoes 49, S46, $50, aggregating a total
of S12, 726, ,520. OF this amount 81 432, $50
was lost. The number Of documented
vessels totally lost was g. There were
also during the year 248 casualties to un-
doCumented all craft, sailboats, rowboats,
etc. OF the 59i persons on board 5S7 were
saved and lost The value of the prop
erty in these casualties is estimated at
Sll9 265, of which St140l5 was saved The
total number of shipwrecked persons sue
cored at stations was 6l3 The total num-
| Der of days succor was afforded was | ,436
| Other persons mot on board vessels) to
the number of eighty-two, were rescued
/ from drowning, all of whom would prob
/ ably have perished but for the vigilance
| and prompt assistance of the life saving
/ crews.
In the year the crews savedand assisted
/ to save 412 vessels valued, with their car
goes at s4,s53, no OF this number 3lS
were saved without outside assistance, ug-
gregHting, with their cargoes, value OF
/ S977, 1876, with loss of only Sl1,7l2. In the
remaining l54 instances the life saving
crews assisted other agencies in saving
property valued at S. 59J, 775, out of II total
of S3o75,6lj imperilled. Less important
hSSlSluuCb WAS IcuNGEbu W lOi OullcI Nto-
sells in distress
The patrolmen also warned from danger
by their night signals 21O vessels, and by
day signals I9 The loss of life and prop
erty averted in these 229 instances of
course, cannot be estimated, but the cir
cumstances under which II large proper
tion of the warning We're made indicate
that it must have been very considerub bie.
The cost Of maintaining the service for
the year was 81, 4Ol, ,SO5.
Attention is invited to the inadequacy
of the compensation of the superintep-
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 900. An an
nual compensation of $1,000 is recon-
mended. The existing discrimination in
the rates of wages paid the surfmen-u
small minority receiving S65 per month
while the majority receive only SGO-con-
tinues to he II source of serious discomfort
and complaint, The general superinten
dent recommends that uniform ratio bt
established aud that it be fixed at S65 pei
} month,