Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-11-15
CUTTERS SOON TO ]
BEGIN WINTER =
GUARD OF COAST

=
winter vigil of the North Atlantic
will begin a fortnight hence. The
commanders Of three coast guard
cutters have received their orders
and are making final preparations
for the exacting duties during the
four months beginning on Dec. I.
They are ready and anxious to main
tain the traditions Of the service
which over a period Of many years
has saved hundreds Of lives and
scores of vessels through its prompt
response to calls for help from dis
tressed shipping.
The cutters Ossipee with head
quarters at Portland, Tampa at Bos-
ton and Acushnet at Woods Hole
will do the winters work. Their
eastern limits of Maine to the
Thames river, Connecticut, including
Block Island, r. l., and Fishers Is.
land, N. Y. The Ossipee will cover
the coastline from PASSPORT to Bos-;
ton,, the Tampa, based at Province
town as a working center, will work
from Portsmouth, N. H, to New Lon--e
don, Conn, by way Of the Nantucket
light vessel and the Acushnet's dis
trict will comprise Nantucket and
Vineyard Sounds and adjacent wat
ers, Buzzard's Bay, Block Island and
Fishers Island and westward to the
mouth of the Thames. a--,s.
Captain Uberroth, commander OF
the eastern division Of the coast
guard in his orders to the command
ers Of the three cutters, tells them
that their duty is ito cruise upon the
coast in the season Of severe weather
and to afford such aid to distressed
naVigators as their circumstances
| may require"
upon reliable information that
vessels within your cruising area are
in need Of assistance that you can
render" he instructed them, pro-
coed at once with your command to
the locality where the services of the
| cutter may be needed and radio your
| movements to this office. The sue
cessful accomplishment Of the OBJ
jects herein indicated will require
on your part constant and energetic
| direction and you are given full lati-
tude to respond in all cases where
you may be useful in aiding dis
tressed mariners or otherwise in the
performance of your duties. 1t is ex-
pecter you will devote your time and
best energies to the faithful dis
! charge of your obligations as i'm
F.! posed by law and regulations and
| that you will leave no effort untried
to make for your command an en-
! viable record"
1t is no light task that the coast
guard cutters commanders and
crews have ahead of them. Storms
keep the waters off the New England
coast in constant turmoil during the
winter months. Eevery one OF the
! innumerable harbors and channels
along the indented coastiine has its
! jutting headlands or treacherous
| rocky shoals or sitting sand bars. A.
bowling gale and mountainous seas
| drive a vessel aground or start its
seams or disable it's steering gear: q
| ship is torn from it's anchorage or
it's masts fall by the board or the
waves sweep its decks and flood its
holds. Then the call for the coast
| guard cutter. 1
If lives and ships are to be saved
| the response must be instant. Shore
leave is closely restricted. The cutter,
kept in the highest state of efficiency
and with plenty of fuel. food and
water aboard, must be ready to put
| to sea at a moments notice regard
less of the severity of the weather.
Once at the scene of the disaster the
crew. constantly drilled in the use of
boats and oars. must be prepared to
bridge the distance between the cut
ter and the distressed vessel at i'm
minent risk of life and limb. 1t there
| is a chance of saving the vessel, lines
must be carried or shot aboard and
| the cutter must try to tow her to
| the nearest port. The radio operator
must be always on the alert to re-
ceive IS. .. S." signals and to COM
municate the details fthe cutters
| movement to division headquarters.
Each cutter must cover its district
once each month. That its work may
| not be confined to rescue duty is in
Dictated by this paragraph in Captain
Uberroth's instructions: ...,
You will be careful to enforce the
customs and navigation laws throug-
| out your cruising district by causing
! vessels fallen in with to be boarded
and examined. You will confer with
all chief officers of the customs at
such ports as you may visit, with q
view to the correction of attractions
oil law" s-9
The division commander knows his
| men. Most of them have undertaken
this exacting service year after year.
They can be relied upon. AS for the
commanders of. the cutters, they are
fearless and experienced navigatorS
and know how to handle their own
ships and crews and how to deal
| with captains and crews of vessels
to which they render aid. The de-
tails of their winter tour outlined.
Captain Uberroth leaves the rest to
them with this final word:
Having duly prepared your COM
mand for the duties contemplated by
these instructions the cruising cut
ters of the eastern divisions are d.
rected to take station"
-resi