THE LIFE-BOAT. JOTTBNAL OF THE Bational 3Life*Boat Jnstitution, (ISSUED QUARTERLY.) VOL. XX.—No. 232.] IST MAY, 1909. [PRICK 1*. AT the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, held at the Eoyal United Service Institution, Whitehall, on Tuesday, the 23rd day of March, The Eight Honourable Lord George F. Hamilton, G.C.S.I., in the Chair, the following Eeport of the Committee of Management was submitted and adopted:— ANNUAL REPORT. 1909. THE Committee of Management have ever attended as Chairman was that of used every effort during the past year the 20th February, 1908. It is difficult to maintain and as far as possible to estimate the loss •which the Institution, increase the efficiency of the Institu- has sustained through his death. He tion's service and they are glad to feel had been a Vice-President since 1866, that their work has not been in. vain. and a Trustee since 1880 ; and for more They have however to record-with a than forty years he had taken a leading deep sense of their importance the part in promoting the aims of the following changes, which occurred in Institution, and defending its interests. the administration of the Institution. It is not too much to say that the high In September last they were deprived place which the Institution holds in the by death of the very valuable services estimation of the Public is very largely ofSirEdwardBirkbeck,Bart.,K.C.V.O., due to his constant, unselfish and who for the long period of twenty-five devoted attention to its affairs. years had beea their indefatigable and Sir Edward Birkbeck was succeeded able Chairman. He had devoted the in the chair by Colonel FitzRoy Clayton, best part of his life to the interests of who joined the Committee of Manage- the Institution, and through his long ment iu 1863, and is their senior member. and fata) illness, which he struggled Colonel Clayton had been the Deputy against with the utmost fortitude, he Chairman since 1883, and was appointed kept in touch with the Institution, and a Trustee in 1886. He was also Chair- the last Meeting of the Committee he man of the Preparatory Committees from 612 ANNUAL REPORT. 1895 until 1908. He has been succeeded Transporting Carriages.—New trans- as Deputy Chairman by the Earl of porting carriages were built and sup- Hardwicke, an old friend of the Insti- plied during the year. tution and Chairman of the Life-boat Saturday Fund; and as Chairman of the Inspection of Life-boats.—Each station Preparatory Committees by Sir John of the Institution was carefully in- Cameron Lamb, C.B., C.M.G. The spected, a report of every inspection vacant Trusteeship has been filled by being submitted to and considered by the appointment of the Hon. W. F. D. the Committee of Management. Smith, M.P. Shipwrecks.— Although the storms | Life-boats.—Further success has been and gaJes of the past year provided obtained in the experiments with Motor plenty of work for the Life-boats and their gallant crews, the year taken as a Life-boats and four additional Life-boats will be sent to the coast very shortly. whole was not a remarkably boisterous Five new pulling and sailing Life-boats one. It is with great regret however were completed and placed where they that the Committee have to report that were most needed. They took the places whilst the Newquay (Cornwall) Life- of boats which were worn out or had boat was out for exercise, in bad become obsolete. The steam Life-boat weather, on the 6th March, she was which had been stationed at Gorleston suddenly capsized in a terrific sea, the for nearly eight years was in December crew as well as the District Inspector, last transferred to Angle (Milford who was on board being thrown out. Haven), where the services of such a All fortunately regained the boat, Life-boat were much needed. A reserve which promptly righted herself, except- pulling Life-boat was also sent to Pen- ing one poor fellow who although zance for service there, whilst the station brought to land died of shock. The boat is being tried at Newlyn, where in Institution at once contributed 200Z. for the opinion of the Committee of Manage- the dependent relatives of the deceased ment she will be more usefully placed. man and also paid the funeral expenses. The station at Mullion (Cornwall) has The