The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-07-14
ANGELS In OiISkils," Uh]
Offer Their Lives For
Others.
BY JAMES A. EDeERToN.

4
~ sou'westers" and "heroes of
IN the SURF are some of the
pet names applied to the life
saving crews along our coasts, but not
by the crews themselves. They detest
the word ''hero,' as does every rea
man worthy of wearing 1t, and, as for
angels and saints, the life savers may
have a vague notion that there are
such beings, but not among seafarinp
men. To refer to the average sailor
as either an angel or a saint would
strike that worthy as about the most
absurd thing ever. AS well look for
transcendental coal beavers or the
Hod Carriers Association For the Ad
vancement Of Fine Arts.
Nevertheless the life savers are
"angels in oilskins," whether they
want to be or not. That is too good a
phrase to let go. We will not insist on
their being heroes or saints, as the
hero business is rather overdone any,
way, and the saint proposition is rath-
er too purltanical to fit any kind OF
seafaring man. But an angel is diff
ferent. We think of an angel as Il
rather vigorous being who goes about
doing good. That is your life saver all
over again. The name fits him like a
glove, or rather like his oilskins. He
may use language and do other things
that red blooded sailors do, but what
of that? He risks his life for others.
and we are told on the highest au.
thority that greater love has no man
than this. Therefore an "angel in oil.
skins the life saver must and shall be.
The United States life saving serv-
ice consists of 2S1 stations distributed
along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts,
the gulf and the great lakes. At each
station are keeper and u number of
surfmen. The business of these men
is to patrol the coasts, especially at
danger points, and to rescue those i'm
periled by the sea, whether they be
the passengers on wrecked liner or
some venturesome swimmer thar goes
too far.
Along Every Coast.
The PSI life saving stations are
grouped in thirteen districts, as fol
lows: First district, the coasts of
Maine and New Hampshire; Second
district, Massachusetts; Third district,
Rhode Island and Fishers island;
Fourth district. Long Island: Fifth
district, New Jersey; Sixth district,
from Cape Henlopen, Delaware, to
Cape Charles, Maryland; Seventh dis
trict. from Cape Henry, Virginia, to
Cape Fear, North Carolina; Eighth dis.
trict, South Carolina, Georgia and
eastern Florida; Ninth district, gulf
coast; Tenth district, Lakes Erie and
Ontario; Eleventh district Lakes HUI
ron and Superior; Twelfth district,
Lake Michigan; Thirteenth district,
Pacific coast. In addition to these,
there is station at the falls of che
Ohio river at Louisville and another at
Nome, Alaska.
The report of the life saving service
for 1910 is just out. From this we
learn many interesting and thrilling
things. The details of this dry report
are as fascinating as a story by w.
Clark Russell or Laura Jean Libbey.
In perfectly matter of fact manner
it recounts tales of daring, heroism
and adventure that would make Il
wooden Indian quiver with excite
ment.
For the whole year the number of
vessels reported as seriously disabled
or wrecked was ,463. OF these only
seventy-four were lost The number
of persons aboard was 6,661. Only
fifty-three, or less than one In a hun
dred, lost their lives. This Is a re-
markable showing, and much of the
credit is due to the life saving serv-
ice.
Money to Destroy Life, Not Save It.
During the last congress an effort
was made to increase the pay of the
keepers and men; also to pension those
who had grown old in the service.
Strange as 1t may seem, this attempt
failed. Millions were voted for the
construction of new battleships with
which to destroy life, but a mere pit
tance in comparison was refused for
the saving of life, During the months
of June and July of each year the
surfmen are laid off. Only the keen
ers remain at the stations. In effect
the entire coast is unguarded during
these two months. Ostensibly the
men are on vacation. Yet no money
is appropriated to supply their places.
So far as Uncle Sam is concerned,
anybody can drown or any ship can
be wrecked during June or July. Yet
this is the very season when thou
sands of surf bathers and hundreds of
motor and other pleasure craft are in
danger. In some happier era yet to
be, when peace has really come to
abide among men, people will look
back Mt this civilization with surprise
and amusement. They will say that
in our age everybody talked about
a.