THE LIFE-BOAT. The Journal of the Royal National Life-Boat Institution.

VOL. XXV.—No. 280.] DECEMBER, 1923. Qd.

Notes and News. By GEORGE F. SHEE, M.A., Secretary of the Institution. Tms present number of The Life-Boat, largely but not entirely. There still the 280th, is the last but one which will are many " imperfectly informed, and be published in the first century of the supinely indifferent." So long as there Institution's history. When the text are such, and so long as the Institution appears, in February, 1924, we shall be fails to raise each year sufficient to main- on the threshold of our second century. tain the Service for the year, that re- March 4th will be the hundredth anniver- proach will remain. Our hope is that, sary of the founding of the Institution. before we have gone far in our second Match 1st will be the seventy-first birth- century, it will have been entirely day of The Life-Boat. For the seventy- removed. one years its aim has been, in the words of its first editor, " to advance the great The Institution and Ship Owner*. cause we advocate, namely, the improve- In the last issue of The Life-Boat, in ment of life-boats, their management, the article entitled " The Institution and and all other means for the preservation Ship Owners," appeared a list of the of life from shipwreck." launches of Life-boats to ships during the * * * * first four months of this year, together I should like to quote also, the very with the names of the vessels, and the first words of its first number : owners, and the amount of the owner's " If there be one subject more than subscription, if any, to the Institution. another that might be expected to Among these ships was the s.s. Dunmail, command the attention and sympathy of Newcastle, some of whose crew in a, of a maritime country like Great Britain, small boat were helped on 21st April, \>j it surely must be the safety and welfare the Barry Life-boat, and it was stated of those of her sons ' whose business is that the owners, Messrs. Sharp & Co., in the great waters,' and yet how im- of Newcastle, were not subscribers to the perfectly informed, how supinely in- Institution. While this statement is different is the great bulk of our correct, I am very glad to be able to say, population, as to the causes, the pre- that since the appearance of that article, vention, or the mitigation of the heroes the Barry Honorary Secretary has of shipwreck.' " informed me that, after this service, * * * * Messrs. Sharp sent a special contribution Those words were written at a time of five guineas to the funds of the Barry when the Institution, re-organised by Branch, while the Captain of the Dunmail the vigorous efforts of the fifth Duke of sent " a most appreciative letter " to the Northumberland, was just beginning to Coxswain and Crew of the Life-boat, and recover after a period during which a sum of money to be distributed among them. public apathy had allowed its revenue * * . * * to fall to less than £400, and the great majority of its Life-boats to become un- The article was quoted in a number seaworthy. The bitter and deserved of newspapers, and the Journal of reproach in those words has, in the inter- Commerce, of Liverpool, one of the lead- vening years, been largely removed— ing shipping papers in the Kingdom, and 82 THE LIFE-BOAT. [DECEMBER, 1923. a paper which has always shown its boat took place in connexion with the readiness to put the claims of the Day, which had been organised by Mr. Institution before the public, complained G. 0. Cubitfc, who provides the horses for with some bitterness of " these attacks," launching. On this occasion not only did suggested that " a direct personal appeal he provide the horses without any charge, to the shipowners as a body for increased but the Crew and helpers gave their support would be the better way," and services. These two generous gifts of gave it as its opinion that " shipowners service were the equivalent of over £15. do, as a matter of fact, support the * * * * Life-boat Institution, as well as any In addition we have had several gifts other section of the community." of money from Crews. On 6th December * * * * of last year, the Spurn Life-Boat rescued The Journal of Commerce also pub- the crew of five of the schooner Hosanna, lished two letters expressing surprise at of Thurso, and then put out again, and the Institution's charges against ship- saved'the vessel also. For saving the owners, and asking what data there vessel, the Life-Boat Crew were awarded were to support them, and quoted " a salvage, and from his share of this a-ward, well-known shipowner " as saying that Coxswain Robert Cross has sent to the the Institution's Secretary " needed a Institution a donation of £2 5s. Qd. good shaking." * * * * * * * * On 12th April, of this year, tie A full reply was sent to these criticisms, Cresswell Life-boat helped to refloat but, as readers of The Life-Boot are the Norwegian steamer Kamfjord, of already familiar with the facts, it need Christiania, and on 16th April, the not be quoted in full here. It pointed Lowestoft Boat helped to refloat the out that " direct personal appeals " hadDutch steam trawler Burgemeester Rip- been, and were continually being, made ping, of Maassluis, which had also to shipowners. It gave figures to show stranded. Out of the salvage awarded that in fact, they did not " support the for these two services, the Crews have Institution as well as any other section made donations of £10 and £2 respec- of the community," and it called atten- tively, to the Institution's funds. tion to the fact that the statements made * * * * in The Life-Boot had been supported by On 19th July last the smack Hepatica, three pages of figures and dates. In con- of Lowestoft, went aground on the clusion, the " well-known shipowner," Hasborough Sands, and was got afloat or any one else concerned, was gently again with the help of the Cromer invited to " shake" the Institution's Motor Life-boat. Out of the salvage facts if he could. awarded them for this service the crew * * * * tiave presented £1 16s. 4d. to the That letter was published by the Institution. Journal of Commerce, on 1st August. * * * * So far no attempt has been made to I regret that in the last issue of The shake either the facts or the Secretary. Life-Boat the gift which the Claeton-oB-* * * * * Sea Crew made to the Institution, out of At the same time it is a pleasure to money received for the salvage of the be able to record that when, at the barge Decima, was given as £3. It beginning of November, the Donaghadee should have been £5. The date of the Life-boat performed a fine service to the service was 20th January last. 8.8. Castle Ireland, of Belfast, rescuing * * * * nine lives, the owners, Messrs. John On 4th August, 1922, the Porthoustock Kelly, Ltd., presented £50 to the Crew. Life-boat crew saved the s.s. Dolphin, of Manchester, and her crew of eight. Gifts from Crews. The vessel had struck the Manacles The Life-Boat Day at Palling (Norfolk) Rocks during thick weather and was was held early in August, and raised a piloted by one of the Life-boat crew into sum of over £25. A launch of the Life- Falmouth Harbour, accompanied by the DECEMBER, 1923.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 83 Life-boat. Out of the salvage awarded At 7 in the morning of 30th August the Life-boat Crew have sent a donation the St. Abbs Life-boat was called out to the Institution, of £8 16s. 6d. to the help of a vessel showing signals of distress two and a half miles to the Practical Gratitude. north-east. A gale was blowing, with a " From the calamity of shipwreck no heavy sea and driving rain. At first the one can say that he may at all times vessel could not be found, and the Life- remain free, and whilst he is now pro- boat returned to St. Abbs Head Signal viding only for the safety of others, a Station, and learnt that she was now day may come which will render the far to the southward, off Eyemouth. cause his own." Every now and then When the Life-boat reached her she was that truth is strikingly illustrated by in a sinking condition, with no sign of events. Here is one such illustration. life on board, and ten minutes later she On 27th August five friends put out foundered. A life-buoy was picked up from Porthdinllaen in a small boat to marked " East Neuk, Aberdeen," and it enjoy some fishing. They were caught was afterwards learnt that her crew had in a sudden squall. One of their oars been saved by the Eyemouth Life-boat. was put out of action, and they were left Among the men who answered the helpless at the mercy of heavy seas. The signal of distress, and went out in the news of their danger was brought ashore Boat, was a visitor on holiday at St. by another boat, and the Porthdinllaen Abbs, Captain Robert Gibson, who was Life-boat at once put out, and rescued in command of the s.s. Hopelyn, of all on board, but she arrived only just Newcastle, when she was wrecked on in time, for the boat was already almost the Scroby Sands on 19th October of filled with water and in imminent last' year, and who had himself been danger of being swamped. In acknow- saved, with all his crew, after that stern ledgment of this service the following and heroic struggle, lasting thirty-six letter was sent by the five rescued men hours, for which the Coxswains at to the Honorary Secretary at Porth- Gorleston and Lowestoft won their Gold dinllaen :— Medals. " We, the undersigned, wish to ex- press our profound appreciation to Life-boat Service Boards in Churches. Coxswain Owen Evans, Ms Crew, and all In the last issue of The Life-Boat I others who were in any way instru- called attention to the fact that the mental in coming to our help in Morfa Service Boards of the Life-boat Station, Nevin Bay. on the 27th of August. We at Pakefield, Suffolk, which is now are convinced that we owe our lives to closed, were to be hung in the parish the magnificent way in which assistance church, and that there would be a was given, and have pleasure in forward- special service when they were unveiled. ing herewith twenty-five pounds (£25) I am very glad to see that the idea has towards the funds of the Institution. been taken up elsewhere, and a corre- Again tendering our heartfelt thanks." spondent of the Liverpool Daily Post * * * * and Mercury, in its issue of 24th July, Nor was that all. The day after the writes : " The Mersey Life-boats have rescue one of the five called on the many fine achievements to their credit, Institution's Organizing Secretary in and it might be worth considering Manchester to express his gratitude. He whether one of the Wallasey churches, added, " Like many others, I have been say St. Nicholas's, as being nearest the ' bored stiff' by Life-boat and other sea, could not in this way show honour flag days, but I want to take this oppor- to the Mersey Life-boat men." tunity of saying that anything which I A Children's Life-boat Bazaar. can do at any time for the Institution will be regarded as a privilege." On several occasions, in these notes, I have written about the spontaneous help The Rescued to the Rescue. which children have given to the Here is another fine example of Institution—by collecting, by making practical gratitude :— things and selling them on its behalf, 84 THE LIFE-BOAT. [DECEMBER, 1923. by appeals at the seaside with sand Rear-Admiral Reynolds, Commandant models, and so forth. But I do not of the U.S. Coast Guard, has kindly think that I have ever had before the written for us on the Life-saving pleasure of announcing that a Children's Service of the United States. It is an Life-boat Bazaar had been held. It article which should be read -with was the idea of three little girls at special interest by all who are connected Bideford, and was held in September. with our own Life-boat Service, tecause They collected toys, sent out invitations of the radical differences between the to tea and the bazaar, and by the sale two, although no one will read the of the toys made over 19s. The bazaar graphic accounts of actual rescues, was entirely their own idea. They which come at the end of the article, arranged it themselves, and only children without at once recognizing the kinship were invited to it. From beginning to in courage, endurance and fine seaman- end it was a children's Life-boat effort. ship, between the two Services. The only " grown-up " contribution to • * * * * it was a lecture which the Honorary We have now reviewed in The Life- Secretary of the Appledoie Branch had Boat nearly all the Life-boat Services given at the girls' school. It was the of the world—the French, the German— interest thus raised by this lecture in its activities during and since the war which first set these three thinking that •—the Dutch, the Spanish, the Nor- h y might do something to help the wegian, the Danish, and DOW the Life-boats. Service of the United States. There At the Play. still remain—and they will be dealt From " At Mrs. Beam's " : with in the next two issues of The Mrs. BEAM : Why, I had some change Life-Boat—the Swedish and Portuguese ' of his, three farthings it was. He seems Services. There is also a Service, to have forgotten all about it. However, though, I believe, not very fat deve- I'll put it in the Life-boat box. loped, in Japan, but my letter asking * * * * for particulars of it would be still on The following are fragments of talk the way when the earthquake destroyed picked up by our Collectors during a Tokyo! Of the present position of the collection at a London theatre. Russian Service we have no information, " Life-boat! Great Scott, I've been although, two years ago, the Soviet wrecked twice ! " And he put in half Government applied to the Institution a crown. for, and was given, the latest particulars j " I've only got sixpence and a safety about Life-boats and life-saving appli- pin, which will you have ? " In the end ances. Of neither of these, therefore, he put in both. can I hope to give readers of The Life- j Boat an account in the near future. A Contrast. Still more interesting is the following * * * * , contrast between stalls and pit. Those who have followed this series An expensively-dressed lady, on her of articles will have been struck by the ' way to her seat in the stalls said, very fact that all the Services except two, | coldly, when the Life-boat box was held the Danish and the American, are, like j out to her : " No, I've already paid for our own, voluntary organizations. These my seat! " two are the only Services maintained A man who found the pit full came by the State, and it is because the out again with the half-crown intended Service in the United States is the ) for his evening's pleasure in his hand. largest of the State Life-boat Services I " Bad luck," said the Collector at the that Admiral Reynolds' admirable .' door, " Give it to the Life-boat instead." article is so interesting. j And he did. As will be seen, the U.S. Coast Guard, of which the Life-boat Service forms Foreign Life-boat Services. part, are entrusted with the duties of It is with great pleasure that I publish coast watching, coast communication, elsewhere in this issue an article which and the working of the rocket apparatus, DECEMBEE, 1923.] THE LIFEBOAT. 85 which are performed in this country by justified itself than in Life-boat work, the Board of Trade, of the care of the and I am sure that all Life-boat workers shipwrecked, which is here in the hands of will share the Committee's pleasure at the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society, with the Breton Life-Saving Society's award other duties, performed here by the Cus- of its Special Grand Medal to the toms Office and harbour authorities, and Institution as being " the finest volun- with a number of duties, such as the ice tary Life-boat Society in the world." patrol and the protection of seal fisheries, to which there is nothing analogous The Line-Throwing Gun. round our coasts. One of the new Line-throwing Guns * * * * described in The Life-Boat for February, The cost of maintaining the Coast 1922, was installed in the Spurn Motor Guard is not given in the article, but I Life-boat early last July. It was not was very much interested to hear long before its value was shown. On personally from Admiral Reynolds— the afternoon of 29th August, during a who was in this country during the southerly gale, with a very heavy sea, summer, and whom we were very glad the sloop Spring, of Hull, stranded on to see at the trials of the New Brighton the North Sinks Shoal. When the Motor Life-boat at Cowes—that the Life-boat reached the wreck she found Budget figure for the maintenance of the that the seas were breaking clean over Coast Guard for 1923 was eleven million her, and that the crew had had to lash dollars, and that more than half of this themselves in the rigging. Owing to sum was for the work of life-saving. the shallow water it was impossible to That is to say, the American Life-boat get near her, and the gun was fired from Service costs over a million pounds, or over fifty yards away. nearly four times as much as our own. With the first shot a line was thrown This is emphatic confirmation of the over the wreck, and a rope was hauled statement which we have not infre- from the wreck to the Life-boat, The quently had to make that whatever Spring by this time was afloat, but was are tie advantages—if any—of placing being heavily pounded by the seas, and the Life-boat Service under State control, was continually striking on the bottom. it would entail a great increase in the By means of the rope the Life-boat was cost of maintaining the Service. able to hold the vessel's head to the sea. * * * * while the crew set their sails and worked her into deep water, eventually getting ,, A State Service implies permanent her clear of the sands. crews, and while, in the United States In the opinion of the Coxswain she it is possible to employ the crews also could not have stood much longer the in coast watching and revenue work, pounding of the seas, so that it was this the fact still remains that they cannot prompt use of the Line-throwing Gun be kept fully occupied. Yet they must wMch saved the crew of three men be paid as if they were, and they must from drowning and the vessel from be well paid, for such men must not destruction. only be of fine physique, of good intelli- gence, and of proved character and Centenary Gifts. courage, but they must be thoroughly We are already beginning to receive well trained—men, in fact, who deserve centenary gifts. The first of them is a and can command good pay. These cheque for £100 from the Rugby Union, facts should be constantly borne in in commemoration of the double fact mind by any who are tempted to ask that the Union as well as the Institution " Why is not our Life-boat Service celebrates next year the completion of maintained by the State ? " and also by its first century. The Institution has all Life-boat workers to whom that received this gift with all the greater question may be put. pleasure, since it hopes that the Rugby * * * * Union has set an example which will In no department of our national life be followed by many other bodies has the voluntary principle more fully i connected with sport. For who should 86 THE LIFE-BOAT. [DECEMBER, 1923. be more ready than the sportsmen of shown, Admiral Baird presented them Great Britain to recognize and admire with £50 in an envelope inscribed: the courage and ready resource in diffi- " Presentation to the Coxswain and culty and danger of our Life-boatmen ! Crew of Longhope Life-boat from officers and men of H.M. Fleet at Scapa, A Present from the Navy. as token of appreciation of excellent work On 27th September the Second performed on 12th September, 1923." Coxswain and crew of the Longhope Life-boat were invited on board H.M.S. Cruise of the New Brighton Boat. Coventry, the flagship of the Fleet lying On completing her trials at Cowes at Scapa. They were received by Rear- last July, the Wittiam and Kate Johnston, Admiral George H. Baird, C.B., who the first of the 60-foot Barnett Twin- congratulated them on their fine service screw Cabin Motor Life-boats made a to the s.s. Citos, of Helsingborg. This tour round Great Britain—the first vessel lost her propeller when off the time" that such a thing has been Orkneys, and was drifting ashore on attempted—before going to her Station, the west end of Stroma on 12th Septem- New Brighton, on the Mersey. She ber with a whole gale blowing and a went up the East Coast and round the very heavy sea. The Life-boat, which north of Scotland ; touched at Douglas, was called out about 9.0 in the morning, Isle of Man, and at Belfast, Kingstown, found the Citos on her beam ends, with and other places on the east coast of her deck cargo of pulp and wood loose. Ireland; crossed to Padstow and Six of her men had already tried to get Bristol, and then went up the Welsh away in a boat and been drowned, but coast to the Mersey. there were eight still on board. The length of the tour was over 2,000 It was at very great risk to them- miles ; it took over two months; and in selves, owing to the position of the the course of it thousands of people steamer and her shifting cargo, that the visited the Boat. I had hoped to publish crew of the Life-boat got alongside, but an illustrated account of it in this issue, they succeeded in doing so, and rescued but as there is little space, and as such the eight men. an interesting experiment deserves to In recognition of the risk which they be described in full, it is held over until had run, and the skill which they had the February number.

