The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1921-12-16
COAST GUARD SALVAGE
NEARLY TWO MILLION
Local District Comprising 81 Stations -Rescues
and Assists GAO Persons, and Otherwise
Proves Itself an InvaIuable Aid.

According to records, ut local
Headquarters, during the II
months ending June, 80, of this.
year, the local Coast Guard Dis
trict:: comprising 81 Stations
manned by 240 men, was: instru-
mental IN saving. or rescui1rg~ the I
lives: of $40 persons, anu assist
ed i'm the, salvagi11g of $f,804,7z1
of property. Assistance was
rendered one. stranded aerop1ane
a1nd balloon was towed to safe
ty. Twenty ships were warned
of their position and thereby
saved from certain disaster and
dozens of starts. were made to
disabled ships which got under
way before. assistance was need
ed.
During this period many ships were
assisted, the value Of which was not
made known. 1t is likely, the figures
run into millions. Much Of the prop
erty saved was on land, and in peril
! of fire, euicksands and other dangers.
| This property included houses, autOmo-
biles,, horses, wagons, etc. At the
same. time many small craft plying in
land waters were assisted, SO the res
cues. Of the Coast Guard applied to ev-
erything from rowboats to- trans-At-
lantic liners and Included practically~eV
exy kind of property subject to physical
danger.
i The Seventh Coast Guard District,
Eheaduuarters of which are located IN
Elizabeth City, stretches from Station
No. 161 at Cape Henry, Van to Sta
tion No. 1872 at Bogue Inlet, Swans
boro: n. c. These Stations are usually
} manned by eight to ten men. The num-
Der has recently been reduced so that
there are only about 240 in the district.
} The pay of these men has been reduced
also.
, Just how the record of the Seventh
District compares with the record OF
the entire Coast Guard service, which
includes 13 districts stretching from
Maine to Mexico and embraces the Pa
cific Coast, Great Lakes and the MIS-
sissippi River, is shown by the report
recently made public by Capt. w. e.
REYNOLDS. Commandant of tie Service
which states that during the 12 months
D ending June 80, 1921, Coast Guard
E Cutters and Stations saved the lives OF
rescued from peril, 1O21 persons,
Assistance was given to vessels car
rying 14,O13 persons, and valued with
their cargoes at $66, ,260, AS, the total
S number of lives saved and vessels as
sisted amounting to 1888. In addition
the service gave miscellaneous assist
ance to persons and ships in $50 IN
stances.
Two hundred and twenty-five Amer
: lean merchant craft of 122,397 tons
: were lost, says the report. Five hun
dred and fifty-five other American yes
sells we're involved in casualties involV
ing damages of $500 or more.
:, Two hundred and thirty-six persons
:, lost their lives in the III casualties
O Seven of the number were passenger!
g and the others members of the ships
v crews. The value of the property los
k was $34, 4,932, OBJ.
= An Efficient Personnel
o The record of the Seventh Coas
e Guard District speaks well for the per
:, sonnel manning these stations, as wei
d as the department heads by whose eff
# forts it is kept above standard. Th'
dangerous coast line of North Carolin'
makes important the selection of com
6 petent men, These are not found in
. land, but on the coast land where th
< biggest, brawniest and bravest type
are culled from the hosts of seamel
e and fishermen who spend their lives OF
the waters.
Hundreds of men from this distric
supplement the crews of Coast Guar
r stations all along the American coas
IS where enough efficient men can not b.
st obtained. 1t is likely that this section
J. furnishes more men for the service
= than any three other districts in tn
o doDortmoT1t