The Life-Boat. Journal

THE LIFE-BOAT. JOURNAL OF THE Bational %ife*Boat 3nstitution. (ISSUED QUABTBBLT.) VOL. XX.—No. 230.] 2ND NOVEMBER, 1908. [PBICE 3d. THE LATE SIB, EDWARD BIRKBECK, BART., K.C.V.O. THE subscribers and friends of the | At the meeting of the Committee of ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITU- Management next following the death TION will have heard with great regret of Sir Edward Birkbeek, held on the that Sir Edward Birkbeck, who had j 10th September, 1908, the following been the Chairman of the Institution's j resolution was unanimously passed:— Committee of Management for the long | " Kesolved,—That the expression of period of twenty-five years, passed away j the deepest regret of the Committee of after a protracted illness on the 2nd Management be recorded on the occasion September last. Sir Edward, who was of the lamented death of Sir Edward remarkable for his business acumen and Birkbeck, Bart., K.C.V.O., who had administrative capacity, first became j been their respected Chairman for connected with the Institution officially ' twenty-five years. in 1865 as a Vice-President, and as " By the decease of Sir Edwa»d such he was a member of the Committee Birkbeck the Life-boat cause has lost of Management. In 1880 he became an earnest friend and a generous bene- one of the three Trustees of the Insti- factor, and the Committee of Manage- tution, which position he held until his ! ment of the Institution desire to express death. In 1881 he was elected Deputy- \ their deep sympathy with the Honour- Chairman of the Committee of Manage- able Lady Birkbeck and with their ment, and subsequently Chairman on i colleague Mr. Robert Birkbeck and the the resignation of the late Mr. Thomas ! rest of the family. Chapman, P.R.S., m 1883. j "Sir Edward Birkbeck's connection VOL. XX.—No. 230.—LIFE-BOAT JOURNAL. " 2~N 564 THE LIFE-BOAT. [2ND NOVEMBER, 1908. with the Institution began forty-three was with acclamation unanimously years ago, when he was elected a Vice- elected to the vacant Chairmanship. President, and he had constantly at Colonel Clayton, who has for so very heart the prosperity of the Institution many years taken an active interest in and the well-being of the gallant crews everything connected with the Institu- who man its Life-boats. tion, has been a Vice-President since " The measures which in the interests 1885, and a Trustee since 1886. Colonel of the Institution Sir Edward Birkbeck Clayton was also Chairman of the Pre- introduced into Parliament, and by his paratory Committees from 1895 to 1908. unremitting energy, perseverance and At the same meeting the Earl of Hard- tact brought to a successful issue, largely wicke,. who has been a Member of the contributed to the efficiency of the Committee of Management since 1896, Life-boat Service and the Institu- was unanimously elected Deputy-Chair- tion will ever be indebted to him man. Lord Hardwicke succeeded Sir for his continued and self-sacrificing Edward Birkbeck as Chairman of the services." Life-boat Saturday Fund in 1905. It is At the meeting of the Committee of interesting to note that Lord Hard- Management held on the 8th October, wicke's father, the fourth Earl of 1908, Colonel FitzRoy Clayton, the Hardwicke, was for very many years an senior Member of the Committee of active Member of the Committee of Management, which he joined in 1863, Management, and when he died in 1873 and the Deputy-Chairman since 1883, was a Vice-President of the Institution. SELECTION OF A NEW LIFE-BOAT. THIS question was briefly touched on boat varies from fifteen to twenty in the article in this Journal on " The years; of course in some cases boats are Changes in the Institution's Life-boat seriously damaged on service and occa- Fleet since 1897," published in February sionally at an exercise, and on opening last. Not very many years ago it was them out for examination and repair, brought as a charge against the ROYAL the defects are found to be so extensive, NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION that and the cost of repair so great, that it it did not consult the Coxswains and would not be prudent to spend so much crews of Life-boats sufficiently when money on a comparatively old boat; new boats were sent to the coast. It and in these cases it is generally found may be of interest to readers of this cheaper in the long run to offer the Journal to know the steps that are taken Station a new Life-boat. to replace an old Life-boat by a new Then again the improvements in the one, whenever it is found necessary or design and fittings of Life-boats which desirable to do so. have been effected in the last fifteen years, As a rule, Life-boats are condemned have had a tendency to make Life-boats from old age, and the average life of a that are now over twenty years of age 2ND NOVEMBER, 1908.