The Life-Boat. Jouenal
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THE LIFE-BOAT. JOUENAL OP THE IRo^al National %tfe=boat Snstitutfon. (ISSUED QUARTERLY.) VOL. XVII.—No. 196.] IST MAY, 1900. [PEICB Is. At the ANNUAL GENEEAL MEETING of the KOTAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, held at St. Martin's Town Hall, Charing Cross Eoad, on Wednesday, the 14th day of March, 1900, His Grace The DUKE OF DEVOH- SHIKE, K.G., Lord President of the Council, in the Chair, the following Report of the Committee of Management was submitted and adopted:— Life-boats.—Satisfactory reports con- ANNUAL BEPOBT, tinue to be received of the two screw 1900. steam Life-boats placed respectively at Grimsby and Padstow at the end of 1898, THE past year has been one of unusual and early last year. A new Life-boat importance for the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE- station has been established during the BOAT INSTITUTION. At the very opening year at Clogher Head, County Louth, of the year, as already reported by the Ireland, and new Life-boats of the type Committee of Management, the Institution best adapted for the special localities was deprived of the valuable services of for which they have been built have been its President, ALGERNON GEORGE, 6th placed at twelve other stations. DUKB OF NORTHUMBERLAND, who had been The following is a complete list of the closely connected with Life-boat Work stations to which new boats have been for the long period of thirty-three years. sent during the past year:— His Eoyal Highness the PRINCE OF Bridlington .... Yorkshire. WALES, who has always taken a keen Caister (No. 1 Life-boat) Norfolk. interest in the Institution and its opera- Southend-on-Sea . Essex. Eastbourne Sussex. tions, and who succeeded his Royal Father Penzance the PBINOB GONSOBT as Vice-Patron in New Quay St. Ives . Cornwall. 1863, most graciously accepted the vacant Padstow . post of President. St. Mary's Scilly Islands. The Committee of Management feel that Rhoscolyn Anglesey. Ardrossan Ayrshire. this additional token of His Royal High- Clogher Head Louth. ness' appreciation of and sympathy with Howth Dublin. the great national work carried on by the Wicklow Wicklow. Institution, and of his desire to help on In every instance in which a new Boat the cause, will be the means of still has been provided the coxswains and further extending its usefulness and of crew directly interested have been per- securing augmented support for it from mitted to select the special type which the Public. has been supplied. VOL. XVII.—No. 196.—LIFE-BOAT JOURNAL.—(2ND ED.) 2 L 562 THE LIFE-BOAT. [Is'i MAT, 1900. Within the year the station at Barrow assisted. Daring the September gale has been closed as contemplated, a Life- 13 Life-boats were launched and saved boat having been sent to Fiel in 1898, 33 lives, besides which, valuable, assist- whence the needs of the vicinity can ance was •• rendered to 3 vessels and be more expeditiously and better served. to fishing boats. Some of the Life- Since the establishment of the new station boatmen reported that during these two at Clogher Head already referred to gales the wind and sea were the heaviest one of the boats at Drogheda has been they had ever experienced. During the withdrawn. The smaller Life-boat which third gale there were 16 launches and had been at Qneenstown for the past 2 assemblies of crews, 48 persons being thirty-three years being worn out has saved. also been removed, not being now required. During the year the Life-boats were The self-righting Life-boat has been with- launched on service 342 times, and 1,100 drawn from Bhyl, and the stations at times for exercise, besides which the Church Cove and Tyrella have been closed. crews 'were assembled on 79 other oc- The Institution's fleet of Life-boats on casions when it was thought that their the coast at the end of 1899 numbered services would be needed. 290, including all types, whether steam, It is with the deepest regret the Com- sailing or pulling Life-boats. mittee have to report that whilst the Transporting Carriages.—New trans- Aldeburgh Life-boat was out on service porting carriages have been supplied at on the 7th December last, in response to 5 stations, and others are now in course signals, she was capsized by a heavy curl- of construction. ing breaker, and six out of eighteen of her crew were drowned. The Committee Inspection ofLife-boats,etc.