The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-10-04
Members of Life Saving Ser
vice Doing Excellent Work
In Projecting Persons and
Property From Flames.
Millions ofDollars' Worth Of
Unprotected Property An
nualIy Saved by These
Unassuming Heroes.

In letter to the Life Saving Service.
J. Edward Cole. president Of the Chess-
peake Transit Company of Norfolk, Va,
expresses in the warmest terms his
thanks to the service for saving the
lives OF the members of his family at
recent fire which destroyed Mr.. Coles
cottage on Cape Henry Beach. Had it
not been for the efforts of Surfman
Barnes and another surfman. Mr.. Cole
says. the family would undoubtedly have
persisted.
The letter Of Mr.. Cole has called at
tention to the fact that the Life Saving
Service Is doing an important work in
the way of fighting fire, as well as in
the saving OF lives from the waters of
the Great Lakes and the ocean. The re
ports OF the Life Saving Service TEEN
with accounts of effective work in the
fighting OF flames. In many cases valu-
able properties are saved by the efforts
of the members of this service.
In the fiscal year recently closed, the
Life Saving Service took part in extin-
gushing no less than thirty-four fires;
in 1902. twenty-six, and In 1901.
twenty-fouT. In many cases these
fires were first discovered by
surfmen. In many, too. the surfmen
themselves fought the flames and ex-
tinguished them.
Equipped as Fire-Fighters.
The life saving crews find it possible
TO do this work efficiently as the sta
tions are equipped with force pumps.
chemical apparatus. hose and the like
for the purpose Of protecting the sta
tions themselves, and also because the
men at the stations are thoroughly well
trained in fire drill.
One OF the most notable cases of eff
hcient work by the Life Saving Ser
vice men was that at Ocean City, Nd,
April IL. 1901. The work the surfmen
did at that time undoubtedly saved the
town from complete destruction. The
Life Saving Service came in for the
warmest thanks from the owners OF a
large hotel. which was saved. and more
than that, the city council adopted q
resolution OF thanks. which was trans
mitted by the mayor to the Life Saving
Service. In this letter. the service was
given the credit for saving the town.
About year ago, the men stationed
at Fort Niagara station, near the mouth
OF Niagara River, discovered a fire In a
laundry on the opposite side They hur-
riedly rowed across to the Canadian
Chnra
spreading to the Queens Hotel, near at
hand. But for their work. this valuable
building would have gone up in smoke.
Battled With Forest Fires.
Last spring. the crew stationed at Ra-
cine. Wis. discovered a fire in a large
warehouse. filed with valuable mer-
chandise. They were able to save It
from destruction. Some of the most re-
markable work in the way OF nre-fghting
was done about a year ago at Ilwaco
Beach. Wash. at the time the heavy for
est fires were raging in that region.
Property In the vicinity was repeatedly
saved by the life savers. and on one oc-
casloD- they were busy for Ave days in
opposing the forest fires, saving not only
the Ilwaco Beach station, but also many
cottages In the vicinity.
Captain Kimball, OF the Life Saving
Service. In speaking OF the work of the
men at the different stations in discov-
ering and putting out fires. said this was
branch Of the work OF the service con-
corning which little was known 1t is
generally supposed the sole duty OF the
crews Is to prevent loss OF life in ship
wrecks, and TO rescue distressed mari
ners- As matter OF fact. the Life Saw
ing Service. performs an almost equally
valuable duty IN looking after fires. Much
otnerwise unprotected property, running
INTO millions OF dollars worth annual
4y' Is thus saved for it's owners.