The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-05-10
THE LIFE SAVING SERVICE.


From the Philadelphia Ledger
The history of the Life Saving Service
is an unbroken record of pure heroism,
noble achievements and practical util-
ity. Yet, unit, within the last year or
two there was no branch OF the govern
ment more poorly paid or which was
given less consideration. Happily. much
of the old injustice to the brave men
who devote their lives to the saving Of
human beings and II property is now
record of the past, although there are
yet many things which might be done
for their comfort al d betterment whicn
are neglected II is not every man with
ordinary health and strength who can
enter the Life Saving Service. The po-
sition requires peculiar qualifications.
An applicant must not only pass very
rigid physical and medical eHamina-
tion. but he must also have mad at least
three years experience as surfman,
sailor or bcatman, and possess more
than the usual amount of courage,
strength and physical endurance.
member of the Life Saving Service must
look upon his own life as secondary to
the lives of those he may be called upon
to save and to be rlsked without hesita-
tion in behalf of mperiled property.
ID
The report of the service for 1898 Is
gratifying presentment of the work ac-
exhibited Is a powerful argument for
unstinted financial support by the gov
ernment The year was one of unusual
disaster at sea. there being no less than
767 serious casualties to vessels OF all
classes. 4O2 of which were regularly
documented. This was the greatest
number by more than half a hundred
of any year in the history of the Life
Saving Service. Notwithstanding this,
| the loss of life was considerably less in
| proportion than ever before, and the
| great value OF the service is emphasized
| by the further figures, which show that
! the total value OF the vessels and car
| goes was s7,16S,390 and the number n
! people whose lives were imperiled was
| 3,9S7. or the property. s6,il0,530, or with
| In s757, $50 of the whole, was saved, and
of the people only % lost their lives.
| The greater part of this vast rescue Of
| property was entirely by the Life Saw
| ing Service, although considerable
portion was through salvage companies
working in conjunction with it. The
| Life Saving Service, indeed, does NOT
claim that all lives and property in
! volved in shipwreck end casualties on
water would have been lost without its
| aid; but 1t is an indisputable fact that
| without the heroism and intelligent
| work of the men in that branch of the
government employ the sacrifice Of both
| would have been enormous.
--:o:--
| From November, 1871 until June, 1898,
| there were AS disasters to vessels
valued at Sl13, ,346.275. having cargoes
worth s47S39,14 and over 1000 persons
! on board. The property saved amount
| ed to s125. $50, ,262 and only S45 lives were
| lost, and of this number So were through
| the wreck of the Metropolis, in 1877.
| These are only some of the material
benefits rendered by the Life Saving
| Service There are yet to be added many
for which direct figures and statements
cannot be given, and which are con-
| stantly n part of the work of this val
| liable branch of the government. The
| millions of dollars worth of property
saved and the hundreds of lives pre-
served annually cost the government
| little more than sl,500,000 a year If ii
cost five times as much TO maintain the
service. the money would be well ex-
| pended