—The system at once contributed £1,000 to the local of careful and thorough inspection of the relief fund which was opened for the Institution's Life-boats and Stations has widows and orphans. The Aldeburgh Life- been carried out during the year, includ- boat was a large non-self-righting boat ing many "surprise visits" at stations of the Norfolk and Suffolk type, specially where an unexpected inspection was selected by and built for the crew, who had thought desirable. A detailed report of always had the utmost confidence in her. every inspection has been submitted to She had been instrumental in saving 152 and examined by the Committee of lives. The BOARD OF TRADE, at the request Management. of the Committee, held a careful inquiry Shipwrecks.—The year 1899, like its into the disaster and reported that the boat predecessor, was an unusually fine one, was suitable for the work she had to do, months passing without any bad weather was properly equipped and in good con- from a Life-boat point of view. The dition when she left the beach and was few gales and storms, however, which properly and carefully navigated by a occurred at intervals, provided the Life- thoroughly competent coxswain of great boats and their crews with a considerable experience. amount of work. What may be considered The Committee also have to deplore the as the heaviest gales of the year occurred loss of their experienced old Coxswain on the 12th January, the 30th September, at Southport, and two members of his 1st October, and the 1st to the 3rd No- family, both Life-boatmen, who were vember. During the first of these gales unfortunately drowned in fine weather 11 of the Institution's Boats were launched last June when engaged with others, in a on service, resulting in the saving of 30 small punt which capsized, in relaying lives and 3 vessels, in addition to which the moorings of the Life-boat. The 3 persons were landed from distressed Mayor of Southport kindly opened a vessels and several fishing boats were public subscription on behalf of the IST MAT, 1900.] ANNUAL REPORT. 563 men, Tear. No. of Lives. Tear. No. of Lives. widows and orphans of the drowned 1860 455 1881 1,121 to which the Institution contributed 1861 424 1882 884 £700 as a token of sympathy and of 1862 574 1883 955 1863 714 1884 792 appreciation of the good services , of the 1864 698 1885 555 deceased men in the Life-boat cause. 1865 714 1886 761 The total number of lives, for the 1866 951 1887 572 1867 1 086 1888 800 saving of which the Institution granted 1868 '862 1889 627 rewards in 1899. was 609 : of these 501 1869 1,231 1890 765 1870 784 1891 736 were saved by the Life-boats, and 108 by 1871 882 1892 1,056 shore-boats and other means, besides 1872 739 1893 598 which the Life-boat crews were instru- 1873 668 1894 790 1874 713 1895 709 mental in saving 20 vessels. 1875 921 1896 461 The following tablegivesthedetailsof the 1876 600 1897 662 1877 1,048 1898 756 Services during each month of the year : — 1878 616 1899 609 1879 855 Lives Total 41,842 Namber Lives Vessels Saved 1880 697 of Life- Saved Saved hovy 1899. boat by Life- by Life- Shore- Launches. boats. boats. boats. ' Rewards. — The Rewards bestowed by fhulinU Tiuai"-LllH L!I VfntirtT U. L1UUi 11in1 -LOv1ft3Qv fnv«.UM. -f.VivuwA Rnvinou*v • ~~O* "o~f January 64 116 6 February 29 57 15 life from shipwreck on our coast, or for March 25 25 1 17 praiseworthy efforts to do so, and in April . 25 34 3 7 May . 16 5 7 recognition of other good services rendered June . 11 7 1 5 to the cause, included 8 Silver Medals July . 15 8 2 5 August 9 11 2 and Clasps, 8 Binocular Glasses, 5 September 14 33 2 12 Aneroid Barometers, 31 Votes of Thanks October . 21 27 23 November 44 121 1 2 inscribed on vellum and framed, 12 Cer- December 69 57 4 13 tificates of Service, framed, and £10,219 Total . 342 501 20 108 8«. 5d., including grants to men lost on Service and compensation for personal The Institution's boats also landed injuries sustained in the Service. 67 persons who were on vessels in perilous The pensions and retiring allowances, positions. which last year amounted in the aggregate The total number of lives for the saving to £490 12«. 6d., allowed by the Com- of which the Institution has granted mittee under the Scheme to which special rewards since 1824, by Life-boats, shore- reference was made in their last Annual boats, or by other means, has been Report, are increasingly appreciated by 41,842, the number for each year being the Life-boatmen, and many very gratify- given in the subjoined list : — ing and grateful letters have been received Tear. No. of Lives. Year. No. of Lives. from those who have benefited by the 1824 124 1842 276 1825 218 1843 236 Scheme.