The Life-Boat
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THE LIFE-BOAT, OR JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION. (ISSUED QUABTEBLY.) VOL. X.—No. 108.] MAY IST, 1878. [PBICE Is. THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, was held at Willis's Booms, King Street, St. James's Square, on Tuesday, the 19th day of March, 1878. In the unavoidable absence of His Grace the DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND, Lord Privy Seal, President, the Chair was occupied by THOMAS CHAPMAN, Esq., F.E.S., V.P., Chairman of the Institution. The following Report of the Committee was read by the Secretary:— ANNUAL REPORT. port, fourteen new Life-boats have been placed on our coasts, nine of them at AMIHST wars and rumours of wars, the new stations, and five to replace other Committee of Management of the ROYAL boats. NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION once The following are the stations to which more have the satisfaction to bring to the they have been sent:— notice of its supporters and the Public their Annual Record of the ceaseless war ENGLAND AND WALES. in which it is engaged—a warfare as to YORKSHIRE . Withernsea. the justifiableness of which no difference ESSEX .... Clacton-ou-Sea. KENT .... Eamsgate. of opinion can exist—a war with the fury SUSSEX .... Newhaven. of the elements in the interests of suf- DEVON .... Hope Cove. fering humanity—a war the object of „ .... Yealm Mouth. CARNARVONSHIRE Porthdinllaen. which is not to destroy but to save life. ANGLESEY . Rhoscolyn. In framing that Record, they feel it a first duty to express their grateful thanks SCOTLAND. for the continuous, and even increased WlGTONSHIRE . Port Patrick. pecuniary support which they have re- NAIRNSHIRE Nairn. CAITHNESS . Huna. ceived, and for the unwavering confidence » • Ackergill. reposed in their management of the great ABERDEEN-SHIRK Whitelink Bay. and important work intrusted to them. Newburgh. In appealing for a continuance of that During the year 1877 the Life-boats of support and confidence, they can pro- the Institution saved no less than 848 duce no new and startling incidents to persons, nearly the whole of them under strengthen that appeal, but must be satis- perilous circumstances, when ordinary fied that their claims rest on the firm, boats could not have been employed if commonplace, basis of success. without great risk of life to those on The transactions of the year may be board them. summarised, under the usual heads, as The Committee are happily able to report follows:— that all the invaluable services rendered Life-boats.—Since the last Annual Re- since their last Annual Report have been THE LIFK-BOAT JOURNAL.—VOL. X.—No. 108. 226 ANNUAL KEPOET. [MAY 1, 1878. performed without the loss of a single life vessels, besides 35 ships rescued from amongst the brave crews who manned destruction. them. They regret, however, having to As illustrative of the peril and ex- record that on an occasion of the quar- posure of the Life-boat service, and of terly practice of the Life-boat stationed the daring and skill needed in its per- at Dunbar, it was upset under sail, by formance, scores of cases might be cited carrying an injudicious press of canvas from the records of the Institution. through heavy squalls, on which occasion The services of its Life-boats during two of the crew unfortunately perished. each month of the year may thus be briefly The Life-boats of the Institution now detailed:— number two hundred and sixty-eight. Number 1877. of Life- Vessels Lives boat Saved. Saved. Shipwrecks.—Although its Life-boats launcbes. were happily the means, during the storms of last winter, of saving hundreds January 44 7 152 21 3 88 of persons from various shipwrecks, 18 2 29 yet the loss of life in the same period, 32 2 85 May, June, and July 29 5 59 and particularly during the fearful gales August .... 12 1 31 September 12 1 15 of November and December last, must 16 1 39 have been very great. Nevertheless, it is November 69 11 248 satisfactory to know that the exertions of December 37 2 102 the Life-boatmen on these and other dis- Total. 