New-York tribune., 1902-09-07
MEN WHO FIGHT THE SEA
UNTLESS AND IHRILLLAT
WORK OF LIFE .SA VERS.
FAMOUS EPISODES IN HISTORY OF THE
SERVICE-NUMBED MEN BROUGHT
ASHORE IN BREECHES BUGhS-

s70 stations in all OF these 1a5 are placed on the
Atlantic and Gulf coasts. IS on the shores OF tl'e
Great Lakes, IS on the Pacific Coast ahG a. lie
Falls of the Ohio. Louisville, Ky
The active season on the Atlantic is, for the
most mart. from August l May 81 on the
Pacific from July ! to June 80, and on the 1'+A.s :.
during the season of navigation. from july %
about the middle OF December The LoulS'lIie "-e'
ere on duty the entire year
NOT AN ENVIABLE LIFE
,r, ,.eo 90 ,bese men whose business il is TO
hsbt distress and death, far from being a poe'lc
and enViable one They do not go into the ''US1ieN
from any promptings OF sentiment hoI "oe' '
continual conflict with the cause them 10 ap-
pear wonderful in their own eyes 1ieS 9"
as a rule extremely modest. ready TO reIaa7 liel'
deeds as matters of course. but neither 1n4Aile '
desiring comments them They come Ii"Li
humble surroundings. and have no cause nor com
planning Of the hardships they must daiV Hlee''
The salaries are small surfmen receiving 800 q
month and keepers ss5- Their time when theE are
on duty almost entirely taken up in training anu
preparation
Life at a little life saving station may appear
romantic enough in book or a summer Inasazlie
article but If visits Fire Island and the Great
South Beach on the coast Of Long lsl'Ano- anu t-s
stations there, deep impression or loneliness "i
Greariness will be received 1t is well thaI tAeiS
must be daily drills, else the tedium might become
dangerous Once every day strenuous 9TH must
be gone through Everything that Is OF use II
reaching and succorng vessel in distress IS maze
a
ection nothing will be overlooked from is
oorance OF left undone from inexperience RestoT-
Ing exhausted and apparently drowned uhIoI'U-
mates Is studied with great diligence. fnllheogeo
ufe saver has trained to the highest degree OF
efhciency, and has the assured knoWIeuSe tIit'
makes hesitation the time of necessity weinl6h
impossible
The slrfmen are on duty from sunset 10 sunrise
Euring the season, and. If the day be ctolay'
throughout the entire twenty-four hours. The
keepers are on duty all day long the year round
Throughout the whole night the entire coast Is
patrolled, a man from each station setting out to
meet the man from the next station half way.
The distance between stations on the Long Island
shore is about five miles. After number cards have
been exchanged, they return TO their respective
stations. On patrol man carries with him a set
Of Costen signals-Hght signals of different coors,
with which he may warn unwary ships OF danger
or send messages to vessels in distress. The men
are also acquainted with the national code signals
And the wigwag system.
THE WRECK OF THE BLACKBIRD-
The barge Blackbird. OF ABS tons burden, two
wears ago. was being towed from Newburg, N Y,
TO Boston, in company with two other barges- She
was rounding Cape Cod one disagreeable morning,
when the breeze freshened TO gale The towline
suddenly parted, and the Blackbrd at once began
to drift. For unaccountable reason the tug
.n charge paid scant attention TO this accident and
went on with its business of towing the remaining
barges The gale in the mean time freshen-
ing. and the Blackbird drifted TO the south. When
within about mile of the shore her crew Of three
dropper anchor.
All this time the keeper and surfmen Of the
Cahoon Hollow Life Saving Station were closely
watching the maneuvres Of the barge and had
everything ready 10 10 the rescue when the time
demanded. The surf was running teTrlhcaiiy hlsh'
a boat could not possibly live in such sea- IL
was deemed advisable by Keeper Cole to remain on
shore till the opportunity for running out
breeches buoy 10 the distressed vessel became pos
eible. But the men the barge made no signal
to the shore. They did nothing, until early in the
afternoon, when they manned their dory and be-
gan to pull for the shore. Such action was ez-
trernely dangerous. The life savers sgnalled TO
wild: they could possibly get through IL Not;
withstanding this ADVICE the paIse men TOY r0sg1 %
safety; they pulled TO the inner breakers. ana IN
Then was the time for the life savers. With
ropes around their bodies two of the crew dashed
men. seized one but missed the others They were
dIagged n Ds tasif "a s 0n te d fb ndtb
1ng daunted absolutely determined TO save the re-
manning uniortunates they once more faced the
waves they sought; dashed to the beach with
my chips. they searched for the drowning men;
three were tugged ashore by the men the rope.
They had saved two OF the barge men; they must
with all their efforts they could not find hin 1t
was thought he had been fatally injured when the
dors capsized-
=. THE WRECK OF THE VIRGINIA
One of the most notable rescues happened in the
ease of the British steamship Virginia, which was
wrecked off Cape Hatteras Nav s. 1860 While
rounding the cape in the midst OF an impenetra-
bic fog the steamer suddenly struck bottom. The
CAPTAIN thinking he merely Of the
numerous Iedges, hoped soon to be washed of
into deep water But the wind and surf arose
the boat was severely pounded the rocks
that if it had escaped from the reef sinking would
have been immediate 50 anchors We're cast on:
the steamer and she fell into three parts boats
Were ordered on al cansiIsd al ON hoard
being cast into the water and drowned Another
Vttenspt was made and proved more successful
capsized and all on board were drowned The
Win no hope of rescue. 1t was growing dark
the fog still continued, tremendous seas were run
ming; their case seemed hopeless For forty-two
hours they clang to the wreck, which was fast
In The last few hours they had, after almost
euperhpman efforts. managed TO make some feeble
signals These attracted the life savers on shore.
Measures were at once taken 10 investigate and to
rescue Although tempest was blowing and
taunted, determined 10 save the distressed men If
* possible. They set out from the cape
fell over the waves, they were pushed back, then
pressed on at lightning speeo, up and down, this
OF water before and around them, progress slow
and hope Of Rescue every minute growing less
consequences. theI eyes fixed on the vanishing
wreck The unfortunates clung the bridge OF
their brave rescuers making their way them
taken of slowed safely in the lifeboats roya6
and sent home in their right mind the few sur
Siyors Of a large crew.
BRAVE WORK OFF vIRGINIA's COAST.
A more dangerous and wonderful life saving worl,
than even this is related of the Dam Neck Mills
Life Saving Station, on the of Virginia II
that. after various troubles along the Goa
the schooner Jennie Hall. bound from Trinidad TO
Baltimore with cargo of asphalt and a crew of
seven men, and sailing in dense fog, struck bot
tom of