Photograph by "Press and Journal," Aberdeen. WRECK OF THE "IMPERIAL PRINCE" (See p. 93.) DECEMBER, 1923.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 87

The Centenary of the Institution. PLANS FOR ITS CELEBRATION. WE are now within four months of the at which our President, the Prince of end of our first century. The Institution Wales, will preside, and to which was founded on 4th March, 1824, at a those holding the Gold Medal of the " Public Meeting of Noblemen, Gentle- Institution and representatives of all men, Merchants, and others held at the foreign Life-boat societies will be invited. City of London Tavern." The Arch- This dinner will be preceded by a tech- bishop of Canterbury was in the Chair, nical conference, at -which there will be and altogether twenty resolutions were an opportunity of exchanging ideas and passed, formally constituting the Insti- experiences with the other Life-boat tution, and laying down the broad societies, and the opportunity will be principles on which it should carry out, taken of discussing with them the very as a voluntary society, its task of important subject of making uniform " Preserving life in cases of shipwreck for all countries the signals to be used on the coasts of the United Kingdom." by vessels in distress and by Life- Those broad principles have, through a boats. century marked by great developments, It is hoped also to have in London and by many vicissitudes, remained a Thanksgiving Service, a Life-boat unchanged. The Institution, though it concert, and Life-boat matinee, both at has developed in many ways of which a theatre and at a music hall. One of its founders could never have dreamed, the new Motor Life-boats now under is fundamentally the Institution which construction will spend the summer on they designed that it should be. the Thames and, it is hoped, visit all Next year, when we celebrate this the regattas. great event in our national history, the By a fortunate chance our centenary hundredth birthday of our Life-boat coincides with the British Empire Exhi- Service—the first Life-boat Service to be bition. The Institution has arranged to established in any country—we shall be erect its own building, and will exhibit able to point to the proud fact that at there a Motor Life-boat and models every danger-point round our 5,000 miles and pictures showing the development of coast a Life-boat Station is now of the Service. It will also have a established, fully equipped, vigilant, Pulling and Sailing Life-boat moored ready for every call. We shall be able to on one of the lakes in the Exhibition point also to the magnificent record of grounds. a hundred years—nearly 60,000 lives Outside London anniversary meetings saved from shipwreck. will be arranged in all the large towns; It is an anniversary which we feel and in the coastal counties, in addition that our thousands of willing workers, to the meeting, there will be a pro- and the tens of thousands of contributors cession, with a Life-boat, and a Crew to our funds, will be proud to celebrate ; from the nearest station. and the Institution is making arrange- During the autumn special meetings ments for its worthy celebration in all have been held in London and other parts parts of the country. of the country in order to make plans In London the celebrations will begin for next year, to arrange the Anniversary formally with the Annual Meeting. Meeting, and to discuss such other forms Like that original and historic meeting of celebration—thanksgiving services in in 1824, it will be held in the City of the churches, concerts, theatrical per- London on 4th March, and we hope formances—as seem desirable. that the descendants of many of those Our aim, in short, is to invite all those who took part in the first meeting will who work, in whatever way, for the be present. Life-boat cause to join with the Insti- In June there will be a Life-boat Ball, tution in celebrating this great event, and this will be followed, at the begin- and at the same time to bring home to ning of July, by a Life-boat Dinner, the many who do not the meaning and 88 THE LIFE-BOAT. [DECEMBER, 1923. the national value of the Life-boat Life-boat Service by something much Service. By the exhibition in London, more definite and enduring, and that we by the regattas, by the anniversary shall not only have fitly celebrated the meetings and the visits of Life-boats century that is passed, but have em- and Crews to inland towns, we hope that barked on the second century with the thousands of our people at home and personal interest and support of many thousands of visitors from overseas will, more thousands of British people in before the year is out, have replaced a Great Britain and the Dominions than vague knowledge that there is a British we have ever had before.

Sir William Hillary's Appeal. SIB WILLIAM HILLAEY'S " An Appeal to one can say that he may at all times the British Nation on the Humanity and remain free, and whilst he is now pro- Policy of Forming a National Institu- viding only for the safety of others, a tion for the Preservation of Lives and day may come which will render the Property from Shipwreck," was pub- cause his own." v lished early in the year 1823, the preface being dated from " Douglas, Isle of Man, " This subject in a peculiar manner 28th February, 1823." A second edition appeals to the British people collectively was published in November of the same and individually. For ages, our seamen year, and a third, early in 1824. By that have been the acknowledged support of time the Institution for the foundation our splendour and our power ; and until of which Sir William Hillary had so everything which the ingenuity of man cogently and so eloquently pleaded, had can suggest, and every inducement and already been founded, and the third regulation which social institutions can edition contained an appendix with an offer and arrange, have been combined account of the inaugural meeting of the into one great plan for their safety, we Institution, held at the City of London shall be wanting in our best duties to Tavern, on 4th March, 1824. Two more them, to our country, and to ourselves." editions were published, the fifth being in 1825. * * * * The appeal remains to this day the " From the nobility and gentry large wisest and most eloquent document that donations and subscriptions may natur- has ever been written on Life-boat work. ally be expected. The clergy of every It was more than an appeal. It was a class will, no doubt, be foremost in the most carefully thought-out plan of what cause of humanity. To the whole body a National life-boat Service should be, of the navy, the marines, and to the to whom it should look for support, and army, who, in the prosecution of their how it should carry on its work. As Sir professional duties, encounter so many William Hillary planned it, a hundred of the dangers of the sea, such an appeal years ago, so, in its main features, the will never be made in vain. Can it be Life-boat Service is to-day. To a degree supposed that there is one East India very rare in human endeavour, his high Director, one member of Lloyd's, an hopes have been realised, and his un- underwriter, a merchant, a shipowner, selfish aims have been achieved. or commander in the India or merchant's It is impossible to reprint the whole of service, from whom a subscription, his appeal, but the following extracts liberal in proportion to his means, will are given, not only to show the charac- not be obtained ? Nor will the generous ter of the Institution's founder, but aid of any class of society, I am per- because they are as true, and as stirring suaded, be wanting for such a purpose ; to-day, as when they were written in and as a stimulus to the whole, by 1823. example in their donations, and by the widely-extended circle of their influence : From the calamity of shipwreck no the British females of every station of DECEMBER, 1923.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 89 life will, I am convinced, particularly addresses itself with equal force to all distinguish themselves in aid of this the best feelings of every class in the cause." state." * * * * * * * * " When we see long columns filled " The people anl vessels of every with the first names in the country, with nation, whether in peace or in war, shall large sums placed opposite to them, for be equally objects of this Institution; and objects temporary in their nature, and the efforts to be made, and the recom- small in importance compared with the penses to be given for their rescue, to be present, which contemplates the rescue in all cases the same as for British of thousands of human beings now in subjects and British vessels." existence, and an incalculable number yet unborn, from one of the most tre- mendous of all perils—who is there, to " So long as men shall continue to whom such an Institution once became navigate the ocean, and the tempests known, that would refuse his aid ? It shall hold their course over its surface, is a cause which extends from the palace in every age and on every coast, disas- to the cottage, in which politics and ters by sea, shipwreck and peril to party cannot have any share, and which human life must inevitably take place."

The History of the Institution. ON 30th October the history of the the Edition de luxe; these are num- Institution, during its first hundred years bered from one to a hundred, and are of work, was published under the title being sold at 55 5s. Od. each. " Britain's Life-boats : A Century of As there will doubtless be a very Heroic Service." It has been written, at keen desire to possess one of these the request of the Committee of Manage- historic copies, we desire to inform ment, by Major A. J. Dawson, author, our readers that applications will be among many other books, of " The dealt with in the order in which they Message" and " The Land of His are received, and that the price is Fathers," and it has an Introduction by liable to be doubled in a short time. the Prince of Wales, the Institution's The following are extracts from a few President, and a Foreword by Mr. of the reviews of the book: Joseph Conrad. "It is a story which no Briton can There are two editions, one bound in read without a thrill of pride and thank- cloth, at 7s. Gd., and the other, an fulness that the men who do the deeds edition de luxe, limited to 1,000 copies, of that are recorded here are men of his which each is signed and numbered, country and his blood. . . . All the at £2 2s. Od. Life-boat workers, how- labour, all the money given to the ever, can obtain copies for themselves, Service has been by voluntary contribu- direct from the Institution, at the price tions. But, noble framework though it of 5s. for the cheap edition, and 28s. for be, it is only the setting for the pictures the edition de luxe. Honorary Secre- of heroism which are sprinkled over these taries, who, we hope, will do all that they pages. No service by land or sea, no can to help the Institution in getting the Navy or Army of this or any other book into the hands of the public, can country, has produced finer acts of obtain as many copies as they require gallantry or a nobler devotion to duty from the Institution at the cheap rate, than has been shown—not once, but selling at the published price and credit- again and again—by the men who have ing the Branch with the profit. manned our Life-boats. . . . Major The Prince of Wales, the President Dawson has done his work well, as one of the Institution, has very generously who loves his theme ; and it is a great signed no fewer than 100 copies of story that he tells."—The Times. 90 THE LIFE-BOAT. [DECEMBER, 1923. " Seaman, traveller and soldier, the better done in verse by Masefield. I author has produced a book which will am no poet. Yet in my pedestrian prose quicken the pulse of all who read it, and I would fain pay my little meed of will make the Briton proud -to claim admiration to the Life-boats and their kinship with the heroes whom it extols. men and their works; ' as things But it should do more than that. It unattempted yet in prose or rhyme.' should kindle in the hearts of our . . . This book should have a great people the determination that a work sale. And subscriptions are needed, and so characteristic of the race—both in ought not to be needed, by the National the fundamental principles, which keeps Life-boat Institution, ' the People's it alive, and in the gallantry with which Service.' "—ROBERT BLATCHFORD in it is associated—shall not be permitted the Sunday Herald and the Sunday to languish for lack of the necessary Chronicle. support, but shall vindicate throughout " The East Coast of Scotland likes a the twentieth century, as it did during good sea story, and if I were asked the nineteenth, the nation's claim to be what is the best sea story that I have the first to respond to the cry of dis- ever read I should unhesitatingly say tressed humanity. This is a matter that it is to be found in ' Britain's Life- which should offer no great difficulty, boats.' This is not one sea story, but since the cost of the service to-day it is crammed with deeds of heroism, represents no more than 1 ^d. per head of which, the Prince of Wales says in an our population."—Daily Telegraph. introduction, must be read with pride " The Prince of Wales thinks this by all British men and women."— book will especially stir the hearts of Dundee Advertiser. boys and girls. Indeed, we are sure it " The history of the evolution of the would make an acceptable Christmas- Life-boat from the first improvement on tide gift—for it . has throughout a a coble to a motor-driven boat of to-day, flavour of adventurous reality, being and of the steadily increasing utility of written by one who, as a seaman, as a these craft, is in itself an epic."—York- traveller all over the world, and as a shire Post. soldier in the War, has seen what brave " Major A. J. Dawson has written a men can dare and endure, and sets wonderful story. . . . The best sum- down his sincere testimony without any ming up of the services of our life-boats swell of rhetoric."—Morning Post. is contained in a letter which the Prince " We islanders are a tongue-tied race, of Wales has sent for publication in this but the hardihood of sailor-men, the book, ' It is a story of many dangers beauty of ships, and the power and bravely faced and skilfully overcome in splendour of the seas unlock our elo- the long warfare with the storms round quence. On three subjects—the Royal the 5,000 miles of our island coasts. It Navy, the Mercantile Marine, and the is, moreover, the story of a great national Life-boat Service—Englishmen, for- duty, voluntarily undertaken by the getting their self-consciousness in their British people themselves, and carried pride, are wont to be eloquent. . . . on by them for a hundred years without It is not alone the services rendered by financial assistance from the State.' "— the fleet of Mercy which uplift and Liverpool Daily Courier. hearten us, magnificent as those services " Remarkable statistics of lives saved, may have been, but rather is it the and of public generosity, which should spirit of the unselfish and brave men serve but as incitements to an ever who founded the Institution, who built increasing support on the part of the up its glorious tradition, and by their public. It is a great tale of heroism vision, their steadfastness, and warm and generosity, admirably told."—The humanity won the affection and con- Scotsman. fidence of the British people and the " Major Dawson has treated every admiration and gratitude of all those aspect of this great movement, and the who sail the seas. . . . The review of historical, biographical and technical such a book and such a service is a task details are admirably varied by narra- to which I am not equal; it could be tives of some of the most thrilling DECEMBER, 1923.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 91 exploits of the boats and their gallant intire world would be ransacked in vain crews. . . . From a perusal of his book to find such another collection of heroic many people will obtain for the first deeds."—Sunday Times. time a clear idea of the special qualities " The story of the life-boat has a which distinguish a life-boat from all thrill of its own. You cannot possibly other boats. ... In closing this short read of its activities without something notice of an admirable volume, we ven- stirring inside you. . . . The book must ture to express a hope that every reader assuredly make the ideal Christmas of it will also become a contributor to the present for a youngster. It is all most funds of the splendid Service with which excellently done. The illustrations are it deals."—Lloyd's List. numerous and well chosen, and Major " Having been afforded access to all Dawson himself is an ideal story-teller. the records of the Institution, the author And in what other book could you hope has had a wonderful opportunity, and to find a foreword by Joseph Conrad one of which he has taken full advantage. and an introduction by the Prince of . . . From whatever point of view the Wales ? "—The Bystander. book is regarded, whether it be read by " No greater story is told in our the student for information regarding island's history than that of the Life- boats and their equipment, or by the boatmen."—John o' London's Weekly. seeker after stories of heroism, beside " The book is ably written and most which the most sensational efforts of admirably illustrated. The story is one fiction writers appear tame, the highest to stir the blood ; the illustrations are hopes will be realised. The illustrations, such as should excite the interests of the also, are as illuminating as the text, and most sluggish. Truly it is an inspiring cover every sphere of the Institution's volume. The chart enables one to under- work, one of the simplest and most stand how widespread is the area effective being a picture of the Goodwin covered. It is ill comparing the heroism Sands, rightly entitled, ' The Graveyard of different seamen and different de- of Ships.' To any one with imagination cades. Every one who knows our coasts, the half-buried anchor in the foreground and every one who reads this book, will tells more than many pages of reading have his own favourite tale. For myself matter could express." —• Liverpool Whitby will always be pre-eminent, for Journal of Commerce. the gallant rugged men to be seen daily " Major Dawson has indeed a great on the quay, or in the Seamen's Institute, and glorious subject for his pen, and or in the wonderful old parish church, worthily he has handled it. There is and in the church in the old town which not a child in the land who should is their favourite. For as long as noble not read ' Britain's Life-boats.' "—Daily deeds are remembered there will abide Graphic. that splendid endeavour commemorated " The object of this admirably written in the old church and the rescue in our and lavishly illustrated volume is to own time of the Rohilla Hospital Ship. remind the peoples of the British " This is not only an exciting and Islands that March 4 of the coming thrilling record, but it is also an ex- year will mark the centenary of that tremely practical book. Every one who truly and splendidly British corporation, wants to understand how the Life-boats the Royal National Life-Boat Institu- are made, as well as what they have tion. ... It is impossible in the space ' done, should read it. It is to be hoped of a brief notice to give an adequate that it will interest a still wider public idea of the interest and value of such a than that which already helps the work, book. The stories 1( of individual and and that the National Life-Boat Institu- collective courage are so numerous and tion will gain a largely increased body so heart-stirring that one feels almost of subscribers."—The DEAN OF WIN- invidious in selecting one among them CHESTER in the Church Family News- for special mention ; the annals of the paper. 92 THE LIFE-BOAT. [DECEMBER, 1933. Centenary Publications and Souvenirs. " Britain's Life-boats -. The Story of a Century of Heroic Service." By Major A. J. DAWSON, with an Introduction by H.K.H. the PRINCE OF WALES, K.G., President of the Royal National Life-boat Institution, and a Fore- word by JOSEPH CONRAD 7*. fjd. Edition de Luxe £220 Edition de Luxe, signed by the Prince of Wales - £550 Statuette of a Life-boatman . . , . , . . 2s. Qd. A special statuette of a Life-boatman, made from the metal of the old Caistei Life-boat, which saved 116 lives . . . . . 7*. 6d. The same statuette with an ash-tray attached, also made from the metal of the Caister Boat 10s. 6d. (Of these two there is, of course, only a very limited number.) Metal Pincushion in the form of a Life-boat ..... Is. 6d. Cardboard Pincushion in the form of a Life-boat . . . . . 6d. Small metal Figure of Life-boatman ...... M. Blotting Slip (the size of a cheque book) with a coloured Picture of a Life-boat Service ...... Id. These are now ready and can be obtained from the Institution. The prices given are those at which they should be sold; but they will, of course, be supplied to Branches at their cost price. In addition to the history of the Institution, by Major Dawson, which will be the first complete and authoritative record of the British Life-boat Service, and will have many illustrations, there will be published at the beginning of 1924 a special centenary edition of the illustrated booklet, giving a short popular account of the work of the Service, of which the last edition was called " The Story of the Motor Life-boat." It is hoped that all Life-boat workers will do all that they can to help the Institution in selling these publications and souvenirs as widely as possible. The ideal would be that every household should have in it something, whether a book or one of the souvenirs, which would always remind its members of the existence, and the needs of the Life-boat Service.

