Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-11

the one entertained by the vast
majority of those whose va
cations have taken them into
the neighborhood of a life-saving station.
1t is a one-sided view-the sunny side-of
life that has its full share of hardship
and danger. But when the sterner side
is in evidence the one-time summer WIS.,
itor is in all likelihood sitting over
steam radiator in a city fiat.
II you know what the rollicking crew
actually do to earn their munificent wage.
and why they think Congress should
grant them retirement pay when they be-
come old and decrepit, go with one of
them on the nightly patrol Of the beach
when a gale is on and flood tide drives
him from the strand back in among the
dunes and across marshes as he fights
his way toward the end of his beat. his
face toward the flying sand that cuts the
skin like knife and grinds the globe Of
hts ~lanterne-to the thinness of tissue
paper.
Or, accompany him to the scene Of q
wreck and witness battle royal with
giant seas when he and his comrades
launch their boat to the rescue. See men
and craft flung ruthlessly back on the
beach again and again. See the contest
go on until the enemy's outposts are
overcome and the doomed ship is at
degree
OF skill unknown TO the sailor, they man.
euver TO take of the imperilled ships
crew, see them advance and retreat, now
taking comber at just the right moment
TO render it innocuous, now avoiding one
that would destroy them.
50
Tonight, perhaps these guardians Of
navigation are out on the bleak, rocky
headlands and desolate sand wastes OF
our eastern coast from Maine to Calves
ton, ready with signal light to warn some
lost or incautious vessel of onshore dam
gers, or to carry to some stranded ship
the cheering tidings that her plight has
been discovered and that help will soon
De at hand Here are few examples OF
achievement picked from an enviable
record covering the present season:
The night of December y, 1911, the
1.166-ton schooner Mary Adelaide Ran
dali. en- route from Norfolk. Va, to
New London. Conn. with a cargo of
coal, mistook a light on the shore of
Block island, got off her course and
ran hard aground within the patrol
limits of the Sandy point (Block Island)
ufe-saving station.
There was a fifty emile gale blow
ing at the time. the tide was at flood
and the surf heavy, and the schooner
had no sooner struck bottom. some
beach, than the ponderous seas began
to rake her decks from bow to stern
driving the crew of nine men into the
rigging. The hour was 80 am but
the vessel showed no lights and made
no distress signals that could be heard
above the noises of storm and surf.
Consequently she was not discovered
until dawn. At am. of the 18th the
crews OF three life-saving stations
Sandy point, New Shoreham and Block
Island-were abreast of the wreck with
boat and breeches buoy apparatus.
No time was lost in shooting line
over the schooner. The line, unfortu-
nately. fell beyond the reach of the
sailors. and they were prevented by
the boarding seas from leaving their
position aloft to get it. A second line
was sent out, with no better results,
and third projectile fell short of the
mark ON account of the wind, which
blew directly across the line of firing.
As the men on the wreck were unable
to give those on the shore the assist
ance necessary to set up and operate
the brooches buoy, efforts to establish
communication with them by line were
abandoned.
The life savers had one of their boats
pecially for work in the surf. but the
gale was still at it's height and the big
seas were breaking with thunderous
roar on the beach, and it seemed i'm
possible that boat could be launched.
They knew, however, that no excuse
for failure to effect a rescue short OF
actual defeat after persistent endeavor
would be accepted at headquarters
The boat was therefore run down to
the surf and showed off with a crew
Of six men in command Of Capt. Will
liam Teal. keeper of the Block Island
station. The furious seas nearly over
whelmed them before they could leap
on board and take their positions, ut
once they began work at the oars the
boat shot forward and began to hurdle
the moving foam-crested walls of wa
ter. After a hard struggle they reached
the somewhat less turbulent water
about the wreck. and by careful man.
euvering took Off every one Of the i'm.
periled sailors.
Then came the run for shore, which
required even more finesse on the par,
Of the steersman than the outward
trip for now the boat had to run be-
fore, instead of to meet, the seas. An
error of judgment I'm checking or ac-
celebrating its speed or a misspoken