THE LIFE-BOAT, OB JOTJBNAL OF THE NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION. (ISSUED QUABTEBLY.) VOL. X.—No. 112.] MAY 1, 1879. [PBICB AT the ANNUAL GENEBAL MEETING of the BOYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, held at Willis's Booms, King Street, St. James's Square, on Tuesday, the 18th day of March 1879, his Grace the DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND, Lord Privy Seal, President of the Institution, in the Chair, the following Eeport of the Committee was read by the Secretary:— SCOTLAND ANNUAL EEPOET. KIXCARDIXESHIRE Gourdon. THE Committee of Management of the KIRKCUDBRIGHT . Kirkcudbright. EOTAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, in fulfilment of their duty to its supporters IRELAND. and to the British Public, for whose sympathy and co-operation they plead, DUBLIN . •. Kingstown. WEXFORD . Cahore. have once more the satisfaction to render „ ... Wexford (No. 2). an account of their stewardship. KERRY .... Tralee Bay. In so doing they entertain the hope that their transactions during the past Although, it will be thus Been that the twelve months may be found to merit Institution is not now called on to esta- the same confidence and approval which blish many new Life-boat Stations on the for a long series of years has been to coast, yet it must be remembered that it them a source of pride and encourage- has to maintain its large fleet of Boats, ment. now numbering no less than 268, in a Those transactions may be summarised, state of perfect efficiency, and that from under the usual heads, as follows :— time to time the earlier of those Boats, and others which may have received Life-loats.—Since thelastAnnualTteport serious injury, require to be replaced by ten new Life-boats have been placed on the new ones; and that the Society has, coast, three of them to new Stations and therefore, the same need as heretofore of seven to replace old or inefficient boats. the kind and generous support afforded The following are the Stations to which to it. they have been sent:—• During the year 1878 the Life-boats of the Institution rescued 471 persons from ENGLAND. wrecked or endangered vessels, nearly DURHAM . Hartlepool. the whole of them under perilous circum- LINCOLNSHIRE Donna Nook. KENT . Dover. stances, when ordinary boats could not DEVONSHIRE . Dartmouth. with safety have been employed. LIFE-BOAT JOURNAL.—YOL. X.—No. 112. 2 E 436 ANNUAL KEPOKT. [MAY 1, 1879. The Committee are happily able to report The services of its Life-boats during that these invaluable services have been each month of the year were as follows: — performed without the loss of a single life, Number or an accident to any of the Boats em- of Life- Vessels Lives 1878. boat Saved. Saved. ployed. For such immunity they cannot Launches. feel too thankful, when the magnitude of 34 1 59 the risk incurred, especially during the 7 18 33 4 73 numerous stormy night services, is taken 11 1 68 into consideration. 15 1 18 June, July, arid August 13 2 22 September .... 20 2 64 Shipwrecks.—Notwithstanding the fact 23 20 November .... 40 6 103 that the shipping interests of this country December .... 11 26 increase every year, the number of ship- Total .... 207 471 wrecks was less last year than it had 17 been previously for a long period. The It must always occur that the launches NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION has of Life-boats unattended with positive always contended that in proportion as results must, during storms, be very our sailors improve in education, care, numerous; and last year formed no ex- and thrift, the number of shipping ception. At such times, however, Life- disasters at home and abroad would boatmen have no time for hesitation; for diminish. the signal of distress always means It is, nevertheless, a sad reflection that urgency, and very often, in the absence the actual loss of life last year on the of the Life-boats, death to those on board coasts and in the seas of the British Isles the distressed ship. has been unusually heavy. It is only In addition to these Life-boat services, necessary to refer to the 366 persons who 145 lives were saved from shipwreck by perished from H.M.S. Eurydice, 284 from shore-boats and other means, whose crews the German ironclad'Grosser Kurfiirst, and were rewarded by the Institution. to the 600 from the steamer Princess Alice, It is also gratifying to mention that in the. river Thames. It is consolatory, hundreds of lives are saved every year by however, to know that so far as the medns of the Eocket Apparatus, belong- operations of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT ing to the BOARD OF TEADB, and worked INSTITUTION were concerned, they have so efficiently by the Coastguard and the been attended with more than usual suc- Eocket Volunteer Brigades. cess. Thus, as we have already men- The number of lives saved during tioned, not a single life has been lost from the fifty-five years from the establish- its 268 Life-boats during the past twelve ment of the Institution, to the end of the months; notwithstanding the fact that on year 1878, either by its Life-boats or by service and quarterly exercise its Life- special exertions for which it has granted saving Fleet was manned by about 12,000 rewards, is 26,051, as shown in the persons. annexed table. In the No.i. of Lives In the No..of Lives In the No.of Lives In the No. of Lives In the No. of Lives Year Saved. Year Saved. Year Year Saved. Year Saved. 1824 124 1836 225 1848 123 1860 455 1872 739 1825 218 1837 272 1849 209 1861 424 1873 668 1826 175 1838 456 1850 470 1862 574 1874 713 1827 163 1839 279 1851 230 1863 714 1875 921 1828 301 1840 353 1852 773 1864 698 1876 600 1829 463 1841 128 1853 678 1865 714 1877 1,048 1830 372 1842 276 1854 355 1866 921 1878 616 1831 287 1843 236 1855 406 1867 1,086 1832 310 1844 193 1856 473 1868 862 Total 26,051 1833 449 1845 235 1857 374 1869 1,231 1834 214 1846 134 1858 427 1870 784 1835 364 1847 157 1859 499 1871 882 MAT 1,1879.] ANNUAL EEPOKT. 437 The amount of happiness thus brought and has voted 92 Gold Medals, 892 Silver home to so many thousands of persons Medals, and 57,710?. in pecuniary rewards can, of course, only be adequately appre- for saving life from shipwreck. ciated by the saved themselves; but their families and the public at large are also Barometers.—The Committee have the fully sensible of the great importance of satisfaction to state that the one hundred the national services of the Life-boat and four barometers which they have Institution; and it must ever be a source placed at Life-boat Stations and elsewhere of satisfaction to all its coadjutors on continue to be thoroughly appreciated by the coast and its numerous supporters to the boatmen and fishermen. The daily feel that they have helped to bring about indications of each instrument are care- a result which, as far as Life-boat services fully chronicled ; and thus fishermen and are concerned, is without a parallel in others are, as far as possible, warned of the history of the saving of life from the approach of a coming storm, which, shipwreck. in the absence of the barometer, they might have had to encounter far at sea. Rewards.—In the Appendix a summary is given of the cases where honorary and other rewards have been voted. During Local Committees. — The Committee the past year 2 Silver Medals, 9 Votes of again tender their best acknowledgments Thanks inscribed on vellum, and 2750Z. for the valuable and earnest co-operation have been granted for saving the lives of afforded them by the Local Branch Com- 616 persons by Life-boats, shore and mittees, and their Honorary Secretaries, fishing boats, and by other means, on the which constitute so important a part coasts and outlying sandbanks of the of the work and supervision of the In- United Kingdom. stitution's numerous Life-boat Establish- The Committee continue to devote ments, and the collection of funds for much time and consideration to the in- their support. vestigation and granting of these rewards. Thus each case is minutely inquired into, Finances.—The donations, subscriptions, in the first instance, through the valu- and dividends during the year 1878 able co-operation of the Officers of Coast- have been 34,493?. 3s. 5d., of which sum guard and Customs, the local Com- 4580?. were special gifts to defray the mittees of the several Branches, or cost of the following eight Life-boats:— other responsible persons; and afterwards they are in succession thoroughly con- £. s. d. sidered by the preparatory Committee, Cadgwith—Joseph Armstrong Life- previous to their being sanctioned by boat Memorial Fund .... 550 0 0 the General Committee at their monthly Cahore—The Misses"Brooke, per John Richardson, Esq., Q.C 600 0 0 meetings. Cemaes—Loyal Order of Ancient The thanks of the Institution are due to Shepherds, A.U 200 0 0 the Admiral Superintendent of Naval Ee- Hartlepool, No. 3 —Miss Sarah Bar- serves, and the Officers and men of the low 600 0 0 Rhyl, No. 2—D 750 0 0 Coastguard Service, for their continued Wexford, No. 2—Civil Service Life- valuable co-operation. boat Fund 480 0 0 Since the establishment of the Insti- Friends at Manchester . 800 0 0 tution, it has expended on Life-boat Sta- Samuel Bird, Esq.