The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-05-19
Our Life Saving Service.
BY RAY H, LINDGREN.

BY RAY H. LINDGREN.
Zone of the many excellent papers in the re-
cent prize essay contest. Mr.. Lindgren is 6
Junior in the Belfast High SCHOOL,
To the Massachusetts, Humane Society
! belongs the honor of having made the
first organized attempt to render aid te
the shipwrecked from the shore, for ir
1907 they placed life boat station at Co
hasset. There was, however, no regular
| crew, the boat being manned by volun,
teers. In 1845 the government appro-
priated $4,000 for the establishment of
stations along the coasts of Long Island
and New Jersey. These were poorly
equipped, however, and all the work had
to be done by volunteers without pay
The numerous and disastrous wrecks
aroused the public, and on April 20, 1871,
an act was passed giving the Secretary
of the Treasury authority to establish
additional stations on the coasts of Long
Island and New Jersey and to employ
crews of experienced surfmen for such
stations and for such periods as he might
deem necessary, at compensation not
to exceed $40. per month Since that
time the Service has been extended over
all the coasts of the United States, and
to-day we have the only Life Saving
Service in the world maintained wholly
by the government, with the exception
OF few stations maintained by the Dan
ish and Belgian governments. Up to the
end of last June there had been 10, 7S7
disasters since the inception If the Ser
vice in 1871. In these disasters $751;
l52, 5S9 worth of property had been saved
as against $50, 217, S57 worth lost, and of
the 136, 295 people involved, only 1924
had been lost. To the %, 1873 people,
who had been succored at the station,
81, 1863 days of succor had been given.
The cost of this great Service during
the year 1909 was only S2,2l5, 035. SO.
The Service is under the control of the
Secretary of the Treasury and under the
direct charge of general superintend-
ent. Of the 281 stations which we had
last June, POI were on the Atlantic and
Gulf coasts, 60, on the Great Lakes, 10
on the Pacific coast, and l at the falls of
the Ohio river at Louisville, KY. The
stations are divided into 10 districts, 8 of
which are on the Atlantic coast: | on
the Gulf, ! on the Pacific, and 8 on the
Great Lakes, one of the latter including
the station at Louisville Each district
is In charge of district superintendent,
promoted from the ranks of the keepers.
Its his duty to conduct the general affairs
OF the stations under his charge, paw off
the men, and see that the regulations
governing the drills and discipline are
fulfilled. Inspectors are obtained from
the officers of the Revenue Cutter Ser
vice. 1t is their duty to inspect the sta
lions periodically, drill the crews, and
perform whatever service may be assign
ed to them by the general superintend-
ent. Each station is in charge of a
keeper, who is responsible for it and who
is in command of the crew. District
superintendent and keepers are, under
the law, customs inspectors and take
care of any dutiable property wrecked
within their jurisdiction. Each crew is
made up of from six to eight surfmen,
and those on the Atlantic coast are usu-
ally reinforced by an extra man during
the winter months. A surfman must be
a citizen of the United States, be be-
tween the ages of eighteen and forty
when originally enlisted, be able to read
and write the English language and be
physically sound, good swimmer, and
experienced in the management of boats.
Appointments are made on examination
and certifcation by the Civil Service
Commissioners.
The keepers are paid 5000 per year and
are obliged to remain at their station the
whole year. The surfmen are paid S65
per month. Those on the Atlantic and
Gulf coasts are given a vacation without
pay during the months of June and July.
Those on the Pacific coast and at Louis
vile are on duty all the year, while those
on the Lakes are on duty during the in
terval between the opening and closing
of navigation. In case of wrecks mem
bers Of crews off duty are required to
respond promptly to any call for assis-
lance that may reach them and are paid
for such services. Members of crews,
including keepers, who become disabled
IN the performance Of their duty may be
continued on the pay rolls of the Service
during the continuance Of their disability,
not to exceed one year, except in the
most meritorious cases, and no longer
than two years in any case. In case Of
their death from any cause due to the
service their widows and children under
sixteen are entitled to receive for two
years, in equal portions, the same pay
that their husbands or fathers would
have received had they been living.
The stations are, for the most part,
| plain, unattractive buildings, solely for