Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-30


was at that time in charge of the reve-
nue. marine service, and the life-saving
stations coming under that bureau, he
began an investigation to determine their
condition, with view to making the
service efficient.
This investigation showed that the
service wassin miserable state of af-
- fairs, houses in dilap-
The Service idated and filthy con-
Regenerated. ait,on. too too tar aets apar.
or incomplete equipment. The work.
then, of manning the stations with
crews which should be efficient began,
together with the erection of additional
stations and the repair Of the old ones.
The result can almost be said to have
been instantaneous. Efficient crews, who
carried out their work according to rules,
comprising a service which was prop
'er1y. regulated on a systematic basis.
brought desired results-the season of
1S12-73 saw but one life lost within the
fonTaf I'M of the service.
From this point on many important
steps were taken in the service tending
toward it's efficiency. Good management
and successful operations had aroused
y
at large. and appeals from the latter re-
suited in increased aid from the former.
This continued until 1878. when, June Is,
Congress formally established the serv-
ice as it is today. At the end of the year
the service consisted of 14S stations. OF
these 1S were lifeboat stations. 16 on the
lakes and on the Pacific coast. Five
houses of refuge had also been erected
on the coast of Florida. The bill result
ing in the formal organization of the
service infr0dncad NV RpnroSent tive
s. S. Cox, for many years an ardent pro-
moter OF the work.. After some discus
sion regarding minor points the bill was
passed unanimously by both House and
Senate Mr. kimball was Immediately
nominated by the President as general
superintendent of the newly organized
service, and the appointment was unan-
imously confirmed by the Senate.
The United States life-saving service
as result of this bill became a distinct
establishment, W it h
First Definite an d m i n i S trative
Organization. rules for 't the main
tenance of the service. Salaries were
raised. and the duties of each man In
the service absolutely defined, together
with general rules relating to the rescue
of shipwrecked persons. Also, an annual
appropriation was made for its main
tenance, instead of spasmodic appropri-
atoms given at considerable intervals.
Today that represents a considerable
amount. for since the day when Congress
appropriated 5000 for lfe-saving APP
pliances for the lighthouses the service
has advanced to the point where more
than $2.25O,OC0 is required each year to
70 icin arlN
2,3c0 people.
Since 1878 the principal line of work
of the service has been the perfecting
of station equipment and the methods
of rescuing persons from shipwrecked
vessels. While less than fifty new sta
tions have been erected in the last thirty
five years, the standards have been raised,
telephone service has connected prac-
tically the entire chain and the distance
between stations has been decreased as
to note that since the time when surf
men We're first paid salaries. then being
given $500 Year. they are now paid
Sc, a month while actually employed.
The length of time during which the
various stations remain open depends
both upon the location. weather and
coastal conditions, and the amount of
traffic.
An important line OF work is carried
out by the service. This is awarding
medals for saving persons
Awarding from the perils of the sea-
Mill. Congress first passed an act
HouAS' SO providing. in 1874. Gold
and silver medals are awarded gold in
cases of extreme bravery, silver in less
dangerous rescues. 4 medal is given
to any person effecting rescue, where
Suffic.en cause is shown.
Records of reScues as kept by the Serv-
ice are void of that note of human in
terest which would be found had they
been written by an outsider Nevertheless,
any one of them illustrates the heroic
work being done day in and day out by
the crews at the various stations. Pick
ing out one of the reports of rescue
work at random. this is what is found:
August Pat 10 O'Clock at night six
intoxicated men. who had been cruising
about all the evening in the launch Marie
Louise. tried to come ashore in her ten
der. The small boat was not yet clear of
the launch, which they had left unan-
chored when it capsized. Three of the
men managed to regain the launch, while
the others chung to the bottom of the
upturned tender Their plight was i'm
mediately seen by the crew of the City
Point Mass. station, who launched a
power boat and went to their assistance.
Having secured the launch to her moor
ings and picked up the men, the power
boat headed for the shore. On the way
in the intoxicated men became unruly
and proceeded to. attack their rescuers.
They were promptly subdued, however,
and were soon landed