The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1911-09-02
.L|FE'SAYERS HEAD,
SUMNER ]. K|MBALL,
IS SEVENTY-SEVEN
Has Been Superintendent
of Service Since Its
Inception.

Looking a score of years younger,
hale and hearty. Sumner L Kimball,
who has been superintendent of the
| United States Life-Saving Service
since its creation, over twenty years
ago. today is celebrating his seventy
seventh birthday anniversary. En-
thusiastic over sports, ready TO talk
| baseball lore or tell of a swimming
match, 1t Is not until Mr.. Kimball
grows reminiscent, and begins to tell
| Of events occurring before persons
who now call themselves old, were
born, that one realizes that he u not
man Of perhaps hfty-f1ve or sixty.
as his appearance indicates.
Mr.. Kimball Is reticent in talking
of himself. For long time he be-
guiles his hearer with anecdotes of
baseball, with stories Of games play
ed before the catcher's NIT was used,
and when the man behind the bat
stood way back and caught 'em on
first bounce.
! Mr. Kinball ives president Of the old
"Olympfcs." an amateur club formed
| when many citizens of Washington
who are now grandfathers were Just
kids" He related with great glee that
the 'Oiympics" in winning streak
defeated the "Potomacs," the "Jeffer-
sons" the Unions" and at last the
Nationals" then an amateur club like
the rest.
Born in Lebanon. Me-, September 2,
1884, Mr.. Kimball was educated in the
schools Of his county. He laid the
foundation for his strong constitution
by work on a Maine farm. He re-
ceived his college education at Bow
doin College.
When but seventeen years old he
taught school one winter on the tip of
Cape Cod, Mass. The winter was q
foul one, and while in the tiny school
house. with the dreary ocean ever be-
fore him. Mr.. Kimball first saw the
danger of the unprotected ships and
the need of a nfe-saving service. With
in space Of sixteen miles on the cape
shore that winter there were thirty
| two vessels wrecked. He often was one
| Of the volunteers who tried to rescue
| the imperiled sailors, using the old
fashioned fishing boats kept in the rude
shelters. In 1859 he was admitted to
| theS bar, and the next yean was elected
| to the Maine Legislature.
Work In Washington.
With the demand for additional help
| in the governmental departments at the
beginning Of the civil war, he came to
" Washington in 1861 For some time he
worked in the second auditors office.
BY 1871 he was chief clerk in that de-
partment. At that time the Secretary
of the 1reasury offered him the super
intendency of the system Of revenue
| cutters Just then established. The first
life-saving stations under Mr.. KimbaIrs
charge were established on the Long
| Island and Jersey shores
| When the present life-saying service
4 was started there were but few shan
ties. undermined by shiftless crew,
who were poorly equipped to fight the
| elements. 1t was the ambition of the
new superintendent to make his de-
partment as well organized. as prompt
and efficient, as a body Of troops; to
establish suitable stations. and to re-
move politics from the service, making
were employed. Today there are PSI
life-saving stations, covering the danger
Gus points on all the ocean and lake
coasts Of the United States. The valor
and zeal of the surfan is a known and
tried quality.
Value of Life Service.
The annual report of the Life-Saving
Service for 1910 shows that during the
year a total Of 1,463 vessels met with &C
cident or disaster within the field of
operation of the life-saving crews. The
valuation Of the vessels and cargoes
thus endangered is estimated at $1,000
600. Less than one-sixth OF this amount
was lost. Only fifty of the 6.sS1 per-
sons aboard these Inflated vessels wers
lost, and even this, the report states,
is an unusual a large number of fata!l-
ties compared with other years. In the
service there are over $500 trained, uni
formed men, who, under semi military
discipline, protect nearly 10000 miles Of
| coast.
Mr. Kimball as superintendent of the
Life-Saving Service has worked untir-
lingly to perfect 1t, and il Is universally
admitted that to him, more than to any
other one man, does the system owe
its present efficiency.