Awards to Coxswains and life-boatmen. To JOHN STOREY, after serving 44 years as a as a member of the Crew of Point of Ayr member of the Crew of the Newbiggin Life-boat, a Life-boatman's Certificate. Life-boat, a Life-boatman's Certificate. To WILLIAM SMITH, on his retirement, after To GEORGE McLEon, on his retirement, after serving 3£ years as Coxswain of the Arbroath serving 5^ years as Coxswain of the Lossie- Life-boat, a Life-boatman's Certificate. mouth Life-boat, a Gratuity. To RICHARD EOLON, on his retirement, after serving 4^ years as Coxswain of the Whit by To JAMES KNIGHT, on his retirement, after Motor Li/e-boat, and, before that, 20 years serving 27 years as one of the crew (including as Second Coxswain of Whitby, Nos. 1 and 2 If years as Bowman and 2| years as Second Life-boats, and for 6 years as Second Coxswain), of the Newquay (Cornwall) Life- Coxswain and 2J years Bowman of the boat, a Life-boatman's Certificate. Upgang Life-boat, a Certificate of Service, To H. WHITENSTAIX, on his retirement, after a Pension, and a Special Gratuity of £25. serving 27 years as Signalman at the Selsey To HENRY BARRETT, on his retirement, after and Bognor Life-boat Station, a Pension, serving 6 years as Second Coxswain, and commuted at his own request into a lump 16i years as Coxswain of the Bude Life-boat, sum. a Certificate of Service and a Pension. To Mrs. JONES, widow of JOHN JONES (who To ELKA.ZOK JAMES, on his retirement, after died after serving IOJ years as Bowman, serving 5} years a* Coxswain of the St. and 5| years as Second Coxswain of the David's Life-boat, a Gratuity. Llandudno Life-boat/, a 'Gratuity, which To JOSIAH LASQMAID, on his retirement, after would have been paid to John Jones had serving 40 years as » member of the Crew he lived. of the Mevagissey Life-boat, a Life-boat- To EDWARD B&zzHor, after serving 29 years man's Certificate. DECEMBER, 1923.] THE LIFE-BOAT.

A Silver Medal Service by the Newburgh life-boat. A VERY fine service in which the crew L.S.A. were also brought up to help. of the Newburgh Life-boat and men of The journey took just over four hours. H.M. Destroyers Vampire and Vendetta The boat was then launched and played a gallant part, took place on reached the wreck just after two in the October 19th, the anniversary of the afternoon, the crew succeeding in getting wreck of the Hopelyn last year, off hold of the L.S.A. line which had been Belhelvie, near Aberdeen. fired across the trawler. By means of At 5.30 in the morning of that day the this line, two of the trawler's crew were trawler Imperial Prince, of Aberdeen, rescued, but a third man, becoming with a crew of nine men, struck a shoal entangled with the ropes, was washed out north of Black Dog Rock. A full of the life-buoy and drowned, as he was southerly gale was blowing, with a heavy being dragged across to the Life-boat. sea, and the weather was so thick that, One of the two rescued men was so although the Imperial Prince was only seriously injured, and the Life-boat crew 400 yards from the shore, the flares themselves were so exhausted, that the which she burnt as signals of distress Coxswain decided to return ashore. A were invisible. It was not until day- second attempt was then made with light that she was seen, and by this time some of the original crew and some only the bow and stern of the vessel and volunteers, but, in spite of the gallantry I the tops of her masts and funnel were of these men, who were not experienced above water. The Coast Guard notified Life-boatmen, it had no success. the Institution's Life-boat at Newburgh Again the Life-boat returned ashore. and the Life-boat maintained by the The Peterhead Motor Life-boat was then Harbour Commissioners at Aberdeen. summoned, and a message asking for They also called out the Life-Saving help was sent to the Commanding Officer Rocket Apparatus, which was quickly of the Vampire, lying at Aberdeen. He on the scene. Five rockets were fired, at once sent seven of his own crew and and the fifth was, in the end, secured by four from the Vendetta, in charge of the crew of the trawler, although they one of his petty officers, and they arrived lost one man overboard in their efforts very quickly in taxi-cabs. Their arrival to get it clear of the fore stay, which it coincided with a third attempt at rescue had fouled. The crew, however, were so which was being made with an Aberdeen exhausted that they could not haul in crew, and two of them joined this crew, the breeches buoy. while the remainder helped to launch the Meanwhile, the Aberdeen Life-boat had Boat. left the harbour at 9.40, in tow of a tug, This attempt unfortunately also failed, and reached the scene of the wreck in less and the boat was at once launched again, than half-an-hour, but as she approached for the fourth time, manned by the other the wreck from windward she broached ten naval men and the Newburgh Cox- to ; four of her crew were washed over- swain and Bowman. It was now nearly board, and were rescued with great seven in the evening, and the trawler's difficulty ; the Boat herself was carried crew had been thirteen hours in the to leeward, and was finally beached with rigging. Although by this time the her crew exhausted. weather had moderated, there was a An hour before she put out, the New- heavy swell breaking right over the burgh Life-boat had left her boathouse wreck, leaving only her masts and the with a journey before her, overland, of top of her funnel visible. about seven miles, along a soft, sandy After a long and hard pull the Life- beach. For the first mile and a half she boat got to windward of the wreck, was dragged by helpers—men, women which, thanks to the moon, could just and children. Then six horses were be seen between the breakers. The obtained to help them, and towards the drogue was put out, and the boat was end of the journey, the horses of the dropped down to the port rigging, where 94 THE LIFE-BOAT. [DECEMBER, 1923. she lay with her stern close in under the joat had been called away, left for the fore-mast, rising and falling eight feet scene of the wreck ; and the women of vrith the waves, while the remaining five Sewburgh, who helped in the long and men of the trawler's crew, now dazed severe task of taking the boat along the and utterly exhausted, were got aboard. ieach, and did not hesitate to go into the The Peterhead Motor Life-boat, which sea when it was necessary. had had a journey of twenty-two miles The following letter of appreciation against the gale, arrived at the wreck was received by the Institution from shortly after the men had been rescued. the Board of Trade : To mark their appreciation of this " I am directed by the Board of Trade gallant service, the Committee of to inform you that they have had under Management made the following consideration, reports relating to the awards :— wreck of the steam trawler Imperial To JOHN INNES, Coxswain, who went Prince, near Belhelvie, on the 19th out on three of the four attempts, October, and the rescue of the survivors although he had been injured, the of the crew under very difficult circum- Silver Medal of the Institution, the stances, and I am to request that your Thanks of the Institution inscribed Committee of Management will be so on Vellum, and an additional mone- good as to convey to the crew of the tary award. Newburgh Life-boat the Board's appre- To JAMES INNES, Bowman, the Cox- ciation of their gallant conduct in making swain's son, who went out each time such a brave attempt to rescue these men. In particular, the Board regard with his father, the Bronze Medal as highly commendable the action of the of the Institution, the Thanks of Coxswain and Bowman for making the the Institution inscribed on Vellum, second attempt at rescue with a fresh and an additional monetary award. crew, and for the final successful attempt To the remaining members of the with a third crew of naval ratings. I am crew, additional monetary awards. a.lso to request that the Board's apprecia- To Petty Officer C. A. W. ESSAM, of tion should be conveyed to the Secretary, H.M.S. Vampire, the Silver Medal Signalmen and Life-boat crew of the of the Institution, the Thanks oi Peterhead Motor Life-boat for the the Institution inscribed on Vellum, expeditious manner in which they and a monetary award. answered the call to proceed to this To each of the other eleven naval men, wreck." the Thanks of the Institution in- Owing to the comments made at the scribed on Vellum, and a monetary inquest—held on the two men of the award. Imperial Prince who were drowned—on Letters of Thanks were also sent, the failure of the Aberdeen Life-boat, among others, to Commander Way, which was stated to be seventy years old, R.N., Inspector of Coast Guard; Mr. a letter was sent to the Press by the Morrison, District Officer of Coast Guard ; Chairman, pointing out that this boat is Captain Lumsden of Balmedie, Lord oi not one of the Institution's Fleet; that the Manor; Mr. Ritchie, Chairman ol some years ago the Institution had the Newburgh Committee, who, although offered to take over full control of the he is seventy-three, accompanied the Life-boat Station at Aberdeen, and pro- boat on her journey along the beach, ane vide a modern Life-boat; that the Local was present all day at the scene of the Authorities were, at the time, unwilling wreck ; Mr. Henderson, Honorary Secre- to avail themselves of this offer, and that tary at Peterhead, who, immediately his the offer remains open. DECEMBEB, 1923.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 95

The Life-boat Services of the World: The United States Coast Guard- By REAR-ADMIRAL W. S. REYNOLDS, Commandant U.S. Coast Guard. THE United States Coast Guard was co-operation at shipwreck existing be- created by the Act of Congress, approved tween the two—were so nearly allied by the President, 28th January, 1915, that it would be in the interest of public by combining therein the Revenue- efficiency if the two were combined into Cutter Service and the Life-Saving1 one organization, to be known as the Service, both of which Services were, at Coast Guard. This union was effected, the time, distinct organizations under as before stated, by the Act of Congress the Treasury Department. of 28th January, 1915. The Act pro- The Revenue-Cutter Service was vided that all the duties performed by originally established in the second the two Services, respectively, should session of the First Congress of the continue to be performed by the Coast United States, upon the recommenda- Guard, and transferred to the latter tion of the first Secretary of the all offices, positions, officers and men. Treasury, as the result of the necessity of the two Services. The Act also for the services of a governmental coast provided, among other things, that the patrol for the enforcement of the Coast Guard " shall constitute a part customs laws of the country, and of an of the military forces of the United organized force for the protection of States, and shall operate under the the sea-coast. Coincident with the Treasury Department in time of peace growth of the country additional mari- and operate as a part of the Navy, time duties were entrusted to the Ser- subject to the orders of the Secretary vice, from time to time, to meet the of the Navy, in time of war or when the increasing demands of commerce President shall so direct. . . ." Thus, approaching our shores, and to serve while the primary object of the Service— other maritime interests having refer- the preservation of life and property ence to governmental activities. The from, the perils of the sea—is secured Service became essentially an emergent and maintained, the Service is able, by service off our shores, specializing reason of the authority conferred by in. nearly all governmental maritime the Coast Guard Act, to extend its duties. sphere of usefulness in the direction of The Life-Saving Service grew out of both civil and military lines in the a series of enactments of Congress dating maritime and coastwise activities of back to 1848, which had in view the the Government. preservation of life and property from The duties of the Coast Guard, in shipwreck upon the coast. In 1871 a general, may be summarized as follows : definite life-saving system was inaugu- Rendering assistance to vessels in rated, and administered in conjunction distress and saving life and property. with the Revenue-Cutter Service, until Destruction or removal of wrecks, 18th June, 1878, when, as a consequence derelicts, and other floating dangers to of the development and growth of the navigation. work and of its importance to commerce Extending medical aid to American and humanity, Congress established the vessels engaged in deep-sea fisheries. Life-Saving Service as a separate and Protection of the customs revenue. distinct organization. Operating as a part of the Navy in In the processes of time it developed time of war or when the President shall that the duties of the two Services so so direct. far as related to the conservation of life Enforcement of law and regulations and marine property—the Life-Saving governing anchorage of vessels in navig- Service working from the shore and upon able waters. adjacent waters, and the Revenue- Enforcement of law relating to Cutter Service upon the sea/ and close quarantine and neutrality. 96 THE LIFE-BOAT. [DECEMBER, 1923. Suppression of mutinies on merchant with the local authorities in the main- vessels. tenance of public order; apprehends Enforcement of navigation and violators of the law; prevents theft other laws governing merchant vessels and invasion by those maliciously and motor-boats. inclined; recovers lost and stolen Enforcement of law to provide for property, and returns it to the owners ; safety of life on navigable waters during saves property from danger and destruc- regattas and marine parades. tion ; protects wrecked property ; acts Protection of game and the seal and as pilots to vessels in cases of emergency ; other fisheries in Alaska, etc. provides transportation and assistance Enforcement of sponge-fishing law. to other branches of the public service International ice patrol in the vicinity and co-operates with them in the of the Grand Banks off Newfoundland. enforcement of the Federal laws In addition to the foregoing principal entrusted to their jurisdiction. duties, the Coast Guard performs, These, incidental services are of

U.S. COAST GUARD-CUTTER "TAMPA." incidentally, numerous other humani- incalculable benefit to those who inhabit tarian offices of a miscellaneous charac- the shores, and to those whose move- ter, inuring to the public good and ments carry them along the coast, and benefit. Among these may be men- cogently illustrate, further, the extent tioned : Warns off shore by the Service to which the Coast Guard enters into patrolmen vessels standing into danger ; our national life. renders various services to shipping and In addition to the prime duties of the boating ; furnishes food, fuel and water Coast Guard in the waters of the North to vessels in distress, medical and Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea and South- surgical aid to the sick and injured, and eastern Alaska, in enforcing the Con- succour to the shipwrecked; guards vention of 7th July, 1911, between the ' the lives of persons in peril of drowning United States, Great Britain, Russia by falling into the water from piers and and Japan, proclaimed 14th December, wharves in the harbours; resuscitates 1911, and the Act of the United States annually a number of persons, who, but Congress approved 24th August, 1912, for the intervention of the Coast Guard for the protection of the fur seal and personnel, would lose their lives from the sea otter, and the laws and regula- drowning; returns lost and wandering tions for the protection of game, the children to their parents; co-operates fisheries and fur-bearing animals of DECEMBER, 1923.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 97 Alaska, mention of which is made in A system of military discipline, the foregoing summary, the cutters of training and drill, is maintained through- the Service annually patrolling those out the Service, not to interfere with waters perform such work as furnishing any of the emergent civil duties, better transportation to Government officials to fit the personnel for operating as a and the local authorities, school teachers, part of the Navy, when occasion may destitutes, natives, and other persons, require. transporting the mails, delivering food The personnel of the Coast Guard and other supplies to the isolated settle- consists of commissioned officers, ments, succouring persons in need, warrants, petty officers, and other assisting vessels in distress, providing enlisted men. The chief officer of the medicines and medical treatment for Service is the Commandant, who has the natives, enforcing and administering the rank of rear-admiral in the Coast the laws, etc. For many years the Guard, and whose headquarters are at Coast Guard has ministered to the Washington. The administration of needs of the natives and others in these the Service is directed from the head- isolated and sparsely settled regions, quarters of the Commandant, and he is has dispensed justice, has adjudicated assisted by a staff of officers and a corps their differences and difficulties, has of civilian officials. The Commandant afforded them protection against is appointed by the President and con- untoward and harmful situations, has firmed by the Senate, as is also the stood between them and dire necessity, Engineer-in-Chief, who has the rank has thrown itself into battle for them of Captain of Engineers. The Com- against the ravages of disease threaten- mandant, in time of peace, performs ing decimation, until it has been accepted his duties under the direction of the as a fact among the inhabitants that the Secretary of the Treasury, an Assistant Service partakes of the qualities of Secretary of the Treasury having imme- guardianship over their physical diate supervision. The other commis- destinies. The annual visitation of sioned personnel is composed of captains, the cutters is a welcome episode in the commanders, lieutenant commanders, lives of these far-away people. lieutenants, lieutenants (junior grade), The regular off-shore patrols by cutters ensigns (both line and engineer corps of the Service in the prosecution of their for all these grades), constructors and normal duties are intensified during the district superintendents, the last-named stormy season of the year, from 1st being in immediate charge, respectively, December to 31st March, when naviga- of the thirteen shore districts comprising tion is especially hazardous, by increased the Coast Guard stations (formerly activity and watchfulness, and by life-saving stations). The commissioned special cruising, on the part of the personnel of the line and engineer corps vessels, so that shipping may be safe- is obtained from the cadets graduating guarded to the greatest possible extent. from the Coast Guard Academy, which The President annually designates cer- is maintained at New London, Connec- tain Coast Guard vessels to perform this ticut, for the education and training of duty. cadets. The district superintendents The Coast Guard annually conducts are obtained by promotion, after the international service of ice observa- examination, from the warrant personnel tion and ice patrol along the trans- of Coast Guard stations. The warrant Atlantic steamship lanes in the vicinity personnel of the shore stations is ob- of the Grand Banks, which was begun tained, after examination, and appoint- by the United States in 1914, at the ment by the Secretary of the Treasury, request of Great Britain, acting on from the enlisted personnel of the behalf of the various Powers interested, stations, and the warrant personnel of under the conditions set forth in the the floating part of the Service is International Convention for the Safety obtained, after examination, and of Life at Sea, which was signed at appointment by the Secretary of the London, 20th January, 1914, by the Treasury, from the enlisted personnel representatives of those Powers. of the vessels. The enlisted personnel 98 THE LIFE-BOAT. [DECEMBER, 1923. of the entire Service is obtained in much independent units as the exigencies of the same manner as in all military the Service may require. jgervices, the period of enlistment ranging The sea and lake coasts of the United from one to three years, at the option States are divided into thirteen Coast of the candidate. Guard districts, as hereinbefore stated. The authorized commissioned per- In these districts there are 277 shore sonnel of the Service is 270. At the stations, located with especial reference close of the fiscal year, ended 30th June, to navigational dangers. Each district / 1922, there were 389 warrant officers, is in immediate charge of a District and 3,548 petty officers and other Superintendent, as previously stated, enlisted men. The number of petty and each station is in immediate charge officers and other enlisted men, however, of a warrant officer. A crew of from does not represent the full complement, as seven to ten men, generally, is assigned there were a number of vacancies unfilled. to each station, according to local Ranks and titles of officers are the conditions and needs.

