The San Francisco call., 1897-03-14

VGE2ASHINGTON,D D. c., March 13.-
AHHEo Tue life-saving service OF the
sMX;A Government is experimenting
with decidedly new idea in life lines, the
results of which are proving highly i'm
portant. II is among the probabilities of
the near future that the crews of vessels
wrecked within the range of the life-sav-
ing stations will be able to see the line
shot to them from the mortar from the
time it starts on its career until it reaches
them.
This marked addition to the chances of
saving the lives of shipwrecked seamen is
the invention OF Reuben II. PIass of 5OS
Lafayette avenue, Brooklyn, n. Y Mr..
Plass will be remem bered as the inventor
OF system OF maritime ocean buoys,
which 1t was intended should form a
- chain OF com mmunication by means of
cal be and telephone between America and
Europe.
In spite of the magnificent work of the
hie-saving corps of the Government and
regardless OF the apparatus for the render
ing OF aid to the shipwrecked which is at
their command, many a life has been lost
by the inability of the persons who are
cllnging 10 wreck to see the line shot at
Them from the shore, or, If it reached the
rigging, to tell just where it might be
seized upon. As, in such cases, minutes
mean lives, the ability to see and grasp
the lifeline without the delay of second
has lessened the population of the earth
by several in many. many instances.
The idea which Mr.. PIass has success
fully evolved is to provide lifeline which
emits a phos phorent light of sufficient
luminosity to be visible for long distance
Immediately it leaves the mortar's mouth
and is shot through the gale and across
the waves to the wreck. In the past if it
happened to be daylight when the life
savers were at work they could by means
OF their glasses tell whether or no they
had landed lifeline aboard the wreck
1t unfortunately happens though that the
majority of wrecks occur at night and
therefore luminous lifeline becomes an
invention of the first importance. By it's
use the life-saver can ell just exactly what
has happened 10 the line. There need be
no more uncertainty.
Mr.. Plass is more than confident that
the final results of the experiments with
his invention will be the adoption of the
luminous lifeline by the Government. He
is very practical sort of a man and not
at all given to theorizing on possibilities
not warranted by facts. "The idea of tho
luminous lifeline was suggested TO me-"
said Mr.. Plass, when questioned regard
ing the matter. "5y reading an accoont of
the wreck of the bark Mason on the reefs
of Cape Cod few years ago. In this case
the life-savers shota line out to the wreck,
but could not tell for long time, in fact
not until daylight, whether the line had
reached the bark or not. When daylight
came 10 show how the wreck had stood
the beating and surging of the waves, the
men who composed the crew were
seen frozen in the rigging while the line,
which meant life to them. lay within
their reach. They had not seen it. They
had been unable to find it at all.
1T seemed a great pity to me then that
such thing as that should be, and the
thought came, Why could not line be so
constructed that it would be luminous?
Then there never need be any thing like
the loss OF life on the Mason for a similar
cause The theory was adm ia Bile, was |
firmly convinced, and ought to be carried |
out. But jus. how to do this was a poser.
OF course phosphorus must of necessity be |
a prominent factor in any such invention.
The principal thing to find out was how
to make phosphorus stay on cable.