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 565 compare unfavourably with the newer the new boat they wish to have at their boats. This improvement in design, own Station. however, is not likely to go on so rapidly This custom has proved completely in the future as it has done lately; successful, and it has done more to educate although, of course, progress is always the men in these matters and to widen the aim of the Institution; and the their ideas than all the argument in principal thing now that is likely to the world. Some men, of course, go away cause a demand for new boats, apart from home perfectly satisfied with the type from age, is the advent of the motor, of boat they have been used to, and coming which, as the various defects and difficul- back of the same opinion, ask to be ties now being experienced are overcome, supplied with a new boat similar to the is bound to be a valuable auxiliary one condemned; in which case of course power in the future. every attention is paid to their wishes; Now let us take it that from one or but even in these cases they often see other of the above reasons, a Life-boat different methods of launching, different has been condemned, and the Committee fittings and rigs, and many other things of Management decide to offer a new they have never seen before, and almost boat to the Station. The first thing done invariably suggest some improvements is to notify the Local Honorary Secretary which they would like embodied in the and the District Inspector of this new boat. Other men after seeing the decision, and the latter is directed to non-self-righting types of boats, and send in a list of Life-boat Stations to carefully examining them in the boat- which a deputation of the crew can be house, and then having a trip to sea and sent to look at the boats and to see watching their behaviour under sail and them launched if the weather is rough oars, will form the opinion that such enough, and to confer with the Coxswains a boat would be even more suitable for as to their behaviour at sea, and suita- the work they have to do than the self- bility for launching at that particular righting type; and in such a case, if Station. In making out this list the the remainder of the crew agrees with object is to show the visiting deputation what they represent, and if there is no several Life-boats of different types, any sound reason for not granting their one of which might be suitable for the request, the Committee, whilst keeping work, provided the deputation take a the final decision in their own hands, fancy to her; and of course the weight invariably build them what they ask and size of the boat, and draught of for. It is an old saying that " a good water has principally to be considered. workman works best with his own tools," In bygone years it was almost invariably and in Life-boat work it is impossible to the custom to replace a self-righting expect the best results out of the boat by another self-righting boat of undoubtedly fine and experienced crews approximately the same size; and at who man the Life-boats, unless they are many places the men were quite ignorant provided with the machine they prefer that non-self-righting boats of several and understand. This newer system different types existed, and did very of selecting boats has undoubtedly excellent work on various parts of the jiven the Life-boat crews great satis- coast. faction, and by removing all causes In the year 1896 the Committee of of discontent, has been greatly to the Management decided that in all cases advantage of the service. The Local before new boats are built, a deputation Honorary Secretary arranges about the of three men is to be sent to look at selection of the deputation, usually com- other boats, should they desire to do so, posed of the Coxswain and two other before they express an opinion about men in whom the majority of the crew 2 N 2 566 THE LIFE-BOAT. [2ND NOVEMBER, 1908 have confidence. As soon as these shown would be useful at their own preliminary steps are taken, and the Station, they are not at all backward in programme decided, the Honorary Secre- asking to have them supplied. " Oh, taries at the Stations to be visited are but the boat-house we saw is grand, and notified that the deputation is coming I think we ought to have a new one." on a certain day, and authorised to " Those new clappers we saw on the launch the boats for the inspection of wheels are ' cannie,' and they hardly the deputation, should they wish to see sank into the sand at all, and would do them afloat, and should the weather be us famous." "They launch the boat in any way suitable to test them properly; there quite different to ours, and it this being done the deputation is started seems a clever plan." " Why, Inspector, on its travels.

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