The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-23
L. 5. LIFE SAVING SERVICE.
Twenty-SiN Years since Present Sys-
tenn Was introduced.

years will have elapsed since the present
system Of lfe-saving service was intro
duced into the United States. Prior to
that time the personal heroism of the life
saving crews was no less pronounced. but
it was more individual. the equipment and
discipline We're inadequate. and many lives
and eargoes OF great value were lost
through The sheer lack of organiza ton in
the service. The present system, however.
is modelled on an elaborate scale and COM
phcated enough 20 puzzle the lay mind.
The organization, in conformity with an
act of congress, approved June is. 1878. is
under the direction of general superin-
tendent of stations at Washington. Three
OF the four superintendent Of construction
nave their headquarters in this city. the
fourth being stationed in san Francisco.
Inc coast line of the United States is dl-
Vided into twelve districts. each under the
supervision of an assistant inspector and
a district superintendent. The territory
covered includes the Atlantic and Pacific
coasts, the Gulf of Mexico ana the Great
Lakes The twelve districts embrace al
most three hundred stations OF these
nearly two hundred are situated on the At
lanuc and Gulf coasts, about sixty on the
coasts of the Great Lakes and about fiji
teen on the Pacific coast The fourth dis
trlcL which covers the coast of New Jer-
sey, has almost fifty of these stations
From the time of the introduction of the
present system in 1871 until the end of
the fiscal year in 1896, S.GS2 disasters, in
NolNing 6l6 lives ana a total value OF
$l46, 4S7,759 i'm vessels and cargoes. have
occurred within the scope of Hfe-saVing
operations No better proof of the ehicien-
cy of the service can be adduced than the
taei that of the seventy odd thousand
persons involved but 776 lives have been
lost While there is hardly part of the
United States coast out of range of the
hfe-Saving stations, the houses of refuge
are confined exclusively TO Florida. where
the requirements OF relief are widely differ
ent from those OF any other portions of
the seaboard
The stations on the Atlantic and Gulf
coasts are manned by experienced surf
men from August LIST until the first of
the following June, and upon the Pacific
coast they are manned all the year round.
BY means of the International code of sig
mails, with which all the stations are equip
ped, vessels out at sea can by opening
communicate lion, obtain at will latitude and
longitude weather probabilities and assis-
lance if needed. The station crews patrol
the beach from two to four miles each side
of their stations four times between sunset
and sunrise and if the weather be foggy
continue the patrol during the day. Each
patrolman carries Coston signals. If dur
ing his patrol he discovers a snip standing
in danger, he lights one of the signals,
which emits a brilliant red flame of about
two minutes duration 10 warn her off or
20 show the crew that assistance is at
hand in case the vessel be ashore.
The igniting OF the Coston signal is only
the beginning of the work OF rescue The
patrolman hastens to his station for assist
ance, and if it be practicable, the lifebOat
or surf boat, is launched, and the hardy
surfmen fight their way out to the distress
ed ship. In case the water be too rough
for the boats TO be put out at sea, the
wreck gun and beach apparatus are
brought into play for the rescue by the
brooches buoy of the life car. The mortar
on shore throws the shoUwith a small line
attached across the vessel, the hawser is
made fast to the ship and the breeches
buoy or the life car run out by means of
the line and hawser, bringing in the crew,
one at time in the buoy and four to six
in the life car, to the shore.
In taking peop.e from a sinking vessel
the women and children are landed first
and no attempt is made 70 rescue any part
of the cargo until an human beings are
safe on shore. No equal stretch OF. coast
on the western hemisphere is 80 well
equipped with life saving stations as the
seaboard in the immediate vicinity of New
York. Beginning at Fire Island and moving
% the outhwest the coast IS dotted with
the stations at intervals OF every few miles
Seven of the stations are on the constant
lookout for vessels in danger between Fire
Island and Far Rockaway. a few miles
farther on Is the Rockaway station, nearer
stu are the Rcckaway p int and the Coney
Island stations. Then beginning out a
little south of the point of Sandy Hook the
line stretches away to the south. stations
guarding the shore and sea at Spermacetu
Cove Seahright, Monmouth Beach Long
Aal
Spring lake. Squan Beach, Bayhead. Mon
toloking Chadwick, Toms river down to
the end of the Jersey coast and beyond
Compared with the efficient service along
the Atlantic seabOard the Pacific coast
makes rather a poor showing. one district
composed of fourteen stations being
thought sufficient to insure the safety of
the vessels passing along the shore from
Vancouver to southern California. or the
fourteen stations three are located in
Washington. four in oregon and the re-
mainder dot the California coast.
one Of the cases Of stranded vesse.s best
known to New Workers. was that of the
American Line steamship ST. Paul, which
was stranded during dense fog about 30
on the morning of Jan. 25 1896. The story
OF the assistance rendered 10 he big ocean
greyhound is an interesting commentary
on the efficiency OF the present service
The plight Of the St Paul was almost i'm
who burned his Coston signal and hurried
TO the station with the news. The Long
Branch and Seabrght stations were tee
phoned 20 for assistance, and the keeper
OF the Monmouth Beach station started for
the wreck with his crew ana beach appa-
ratus. At the same time the crew Of the
Long Branch station, which had also dis
covered the wreck. were on the way TO the
ship. AT the first attempt the shot line
was successfully laid across the vessel
and the breeches buoy rugged and sent off
There was no attempt on the part Of those
on board the vessel 10 come ashore and
the breeches buoy Was hauled back and "A
message sent of advising The master not
10 launch his boats. but 10 use the buoy
" any one desired TO land. The keeper re-
ceved a message from the master for
transmission 90 his owners requesting
them 20 send assistance. and the buoy was
kept going with the aid Of the Long
Branch crew, bringing from the vessel tel
egrams and letters from the passengers.
Al the break OF daylight II was seen that
the surf boats would probably be required.
and they we're sent for from the three sta
lions. Capt Mullingan OF the Monmouth