THE LIFE-BOAT, OB JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, (IgSTTED VOL. XII.—No. 132.] MAY 1, 1884. Is. At the AKOTAI, GENEBAL MBETINO of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT IKSTITTJTIOK, held at Willis's Kooms, King Street, St. James's, on Saturday, 15th day of March, 1884, His ROYAL HIGHSESS THE PBIHCE OF WALES, KG., in the Chair, the following Eeport of the Committee was read by the Secretary:— frequently brought under our notice in ANMJAL BEPOBT. the public press. 1884. Since the issue of the last Eeport, Tim Committee of the BOSAI NATIONAL H.E.H. the PEINCESS OF WALES, ever • LIFE-BOAT INSTITOTIOH, in submitting ready to co-operate in any good work for their Sixtieth Annual Beport to their supporters and sympathisers, thankfully the beneit of her fellow creatures, has acknowledge the yery valuable and im- honoured the Institution by becoming portant monetary assistance which they associated with it as Tiee-patroness, there- haTe received during the past year, with- by strengthening the hands of the Com- out which it would have been impossible mittee in their arduous undertaking. to carry on and sustain the great work which has been entrusted to them. The, Committee have to record, with a In no previous year, perhaps,.has the deep sense of their grave importance, the necessity for the existence of such a following changes which have taken place Society been more plainly demonstrated in its administrative staff during the year than in that lately completed. The re- 1883. About the time of the last Annual volving seasons have brought with them Meeting they were deprived of the in- to our rock-botmd shores the same dan- valuable services of the late Chairman, gerous winds and terrible gales as hereto- Mr. THOMAS CHAIPMAH, by that gentle- fore, imperilling the safety of thousands man's resignation of his high office, in of vessels and their living freights. It is which he has been succeeded by the therefore a matter for deep gratitude to present Chairman, Mr. EBWABD BIEKBECK, Almighty God that the strenuous efforts M.P., in whose place Colonel FrazBoy made by the BOYAL NATIOHAI LIFE-BOAT CiiAYTOH was elected Deputy-Chairman INSTITBTIOH have been instrumental in of the Committee. Shortly afterwards mitigating to a very considerable extent Sir EBWABB PHBBOTT, Bart, Chairman of the dire evils entailed by the terrible the Preparatory Committees, resigning disasters at sea which have been so that office after a continuous service of 250 ANNUAL EEPOKT. - above thirty years, was succeeded therein patched to the English coast to replace by the present Chairman, Mr. L. T. CAVE. Did ones, as follows:— The Committee have also to deplore the Caister. Swansea. loss of their late Secretary, Mr. KICHABD Cardigan. Winchelsea. LEWIS, whose death was notified in the Margate. Withernsea. last Annual Beport, and the resignation Padstow. of the late Chief Inspector of Life-boats, In addition to this, twelve new stations Vice-Admiral WARD, the benefit of whose are in the course of formation, and nine services will long be felt; and the Com- new boats will shortly be provided for mittee are assured that the mark which places in need of them. they have left on the Institution and its A suitable boat-house has been erected work will never be effaced. in each case where a new station has been :stablished, and transporting-carriages The operations of the Institution dur- have been furnished for several boats. ing the past year will be found classified The number of Life-boats under the as usual. management of the Institution last year was 274, which were the means of saving, The high appreciation shown by the between the 1st of January and the 31st masters and owners of fishing vessels of December, no less than 725 lives and of the benefit first afforded them by 30 vessels. Besides this, 230 lives were the Committee in 1882, in furnishing saved from shipwreck by shore boats and them, on application, with reliable Ane- other means, all of which services were roid Barometers at one-third the retail rewarded by the Institution, making up a price, has induced the Committee to ex- grand total of 955 lives rescued during tend the boon to needy masters and the year. owners of coasters under 100 tons burden, no less than ninety-one of whom have, in It is with the deepest regret that the the course of a few months, availed them- Committee have to record the sad loss, selves of the opportunity thus afforded while on service, of two of their gallant them. The total number of these valuable Life-boatmen since the publication of the instruments supplied to both the classes last Eeport. The particulars of the mentioned, has been 1,567, and there is disaster are as follows:—During the every reason to believe that by this means terrible gale which swept over our shores many wrecks have been averted, and the during the night of the 23rd January loss of life which annually takes place on last, and the four following days, the our coasts among the crews of small Clacton-on- Sea Life boat Albert Edward vessels, lessened. was proceeding to the assistance of the crew of a vessel in distress when she Life-t>oats.