290 35 848 astrous occasions were most gallant and persevering. Sometimes, after having been out all As in former years, the launches of the night during a furious gale, they would Life-boats unattended with positive re- return home with their living: freight, sults, have been very frequent, and ac- absolutely exhausted, the coxswain of the companied by a large expense to the Life-boat in one instance being, on reach- Institution. Nevertheless, it is no time ing the shore, apparently'dead; and in for hesitation when the ship's signal of another, five of the men were so benumbed distress is either seen or heard; but on with cold and exhaustion that some time the contrary, it is a period when judg- elapsed before they recovered, one man's ment and promptitude are absolutely life being despaired of for several days needed. afterwards. Besides, Life-boatmen can never tell, It is only on the morning after the till they actually reach an apparently gale its disastrous effects can be seen, distressed vessel, that their help is not and then only partially. Last winter required; while in many doubtful cases, our coasts were often strewn for miles failure to act may mean disastrous together with wreckage; and although results. the services of the Life-boats were, in In addition to the efficient services of most instances, instrumental in saving the Life-boats, hundreds of lives are saved the shipwrecked crews, in others they every year by means of the Eocket Ap- had the mortification to find on arriving paratus, belonging to the BOARD OF at the site of the wreck that both crew TKADE, and worked so efficiently by the and ship had disappeared during the fury Coastguard and the Eocket Volunteer of the storm. Brigades. These noble services, as before stated, The number of lives saved during have happily been attended by the saving the fifty-four years from the establish- of 848 lives from various wrecked ment of the Institution, to the end of the MAY 1, 1878.] ANNUAL EEPOET. 227 year 1877, either by its Life-boats or by rewards, is 25,435, as shown in the special exertions for which it has granted annexed table. In the No.ofLives luthe No.ofLives '| Inthe No. of Lives In the Nb.ofLives i In the No.of Lives Year Saved. Year Saved. Year Saved. Year Saved. , Year Saved. J824 124 1835 364 1846 134 1857 374 ' 1868 862 1825 218 1836 . 225 1847 157 1858 427 1869 1,231 1826 175 1837 272 ! 1848 123 1859 499 1870 784 1827 163 1838 456 i 1849 209 1860 455 1871 882 1828 301 1839 279 i 1850 470 1861 424 . 1872 739 1829 463 1840 353 1851 230 1862 574 1873 668 18W 372 1841 128 , 1852 773 1863 714 1874 713 1831 287 1842 276 1853 678 1864 698 , 1875 921 1832 310 1843 236 !i 1854 355 1865 714 1876 600 1833 449 1844 193 1855 406 1866 921 1877 1,048 1834 214 1845 235 !i 1856 473 1867 1,086 ; Total. 25^435 It is impossible to express adequately Coastguard Service, for their continued in words the feelings which well up at valuable co-operation. the contemplation of so many lives having Since the establishment of the Institu- been saved mainly by the efficient means tion, it has expended on Life-boat estab- unceasingly put forth by the Institution ; lishments, and other means for saving and so gratifying a result as the saving life from Shipwreck, on the coasts of the of 25,435 persons from drowning must United Kingdom, upwards of 400,000?., ever stimulate every one engaged in its and has voted 92 Gold Medals, 886 Silver service to put forth the utmost efforts to Medals, and 55,000?. in pecuniary rewards perpetuate and extend the benign work of for saving life from shipwreck. the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION on our coasts. Local Committees. — The Committee have the satisfaction of acknowledging the con- Rewards. — In the Appendix a summary tinued valuable and earnest co-operation is given of the cases in which honorary afforded them by the Local Branch Com- and other rewards have been voted. During' mittees, and their Honorary Secretaries, the past year 10 Silver Medals, 17 Votes which constitute so essential a portion of of Thanks inscribed on vellum, and 4,069?. the machinery for the supervision of the have been granted for saving the lives of Institution's numerous Life-boat establish- 1,048 persons by Life-boats, shore and ments, and the collection of funds for fishing boats, and by other means, on the their support. coasts and outlying sandbanks of the United Kingdom. Much time and careful Finances. — The donations, subscriptions, consideration continue to be devoted by and dividends during the year 1877 the Committee to the granting" of these have been 42,442?. 17s. 6d., of which sum Eewards. Each case is minutely inquired 10,295?. 8s. Id. were special gifts to defray into, in the first instance, through the valu- the cost of the following thirteen Life- able co-operation of the Officers of Coast- boats : — guard and Customs, tire local Honorary £. s. d. Secretaries of the several Branches, or Ackergill — Miss Bower .... 800 0 0 Dartmouth — Mrs. Hargreaves . 900 0 0 other responsible persons ; and afterwards Huna X. T. Z 550 0 0 they are in succession thoroughly con- New Brighton, No. 2 (Tubular)— sidered by the preparatory Committee, Liverpool aud New Brighton previous to their being sanctioned by Branch 550 0 0 Porthdinllaen' — George Moore Life- the General Committee at their monthly meetings.