Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-02-22
Revenue CUTTERS
SAVE THOUSANDS
in Peril At SEA

W ASftl4NI oNs ISEFh1TN- = he
fnited States Revenue Gutter Service
/ the Red Cross OF the Sea broke all
IS previous heroic and humanitarian
ecords during the fiscal year 1912.
thousands ef human lives and hun.
lreds of tempest-tested vessels va.
ued with their carg0es at nearly Sill.
10000 were saved from the perils OF
torm.swept seas by the little cutters
which guard the coaStIine of the
United States in an unbroken line
rom Maine to Texas and from Alas
"a to California, neFyously alert for
he IS. q. s."
The annual report of Captain f. T..
sertholf. commandment CT the service.
lade public today, is a recitation of
thrilling adventures of this army OF
ne Federal government, older than
ne American navy. A total OF go
istressed vessels were assisted dur
lg the year and their burden 2,212
ouls rescued from danger which in
lany cases seemed impending death.
me hundred and six persons were
ctually saved from drowning.
,dians In Distress.
Revenue cutters on the Pacific
7ast, penetrating the frigid waters of
laska, brought back tales of suffer
* among the natives CT the Aleutian
lands. in the groups of poverty and
isease, creating conditions, II is de-
Jared, demanding the attention and
ction of the Federal government.
Vessels, cargoes and derelicts saw
1 by the Revenue Cutter Service dur
lg the year were valued at &c.,
11,74S. Forty-fiye derelicts and 9TH
dangerous distractions to naviga-
on were removed or destroyed.
For every dollar the government
vested in the maintenance OF the
.evenue Cutter Service, says Capt.
lertholf, there has been a return OF
1876 in the form of property saved
rom the perils of the sea, and this in
edition to lives saved and other
beneficial acts performed in the In
erests of mankind To accomplish
his work there have been % cruis-
ug cutters and Is harbor vessels and
aunches actively employed during
he year.
,ear Of Heavy Gales.
The fiscal year 1912, was probably
me of the most trying periods to
hipping of any year during the past
luarter of century. Frequent gales
wept the Atlantic and Gulf coasts,
While, during the winter months. the
unusually low temperatures caused
Teat danger to shipping and actual
suffering To the crews on account OF
he ice conditions. even as far South
8 Chesapeake Bay. These condl-
ions roC,.lfaH IN, olr.nof fnnofar.k oo1Io
or the assistance of revenue cutters
lone were UNDECIDED. In consequence,
he beneficial work of the service, in
II its activities, during the past fiscal
ear, has exceeded that of previous
ears"
Among other unusual incidents,
1apt. Bertholf told of how 'piratical
,ative wreckers" swarmed down up
N the Hamburg-American steamer
'rinz Joachim when. with large par
y of American tourists aboard, in
.luding William ]. Bryah, she strand
d on Atwood Bay, Bahama Islands,
November %, 1911. After the passen-
-ers had been removed, these "pir-
tes," said Capt Bertholf, became in
olert and aggressive and at the re-
tuest of the master of the Prinz
Joachim, the revenue cutter Algon-
uin with guns manned stood guard
yer the steamer and armed her
rev. One of the pirates" struck a
OK included in the steamers cargo,
containing some explosive, and was
,lown into eternity. This scared the
lthers way.
Need New Cutters.
Appropriations for four new rev.
nue. cutters is urgently recommended
ny Capt Bertholf-three to replace
he Woodbury., Manhattan and VIM
ma, all old and unserviceable, and
lne to replace the Perry, lost in the
9ering Sea during the summer of
$40. He declares that the wireless
,pparatus now on all sea-going rev
anue cutters should be replaced by
he most modern mechanism obtain
,ble and constant radio watch
ihould be maintained. The current
appropriation, he points out, permits
,nly two wireless operators on each
cutter and three are necessary for
continuous service.
oueII Two Mutinies.
The functions of the Revenue Cut
ser- Service have grown since its es-
Adjustment in 1790-113 years ago
until today they include variety of
activities ranging from the assist
lnce of vessels in distress and the
OF customs and nayiga-
ion laws to the suppression of mutt
HES Two mutinies were quelled by
the cutters during last year-one on
the Haitien gunboat Ferrier in
Charleston, s. c., harbor, and the 9th
er on the Uruguayan bark Brema in
Mobile Bay.
Smuggling has decreased in re-
cent years, Capt Bertholf declares,
because of the yigilant patrol of the
revenue cutters This armed coast.
guard is a deterrent and without it
would again spring into
existence along the many miles OF
coast line of the United States.
Capt Bertholf asks that Congress
relieve the Revenue Cutter Service
Of the handicap caused by the proyi-
sion of law passed at the last ses-
sion forbidding the appointment OF
additional cadets without the specl- :
IN a,,thority of C'On0r There are