U.S. COAST GUARD STATION ON THE PACIFIC COAST. same as those of corresponding officers The Coast Guard of the United States of the United States Navy. The grades undertakes the rescue of the shipwrecked of warrant officers, chief petty officers, by all the principal methods yet devised petty officers and other enlisted men, for that purpose ; bv line communica- are the same as those of the Navy, tion, and by life-boats and surf-boats, in so far as the duties of the Coast from the shore, and by cutters at sea. Guard may require. The Coast Guard It furnishes the shipwrecked subsequent has the rating of surfman, which the succour, and assists in arranging for Navy does not have, because of the surf their transportation to such destinations and broken water work necessary to as they are required to go. be performed at and in the vicinity of Stores of clothing for the destitute Coast Guard stations on shore. survivors of marine casualties and-other The floating equipment of the Services situations of distress or misfortune have at the close of the fiscal year ended been generously placed at the shore 30th June, 1922, consisted of 103 vessels, stations, without cost to the Govern- Vessels are attached to appropriated ment, for the past forty-two years, geographical divisions, of which there by the Blue Anchor Society, Aid for are seven covering the sea and lake the Shipwrecked, Women's National ooasts of the United States, or act as Association. DECEMBER, 1923.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 99 The Coast Guard, in its entirety, is range of 695 yards has been obtained under direct governmental jurisdiction with the No. 4 line under favourable and supervision, and is supported wholly circumstances. The range of the larger by appropriations made by the Congress line is, of course, proportionately of the United States. diminished. The No. 4 line is used only The life-saving equipment of the where the vessel is thought to lie beyond shore stations consists of the so-called the range of the larger lines, for the beach apparatus (comprising, chiefly, reason that it is not strong enough to line-throwing guns, projectiles, shot sustain the hauling of the whip line on lines, hawsers, whip lines, breeches- board—an intermediate line has to be buoys, tally boards, life cars, heaving supplied, requiring the expenditure of sticks and lines, pyrotechnic signals, time and strength—and because it is signal flags and other gear, life-boats, not so easily hauled upon by the ship- surf-boats and other types of boats, wrecked sailors as the larger one. The life preservers, etc. For effecting line Hunt Gun is also of bronze, of about communication with stranded vessels, the same size and weight as the Lyle and between cutters and disabled vessels Gun, and not very different from it, at sea in heavy weather, the Coast except that it has a bore an inch larger Guard chiefly employs the Lyle Gun, and is attached to its carriage bed at named after Colonel D. A. Lyle, of the the cascable instead of resting on Ordnance Department of the United trunnions. The peculiarity of the Hunt States Army, who devised it. It is to system is not in the gun, but in the be found in every station. The Hunt projectile, which could be fired just as Gun, devised by Mr. Edmund S. Hunt, well from the Lyle Gun if the latter of Massachusetts, and the Cunningham were of sufficient calibre. This pro- Rocket, invented by Mr. Patrick Cun- jectile consists of a cylindrical tube of ningham, of the same State, have been tin, into one end of which is soldered a furnished to a few stations where the solid hemispherical piece of lead, which, outlying bars are so far off shore that when the projectile is placed in the gun, vessels may possibly strand beyond the rests upon the cartridge, and upon dis- range of the Lyle Gun. This has been charge reverses its position like the done not in the belief that the beach Lyle shot and goes foremost. The apparatus can be effectually used at shot line, being fastened into a staple any distance beyond this range, but in the centre of the inside surface of this with the hope that a line, if thrown from piece of lead, is coiled in the tube until the shore to a wreck, might be used to the cavity is nearly filled, being kept effect the passage of a boat or a life- in place by a coating of paraffin, which car, or that some other means for rescue is sufficiently adhesive for the purpose, might be improvised. The Lyle Gun but does not materially retard its paying is of bronze, with a smooth 2|-inch out as the projectile flies. The tube bore ; weighs, with its carriage,-185 Ibs., has a capacity for 320 yards of No.. 4 and carries a shot weighing 17 Ibs. line. In the outer end is placed a This projectile is a solid elongated diaphragm of paste-board with a circular cylinder 14J inches in length, into the hole in its centre f inch in diameter, base of which is screwed an eyebolt through which a portion of the other for receiving the shot line, the bolt end of the line hangs out. When the projecting sufficiently beyond the muzzle missile is placed in the gun 4 or 5 inches of the gun to protect the line from being protrude beyond the muzzle. Upon this burned off in firing. When the gun is portion four trapeziform wings are fired the weight and inertia of the line soldered at regular intervals to control cause the projectile to reverse. The the flight. Before firing, the protruding shot lines used are of three sizes, end of the incased line is tied to another designated by the numbers 4, 7 and 9, line coiled in a can, or otherwise so being, respectively, 7\, ^ and -& arranged as to permit it to be taken inch in diameter, and 700, 666 and 610 out without entanglement. When the yards long. Any charge of powder can discharge takes place the line in the be used up to the maximum of 6 ozs. A can, by its inertia and weight, causes 100 THE LIFE-BOAT. [DECEMBER, 1923. the line in the projectile to pay out, be landed, and where the distance is and when the latter is exhausted too great to use the breeches buoy. furnishes the supply for the remainder The car is a covered boat, made of of the flight. corrugated galvanized iron, furnished The Cunningham Rocket System may with rings at each end, into which be said to be an application of the Hunt hauling lines are bent, whereby the projectile to a rocket. It consists of a car is hauled back and forth on the water powerful rocket, at the rear end of between the wreck and the shore without which is a female screw that receives the use of any apparatus. It is supplied, the pointed end of a sheet-iron tube, however, with bails, one near each end, 5 feet 9J inches in length, and of equal by which it can be suspended from a diameter with the rocket. This tube hawser and passed along upon it like is packed with 800 yards of No. 4 the breeches buoy, if found necessary,

U.S. SURF-BOAT GOING OUT TO A WRECK. shot line, which is connected with a as is sometimes the case where the shore shore line in the same manner as in is abrupt. The cover of the boat is the Hunt system, and is paid out in convex, and is provided with a hatch, flight as from the Hunt projectile. which fastens either inside or outside, The tube also takes the place of the through which entrance and exit are stick in other rockets. The shore line effected. Near each end it is perforated can be of any size. The range of with a group of small holes, like the the rocket with a No. 4 line is from holes in a grater, punched outward, to 700 to 1,000 yards, which is dimi- supply aid for breathing, without admit- nished with other lines according to ting much, if any, water. It is capable their sizes. of containing six or seven persons, and For a vehicle in which to transport is very useful in landing sick people people from a wreck to shore, after line and valuables, as they are protected communication has been established, the from getting wet. On the first occasion breeches buoy is generally used. The of its use it saved 201 persons. life-car is sometimes taken, however, To ensure that the crews of wrecked especially where many persons are to vessels will understand what to do when |! DECEMBER, 1923.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 101 station crews are making rescues by between them to be patrolled, a halfway means of the beach apparatus gear, two point is established. At this point each tally boards or tablets are used. One patrolman must deposit a brass check of these is spliced permanently into the bearing the name of the station and his tail of the whip block, just above the number in the crew. This is taken up splice, and the other is spliced or bent on the next visit by the patrolman from on the top end of the hawser. Each the adjacent station, who in turn leaves tally board contains inscriptions, in his check. The first patrolman at night English on one side and in French on returns all checks of the previous night. the other, telling explicitly what is to Where the patrols do not connect, the be done after they are received. patrolman carries a watchman's clock At Coast Guard stations a fixed beat or time detector in which there is a or patrol is laid out in each direction dial that can be marked only by means along the shore, varying, according to of a key which registers on the dial the the conformation of the coast with exact time of marking. This key is respect to inlets, headlands, etc., from secured in a safe embedded in a post one-half to two, three, or four miles in at the limit of the patrol, and the patrol- length. man must reach that point in order to The station crew is divided into obtain the key with which to register regular watches of two men each, and his arrival. during the hours from sunset to sunrise In some cases telephones are located patrol these beats, keeping a sharp look- in halfway houses or at the end of the out seaward at all times. The usual patrols; in such cases the patrolmen schedule is: First watch, sunset to report to their stations by telephone. 8 P.M. ; second watch, 8 P.M. to mid- In other cases the patrolman is provided night ; third watch, midnight to 4 A.M. ; with a small hand telephone set with fourth watch, 4 A.M. to sunrise. which he can communicate with the At sunset the first man starts out on station. patrol in the same direction from all Each patrolman carries a number of stations in a district, so far as practic- red Coston signals with which to warn able. While the patrolman is out, his a vessel standing too close inshore, or to watch-mate takes the station watch, notify a vessel in distress that he has which is kept in the tower, or on the gone to summon assistance. beach abreast the station, as conditions The beach patrol was devised and may require. If the station is connected inaugurated by the former Life-Saving with the Service telephone line, the Service in the early 'seventies. station watch makes it his business to The coastal communication system of be within hearing distance of the bell the Coast Guard comprises more than at regular intervals. In addition to 2,200 miles of telephone circuits, includ- keeping watch seaward, he is on the ing about 440 miles of submarine tele- look-out for signals and telephone calls phone cable. All Coast Guard stations from the patrolman. Upon the return are furnished with telephone service, and, of the first patrol, he takes the station in addition, the most important light watch, and the other man patrols in stations on the Atlantic, Pacific and the opposite direction. At the proper Gulf coasts are provided with telephone j time the man on station watch calls service by the Coast Guard. Telephone out the next two men, who must be service is also furnished to a number of | dressed and ready for duty before the Navy radio and radio-compass stations first two turn in. by the Coast Guard. Wherever it is This routine is varied to meet local practicable to do so the stations are conditions. In harbours and seaports connected with one another, thus afford- fixed look-outs are usually maintained ing direct communication. This obtains instead of a beach patrol. in the great majority of cases. By means Positive evidence of the integrity of of this system the stations are enabled the patrol and watch is required. Where instantly to transmit information of stations are sufficiently close to one marine casualties to the maritime another to permit the entire distance centres of the country, and to summon 102 THE LIFE-BOAT. [DECEMBER, 1923. the aid of the cutters and other agencies. classes and types of vessels and boats This utilitarian adjunct of the Coast for service in the Coast Guard is an Guard, starting on our coast nearly absorbing and important problem, as half a century ago, gradually growing it is, doubtless, in all kindred services. to its present state of perfection and The'general'characteristics of the cutters

36-FOOT MOTOR SELF-BAILING, SELF-RIGHTING LIFE-BOAT, U.S. COASTGUARD. efficiency, has been made of incalculable are determined from a study of the benefit to the Service, to marine com- Service conditions under which they merce, to those interested in shipping, must be designed to operate. Aside to the country as a protective agency in from normal Service conditions, con- time of war, and to the public residing sideration must be given to the question on the outlying, desolate beaches skirting of national defence, and in this relation the seaboard. a study of Navy requirements is involved, The development of the most efficient so that the requisite design and features DECEMBER, 1923.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 103 may be accomplished. Inasmuch as fenders; draft, 2 feet approximately, the size of an efficient cruising cutter is under way ; clinker built; hull sub- limited, a combination of desirable divided by watertight bulkheads ; deck qualities in proper proportions becomes side and end compartments ; engine box a desideratum. Seaworthiness, length, amidships ; semi-tunnel for propeller; draft, displacement, speed, steaming protecting skeg for propeller; out- radius and accommodations, all must board detachable rudder; propelling receive attention, and Coast Guard machinery—one four-cylinder, four- essentials of ample boat equipment, cycle Kermath motor of about 20 h.p. strong anchor gear, towing gear and at 1,000 revolutions per minute ; gaso- wrecking equipment, as well as Navy line tanks, total capacity of approxi- requirements for battery, ammunition, mately 22 gallons; speed about eight fire control, and special devices must and a half miles per hour; fitted for be provided for. What is said pertains rowing ; no sails ; hull of wood. particularly to the requirements for Self-bailing Surf-boat. — Length, cruising cutters, but the design of the 25 feet 6 inches over all; beam, 8 feet small craft for inshore patrol and over cork fenders ; clinker built; hull harbour duty, also, must have careful subdivided by watertight bulkheads; attention. The Coast Guard endeavours, deck side and end compartments; out- in developing designs, to simplify and board rudder ; no propelling machinery ; standardise the vessels in order to fitted for rowing ; fitted with sails and reduce first cost and to minimise the centreboard ; hull of wood. expense of upkeep, repair and operation. Open Surf-boats.—Length, from 24 feet The standardisation of small boats 6 inches to 26 feet over all; beam, for vessels and for stations has been about 7 feet; not self-bailing ; clinker accomplished, and the principal classes built; end compartments fitted ; out- of such boats are known as follows : board rudder ; all equipped for rowing ; Motor life-boats, motor self-bailing surf- some fitted with sails and centreboards ; boats, motor launches, motor dinghies, hulls of wood. self-bailing surf-boats, surf-boats, whale The operations of the Coast Guard boats and dinghies. The simplification from 1st July, 1914, to 30th June, 1922, of the boat equipment has tended to a that are susceptible of numerical or saving in first costs and in cost of repair, monetary appraisement, are exhibited without any loss of efficiency. in the following tabular summary : The following will describe briefly the Lives saved or persons rescued self-bailing, self-righting motor life- from peril .... 15,199 boat, the self-bailing motor surf-boat, Persons on board vessels assisted 100,589 the self-bailing surf-boat, and the open Persons in distress cared for 5,128 Vessels boarded and papers surf-boats. examined .... 120,618 Motor Life-boat.—Length, 36 feet over Regattas and marine parades all; beam, 9 feet 6 inches over guards ; patrolled in accordance with draft, approximately, 3 feet 6 inches; law ..... 126 Instances of lives saved and self-bailing and self-righting; carvel vessels assisted 12,756 built; hull divided into watertight Instances of miscellaneous assist- bulkheads; turtle back-end compart- ance ..... 10,185 ments ; engine house amidships ; semi- Derelicts and other obstructions to navigation removed or tunnel for propeller; protecting skeg destroyed .... 156 for propeller and rudder; propelling Value of vessels assisted (includ- machinery—one four-cylinder four-cycle ing cargoes)....$233,446,162 Wisconsin motor of about 44 h.p. at Value of derelicts recovered and delivered to owners $2,667,885 1,000 revolutions per minute ; gasoline Persons examined for certificates tanks, total capacity about 150 gallons as life-boat men . 43,508 equipped with electric lights; speed about nine miles an hour; jib, main The duties of the Coast Guard call for and mizzen sails fitted ; hull of wood. unceasing vigilance and energetic Self-bailing Motor Surf-boat.—Length, prosecution at all times; its scope is 26 feet over all; beam, 8 feet over cork broad and comprehensive, and its 104 THE LIFE-BOAT. [DECEMBER, 1923. responsibilities are complex and serious. dock or at a safe harbour anchorage in The annals of the Service furnish almost time to escape the tempestuous weather an unending story of achievements— of late autumn. But there are always many, it is believed, as brilliant as some owners or masters who are willing human effort can make them—at wreck to take the hazard of " one more trip " and rescue work. It is difficult, ii —the last in many cases, since a con- indeed it is not impossible, to select siderable number of the vessels that from among the hundreds of instances court misfortune in this way never again of such service particular cases wherein reach port. the very acme of excellence has been Ordinarily, vessels caught thus by attained. So many instances have storm out in open water meet disaster reached that point, it would seem, or while seeking a haven. Unable to find have approximated that point, that to the harbour entrance they are trying differentiate among them would require to reach in the darkness or blinding the finest sort of discrimination. Effort mist or snow, they strike upon pier or will be made, however, to relate, below breakwater, or upon an unfriendly

