Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-25

TTNCLE SANS life-saving stations are
found throughout the country wher-
" ever winds and waves menace ship
ping, whether the water be salt or fresh;
but 1t is on the coast of New Jersey,
along that vast stretch of sand extending
from Sandy Hook to Cape May, that they
are most numerous and most valuable.
About four miles apart, all the way from
the Hook" to the Cape" are these
guardians of the coast located, their
crews always prepared to recue life and
property from the remorseless sea. They
are identical in equipment and operated
under the same system. and Lovelady's
island station, about half way between
Man and Barnegat, the keeper of which is
Captain James r. COX, may be taken as a
type.
when the writer was shown through
No. IS by member of the crew the first
| impression received was the absolute or
der and cleanliness that marked the place.
The kitchen and the dining room, which
are in constant use, are as scrupulously
| clean and bright as the boat room, which
contains all the life-saying apparatus, and
| which, except upon rare occasions, is used
| only two or three days in a week. Indeed
this neatness is a compulsory measure,
| for the inspector visits all the stations at
| irregular and uncertain intervals, and the
| surroundings must at all times be in readi-
ness for the gaze of his critical eye.
| AS we enter the boat room the first OBJ
| ject that meets the eye is the lifeboat,
fully equipped and resting on the wagon,
ready at moments notice to be wheeled
| to the surf by seven strong men. Hang
| ing from the ceiling is the lifecar and the
| breeches buoy, one or the other of which
| is pressed into service when the sea is too
| heavy for a boat, and communication must
| be established with a wreck by means of
| a ball and line fired from a mortar or
| swivel The lifecar, which is capable of
| holding eight persons, is not used as much
as formerly, the breaches buoy being more
efficient from the rapidity with which it
can be handled. On the floor under the
wagon reposes the mortar shining brass
piece, carrying conical shot fourteen or
| fifteen inches long and weighing about
| twenty-four pounds. The hawser is coiled
snugly in the boat, oars, Loaf hooks life
preservers and all the necessary apparatus
is there, each article in the place espe-
cially designed for 1t. Every man of the
crew has a number corresponding to his
oar and life-preserver, and each one has
certain duties to perform when a wreck
Is on the shoals, as well as when the daily
drill is being gone through.
Fifty years ago 1t was thought that a
boat built of metal was safer in a heavy
sea than one buii. of wood. The Francis
metallic lifeboat was in use for a number
of years at the different stations on the
coast This boat was provided with air
chambers at bow and stern, besides an
additional safeguard of cork running the
whole length of her on each side near the
wales. Experience proved, however, that
wooden boat was better adapted to the
business of life-saving. The modern life
boat is built of thoroughly seasoned cedar
and is self-righting when capsized and
self bailing.
Wooden Boats Are Prepared
The improved boat now in use in the
service is a triumph of the inventors art.
The craft is sharp at both bow and stern,
has very pronounced shear, which pre-
vents it front remaining bottom up when
1t is overturned, and in its general model
strongly resembles the whaleboat of many
years ago. The bottom or floor on the
inside is really a water-tight deck, in
which are scuttles to admit free cur
rent of air, and beneath it are the reliev-
ing tubes, side air cases, air chambers
and ballast
The boat almost equals a cork in buoy
ancy, and in addition to this, air cham
bers on the inside and the cork extending
from bow to stern on the outside render
sinking an absolute impossibility; while If
the craft is capsiZed its crooked shape
causes 1t TO right itself almost instantly
On each side are three tubes about six
inches in diameter, extending vertically
from the floor to the outer planking
above the uater-line. These tubes are
furnished with valves, which close auto
matically from the outside. Through these
outlets, when the boat is filled, the water
finds egress very fast, the water being out
of the boat in the case OF capsize, by
the time the men are again aboard. To
add to their safety and security, there
are life-lines on the bottom of the boat
to which the crew can cling In an emer-,
| gency.
For rine months of the year the life
saving men are on duty; monotonous
| existence, it might be thought, but In
| reality a life that has its changes It's
| interest and it's excitement. On the New
Jersey beach there is railroad communi-
cation between most of the stations and
| the mainland and In fine weather the
men can, in turn, visit their nome at
| frequent intervals-for the stations are
for the most part recruited from the vii
lagos a few miles away. In the daytime,
| too. with the exception of one who Is
| always on watch, the individual mem
bers of the crew can leave the station
when other outies do not prevent, and
| engage in various occupations and diver
| Slons, always heePinS Witniii Sie.'oi
| lance Of the house, Besides this the daily
duties required OF the men occupy con-
| siderable portion of their time-indeed 1t
does not require a wreck on the coast to
relieve the monotony at life-saving sta
| ton.
Some Night Work
The night, too, has it work, which
is shared among the crew. The routlne
and the discipline here is as perfect. II
not as severe as that on man-of-war.
Among the rest, Uncle Sam exacts I'M
RENTING vigilance from the men whom
he pays to guard the coast. To this end.
from sunset to sunrise, the beach is pa
trolled by the life-savers, each mar keep
ing a watch of two hours in length.
Clothed from head to foot in oil skins