The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-08-24

struck out for the shore. Seven of them.
after a terrible buffeting, We're thrown
upon the beach more dead than alive jut
the others persisted In the breakers. The
first man to reach land was Victor r.
Erickson. He was well-nigh exhausted,
but being in better condition than his
comrades, he at once started along the
beach in quest of assistance. On his way
he found one of his fellows thrown up
on the beach and entangled In some
wreckage whom he freed and took along
with him.
While these tragic incidents were TAX
ing place the wrecked vessel was in
visible from the shore, and the solitary
man at the Gilberts Bar Station had no
idea OF what had occurred until the ar
rival of Erickson and his shipmate. about
p. NJ. After giving the men stimula nts
and putting them TO bed the keeper went
to the scene of the disaster, and, unmind-
full Of the raging tempest, worked until
dawn, when he had the satisfaction of
knowing that he had saved five lives.
For two days the storm continued In
undated fury, cutting off all communi
cation with the mainland. reducing the
Valentine to a total wreck, and, had
there not been d house of refuge on the
bar in charge of a brave man, some of
those who succeeded in getting ashore
must have persisted for want of succor.
The federal life-saving establishment
may be said really TO date from the year
1871, although 1t was not made bureau
OF the government until several years
later. During the winter of 1901 sew
eral fatal disasters on our coasts aroused
the country to the need Of adequate pro-
lection to shipping and the lives Of sea-
farers exposed to the dangers Of ship
wreck. at that time the life-saying OPP
erations of the government, such as they
were, were under the supervision of the
Revenue Marine (now the Revenue Cut
ter Service). For the work of reorganiza-
ton and improvement the present gen
eral superintendent OF the Life-saving
Sevice was chosen. An appropriation was
secured from Congress, and the work of
creating an adequate life-saving system
was begun. By 1878 the project had at
tanned such Importance that 1t was made
a separate bureau.
The life-saving stations are located with
reference to points of danger to shipping.
On long stretches of sandy beach, such
as Cape Cod, the Long Island and New
Jersey Coasts, the stretches between Del
aware and Chesapeake Bays, and from
Cape Henry TO Cape Hatteras, the sta
tons are located at intervals of about
five miles These coasts are all very dam
gerous, and along them vessels are about
a. liable to strand at one place as at an
other. This entire coast Is patroiled four
times each night. and a patrol is also
maintained during the daytime in thick
weather. The frequency Of the stations
enables this important vigil TO be kept
and also makes practicable the co-opera-
ha%xx - on Rfssr<
sions when to perform effective wreck
duty more men are required than g single
station crew.
On other coasts the stations are not
so numerous. being confined TO isolated
dangerous points. With the exception
OF perhaps n dozen such points on our
coasts. those places Offering a menace
to navigation are now amply protected,
and within few years the coast guard
Of the service will stand watch at every
point where protection is needed.
In addition TO warning vessels of the
coast by Coston light by night and by
other signals by day and responding 10
wrecks the life-sayers aid whenever asked,
aud many mariners have had their craft
relieved from danger by the surfmen.
The latter have in many instances gone