The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1896-11-07
To SAVE HUMAN ri LIVES
The 0ovoennn1nt 70 xpoetmoa
With : New System


The goyernment Ms-aavine ata4ion
service Il about 70 try : 1ew nia, from
which great results ere expected. II
= undertaking to apply The house-boaa
Principle in The ssv1hg,of lifs at sea
Perhaps II II not very clear juss how
. houss-bost = going 70 Be; Of much
service in an angry ocean storm. But
the government odisials have figured
out use for II that Il new. This HE
saving station win lie .o6 shore. Just
outside Of the line Of breakers. In thia
new station the NHsssving csew win
live. and from there they will board
their hosts.
The most diRcult part Of the Nfe-
saving work = getting boat launched
in wildly-beating surf and working 1t
out beyond the breakers N tact .
very large proportion of the upSets,
the delays ana the dimesltses In reach
ing stranded or distressed vessel are
due to It.
The proposal Il to build Q boat 100
feet long, - feet wide and six fsetdeep,
and strong enough to defy for years
the fiercest storms. The new craft u
to be fashioned very much like IN old
style datiron, cut on square at the
stern. It will be anchored firmly, and,
of course, will always present head
to the wind. s
There II to be . curious cut in the
stern Of the boat that Il to be called
the "harbor." This II an opening 30
feet in length and II feet in width. It
is surrounded by walk six feet wide.
upon which the boats may be hauled.
The upper deck extends the whole
length of the boat, covering over the
top of the 'harbor" - well.
Thus, with her head always to the
wind, the "harbor" viii offer easy In
gress and egress to small boats. The
hardest, most disagReeable and most
dangerous part OF the work which life
saving crews have hitherto had to put
up with, the launchingof boats through
the surf, will thus be entirely .doneaway
with.
In the 'harbor" also will be moored
two naphtha launches for the use Of the
life-savers, and q surf-boAt will hang
on davits near the end.
Az q whole. despite it's odd shape,
the craft looks . good deal like the ira
ditional house-boat. Il II to be built
in the most durable manner, heavily
bulkheaded, and the main deck, which
is to be ten feet above the level of the
sea, will contain abundant room for
the crew Of eight men ed6 the captain
who will man the vessel. There IL to
be abundant room for comfortable liv-
ing, and the boat i to be fitted up with
kitchen. dining-room and sleeping COM
partments.
On the deck il to be large pilot house,
seven feet in height, which will be used
as lookout. The station IL to be fitted
with anchors, but no.masts, machinery
or steering gear. If It ever broke loose
it would 60 where it liked, but for the
most part its movements viii be d.
rected by . tow line.
The new craft has just been completed
at ship yard near Noenk, Conn.,. and
was designed by Assistant Superintend-
ent of Construction Henry E. Davis.
The total cost Of the boat II about ST.
600. and. it will be towed to Boston 1t !
once, where it win be stationed OF City
Point a. the Boston bay doating H1s-
saving station. el
The government olncials win watch
The career Of the nfe-saving house-boat !
with . great deal Of interest, and II Il
proves the success they hope similar
stations will be established along the
entire coast Of the United States. It
10 probable that in time th9 boats viii
be provided with connections with the
shore, and either the whole crew Of the
station will be Transferred to the house
ooat or else the latter win be used q
IN adjunct to the shore station.-N. Y.
Herald.