The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1912-08-23

NkU accept IIlG Slbflll otbAHi'
v and great dangers OF the
service as were their
forefathers. 1t is still possible to fnd
father and son serving in the same
crew, and there are Long Island lam
HES that can boast of having every
male member coast guard; but
these instances are by no means as
frequent as they used to be- The
surfmen are beginning to doubt the
value Of a service that pays, at most,
a salary of $l,l04 a year, with no pros
pect OF pension or naturalization II
a man dies in the performance of his
duty. Why should man adopt such
life when he can do better and live
safely as fisherman or FISHERMAN, or
combination carpenter and yacht
skipper in the summer months? Why,
indeed?
Along the 10000 miles of coast line
there is no stretch that is so uniform
ly dangerous as the tenuous sand spit
that runs along the south side of Long
Island, projecting 100 miles into the
Atlantic. The Great South beach, 1t
is called, or Fire Island beach; but to
men of the sea it is known as the
Graveyard of the Atlantic because
Of The ships that have broken their
backs on the shifting bars that dot its
length
Since the white man first sailed
these seas, the Great South beach has
taLen its toll. BluT-bowed Dutchmen
out of Rotterdam; Spanish galleons
from Cuba; high-pcoped English
merchantmen that traded TO the loyal
colony Of New York; kings ships and
fishing boats Of the Old days; stout
clippers and ocean liuers-all these
end many more have driven in with
the flying seud. setting their stems
teep I'm the cliDging sand that has so
ge.dom let loose its prey
You find evidences Of them in the
shattered thimbers that line the beach
from Fire island to the Hamptons
and beyond stout spars. sections of
plaukiug. Watersoaked timbers of
many shapes and ages; and offshore,
sometimes one catches a glimpse of a
shattered hull. draped with the green
soaw6ed or a sunken mass Of engines
ana boilers and twisted pipes.
The government long ago recognized
the peculiar dangers OF the Long Is
land shore, with its menace to the
liners that ply between New York and
European ports, and measures to safe
guard II were taken. At intervals Of
five miles along the most dangerous
section, tiny stations are planted.
ThEre are Is of them. each manned
By eight men from the first of August
10 the first of June. Between these
dates all the crews, except captains
or keepers, 20 off duty-without pay.
These are are stations at New York's
door They are also the stations
which do the greatest amount of work
and boar the heaviest responsibility
"a statement that casts no reflection
on the remainder Of the 200 stations.
Some Of the men in these stations
have performed noteworthy deeds of
y3'Or. Rlt the most they have ever re-
Csiyed In recognition has been a few
medals. and in one instance the
thanks of the New York Legislature.
Despite the undoubted hardship of
their work. and the fact that they are
called upon to risk their lives more
often than soldiers or sailors. or even
f-rWeu probably. the government has
art seen fit 10 raise their pay or in
crease the comforts Of their surround
'r1s One wonders how long such an
Unfair and uuwise, inasmuch as It has
already begun TO react by curtailing
Ore supply Of recruits.
o. should De- borne in mind that in
g.. fae history of the life-saying serv-
i.a there has never been an instance
a. Doaaralac mot once. There has
rHy# been q time when a captain
EIt ans difficulty I'm getting his men
tH follow ..U la'3 the sGrf There has
r.e.~ leon time when it was neces-
e Hr .da captain Co repeat an or
t.r and then. men have been
tu Fl. drink ana NEGLECT patrol
#.. N.f even these have never
f themselves t1 De towards.
t perhaps. after aI. that IS the
..r service iH NEST proud Of
t... fr srf Fs q hard ne"
r... .. ...r George Goddard of Lone
. .t.u SOME la. once asked him
.. 5000 stuck I3 DTS iab at sew
. E ~as .e d hard 'itc.' he
.f Hhr o. Thr.yodi