U.S. COAST GUARD STATION ON THE GREAT LAKES, WITH CREW PERFORMING CAPSIZE DRILL IN A SURF BOAT. several cases of representative service beach near by. Frequently, the spot at shipwreck performed by the cutters in which they come to grief is so exposed and the stations of the Service. or so surrounded by natural obstructions, such as reefs and rocky formation of Wreck of the Steamer "RE. Runnels." coast, as to make rescue or salvage The closing days of the season of work difficult, if not impossible. navigation upon the Great Lakes furnish A shipwreck which occurred in mid- the Coast Guard units operating upon November of 1919, at Grand Marais, those waters a period of arduous service, Michigan, coast of Lake Superior, is a for it is during this period that most of good illustration of the foregoing. the " big" wrecks occur. In late The 889-ton American steamer H. E. October and during the month of Runnels left Buffalo on 5th November November violent gales, accompanied for Lake Linden, Michigan, a voyage of by snow and sleet—the advance guard upward of 1,000 miles. With 100 miles of a northern winter—sweep unheralded or so of her trip still before her she ran over this region, lashing the waters of into a north-west gale off Grand Marais, these inland seas to a fury such as is and turned into the harbour at that not often experienced in ocean naviga- place for shelter. The gale abating tion. The prudent shipowner puts his somewhat, she resumed her voyage early property in winter quarters alongside a on the morning of the 14th. When she DECEMBER, 1923.J THE LIFE-BOAT. 105 rounded Point Au Sable, eight miles Surfman Kristofferson's visit to the distant from Grand Marais, she en- cutter had an unexpected bearing upon countered a sixty-mile wind, accom- j the events that were shortly to take panied by a heavy fall of snow. She' place. It resulted in bringing to the promptly turned round and headed back! ranks of the life-saving forces a volunteer for the harbour she had recently left. I of long experience in wreck work, John The Runnels had made her last port. 0. Anderson, keeper of the Old Chicago In the murk of the driving snow she Coast Guard Station. Keeper Anderson, missed the harbour entrance. While away from his station on leave at the she was working out into the lake for time, was on board the cutter as a guest a second attempt her steering gear gave of her commanding officer, Captain way and she was driven helplessly on G. R. O'Connor. the shore, striking 150 feet from the i On learning from Kristofierson that outer end of one of the piers. j his superior officer was not within call, The hour was about 7 A.M., scarcely Anderson tendered his services to the daylight in that latitude. The crew of surf man. The acceptance of the offer the Grand Marais Coast Guard station, automatically placed Anderson, for the situated a quarter of a mile southward time, in charge of the station crew, a of the scene of the stranding, had been responsibility which, as the events of earlier aware of the vessel's movements, the morning proved, he bore with great she having been reported outside the credit to himself and the Service. pierheads by the station watch at 5.30 While Anderson and Kristofferson o'clock. This was presumably at the were on their way to the station they time she was making her first attempt saw the masts and spars of a vessel to get in. looming up through the driving snow A vessel in the position in which the close inshore. She was even then drifting Runnels was first observed, and with a rapidly to her doom off the harbour piers. storm raging, presaged disaster. The Events moved swiftly. The steamer station crew, therefore, lost no time in was now aground, broadside to the getting boats and apparatus ready for beach, and lying in a position that the work which experience told them was exposed her to the full violence of the almost certainly ahead. storm. The waves were high and short, The Runnels was seen to back out coming around both bow and stern. into the lake after her first unsuccessful This, with the backwash from the pier, effort to make the entrance, and it was made a nasty cross sea. The tempera- supposed that she intended to heave to ture stood at 18 degrees above zero, and await daylight before having another and the water froze as it fell, coating " try " at the narrow passage between everything it touched with ice. More- the piers. This view was strengthened over, the furiously driving snow was like by the fact that she did not blow her a curtain blown aside at intervals to dis- whistle nor display any signals indicating close to the onlookers a more or less ob- that she was in difficulty. scured picture of the stricken vessel. When the station crew first saw the A shot from the Lyle Line-throwing steamer the wind was blowing with Gun placed a line fairly over the bow- almost hurricane force, and a tremendous sprit of the steamer—the only part of sea was running. Acting upon the belief her not constantly swept by the seas. that she would make no further attempt The ship's crew got hold of the line, to get inside until daylight, Surfman hauled out the block with the whip A. E. Kristofierson, in charge of the line rove through it, and fastened the station in the absence of the keeper, former to the post of the steering wheel went aboard Coast Guard cutter No. 438 in the pilot house—the only accessible (formerly a sub.-chaser), temporarily in object offering the stability necessary to harbour for shelter, and requested the withstand the strain soon to be put upon assistance of that vessel in getting the the line. station apparatus to the beach should Thus far the work preliminary to that the expected happen and the steamer of taking the men off the vessel had «ome ashore. moved along without a hitch ; but now, 106 THE LIFE-BOAT. [DECEMBER, 1923. with the block in position aboard ship, accompanying the regular boat's the line leading ashore—a new one— crew. hardened as it sagged in the water and To still further ensure the safety of became weighted with ice. When the the party, Keeper Anderson threw a surfmen tried to haul out the hawser line over the whip from the stern. The which was to carry the breeches buoy boat was now held in leash, as it were, in its passage to and from the ship the from both ends, the stern line giving line snarled. As the vessel had already it a measure of protection from the begun to break up, time was precious, cross seas. and this interruption of operations was When the boatmen reached the calculated to fill the hearts of the steamer a heaving line was thrown on rescuing forces with dismay. board, the plan being to haul the men, A boat, under either power or oars, one at a time, into the boat as they could not have lived in the seas that leaped overboard on the end of the line.

U.S. COAST-GUARD CUTTER ON THE INTERNATIONAL ICE PATROL. raced round the ends of the steamer. But the violent pitching of the boat As the whip line was already fast on was found to interfere with the aim of the vessel, the two parts of it leading the surfmen. It was seen that throwing ashore were quickly brought together, and hauling in a line, with possible hauled up as tightly as possible, and occasional misthrows, would take up tied to a post, leaving the line suspended too much valuable time. Therefore, above the water. The Beebe-McLellan the men were persuaded, not without Self-bailing Surf-boat was next placed repeated re-assurances, to come down under the line, and its painter thrown to the boat, hand over hand, along the over the whip line and brought back whip line. into the boat. The idea had occurred Human endurance has its limits. to Kristofierson that the surf-boat The exertion required to reach the could be worked out to the steamer vessel and hold the boat alongside soon along the whip line, the painter holding began to tell on the surfmen. As they her up into wind and sea. A launching were all now near the point of exhaus- was effected in this manner, Keeper tion, they were compelled to put back Anderson and a volunteer fisherman to land with but four of the ship's crew (a former member of the Service) on board. DECEMBER, 1923.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 107 By the time the boat reached shore rescue was less fortunate than the three of her crew were in a state of others. He was swept overboard no collapse from fatigue, cold, and cramps, less than three times before the work and it was necessary to carry them in hand was concluded and the boat bodily to their quarters and administer on its way to the shore. restorative treatment. This did not Thus, in the face of hardship and delay operations, however. Three fresh danger such as are rarely encountered men took their places in the boat. by the corps, the rescue of the Runnel's On the second venture six men were crew of seventeen men was happily safely landed. The third trip was accomplished. equally successful, with five more lives The services of the rescuers were to the credit of the rescuers. When appropriately recognised by the Depart- the boat landed for the third time two ment by the award of life-saving medals more men dropped out disabled. of honour. The rescue was still incomplete. Two men—the master and the engineer— Wreck of the Tug "Margaret." were still on the wreck, and only four On the morning of 30th December, of the first boat's crew to leave snore— 1912, the seagoing tug Margaret, fighting Keeper Anderson, Surfmen Kristofferson her way against a 45-mile gale, en route and Martin, and James MacDonald (a from New York to Norfolk, Virginia, with fisherman)—were still in condition to three heavily-laden barges, struck a sub- continue the work. merged wreck or other obstruction off The danger of the undertaking, now the coast of New Jersey, and was so nearing its end, had so impressed the severely injured that she had to cast onlookers that it was no longer possible off her tow, and run for the shore to keep to enlist a sufficient number of volunteers from sinking. She grounded in the for the fourth and last venture. The breakers, some 300 yards off the beach, boat was therefore compelled to put off and was promptly discovered by the look- under-manned. out of the Avalon Station, New Jersey, In some respects this last trip to the three or four miles to the north-east. wreck was the most difficult and danger- As a rescuing party from the station ous of all. The men still on the steamer named would have had to put to sea in were of middle age and less agile than the teeth of the gale, news of the disaster the others of her crew. Besides, one was telephoned to the Tathams Station, of them—the engineer—was a man several miles to the southward—from weighing more than 300 Ibs. Should which place a boat going to the assist- they happen to lose their hold on the ance of the tug would have the wind whip line while trying to reach the surf- dead astern. After sending the message, boat they would in all likelihood be the keeper of the Avalon Station set out swept out of reach and drowned. To with his crew down the beach on foot prevent such a mishap the heaving line with the purpose of assisting the life- was thrown to them. This they tied savers at Tathams, should assistance be each around his body before essaying necessary. to go overboard. On receiving information of the The wisdom of this precaution was stranding, the Tathams crew, under the soon apparent, for each lost his grip on command of Keeper Harry McGinley, the whip line and fell into the water. hauled their power surf-boat down to the The heaving line was all that saved them. beach ready for launching. Under the But even so, the task of getting them out lashing of the gale the waters inshore had of the water, diverting the surfmen for became a cauldron of raging seas. To the moment, as it did, from the ever- launch ofi an unprotected beach at such present peril of boarding seas, brought a time is a task of great difficulty and calamity upon some of the rescuers. danger, for in order to escape disaster the A wave, smashing down over the boat, boat must be held squarely head to the washed three of them overboard. Fortu- seas. A swerve to either side, however nately, all succeeded in getting back on slight, and a breaking wave may swing board. Keeper Anderson, directing the the craft around broadside to and roll 108 THE LIFE-BOAT. [DECEMBER, 1923. her back on the beach, possibly to the under the starboard bow, that being the loss of some of her crew. least exposed place alongside the wreck. As the boat glided from her carriage A few quick-spoken instructions were and struck the water, the engine was set accordingly given as to the duty of each going to give her steerage way, but so man when the moment should arrive for fierce were the onslaughts of the surf that the actual work of rescue to begin. the power of her two propellers had to be The boat was held in check as much as augmented by the muscle of seven oars- possible, awaiting the approach of a men before she was able to get her nose favouring sea. When one came along, beyond the first line of breakers. As it the full power of the engine was turned was, she filled before reaching the less on, and boat and gathering waves sped turbulent area outside the inshore swiftly toward the vessel. Fifty yards breakers. Fortunately the boat was a self- from the goal, however, the sea fell away. bailer and practically non-submersible. At this critical moment, with the speed

U.S. COAST GUARD EXPERIMENTING WITH MINES FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF ICEBERGS. Wind and sea were rapidly increasing, of the craft slackened, two towering seas but once beyond the surf the rescuers raced down upon the boat from over the had both in their favour and were soon bow. The propellers were reversed to in the locality of the tug. They found give the craft sternway and enable her her lying bow to the shore, with only to meet the oncoming waves with as the upper part of her pilot-house and little shock as possible, but she failed to three or four feet of her bow exposed. take the first one at the right moment, Her afterhouse had disappeared, and her and it broke over the heads of the boats had washed clear of their tackle. occupants, hiding men and boat What still remained above water was entirely from the view of the crew of being heavily bombarded by the seas, the tug, who were anxiously watching as though old Neptune were bent on the contest. battering down the last refuge of the Like a duck coming up from a dive, vessel's hapless crew before any human the boat freed herself of the deluge of agency could intervene to save them. water, only to take a second plunge After a hasty survey of the situation, under when the following sea struck Keeper McGinley decided to run in her, but she again came buoyantly up, DECEMBER, 1923. THE LIFE-BOAT. 109 and with every man of her half-drowned vainly against the current for a while crew in his place. two of them gave up the contest and While the life-savers were battling swam for the shore. thus with the seas, wind and tide carried The four oarsmen who, with the keeper, them fully 250 yards away from the dad managed to get back to the 'boat wreck. Efforts to regain the ground lost were able to support themselves along- were continued with renewed vigour, the side by holding on to the bilge strips, surfmen now taking to their oars and while the keeper maintained himself at adding their strength to gasoline power. the stern, clinging to the propeller For more than half an hour the unequal blades. Several attempts were made to fight went on, the boat gaining, then right the boat, but its weight and bulk losing, then gaining again, the oarsmen refused to answer the united tugging of frequently having to stop rowing and the four oarsmen. hold on to their seats to keep from being As the five helpless men clung to the washed overboard. craft, with tons of swirling green water At last the boat, having shipped many burying them at intervals of a few seas and repeatedly filled, got within 25 seconds, they did not forget to shout yards of the tug—almost near enough to words of encouragement to their appa- permit a line to be thrown into the hands rently less fortunate comrades, fighting of her crew. their way to a place beside them. More- Keeper McGinley, who held the steer- over, the men alongside tie boat were ing oar, states in his report to the depart- not unmindful of each other. After each ment that the surf around the wreck was sea had smashed down on their heads the worst he had ever encountered in and passed on, the first question asked twenty-nine years spent on the beach. one of the other was: "Is every one The master of the tug adds his testimony safe ? " also to that of the keeper regarding the Two of those who were clinging to the condition of the sea, with the statement boat, Surfmeii John Mathis and Adel- that on two occasions, as he watched the bert Bobbins, had been boyhood friends. efforts of the life-savers to get alongside, Mathis was married. When it seemed their boat was flung so high above the that all must inevitably perish, Bobbins, surface of the water that he could see with as fine a spirit of resignation and daylight underneath her entire length. self-sacrifice as was ever exhibited, re- Weather conditions were unfortunately marked: " If one of us has to die, I growing worse, the gale having now would rather it would be me instead of attained almost the velocity of a hurri- John. He has a wife and children." cane and the seas become miniature Shortly after the keeper regained the mountains. Moreover, the wave-buf- boat he endeavoured to push the steer- feted surf-boat, on getting in near the ing oar, which was still secured at the wreck, found herself in the toils of an stern, within reach of one of ihe three irresistible current, against which the men the tide had carried away some power of men and machinery combined distance. While his attention was availed nothing. engaged by the oar a sea, taking him The life-saving crew had, indeed, off his guard, tore him away from the reached the end of their resources, as was wheel and swept him away also. Mud- soon to be demonstrated. As they ing himself unable to get back to the struggled futilely to make headway, boat, and feeling the chill of the water their boat was caught up, without warn- beginning to benumb his senses, he, too, ing, on the crest of a suddenly risen struck out for land. The others who comber and, in a twinkling, flung aloft were still by the boat soon followed his and turned over. example. Following the capsize, five of the crew, By a miracle all hands reached shallow including the keeper, succeeded in re- water, from which they were hauled by gaining the boat, which now floated their comrades from Avalon, assisted by bottom up. Three came to the surface residents of the neighbourhood. They so far away from the craft that they were so chilled and exhausted when taken could not reach it at all. After struggling from the surf that they had to be carried 110 THE LIFE-BOAT. [DECEMBER, 1923. bodily to a rousing fire awaiting them in As the boat shot in under the tug's an abandoned barn near by. bow, a line thrown toward the pilot- By 2 P.M. the wind had moderated house was eagerly seized by the sailors perceptibly and shifted to the westward, and made fast. The next instant almost cutting down the surf considerably. In saw a second disastrous termination of anticipation of the improved weather the life-savers' efforts. When the line conditions, Keeper Frank Nichols, of the tautened the boat swung around to the Avalon Station, had already dispatched current and was struck broadside by a his crew for his surf-boat. The boat succession of seas, which, besides filling arrived at 3.30 P.M. her, snatched five oars out of the hands While preparations for leaving shore of the surfmen and carried them away. were under way a new difficulty arose— Fortunately the two keepers, whose that of picking a crew. Eight men were united strength was employed at the needed, but each man in the two crews steering oar, managed to work the insisted on being given a place in the craft quickly around to her former boat. The Avalon crew were fresh and position. While she was held thus, the impatient for the work ahead, but the shipwrecked men—ten in number—left men from Tathams protested vocifer- their precarious refuge and tumbled on ously against any arrangement that board. would leave them to play the role of Just as the last man was taken off a spectators. Finally it was agreed that giant comber lifted the boat high in the the privilege of facing death in the air and sent her smashing against the breakers should be accorded the two side of the tug, staving in three of her keepers and three surfmen from each planks. It was no place, however, in station. The disappointment of being which to take stock of casualties. The left behind was so keenly felt by one of surfmen, therefore, backed away for the the surfmen that he broke down and shore with as much speed as could be wept. This man, be it known, had made with the boat's three remaining passed through the harrowing events of oars. the earlier venture and was in no condi- Superb surfmanship won the day, and tion to go to sea again. the battered and disabled boat, weighted The surf-boat, successfully launched, down nearly to the gunwales by its load made fair headway towards the wreck, of eighteen men, reached the beach but the strength of the oarsmen alone— without further accident. the boat being without power—was not It was learned from the shipwrecked sufficient to offset the combined force crew that one of their number, the fire- of wind and current. Consequently, the man, had perished after the tug had rescuers were swept helplessly past the stranded. Rendered temporarily insane wreck. There was nothing to do but beat by fear, he had jumped into a boat and back to windward again for another started to lower it. A sea came along attempt. This they did, going far enough while he was working at the fall and up- to give them a 300-yard run to the ended the craft, pitching him headlong vessel. into the water. They found the tug apparently intact, Keeper McGinley's description of the with the seas breaking over the pilot- Margaret's polyglot crew, and of the house, whose windows still framed the manner in which the feelings of some of haggard faces of ten despairing men. As them found vent after the surf-boat the wreck afforded practically no lee, reached shore, gives a brightening touch the danger of running alongside may well to his sombre recital of the thrilling be conceived. The tug was in momen- events that preceded and attended the tary danger, moreover, of breaking up, rescue. He says : so there was no time to wait for a lull in " It was a motley crew. Only four of the gale or for a chance to manoeuvre for them were Americans. There were the an advantageous position. The run-in captain, two negroes, one Irishman, one alongside had to be made with the utmost Scotsman, two Scandinavians, two expedition, and the boat, once the crew Turks, and one from North Carolina. sent it forward, held true. Talk about the confusion of tongues ! I DECEMBER, 1923.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 111 can imagine why the Tower was not He did a barefoot shuffle on the ice-cold finished. Most of them were hatless and beach." shoeless, and clad only in trousers and The two station keepers (McGinley undershirt. All were overjoyed when and Nichols) were the recipients of we landed. The cook, a huge negro, letters from the Secretary of the Trea- dropped to his knees on the sand and sury, highly praising the conduct of all with arms upraised, offered thanks to who participated in the day's hazardous the Lord for his deliverance. The little work. The services of the two crews mess boy, also coloured, was no less were further recognized by the Depart- demonstrative and sincere than, the ment by the award of gold medals, each cook in his manifestations of gratitude. man who shared the perils of one or both His actions took a livelier turn, however. trips to the wreck being so honoured.

