Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-11-29
LIFE-SAVTNG SERVICE.
Abstract Of the Report of the General
superintendent.

The following is an abstract of the report
of the general superintendent of the life
saving service:
At the close of the last fiscal year the
establishment embraced 2Gt stations, 1872
being on the Atlantic, % on the lakes u
on the Pacific and l at the falls of the
Ohio, at Louisville, KY. The number of
disasters to documented vessels within the
field Of the operations of the service dur
ing the year was 4G2 There were on board
these vessels BIB persons. of whom l.
were lost. The estimated value Of the YES
sells and cargoes involved was S7,16s, 800.
OF this amount 6,4f0530 was saved and
$757. $50 lost. Six hundred and sixty-three
shipwrecked persons received succor at the
stations
The number of vessels totally lost was -.
In addition to the foregoing there were
during the year 1855 casualties to small
craft. etc, on board Of which there were
SIi persons, of whom 10 were lost; value
of the property involved, $780, of which
S1GI, SO was saved; 56 other persons were
rescued who had fallen from wharves, piers,
etc, the most of whom would have per-
ished but for the aid Of the life saving
crews
The crews saved. and assisted to save
during the year All vessels. valued with
their cargoes at 81. SIS, $50, and rendered as
sistance of minor Importance to 324 other
vessels in distress, besides warning from
danger by the signals of the patrolmen -.lG
vessels.
The number of disasters within The scope
OF the service was much larsar than that
of any previous year. The loss of life was,
however, only - against 53 in tho pre-
cedinS year, when the number of disas-
tiers was much smaller and was less in
proportion to the number of wrecks than
ever heretofore.
The cost of the maintenance of he ser
vice during the year was 81 49, $40 -
winch sum, however, includes S569J2 ex-
pended during June and July from a special
appropriation of $40 900 for the mainten-
ance of l39 stations as coast
The following is a general summary %
the stausticS OF the service from the inn O.
ducton of the present system of 1871 20 the
close of the fiscal wear ending INN "a
1898:
Total number of disasters. 1044S: total
value of vessels, S1I3, 3i6 30; total value OF
cargoes, $4I $50, i49; total value of property
involved, $161, lS5,424; total value OF prop
erty saved, Sl25 $50 162; total value of
property lost, So, 500. 162: total number of
persons involved. SIPS; total number of
lives lost, Si5; total number of persons sue
cored, 1876
The Work of the Year.
Six new stations were completed during
the year, located respectively at Damaris-
cove Island, Me-; Salisbury Beach, Mass
Old Harbor. near Chatham Beach, Mass !;
Isle OF wight, north or ocean City, Md. (;
Lake View Beach, near Port Huron, Mich !;
and Peterson's Point, Grays Harbor,
Wash. With the exception of that at Peter.
sons Point all have been equipped and
manned, and the latter will be shortly put
in commission.
Contracts were also made for the con-
struction of a station at Great Bears Head,
in the town of Hampshire, coast of New
Hampshire, and one at Sandy Point the
north end of Block Island, r. l., both of
which a-e now nearly completed.
The present demands of the service and
the unfitness for further occupancy by rea-
son of age of the stations at Mantoloking
Island, Beach, Ship Bottom, Little Egg
Brigantine, Peck's Beach, Corson Inlet and
Holly Beach, n. j., have made new build
ings necessary at those points, and proper
structures are now in process OF erection
A new station is also being constructed in
place of the antiquated and unsuitable one
on Hog Island (Broadwater). coast of Vir-
ginia.