Evening journal., 1898-07-12
PRAISE FOR THE BRAVE.

the burned Clyde steamship Delaware
are both Delawareans, and their many
friends IN this state will read with
pleasure this editorial tribute to cap
tain, officers, crew and life servicemen,
which Is taken from the Philadelphia
Ledger:
The conduct Of the captain and crew
of the Delaware, at the burning OF
their vessel, was beyond praise. Their
heroic and effective efforts to save life
add lustre to the history Of the Ameri-
can merchant marine. Great credit is
also due the keeper and crew of Cedar
Creek station, No 10, for their timely
assistance with the heavy life boat
The very prompt arrival Of the life
boat In response to signals from the
doomed vessel, shows how constantly
alert our coast life saving gdardsmep
are. The captain of the Delaware was
justly profuse in his praise for the
quick work Of Keeper Brinley and his
gallant crew. The public will recog-
nize in the part the life saving service
played at the exciting scene, the thor
ough organization. the discipline and
the promptitude, which rules in one ot
the most important activities OF the
Federal Government. The men who
patrol the shores OF our seas and in
land lakes on the watch for vessels in
distress, are in constant warfare with
the elements and in their difficult
sphere are performing duties that re-
quire the qualities Of the brayest sol
dier or sailor. Like the firemen OF the
cities they are our "every day" heroes
whose exploits should not be mini
mized or forgotten even in the din OF
war. The coast life savers work for
very moderate compensation, which
cannot be considered compensatory for
the extraordinary risks and perils to
which they may be exposed at any
time. 1t is gratifying to record that
the life saving service OF the United
States is more thoroughly organized
and disciplined than that OF any other
country, having in view the great ex-
tent Of our coast line.
From its establishment, twenty
seven years ago, the service has main
tained wonderful record OF timely as
10000 ocean disasters. It is impossible
TO compute how much property and
how many lives have been saved by
the service during this period The
official reports OF its operations declare
that it is impossible TO give even an
approximate estimate OF the lives
saved by the station crews. The num-
Der OF persons brought to shore by
life boats and other life saving appli-
ances furnish no indication OF the total
saved by the coast guard. An unknown
hut large number OF vessels have beer
warned off shore by the signals OF the
patrol, and no report Of the effectiv,
service in this line is accessible. Many
OF the saved passengers and crews o.
ehjpwrecked vessels would have es
capped without the Intervention OF tn,
service; but the aggregate succor af
forded endangered vessels every yea
by the life savers is inestimable. II /
were reducible to dollars, the cost o
the service would be infnitesimal com
pared with the interests whose safet,
is insured The number of lives in
volved, and which were in leopard,
from ocean disasters, from Novembe
/, 1871, to June 80, 1897, was 7,13S. o
these lives only S23 were lost. Yer,
many OF those saved doubtless ow
their rescue to warning signals. O
the number in jeopardy over 1900
were succored at the life saving STA
tlons. During the last government fis
cal year, ending June 30, 1897, ther
were 500 ocean disasters. involving 4
the danger 4,443 persons, passenger
and crews. or this number SO were los
and the vessels totally lost numbere
"a. These figures cover all the vessel
and lives lost on the Atlantic, Pacih,
Lake and Gulf coasts during the yea
Such a small proportion Of loss, rela
lively to the enormous traffic along on
coast lines, indicates how much tn
perils Of the sea have been reduced b
the operation OF various causes. A yer
large factor in the safety OF ocea
travel is to be found in the activit
and alertness Of the crews OF the III
saving stations.