The Story of the "Trevessa's" Boats. Lloyd's List and Shipping Gazette has originally published in Lloyd's List, and just published as a pamphlet the logs in republishing them as a pamphlet at kept by the Master and Chief Officer of Gd., and in devoting the proceeds of their the Trevessa, during the voyages of the sale to marine charities, that paper has two boats of that vessel after she sank done a further service for which every in the Indian Ocean, on 4th June last. one will be grateful. For many will be It will be remembered that she was then very glad to have, in this permanent 1,200 miles from the coast of Western form, the story of this remarkable Australia, .and that the last wireless voyage. One admires the cheerful cour- message received from her reported that age of the men who endured for twenty- her crew were taking to the boats. After three days in one case, and twenty-six that there was silence for twenty-three in the other, on starvation rations of a days. All hope had been abandoned. little biscuit, a little condensed milk and And then, on 27th July, telegrams were a little water—helped out with an im- received announcing that the boat in provised song on ham and eggs. One charge of the Master had arrived at admires still more their discipline. One Rodriguez Island. Three days later admires, as much as either, the pride of the other boat, in charge of the Chief the captain which made him, as he Officer, reached Souillac, on the south entered the harbour and passed under coast of Mauritius. Ten of the crew the stem of a steamer, decide that " as died at sea, from exposure, and another we had come so far, we'd go ashore and died shortly after landing at Mauri- not board the steamer." But one's last tius. The remaining thirty-three were impression, and it is an impression saved. strengthened by the simple matter-of- The Master, Captain Cecil Foster, and fact way in which the story is told, is the Chief Officer, Mr. James C. Stewart that these men, who have suddenly Smith, were awarded Lloyd's Silver become famous, were, after all, doing Medal for Saving Life at Sea, and as a and suffering in only a little higher result of an appeal in the columns of degree, what many hundreds of their Lloyd's List, the Committee of Lloyd's fellow-seamen in our Mercantile Marine collected a sum of £1,453, which has do and suffer with the same ready been distributed among the crew. The courage and good discipline, though the logs of the Master and Chief Officer were ! story of it is never told. 112 THE LIFE-BOAT. [DECEMBER, 1923.

The Watson (Cabin) Type of Motor Life-boat By CAPTAIN HOWARD F. J. ROWLEY, C.B.E., R.N., Chief Inspector of Life-boats. ALTHOUGH the Barnett (Twin Screw) '• they must be in Boats which can be Boat, built for the Station at New j launched from a slipway. For these Brighton, was the first Cabin Life-boat i reasons it was decided to modify the to be laid down for the Institution's present Watson type, of which there fleet, the first actually to be completed are nineteen Motor Boats and nearly was the new type of Watson Boat, fitted thirty Pulling and Sailing Boats, pro-

THE FIRST OF THE WATSON (CABIN) MOTOR LIFE-BOATS, STATIONED AT TENBY. with a cabin, which has been built for the viding it with one cabin. The Tenby Station at Tenby, South Wales. The Boat is the first of this new type, and high cost of the Barnett Boat and the others are being built for Portrush, fact that a boat of such size must be Yarmouth (Isle of Wight), Porthdinllaen, kept afloat makes it necessary to limit Langhope (Orkneys), Douglas (Isle of its use to those stations where, for I Man), Holy Island, Margate, Teesmouth, special reasons, a large and very power- and Dunmore East. These Boats are ful boat is required and suitable all of the same dimensions as the largest anchorage can be found. On the other of the existing Watson Boats, that is to hand, the value of cabins is very great, say 45 feet by 12 feet 6 inches. They and the need for them is greater now have practically the same displacement, that we have powerful Motor Life-boats 20 tons, with the crew and all gear on with a radius of action of anything from board, and they are fitted with the 50 to 100 miles. If, however, they Institution's new six-cylinder 90 b.h.p. are to be in anything like general use engine which gives them a speed of 8 I

o ts *• 2 i in

o § 5

1 114 THE LIFE-BOAT. [DECEMBER, 1923. to 9 knots and a radius of action of explanation may help to emphasise 50 miles. them. They have a flush deck, except for the The figures at either end of the Boat, end-boxes and a cockpit aft, protected in each diagram, give in inches the by the hood, which can be clearly depth of the keel, fore and aft, below the seen in the illustration. Forward of water-line. this hood is the engine-room and, The darkened parts show the flooding. forward of that again, the cabin which In the second and fourth diagrams, will have room for about twenty respectively, the cabin and engine-room people. are marked with cross linea They are The Tenby Boat was completed in not themselves flooded, but, as will be June, and before going to her Station seen by looking at the deck plan, they visited the Thames and gave a display are surrounded by water on three sides, at the Meeting of the British Motor in (he case of the cabin by the flooding Boat Club, held on the Chelsea Reach of the fore hold, and in the case of the on 30th June. A party of Members of engine-room, by the flooding of the Parliament were taken for a trip in her, after hold. and were given a demonstration of the Buoyancy is given to the Boat by Line-throwing Gun. Some very inter- ninety-one air-tight cases. Yet more esting experiments were then carried out could be fitted, but the test shows con- in the dock at the Storeyard with a clusively that with ninety-one there is view to testing her buoyancy. Different already a very large margin of buoyancy. compartments were flooded, and, in These air-cases suffice to keep her the end, the whole Boat, with the afloat with every compartment flooded exception of the petrol tanks. The and with fifteen men all on one gunwale, accompanying diagrams show the whereas, in no conceivable circumstances result of this test. They speak for on service could there be more than two themselves, but one or two words of or three compartments flooded.

International Congress of the Breton Life-Saving Society- A VERY interesting International Con- given. On behalf of the Institution, gress on life-saving took place at St. Commander Douglas read a paper on Malo, Brittany, between the 4th and " The Launching of Life-boats by 12th August. It had been organised by Tractors," which was very well received. La Soci6te des Hospitaliers Sauveteurs No pains were spared to render the Bretons, in celebration of their 50th visit of the foreign representatives in- anniversary, and was attended by a large teresting, and every moment of their number of French and foreign repre- spare time was occupied with entertain- sentatives. The Institution was repre- ments and visits to neighbouring places sented by Commander Stopford C. of interest. Douglas, R.N., Deputy Chief Inspector of The Annual Meeting of the Society Life-boats, and the foreign representa- took place on Sunday, the 12th, in the tives included Admiral Reynolds, U.S.A., Town Hall of St. Malo, where a crowded head of the United States Coast Guard audience listened to the account of the Service, and Captain Saxild, of the various life-saving services performed by Danish Ministry of Marine, both of whom Life-boats and other means, for which had already paid a visit to England, in awards were being given. July, and inspected the New Brighton At the conclusion, M. Berthaut, Presi- Motor Life-boat at Cowes. The Congress dent of the Society, announced that La was opened by M. Raiberti, Minister of Grande Medaille d'Art Exceptionelle had Marine, and the technical discussions been bestowed upon THE ROYAL NA- covered a period of four days, during TIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION " as a which time a large range of interesting tribute to the oldest and most powerful subjects was discussed, whilst practical voluntary life-saving service in the exhibitions of interesting inventions were world." DECEMBER, 1923.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 115

The Fishwives of Cullercoats It is not only to our Life-boat workers, energetically and successfully celebrated that we are indebted for help in raising their second annual Life-Boat Day— funds. Numbers of the men and women established a year ago upon the initia- who take part in the sterner side of tive of Mr. B. H. Brown, of Spring- Life-boat work on the coast have given field, Cullercoats, the Honorary Secre- us generous help on the financial side as tary for the Branch. well. For the " The scene at second year the Cullercoats, where Fishwives of Cul- the pro cession lercoats made an started, was in- appeal on the oc- stinct with vigor- casion of the quar- ous life. terly exercise of "'Man the the Boat. Last ropes!' year they collected " Life - boatmen nearly £60. This past, present, and year the sum is future answered over £90. Once the call. Cox- again, also, they swain James Scott, hired a band, en- Second Coxswain tertained it to tea, John Stocks, and for both of which Bowman Willie they paid them- Tayl or were selves, so that the attended by a whole of the sum picturesque crew collected goes to of red stocking- the funds of the capped Life-boat- Institution. In men, and hauling order to do this, at the ropes by they had given which the Life- concerts during boat Go-operator June, and thus No. I was drawn obtained a sum from the • Boat- sufficient to cover house up the pre- the expenses of MRS. POLLY DONKIN, OF CULLERCOATS. cipitous cliff-side the L i f e-b oat to the look-out appeal. Several of the fishwives raised were, in addition to the present crew, over £3 each, and one, Mrs. Polly old gnarled hands as ancient as John Donkin, actually collected £13 3s. \d., Armstrong's, who is seventy-three, and taking her box round to all her customers | youthful paws as young as those of the during the previous week. As she col- latest recruit to the inshore fishing cobles, lected more than three times as much as | " ' Aa wad say Jack Armstrang is the any one else, she deserves our special ] aadest Life-boatman aboot heor,' said thanks. j Big Donkin, who himself easily carries The following picturesque account of j sixty-eight years. ' But foak winnet the launch appeared in the Newcastle \ knaa whe yor taakin' aboot if ye say Chronicle and Mail:— Jack Armstrang. Ye'd bettor put " The coast is never truly represented doon Jack Pye. He gets nowt else but unless the figures of its own folk, in their that.' own characteristic dress, are in the " The next to him in length of years picture. is Jacob Chisholme, who is affection- " They were in it on Saturday at ately, though somewhat irreverently, Cullercoats and Whitley Bay, which known as Old Scranchup. He is seventy, 116 THE LIFE-BOAT. [DECEMBKR, 1923. and he was manfully tugging at the ropes owing to the provision by THE ROYAL until the Boat found an even keel on the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION of Bank Top, where it was awaited by over many new Motor Life-boats to take the half a hundred of the fisherwomen and place of the older pulling and sailing girls. craft around the coast. " They looked very comely, very like " The British Legion band from a quaint group of old Northumbria, in Howden headed the procession, and the

THE FISHWIVES OF CULLERCOATS. their blue fisher gowns, over which they women levied toll resolutely all the way wore shawls and headpieces worked in from Cullercoats to Whitley, where the silk of many colours. Life-boat—which had broken out be- " These expensive and beautiful tween its masts a line of flags signalling shawls, many of them Oriental in their ' God Save the King'—was launched rich colouring, are worn only on special and proceeded smartly upon its quarterly occasions. practice." " ' Such as weddings or gala days,' one One has only to look at the picture of the fisherwomen explained. of the fishwives, with their collecting " There was sufficient excuse for wear- boxes, to see that the old adage is not as ing them on Saturday, for everybody true when it is reversed—that handsome was anxious to make a spectacular and does as handsome is, and we hope that financial success of the appeal for funds other fishing towns will follow their fine —very much needed at the present time example. DECEMBER, 1923.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 117

Life-boat Days in 1923. 500 Days raise £40,000. OVER 500 Life-boat Days have been held significance, not only that there are so during the past year. many public-spirited people ready, often This sentence falls from the pen easily at considerable inconvenience and by enough, but to those who know the dint of much hard work, to extol a anxieties and difficulties which confront deserving cause, but that the public,who, the organiser of even a small street col- we are now so often told, will not give lection nowadays, the statement is re- unless there is a chance of winning some- markable proof of the irresistible appeal thing in return, have responded so which the Life-boat Service makes to all generously to the call of the Life-boats. classes. When it is remembered that the It is a striking result: 500 Days ; holding of a Day means a sequence of £40,000. And this in face of the many appeals for permission to hold the Day, difficulties encountered by local orga- for organisers, for superintendents, for nisers, and in spite of the fact that con- helpers, for advertising space, and, ditions obtaining this year were not far finally, for the contributions of the removed from those in previous years, in public—one realises the immense endea- that, for the fourth year in succession, vour behind the carrying out of over 500. our appeals have been made in the face Each Day has been individual, in that its of grave industrial depression, and that organisation and development have been the weather has been very unsettled. local. Each has been carried out without Moreover, local Committees have loyally any attempt to startle and excite the carried out the views of the Committee public. Each, in fact, has been a normal of Management as to not inviting the annual appeal for help, based simply on co-operation of girls under 18, in spite the public claims of the Life-boat Service, of the fact that this has handicapped and offering nothing in return by way of our organisers as compared with some sudden wealth to two or three of the of the less scrupulous efforts on behalf thousands contributing. of other societies. Days have been held in places varying In many large towns unemployment in size and wealth, from the villages of and consequent distress have been so Loxton, in Somerset, and Boothby acute that nothing could be attempted, Graffoe, in Lincolnshire, each with a and in many places in various parts population of some 130, to the cities of of the country, with organisation com- Manchester and Glasgow, with their plete and every prospect of a record million or so citizens. A notable feature collection, a continuous downpour has is that no less than sixty places held a robbed our workers of the full reward of Life-boat Day for the first time, and, their labours. Industrial conditions may although, owing to local conditions, improve, and the Institution's financial several Branches did not carry out their position would improve in proportion, usual " Day," the total number is easily but the spectre of a wet day will always a record. The growth of this method of remain as a possible spoiler of the most appeal in the last ten years is seen from elaborately arranged effort, and must, a comparison with 1913, in which year therefore, be regarded as a sort of normal the total number of street collections was handicap when reviewing a year's work. just over 100. None the less, it is a serious handicap, In these 500 Days, thousands of for a succession of wet Saturdays would honorary organisers and workers, of both mean a loss of income of many thousands sexes and of all classes, creeds and occu- of pounds. Imagine the loss if Life-boat pations, have taken part, and their quiet Days in London, Manchester, Brad- and unostentatious endeavours since ford, Liverpool, and Birmingham were January last have, between them, raised all spoiled by rain in one year. It is nearly £40,000. Ours is a national possible; and for this reason, Branch Service, and it is surely of national Committees are earnestly asked to bear Church, State and Stage Appeal for the Life-Boats.

THE REV. R. F. RENDELL, OF BRIGHTUNCSEA, PREACHING FROM THE LIFE-BOAT AT CLACTON-ON-SEA. -

HIS EXCELLENCY THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF THE ISLE OF MAN (MAJOR. GENERAL SIR WILLIAM FRY, K.C.V.O., C.B.). SPEAKING FROM THE RAMSEY LIFE- BOAT ON LIFE-BOAT DAY.

MR GEORGE ROBEY IN THE SCARBOROUGH LIFE-BOAT ON LIFE-BOAT DAY. DECEMBER, 1923.J THE LIFE-BOAT. 119 in mind some of the many other efforts, cannot be far distant when the multitude which are not dependent on the weather, of small flag days for every conceivable and by which, in addition to Life-boat object must disappear, for their difficul- Days, they may hope to increase its pro- ties in this matter are infinitely greater ceeds, or, if the summer is bad, to insure than ours. We have the inestimable against loss. In this way we may be advantage that the Life-boat is its own assured of that permanent and steady appeal. It appeals directly to the annual income which is essential to an imagination. There are many instances Institution like ours. where collections made in small rural or On the other hand, the work has had agricultural towns, the inhabitants of the stimulus of the personal interest, which have never seen a Life-boat, have and, in one or two cases, the presence been as generous as those at seaside of the Prince of Wales, our President. towns, which have frequently seen the The permission which he gave for all I boat launched in a whole N.E. gale. Days to be known as " Prince of Wales' j These facts should greatly comfort Day for the Life-boats," did much to those of our workers who have met with increase the interest and numbers, both difficulties in running the Day this year, of workers and contributors ; and his and should encourage them to continue presence in London on Life-boat Day, their efforts, whatever the success, in when he visited three depots, his the knowledge that with at least 499 personal interest at Swansea, where he other places they are helping to make up stopped his car and allowed one of the a total of £40,000 from local contri- Lady Collectors to pin a flag in his coat. butions, which are as indispensable and at Wolverhampton, where he to the Life-boat Service as the Life- accepted a cheque for the proceeds of boat Service is indispensable to the the Day, gave great encouragement to Nation. our helpers. In dealing with such a large number It is often asserted that the popularity , of Days it is impossible to mention all, of Flag Days is on the wane, but our' even where the work done and the experience in 1923 is conclusive proof j amount collected were particularly good, that Life-boat Day is increasing its hold j but the following branches have achieved upon the public imagination and senti-' notable successes : Alnwick, Batley, ment. It is essential that it should be Blackburn, Bournemouth, Bradford, so, for we are dependent upon this Brighton and Hove, Bromley, Burnham source for a considerable part of our (Somerset), Carlisle, Colwyn Bay, Cowes, revenue. It may be well specially to ' Cullercoats, Deal and Sandwich, Dundee, emphasise this in view of the fact that, Durham, Eastbourne, Falkirk, Fareham, in one or two cases this year, the " Day " Folkestone, Hampstead, Helensburgh, has been dropped and efforts made in, Kensington, Lambeth, Largs, Man- other directions. Valuable as are these j Chester, Montrose, Oxford, Perth, San- other methods, the fact remains that, as j down, J.W., Siregness, Stepney, St. a cumulative appeal, there is no substi-; Albans, Ventnor, I.W., Torquay, Tun- tute for Life-boat Day, which enables j bridge Wells, Wilton, us, with a minimum of expense, to A series of Days like ours affords an reach the many thousands who other- j excellent barometer to the general wise would have no opportunity of state of prosperity or depression, and it contributing, and whose small sums is interesting to note that this year there constitute a very large part of the [ has almost everywhere been a heavy £40,000. preponderance of copper coins. There The Institution was the pioneer of this were two particularly bright exceptions form of reaching the masses, and, in London, where, at Westminster, the although in some towns we are feeling various depots raised £977, of which only the competition of those who have copied 25 per cent, was in copper, and in our methods, we must not be driven from Piccadilly, where a collector brought in a the field. Once we retire from a place, j box containing £12 5*.—all in silver, we lose that continuity of the annual I It is impossible to conclude an article appeal which means so much. The time I on Life-boat Days without again ex- 120 THE LIFE-BOAT. [DECEMBER, 1923. pressing our admiration of the splendid of the women, like our crews, have had work of the women all over the country, to do their best work in the worst who are primarily responsible for the weather; and they have really shown success achieved. It has been a great the true Life-boat spirit throughout, tribute to the Ladies' Life-boat Guild, realising that the object is the same— and shows that this organisation, which the saving of life from shipwreck. The unites and consolidates the work, is full Centenary Year, 1924, should see 1,000 of good augury for the future. Many Life-boat Day efforts.

