The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-23
LIFE SAVERS ON WHEELS.
Patrol Duty Not So Bad When One
Has a Bicycle.

Patrol Duty Not So Bad When One
Has a bicycle.
A visit to a life-saving establish
ment is part of the diversion of the
summer boarders at nearly every no
tel or hamlet about the Atlantic sea-
board. The crews manned the stations
at midnight on July 81 and will remain
on duty until the same hour on May
80. The stations are closed during June
and July.
The city people who have trudged
through the shifting sand to the sta
lions have been amazed this year TO
find that the bicycle has as conspicu-
Gus a place at the stations as the life
boats The wheels, however, are in
dividual possessions. They do not form
a part of the equipment furnished by
the life-saving service, which, indeed,
gives only a tacit consent to the use Of
them.
How do we use the wheel?" repeat
ed stalwart life saver stationed down
on Long Island. well, except in
stormy weather, the hard, firm strip of
beach just along the edge Of the surf
makes the best sort of bicycle path.
Whenever we have to make a trip IN
the daytime, say to go for the mail
or on any other business, wheeling
beats walking every time. The surf
man on day watch must be on duty
from sunrise to sunset, and he finds
that the use of the wheel enables him
to keep better lookout throughout
the entire stretch of his beat than for
merly was the case.
but 1t is at night that the wheel
is most useful. Usually we work the
beach in four-hour spells on duty, with
two surfmen in each watch. We have
to set out in opposite directions from
the station and patrol the beach until
we meet the patrol from the next sta
ton, when we exchange our metal
checks and return to the home stations
This means a trip, to and from, of
anywhere from four to six miles. On
foot we seldom made more than one
journey of it; but when the conditions
are favorable for wheeling we can
cover the beat repeatedly during the
four hours. In thick and stormy
wather the bike is useless; but on a
fine moonlight night, with the tide low
and the sand as smooth as a sprinting
path, the wheel is just the thing. A
surfman then swings his beach lantern
over his arm. and with his pockets
filled with red Coston handlights for an
emergency he wheels along close to
the surf and is able to keep a better
watch than WIN on foot.
There is only one drawback. The
oAC1@S Cul Lie llIGS dl great Idlc.
Some of us use the old-fashioned solid
tires on that account, and the rest of
us put in all our spare time patching
up punctures. 1t seems to me that the
government should provide for the life
savers solid-tire wheels. We all think
this would promote the efficiency of
the service, and some of us thought of
getting up a petition if it would do
any good
In times of emergency horses are Of
great use in helping haul the lifeboats
to the launching place, and on this
account where horses are kept the
service furnishes fodder free. Horses.
however, are kept also for personal
convenience. Along the South Carolina
coast each surfman possesses a hardy
little beach pony, and with this pony
standing ever ready he takes but very
few steps in his daily tours Of duty.
AT Amagansett, Long Island, many of
the surfmen own ponies and buck
boards, with which they make jour-
neys along shore, although not when
on duty. A trip in surfman's buck
board is an alarming experience for
city man. The ponies know that the
best footing is on the hard strip, and,
If the tide is high, they dash along in
the foam of the surf often going up to
their knees in the water, and swerving