—During 1883 four new Life- was struck by three very heavy seas and boat stations were established at the capsized, and although the Boat righted following places, and were provided with speedily it was found that two of the crew Life-boats:— had been swept away in the darkness of the night. One of them, JAMES CEOSS, the ENGLAND AND WALES. 2nd Coxswain, had been out in the Life- Llanaelhaiarn, . Carnarvonshire. boat 33 times, and had assisted in saving Mablethorpe, . Lincolnshire. 116 lives, and the other, THOMAS CATTEB- Port Erin, . Isle of Man. MOLB, 33 lives. IRELAND. The Committee at once contributed Aranmore Island, . Co. Donegal. 450?. towards the fund raised in the locality for the widows and nine young Seven new Life-boats were also de children of the deceased. ANNUAL EEPOST, 251 SMpwreeks, — According to the most re- its instrumentality, as shown in the sub- cent published statistics, shipwrecks have joined table : — of late considerably increased in num- In the No. of Lives In the No. of Lives ber around the British coast, necessarily Year Saved Year Saved, resulting in a corresponding increase in the 1824 124 1855 408 number of lives lost It must be appa- 1825 218 18S8 473 1828 175 1 857 $74 rent to all, therefore, that it is more than 1827 163 1858 427 ever incumbent on the public to do all 1828 3»I 1859 499 J829 «3 1860 455 that can be done to multiply and sustain 1830 372 1881 424 the means, whieh science has placed at 1831 287 1862 574 its disposal, to lesseii the evils which it «32 310 1883 714 1833 449 ! 18S4 698 would seem cannot be averted, and it is 1834 214 1 1865 714 most gratifying to find that in the past 1835 364 1866 921 year so much has bean done in this 1838 225 1867 1,086 1837 272 1868 862 direction by the brave and intrepid crews 1838 456 1869 1 ,231 of the Life-boats of the BOYAI, NATIQJJAI, 1839 279 1870 784 1840 353 1871 882 LOTS-BOAT IHSTITTJTIOK. 1841 128 1872 739 In 1883 the Life-boats were launched 1842 276 1873 068 283 times, frequently, of course, without 1843 236 1874 713 1844 " 193 1875 921 any result as regards the saving of life, 1845 235 1878 600 but still, whenever a signal of distress is 1846 134 1877 1,048 1847 157 1878 616 shown, immediate and prompt action 1848 123 1879 855 must be taken. The services of the 1849 209 1880 697 Life-boats during each month of the vear 1850 470 1881 1,121 1851 230 1882 884 were as follows : — 1852 773 1883 955 1853 678 1854 355 Total 30,563 Number of Life- Vessels Lives 1883, boat Saved. Saved. Launches, This splendid list of services is the January 33 3 70 best and strongest argument which can 39 5 53 41 1 105 be adduced in support of the maintenance 9 1 28 and extension of the operations of the May 7 1 13 EOTAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT IKSIMDHON, 8 1 34 Jul. y' ...•••«••. »f It- 23 September .... 61 4 127 Rewards— In 1883, 14 Silver Medals 22 4 106 and Clasps, 25 Votes of Thanks on vellum, November . « < . 22 S. 41 December ...» 40 5 125 and 5,3971., were granted by the Com- Total . 283 80 725 mittee, including grants to widows and orphans of Life-boatmen killed on duty, for the saving of 955 lives on the shores The best thanks of the Committee are of Great Britain and Ireland by means of due to the officers and men of the Coast- Life-boats and shore-boats. Every one of guard for the important services they these eases has been most carefully con- continue to render in their exertions to sidered by the Committee, who have been save life, and for the valuable co-operation ably assisted in their inquiries by the received from them and the Volunteer Honorary Secretaries of the various Socket Brigades. Branches, by Officers of the Coastguard and Customs, and by others in a position Since the establishment of the Institu- to help. tion in 1824, sixty years ago, no less Altogether from its foundation the In- than 30,563 lives have been saved through stitution has voted 9? Gold Medals, 964 Q 2' 252 ANNUAL EEPOET.