Inaugural Ceremonies of Motor Life-boats. Cromer and Penlee. THE new Cromer Motor Life-boat is the the coast of Norfolk, and this sum the third of the Norfolk and Suffolk type to Committee of Management decided to be constructed, the other two being the devote to providing a Motor Life-boat at boats stationed at Walton-on-Naze and Cromer. Lowestoft. The second of these two The Inaugural Ceremony took place boats, the Agnes Gross, of Lowestoft, on Cromer Pier, on 26th July, in the which so signally proved her worth in presence of a large audience. Mr. D. the service to the s.s. Hopelyn, in Davison, J.P., the Chairman of the October last, is a sister boat to the new Branch Committee, presided, and General Cromer boat, their dimensions being Sir Charles Monro, Bt., G.C.M.G., 46 feet 6 inches by 12 feet 9 inches. G.C.B., G.S.C.I., was to have represented While, however, the Agnes Cross has a the Committee of Management. He was Tylor engine of 60 h.p., the Cromer boat prevented from being present by a royal has one of the Institution's new 90-h.p. command, and in his absence, Mr. engines, so that, with the exception of George F. Shee, M.A., the Secretary of the New Brighton Boat, she is, there- the Institution, presented the Boat to fore, the largest and most powerful the County of Norfolk. She was re- Motor Life-boat on our coasts. ceived by the Earl of Leicester, G.C.V.O., Now that it has a Motor Life-boat, the Lord-Lieutenant of the county, Cromer has become one of the most im- who formally transferred her to the portant Stations on the coast, and it was President of the Branch, Lord Suffield, this fact which decided the Institution C.B., C.V.O. to make the experiment—for the first In the course of his opening address, time with a Motor Boat—of placing the Mr. Davison read a letter from Mr. C. F. Boathouse and Slipway at the end of the Denny, the administrator of Mr. Bailey's pier. Here, at all states of the tide, the estate, in which he wrote : Boat can be launched well clear of all " I remember that in the past, Mr. rocks and groynes. The pier itself runs Bailey was a merchant in the City of out to 500 feet from the shore, and as the London, and the services of the Mercan- Boathouse is 60 feet long and the Slip- tile Marine in carrying goods in which way 165 feet, the boat will enter the he was interested reminded me of the water nearly 250 yards from the shore. splendid services rendered by our sailors Unfortunately, both the difficulty and during the war. I considered, therefore, the cost of constructing a Slipway in such that his wishes would be served by a position have been very great. allotting a portion of his benefactions to The Boat herself, the Institution owes the orphans of sailors, to hospitality to to the generosity of the late Mr. H. F. sailors when landing at our ports, and to Bailey, a London merchant who was the saving of lives, and in respect to the born in Norfolk, and out of whose estate Matter I feel that his memory will be a sum of £10,000 was given to the Institu- greatly honoured by a boat bearing his tion, for the provision of a Life-boat on name and serving the coasts of the DECEMBKB, 1923.] THE 121 i LIFE-BOAT. county in which he was born. May of the Branch, recalled that, twenty-one God's blessing be on the work of the years before, his father and mother had boat and the crews which shall man her." taken a similar part in the inaugural Mr. Davison spoke of the fine record ceremony of the Louisa Heartwell to that of the old Life-boat, the Louisa Heartwell, which he and Lady Suffield were taking by which nearly 200 lives had been saved. I that day. In the name of the Branch He recalled the services in 1917, to the j he thanked the Institution for giving Greek steamer Pyrin and the Swedish j it so fine a Boat. steamer Fernebo—services for which the j The Boat was dedicated by the Gold Medal of the Institution was! Bishop of Norwich, who said : " For all awarded to Coxswain Bloggs, and said our admiration for the splendid craft that the Station was most fortunate in we are dedicating to-day, we are aware this, that, in its whole history of nearly that her real usefulness in the gales we a century, it had never had a more know so well on this coast will come gallant Coxswain and Crew. from the fearless men who, leaving Mr. Shee, in presenting the Boat to behind them all whom they love best, in the county, said that this was a red- agony of anxiety as to their safe return, letter day in the history of the Cromer quietly and bravely shall put out to save Station, for it had brought together a others who but for their efforts would be large and distinguished company of those devoured by the sea." on whom the life of the county rested. Lady Suffield then named the Boat He knew the wonderful record of Norfolk H. F. Bailey, and she was launched in peace and war. Norfolk names ran j down the Slipway in the presence of like a beacon through its history, but thousands ol spectators who crowded in all its record there was nothing more the pier and the shores. The collection splendid than the achievements of its which was made on behalf of the Service Life-boat crews. (Applause.) Along its realized £50. coast, flanked by dangerous sandbanks, was a band of men unequalled for Penlee. tenacity, courage, and seamanship, and The Penlee (Penzance) Boat is of the ever since 1829 there had not been a Watson type, 45 feet by 12 feet 6 inches, single year in which one of Norfolk's and, like the Cromer Life-boat, has one thirteen Life-boats had not gone out to of the Institution's new six-cylinder the rescue of those in peril on the sea. 90 b.h.p. engines. She was, in fact, the They had saved a total of about 3,500 first Life-boat to be fitted with one of lives—a wonderful record. Of that total these engines, and went to her station in Cromer had saved 260 lives. Caister, December of last year. Winterton and Palling, it was true, had The Boat is the gift of the Misses a higher record of lives saved, but these Eddy, of Torquay, in memory of two were two-boat Stations. Coming im- nephews, the sons of the late Mr. J. Eay mediately after them, among the thirteen Eddy, who were drowned at Cambridge Norfolk Stations, Cromer stood splen- many years ago. After them, the Boat didly among a splendid band of heroes, has been named The Brothers. The (Applause.) ! Misses Eddy have also generously Lord Leicester, in accepting the Boat • defrayed the expense of the alterations on behalf of the county, spoke of the j to the Boathouse and Slipway which cost of the Service, its need for increased j were necessary in order to make them funds, and the dangers which the crews! suitable for launching a Motor Life-boat, faced. It was not often that they met! The inaugural ceremony took place with disaster, but he remembered the on 25th August. Miss Amy Eddy and wreck of the Life-boat at Wells, when, in | Miss Charlotte Eddy were both present, endeavouring to help three vessels which but Miss Eddy was prevented by illness, had been driven on the sands, she her- ] The Institution was represented by self was capsized, and eleven of her crew j Mr. J. A. Hawke, K.C., the Member of of thirteen were lost. j Parliament for St. Ives, and the Penlee Lord Suffield, President of the I Branch by its President, the Mayor of Branch, in accepting the Boat on behalf j Penzance (the Rev. C. Stuchbery). 122 THE LIFE-BOAT. [DECEMBER, 1923. Among those present were Mr. George that the crew who go to sea in your Boat Poole (Chairman of the Branch), Mr. will be carrying to many a suffering Barrie B. Bennetts (Honorary Secre- mariner a message of relief and sisterly tary), Mr. G. C. L. Poole (Honorary love from you. I trust the thought of Treasurer), Mr. C. J. A. French and Mr. what this Boat may do will be some Claude Hart (the Honorary Secretaries of consolation to you in the private the stations at St. Ives and The Lizard sorrow which has prompted the gift." respectively), Canon H. Holroyd Mills The Mayor accepted the Boat in the (rector of St. Stephen's-in-Brannell), who name of the Branch, and she was then was at Cambridge when the two nephews dedicated by Canon Trevor Lewis, Sub- of the Misses Eddy were drowned, and Dean of Truro Cathedral, representing Captain Harold G. Innes, R.N., Inspec- the Bishop of Truro, who said :— tor of Life-boats for the Western " There is no power, I think, known to District. men that has the power to make men The ceremony opened with1 the1 launch- noble like the power of the sea. Some- ing of the Boat at Penlee, Miss" Amy times we get pessimistic about the state Eddy naming her The Brothers, and of the race; sometimes in our own the remainder of the ceremony then people we Wonder if the spirit of took place on the promenade at Pen- chivalry is dying out. We wonder if zance. In his opening address the Mayor the heart of mankind is being shrivelled said that there had been a Station at up in the hustle and push of the great Penzance for nearly a century. The industrial competition of the big cities. first Boat was placed there in 1826, But let any man once see on a stormy and the Penzance Boats altogether night these lion-hearted fellows leaving had rescued from shipwreck nearly 300 home, wife and children, with nothing to lives. gain and everything to lose, that they Miss Amy Eddy then formally pre- might bring back other men to the land sented the Boat, the gift of herself and again, and you can never be pessimistic her two sisters, to the Institution, and, about the human race. . . . The sorrow in accepting her and handing her to the of the sea has a peculiar power of Branch, Mr. Hawke said :— binding men together in sympathy—all " I feel convinced that I am handing of us, whether we live in the city or by this Boat to worthy men and a worthy the seashore. . . . The sorrow of the sea Branch. You (the Misses Eddy) may is the brotherhood of man. Perhaps that be sure that when your beautiful Boat is one of God's wonderful ways of bring- goes to sea there will be in it men who, ing men together. How beautifully, for skill, steadfastness, and courage, will then, has this Boat been named The do whatever can be done to relieve Brothers. Those who are happy on land human suffering. When j

