The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-05-19

Dy telephone, anu u thos 10 HoI
possible they are joined to the neRr-
est telephone or telegraph line. This is
OF great assistance in calling for aid if
several vessels 90 ashore at one place
and often saves the lives of many people
who would otherwise be lost. Two of
the stations, that at Louisville and one in
Boston -harbor, are house boats, and an
other is an ocean going tug, the "Suo-
homish, " stationed at the entrance to Pu-'
get Sound near the Straits of Juan de
Fuca. This vessel has on board full
assortment Of the latest apparatus and
Is very successful The Service also
maintains several houses of refuge in
Florida. which are well stocked with pro-
visions and clothing, for on the shallow,
sandy shores of Florida starvation is the
tate most to be feared by shipwrecked
people.
Every station has one or more boats,
the type depending on its location. There
are two general types of boats in use,
the surf-boat and the life-boat. The
cedar surf-boat, from twenty-five to-
twenty-seven feet in length and propelled
by from five to eight oars, is made I'M
sinkable by means of air chambers and
will carry from nine to twelve persons
besides the crew This type is very use
full on shallow, sandy shores, and its
behavior is almost miraculous when in
competent hands, Some of the life-boats
are patterned after heEnglish life boats,
while others are of the Beebe- Mcclellan
non-sinkable, self bailing and self-right.
ing design. Many of these boats are now
propelled by gasolene engines and save
the crews many weary pull and much
valuable time. The Lyle gun is small,
bronze smooth bore, weighing, with its
carriage, 1S5 pounds. 1t fl res an eighteen
pound elongated projectile, which pro-
jects far enough from the muzzle of the
gun to allow rope to be fastened to it
by means of bolt When the gun is
fired the weight of the rope causes the
shot to turn end for end and then it
shoots forward carrying the line after it.
The line is previously "faked' to pre-
vent its tangling. This gun has a range
OF from 400 to 700 yards under favorable
conditions. The breeches bouy consists
OF ring about seven and one half feet
in circumference, to which is attached
pair OF stout cloth breeches The bouy
is suspended from hawser stretched
overhead and is pulled back and forth
from the ship. The life car is covered
metal car built in the shape of boat and
about ten feet long. 1t is used in the
same way as the breaches bouy and is
used to carry sick people or when there
is great need of haste. At some of the
stations are powerful lines carrying rock
cts having range of about 1000 yards.
These are seldom used, however. Be-
sides these there is much minor appa-
ratus, such as ropes, lanterns, and so
forth, and the carts for the boats and
beach apparatus. The men are drilled
weekly, weather permitting, in the use
of this apparatus and become very pro-
fcient.
During the daytime watch is kept in
the lookout and after dark the shore is
patrolled by the surfmen, the men going
half way to the next station in each d.
rection and exchanging checks with the
men they meet. Hundreds of vessels
are warned off the shoals each year by
the vigilant patrols firing their Coston
signals, IA bright red light, something
like roman candle.) The same thing is
done if wreck is discovered, the signal
showing the people on board that their
position is known. The patrol then has
tens to the station and the crew set out
for the scene with whatever apparatus
the keeper directs. The boats are used
whenever possible but if it is not, the
keeper fires the Lyle gnn. If the shot is
successful the men or board haul out, by
means OF the shot line, an endless rope
rove through a tail-block, called the
whip-line. A wooden tablet is attached
to this, bearing printed instructions,
in both English and French for handling
the apparatus. If the shot is not sue
cessful the line is hauled back and he
tries again. The tail-block is made fast
to the lower mast and the crew send out
three inch hawser which is made fast
to the mast about two feet above the
tail-block. The surfmen then pass the
hawser over wooden crotch about ten
feet high and set it taut by means of a
stout tackle attached to a sand anchor.
consisting of two pieces of timber bolted
together and buried in the sand. The
breeches buoy block is then snapped up
on the hawser and the buoy is hauled to
and from the ship by means Of the whip
line. In the drills the rescue is usually
made in about five minutes, although it
has been made in two and one-half minu-
ties without error. Such time as this is,
of course, impossible upon a wreck on ac-
count of the unfavorable elements.