Summary of the Meetings of the Committee of Management. Friday, 15th June, 1923. | Paid £21,580 19s. lOd. for sundry charges in Sir GODFREY BARING, Bt., in the Chair. connexion with the construction of Life-boats, Elected His Grace the DTTKE OF ATHOLL, Life-boat Houses and Slipways, and the main- K.T., a Vioe-President of the Institution. tenance of the various Life-boat establish- Decided that the House of the Institution ments. be known in future as " Life-Boat House." Voted £79 16s. to pay the expenses of the Reported the receipt of the following special following Life-boat services :— Lives contributions:— Life-boat. Vessel. rescued. £ *. d. Cullercoats . . Coble Isabella, of Sun- CIVIL SERVICE LIFE-BOAT FUND derland .... 3 (per W. Fortescue Barratt, The Lizard . . S.S. Nivelle, of London 20 Esq.), expenditure connected (Motor) with Civil Service Life-boats in Lowestoft . . Shrimp boat Boy 1922 1,790 7 5 (Motor) Arthur, of Lowestoft. THE MISSES EDDY, towards cost Saved boat and . 2 of alterations to Penlee Station Selsey (Motor) . Spanish cruiser Cata- to accommodate The Brothers luna. Rendered Life-boat (balance).... 1,000 - - assistance. ANONYMOUS 1,000 - - Sunderland . . A fishing boat .of ANONYMOUS 150 - - (Motor) Whitburn ... 3 J. W. ARCHER, Esq. ... 50 - - Miss REID 50 - - Also voted £189 Is. to pay the expenses of W. J. MACANDREW, Esq. . . 50 - - the following Life-boat launches, assemblies of —To be thanked. crews, etc., with a view to assisting persons on Paid, £19,646 16s. 10Hoylake, Johnshaven, boats, Life-boat Houses and Slipways, and the Lossiemouth, New Brighton, Penlee (Motor), maintenance of the various Life-boat establish- Porthleven, Ramsgate, and Wells. ments. The Rhyl Life-boat crew were also assembled Voted £24 9s. to pay the expenses of the for service. following Life-boat services :—• Specially recognized the services of Mr. WM. Lives Lifeboat. Vessel. rescued. HAYSOM, on his retirement from the office of Appledore . . Motor vessel Fimmo, Honorary Secretary of the Swanage Branch, (Boarding boat). of Geestemunde. which position he had held for nearly twenty Landed 9. years. Clacton-on-Sea . Yacht Irene, of Roches- Reported that a Letter had been sent to (Motor) ter. Saved vessel Rhyl expressing appreciation of the very smart and 2 assembly of the Life-boat crew, on the 12th Voted £131 12s. lid. to pay the expenses of June, 1923. the following Life-boat launches, assemblies of Also reported that a Letter of Thanks had crews, etc., with a view to assisting persons on been sent to Captain W. J. OLIVER, Joint vessels in distress :—Aldeburgh No. 1, Berwick- Honorary Secretary at Sunderland, who went on-Tweed, Caister, Dunbar, Penlee (Motor), out in the Life-boat on service on the 10th June. Rhoseolyn, Sennen Cove (Motor), Weymouth, and Wicklow (Motor). Granted an additional reward to each of the Voted a compassionate grant of £3 to WM. crew of the Cullercoats Life-boat as compen- THOMAS who was in poor circumstances, and sation for damage to clothes sustained when on was resigning after being a member of the service in the Life-boat on Sunday, 10th June. Porthdinllaen Life-boat crew for twenty years. Awarded the Thanks of the Institution, Voted £1 10s. to three Life-boat men, and inscribed on Vellum, and the sum of £3 10s. to sent a Letter of Thanks to Mr. W. H. NORRIS, Mr. JOHN MITTEN, also a Vellum and £2 10s. Honorary Secretary, for putting off in a motor each to Messrs. W. FITZPATRICK, JAMES MITTEN, boat and assisting a sailing boat, which was in JOHN BRIEN, and T. MARSHALL, in recognition difficulties, off Weymouth, on the 12th May. of tieir meritorious conduct in saving, at Also granted 10s. to cover the cost of petrol considerable personal risk, the crew of three used. hands, of the schooner Gilbert Oreenatt, of Carnarvon, on the 25th March, 1923. The Friday, 20th July, 1923. vessel stranded on the Rusk Bank, off Morris Castle, Co. Wexford, during a moderate S.E. Sir GODFREY BARING, Bt., in the Chair. gale. The sea was rough, and was breajdng Reported the receipt of the following special completely over her. An attempt was made contribution:— £ s d to launch the ship's boat, but she was swamped, " BATH " (additional donation) . 1,000 - - and as the vessel began to break up, her crew —To be thanked. took to the rigging. In response to signals of 124 THE LIFE-BOAT. [DECEMBER, 1923. distress, John Mitten, with the four other men, Voted £178 Is. 5d. to pay the expenses of the launched his boat. The first attempt at a following Life-boat services :— rescue failed, the boat being nearly swamped, Lives Lifeboat. Vessel. rescued. but at the second attempt one man was rescued, Bembridge . . Yacht Quickstep, of and finally, with considerable difficulty, the (Motor) Hayling Island . . 1 other men were also taken off. Eyemouth . . S.S. East Neuk, of Voted £1 to Mr. PETER SHEARER for his Aberdeen ... 5 services in piloting a steam drifter to the scene Gorleston No. 1. Boat of trawler Iverno, of the wreck of the drifter Comelybank, at Papa of Lowestoft . . 3 Stronsay, on 8th February. (The other Hilbre Island . Yacht Welcome, of rewards in connexion with this service were Liverpool. Saved granted in April, and are reported in the June vessel and ... 3 issue of The Life-Boat.) Minehead . . Sailing boat Silver Voted £3 to three men for saving the two Spray, of Minehead . 1 occupants of a small boat which capsized ofl Moelfre ... A fishing boat of Benl- Whitehaven on the 13th May. Also granted lech 3 10s. for the use of the motor boat in which the Porthdinllaen . A small rowing boat . 5 rescue was carried out. The small boat was Port St. Mary . Ketch Jessamine, of making for the harbour loaded with fish when Annalong ... 4 she capsized, and the two men were found Rhoscolyn . . A small boat ... 1 clinging to the keel. Only slight risk was Runswick . . Ketch Potty, of Blyth. incurred by the salvors, but their promptness Rendered assistance. saved the imperilled men, who were almost Spurn (Motor) . Sloop Spring, of Hull. exhausted when rescued. A westerly breeze Saved vessel and . 3 was blowing with a moderate sea. Whitby (Motor) Coble Pansy, of Whit- Voted £3 to six men for saving two other men by 2 whose boat was drifting out to sea, off Culler- Cobles Providence and coats, on the 10th June. Also granted 5*. for Maria, of Whitby. the use of the motor boat in which the rescue Stood by and es- was carried out. The two men had put off in corted cobles into a ship's boat to go to Whitley Bay, but were harbour. overtaken by a strong S.W. wind and lost The Cromer (Motor) Life-boat assisted the control of the boat. When their peril was seen smack Hepatica, of Lowestoft; the Palling a motor coble went out to their help, and over- No. 1 Life-boat rendered assistance to the took them when they were already six miles barge Aubrey, of Faversham ; the Pwllheli out at sea. They were taken on board the Life-boat saved the motor boat Moonbeam, of coble, but owing to the strong wind their own Liverpool ; and the Walton-on-the-Naze boat had to be left adrift. (Motor) Life-boat saved the barge Oceanic, of London, and rescued her crew of three. Also voted 1512 5s. 6d. to pay the expenses Thursday, 13th September, 1923. of the following Life-boat launches, assemblies Sir GODFREY BARING, Bt., in the Chair. of crews, etc., with a view to assisting persons on vessels in distress : Abersoch, Angle, Bar- Reported the closing of the Life-boat mouth, Beaumaris (Motor), Brighton, Buckie Station at Point of Ayr. (Motor), Clovelly, Caister No. 1, Fleetwood, Reported the receipt of the following special Fowey, Fraserburgh (Motor), Gorleston No. 1, contributions :— Hasborough, Hastings, Hayling Island, Hoy- £ s. d. lake, Holyhead No. 1 (Steam), Ilfracombe, ANONYMOUS 600 - - Johnshaven, The Lizard (Motor), Longhope, EXORS. OP THE LATE MR. C. A. New Brighton No. 2 (Steam), Newhaven BANNISTER 200 - - (Motor), Palling No. 1, Poolbeg, Poole and RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION, to com- Bournemouth, Porthdinllaen, Rhoscolyn, memorate the Centenary of the Rhyl, St. Abbs (Motor), St. Helier, Tenby Rugby Game of Football and (Motor), and Winterton No. 1. also the Centenary of the Insti- tution 100 - - Granted £143 10s. 4d. to men for injury in WHITE STAR LINE, being a portion the Life-boat Service at Blakeney, Blackpool, of the contributions made by Buckie, Cardigan, Cromer, New Brighton, passengers on their steamers . 100 - - Newbiggin, Moelfre, Rhyl, Runswick, St. Miss MOSEB 100 - - Annes, and Yarmouth. PROFESSOR COURTNEY KENNY, Voted a special gratuity to RICHARD EGLON, LL.D., F.B.A 50 - - Coxswain of the Whitby (Motor) Life-boat, on EXORS. OF THE LATE MR. T. G. iis retirement after many years' service with LANOHAM (additional) ... 20 - - the Whitby and Upgang Life-boats. —To be thanked. Paid £18,447 17s. lid. for sundry charges in Voted £5 towards the funeral expenses of connexion with the construction of Life-boats, WILLIAM JOHNSTONE, the retired Second Cox- Life-boat Houses and Slipways, and the main- swain at Dunbar, whose family were in very tenance of the various Life-boat establish- poor circumstances. ments. Voted a grant towards the funeral expenses DECEMBER, 1923.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 125 of ex-Coxswain Wm. Cross, of New Brighton, the tide at Ramsgate on 27th July. Also whose relatives were in poor circumstances. granted 10s. for use of boat and expenses. Voted additional rewards to the crews of the Voted £1 to two men for rescuing two other Clovelly and Moelfre Life-boats for arduous men, whose boat capsized while competing in a services on the 16th July and 2nd August, regatta at Cemaes Bay, on 8th August. respectively. The two salvors were in a motor boat acting Voted a further sum of £110 for the benefit as flagship, and the competing boat was upset of the men of the Bamsgate Life-boat who by a squall when rounding the flagship, and took part in the rescue of the Indian Chief in foundered. The men in the motor boat at 1881. once manned their punt and rescued the two men, who were swimming. Voted an additional monetary reward to the crew of the Rhoscolyn Life-boat in recognition Voted £8 to four men for rescuing two men, of their arduous services on the night of 29th the crew of the lugger Dowlas Head, of Cork, August, when they made the first of three which was wrecked near Youghal on the 17th attempts to rescue a man stranded on the rocks. August. The rescue was effected on the afternoon of the A moderate S.W. gale was blowing, and the following day by means of a dingey which was rescuers incurred considerable personal risk in towed to the scene by the Life-boat. pulling a mile against wind and tide to the scene of the casualty. The vessel was badly Also directed that Letters of Thanks be holed, and had run aground in a bay which was addressed to Captain R. R. DiviES, Honorary full of shoals and rocks. Secretary, for going out in the Life-boat and for manning the dingey; to W. HUGHES, for Voted £2 10s. to five men for rescuing a going in the dingey with Captain Davies ; to boy who was adrift in a small boat off Dublin Sir HARRY VERNEY, Bt., for offering to swim on the 2nd August, and in danger of being from the Life-boat to the rocks with a line ; carried on a lee shore. A strong S.W. gale was and to Lieutenant K. CATTO and Messrs. blowing, and the salvors, who went out in the NAISH for their services in the Life-boat. Sea Scouts' Life-boat, incurred some risk, as they only had two oars in the boat. Voted £1 to ex-Coxswain BEN MILLER, £1 10s. to two other men, and addressed a Voted £3 15s. to six men for rescuing the Letter of Thanks to Captain A. S. RICKARDS, crew, three in number, of a small ketch, which Coxswain of t5e North Berwick Life-boat, for was observed to be making for Berwick in a landing four persons from Lamb Rock on the waterlogged and sinking condition. The Cox- lOth-llth July. Also granted 15s. for the use swain of the Life-boat, who was in the vicinity of a motor yawl. in hi? motor boat, made for the ketch, which stranded on the rocks. A strong N.N.W. Shortly before midnight it was reported that breeze was blowing, but the rescue was effected a pleasure boat, with four persons on board, with little risk. was missing in a dense fog. Ex-Coxswain Miller got up out of bed, although in ill health, Decided, in recognition of the action taken and, wiih the other men, put out in his motor by the motor drifter Sheerness, of St. Ives, and boat. After two hours' search the missing the motor fishing boat Mayflower, of Penzance, party were found, and landed in safety at North when the s.s. Cormount. of London, stranded Berwick. on the Runnelstone Rocks, Land's End, on the 25th July, that Letters of Thanks be addressed Voted 12s. 6d. to two men for going out in to the skippers of the Sheerness and Mayflower, search of two other men who had put off from that an award amounting to £8 15s. be made to Beaumaris to go to the Lavan Sands on a the two crews and to two pilots who accom- cockling expedition, and who were overtaken panied them, and that £2 10*. be granted for by a moderate S.W. gale, on the 19th July. fuel consumed. Also granted 8s. for petrol consumed. The steamer stranded during a dense fog and The dingey was a small one, and the cocklers sent out wireless distress signals, but refloated were inexperienced boatmen, without intimate before the boats reached the Runnelstone. knowledge of the sands. Fortunately they Although their services were not required, the reached land at Aber, on the Carnarvonshire boats put off promptly and incurred some risk coast, where their small boat was found riding in hurrying to the steamer in the dense fog. safely to a small kedge. Voted £4 to four men for rescuing three persons, the occupants of the pleasure boat Arrow, off Castletown, on the 21st June. Thursday, 18th October, 1923. Also granted 11s. 6d. for fuel used. Informa- tion was received at 10 P.M., from the Langness Sir GODFREY BARING, Bt., in the Chair. Lighthouse, that the boat was in distress and Reported that H.R.H. the PRINCESS LOUISE, being blown out to sea. The motor boat Duchess of Argyll, had consented to become Sanl.ee, in charge of Captain E. Symons, Patron of the Ladies' Life-Boat Guild. ,, promptly put off and picked up the Arrow just before 11 P.M., when she was four and a Paid £24,308 5s. lOd. for sundry charges in connexion with the construction of Life-boats, half miles out. Life-boat Houses and Slipways, and the main- Voted £1 10*. to four men who put off and tenance of the various Life-boat establish- searched for two persons who were cut off by ments. 126 THE LIFE-BOAT. I.DECEMBEB, 1923.

Voted £188 4s. Id. to pay the expenses of the | to the s.s. Berrille, of Rouen ; the Sennen Cove following Life-boat services :— (Motor) Life-boat rendered assistance to the Lives s.s. Giitfeld, of Hamburg; and the Spurn Lile-boat. Vessel. rescued (Motor) Life-boat saved the steam trawler Beaumaris . . Picnic party on Puffin Portsmouth, of Grimsby, and rescued her crew (Motor) Island. Landed 4. of nine. Barry Dock . . Motor cruiser Dancing- I (Motor) way. Saved vessel Also voted £498 Is. to pay the expenses of L(j 7 j the following Life-boat launches, assemblies Brixham (Motor) Brigantine Helgoland, of crews, etc., with a view to assisting persons of Plymouth. Stood on vessels in distress: Baltimore (Motor), by vessel. Bembridge (Motor), Brighton, Caister, Clovelly, Gourdon Five fishing boats of Eastbourne No. 1, Hastings, Hayling Island, Gourdon. Stood by Holyhead No. 1 (Steam), llfracombe, Lowestof t boats. (Motor), Newhaven (Motor), Palling No. 1, Longhope S.S. Citos, of Helsing- Plymouth, Poole and Bournemouth, Port Erin, borg Piel (Barrow), Ehoscolyn, Shoreham, Thurso, Mevagissey . S.S. Emerald, of Bou- Tenby (Motor), Totland Bay, and Worthing. logne 13 The Guernsey Life-boat was also launched Moelfre . S.S. Elidir, of Port on service. Dinorwic. Stood by Granted £13 to a man for injury in the Life- vessel. boat Service at Winterton. Newhaven S.S. Excellent, of Bou- (Motor) logne Granted an additional monetary reward to North Deal Ketch Fearless, of Lon- the crew of the Thurso Life-boat in recognition don of an arduous service on 12th September. Porthleven S.S. Charbonnier, of Voted £1 10*. to two men—the Coxswain and Havre. Stood by Second Coxswain of the Douglas Life-boat— and rendered assist- for rescuing the four occupants of a small boat ance. at Douglas, on the 1st September. Also Fishing boat Trixie, of granted 6s. for petrol consumed. Skegness. Saved At about 5.30 P.M. information was received boat. j that a pleasure boat was in difficulties, and, in Tenby (Motor) Schooner Mary Waters, j order to save time, a motor boat was taken out Padstow .... by the Coxswain. A moderate gale was Motor boat Elsie, of blowing from the N.W., but the small boat was Tenby .... picked up about two and a half miles from land The Coverack Life-boat rendered assistance and taken safely into Douglas.

Awards to Honorary Workers. To Miss MILLS, in recognition of her valuable To Miss FLOBRIE FORDE, in recognition of her co-operation at Bermondsey, the Gold valuable co-operation on many occasions, Brooch and Record of Thanks. the Gold Brooch and Record of Thanks. To Mrs. BERTHA ROE, in recognition of her To Mr. LEWIS JONES, the Thanks of the valuable co-operation at Plymouth, the Institution inscribed on Vellum, in acknow- Gold Brooch and Record of Thanks. ledgment of his valuable assistance for over 30 years in connexion with the Hilbre To Mr. ANDIE CAINE, in recognition of his Island Life-boat Station. valuable co-operation, at ITiley, a Framed Photograph. To Mr. JOSEPH DOLLARD, upon his retirement after 14 J years service as Honorary Secretary To Miss URSULA HUGHES, in recognition of her of the Skerries Branch, the Thanks of the valuable co-operation at Bangor, a Framed Institution inscribed on Vellum. Photograph. To Mr. W. G. WINTERBOTTOM, on his retire- To Mrs. W. B. WILLIAMS, in recognition of her ment from the Chairmanship of Goole, in valuable co-operation at Liverpool, a Framed recognition of his valuable services, a Framed Photograph. Photograph. DECEMBER, 1923.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 127

News from the Branches. DOUGLAS (!SLE OF MAN).-—Life-boat was held on 16th August, in the grounds Sunday was held on 5th August, on of Sidmouth Manor. This is the third Douglas Head, and a record congrega- year in succession in which Colonel and tion assembled. The prayers were said Mrs. Balfour have opened their beautiful by the Rev. A. C. McNeal, the vicar of grounds to the public, in order to help St. Ninian's. The lesson was read by the Institution, and these annual fetes Colonel Madoc, Honorary Secretary of have come to be regarded as an impor- the Branch, and the sermon was preached tant feature of the Sidmouth season. by the Bishop of Sodor and Man, who This year the fete was even more made a strong appeal for the Life-boat successful than in the two previous Cause. years, and a sum of over £240 was raised. GATESHEAD.—A garden fete was held A rocket fired by Miss Betty Balfour on 24th July, in the grounds of the was followed by the opening ceremony, house of Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Lunn. The which was performed by Lady Morrison- fete, which was organized by the Bell. The Sidmouth Band provided Mayoress of Gateshead (Miss Maccoy), the music, and there was a very long who is Honorary Treasurer of the programme of attractions, in addition Branch, with the help of Mrs. Thubron, to the different stalls, one of which was the Honorary Secretary, and other Life- a model Life-boat. Performances were boat workers, was the culmination of a given by the " Strolling Players " and week's efforts of a number of ladies the " Sidbury Pantomime Company," who obtained about £60 in a house-to- and one of the most interesting features house collection. All who contributed was an aerial Derby, arranged by Mrs. to the programme gave their services Spenee Bernard and Dr. Michelmore, free, among them the Gateshead Cen- in which the public competed with gas- tral Band of the British Legion, and a filled balloons. In the evening the company of Gateshead school children, grounds were illuminated with electric who had recently returned from the fight, arranged by Mr. Edinborough, International Exhibition of Gymnastics and the fete was concluded with a fire- at Gothenburg, and who gave a number works display. Mrs. Balfour was helped of country dances. Alderman John in making the arrangements by Miss Thubron, in moving a vote of thanks, Browning, the Honorary Secretary of described the visit which he paid to the the Sidmouth Branch, and a Committee Station at Runswick Bay. After they of members of the Sidmouth Ladies' had inspected the Life-boat and boat- Life-boat Guild. house, they gave some money, to the SOUTH CARNARVONSHIRE.—The first members of the crew who had taken Annual Report of the South Carnarvon- them over. " That money," said the shire Ladies' Life-boat Guild was pre- Alderman, " did not go into the pockets sented at a meeting on 4th August. of those poor fishermen as we had Dame Margaret Lloyd George, the expected. It was put into the little President, was in the chair, and an box on the boat, to help to swell the address was delivered by Major-General funds of the Institution. I thought J. E. B. Seely, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., a that was splendid, because it showed member of the Committee of Manage- that those men were not only prepared ment. The report showed that alto- to sacrifice their lives in the Bay, in gether £180 had been collected. Of trying to save life, but they were also ;his sum £119 had been raised by a prepared to give up money which, garden fete, arranged by Mrs. Lloyd- apparently, they could have well done Evans, and £30 in subscriptions had with." Deen obtained by members of the Guild. SIDMOUTH. — A successful fete, de- Prince of Wales' Collecting Cards had scribed as Ye Olde Sidmouth Fayre, also proved very successful, a collection 128 THE LIFE-BOAT. [DECEMBER, 1923. of £22 being made by Captain Griffiths, to them, very often, the necessaries of Abersoch, aboard his steamer Prince, of life. With all the safeguards with in South America. It is the intention of which ships were equipped to-day, the the Guild through the winter to have a peril still remained, and all round series of whist drives, dances, and other the coasts the Life-boatmen kept up entertainments. a ceaseless watch night and day. In WORTHING.—Triennial Life-boat Sun- their vigilance they never failed. The day was held on 17th June. The Mayor time had now come, however, when the (Alderman J. G. Denton) accompanied by Life-boat Institution was itself sending members of the corporation, Mr. H. Har- out an S 0 S—to the Empire—for help. good, O.B.E., D.L., J.P., Vice-President The Institution had not the money of the Institution, and Colonel Ran- necessary for the fullest performance dolph, C.M.G., D.S.O., Chairman of the of its great work, and was therefore Worthing Committee, went in proces- appealing for assistance. And it was sion from the Town Offices to Christ quite right that they should be asked Church, where the sermon was preached to help in church, because there was a by the Right Rev. Dr. Southwell, deep spiritual significance in the work. Bishop of Lewes. In the course of his They must not forget that the saving of address the Bishop said that year in, a body often resulted in the saving of year out, the merchant seamen faced a soul also. Many a man had been the perils of the sea to bring home brought out of danger nearer to God.

MEMBERS OF THE SIDBURY PANTOMIME COMPANY AT THE SIDMOUTH LIFE-BOAT GARDEN FETE.

NOTICE. Owing to lack of space reports of many meetings of Branches have been held over until the next number of THE LIFE-BOAT, which will be published in February, 1924.