heaviest gales of 1908 occurred been closed, the altered conditions of on the 6th-8th March, when 19 Life- the immediate locality not rendering its boats were launched, 62 lives being retention longer necessary. Wherever saved and 5 vessels; and on the 31st desirable the boats have been thoroughly August-lst September, when there overhauled, repaired and renovated. were 21 launches of Life-boats, 7 lives j The following is a complete list of being saved and 1 vessel. the new boats despatched to the coast Between the 1st January and the during the year. In each case the 31st December, inclusive, the Life-boats coxswains and crews were fully con- were launched 421 times on service, and sulted as to the class and type of boat 1080 times for exercise, besides which in which they most confided. the crews were assembled in readiness for service on 59 occasions when for- Blakeney .... Norfolk. Buckie Banfishire. tunately it proved their aid was not St. Anne's No. 1 . Lancashire. needed. Seaton Carew . Durham. The number of lives, for the saving Whitby No. 1 . Yorkshire. of which by Life-boats the Institution At the close of 1908 the entire fleet granted rewards in 1908, was 486, in of the Institution comprised 272 sailing addition to which it granted rewards and pulling Life-boats, 4 motor Life- for the saving of 152 lives by shore- boats, 4 steam Life-boats and 1 steam-tug. boats and other means, making together ANNUAL REPORT. 613 a grand total of 638 lives saved. The Shore-boats, Total IS'o. Year. Life-boats. etc. of Lives. Life-boats were instrumental in saving 1853 97 581 678 42 vessels and boats. 1854 132 223 355 1855 75 331 406 The following table furnishes the 1856 129 344 473 details of the services during each 1857 132 242 374 1858 110 317 427 month of the year : — 1859 227 272 499 V 1 1860 210 245 455 Number Lives and Lives 1861 288 136 424 of Life- Saved Boats Saved huvy 1862 358 216 574 boat by Life- Saved 1863 417 297 714 Launches. boats. 1864 432 266 698 ' 1865 532 182 714 January . 51 69 5 6 1866 426 495 921 February . 37 39 4 6 ! 1867 783 303 1,086 17 1868 603 259 862 March . 38 83 7 l April . 27 12 1 _ 1869 871 360 1,231 May 5 6 1870 513 271 784 June . 16 5 2 3 1871 658 224 882 July . 13 23 1 8 1872 569 170 739 August 30 12 3 6 i 1873 471 197 668 September 41 25 4 13 i 1874 543 170 713 October 39 31 4 11 1875 726 195 921 November 34 33 5 6S ' 1876 515 85 600 December. 90 154 6 8 1877 848 200 1,048 1878 471 145 616 Total. 421 486 42 152 1879 637 218 855 1880 577 120 697 1881 966 155 1,121 The total of lives for the saving of 1882 741 143 884 which the Committee of Management 1883 725 230 955 have granted rewards since the founda- 1884 633 159 792 1885 371 184 555 tion of the Institution on the 4th 1886 601 160 761 March, 1824, has been 47,983. 1887 368 204 572 Shore-Uoats, Total Xo. ^88 626 174 800 Year. Life-boats. etc. of Lives. 1889 420 207 627 1824 _ — 124 1890 555 218 773 1825 _ _ 218 1891 568 168 736 1826 _ _ 175 1892 8S6 220 1,056 1827 — 163 1893 428 170 598 1828 — 301 1894 649 141 790 1829 — 463 1895 533 176 709 1830 — 372 1896 312 149 461 — 1881 — 287 1897 537 125 662 1832 — 310 1898 682 74 756 1833 — 449 1899 501 108 609 1834 214 1900 690 175 865 1835 — 364 1901 397 93 490 — 1902 364 91 455 1836 — •225 1837 — 272 1903 572 137 709 1838 — 456 1904 390 138 528 1839 — 279 1905 397 153 550 1840 353 1906 595 177 772 1841 . 128 1907 932 224 1,156 1842 — — 276 , 1908 486 152 638 noc £i*j\j 1844 — 193 Total 28,225 11,569 47,983 noc 1845 ZOO 1846 __ 134 — 157 1847 — Rewards. — The rewards granted by 1848 — — 123 1849 209 the Institution in 1908 for the saving 1850 470 of life from shipwreck on the coasts 1851 — 230 of the United Kingdom, or for meri- 1852 — 773 — Q1 QQ torious efforts to save life and in recog- OJ.Ut' nition of other good services rendered, jfoTE. — Prior to 1853 the lives saved by Life-boats, Shore-boats, etc., were not separately recorded. included 1 Gold Medal, 14 Silver Medals, 2 p 614 ANNUAL REPORT. 2 Decorations, 10 Binocular Glasses, year due to the serious depression of 9 Aneroid Barometers, 35 Votes of trade has worked well, and the Cen- Thanks inscribed on vellum and framed, tral Committee, as well as all the other 10 Certificates of Service framed, and committees and Ladies' Auxiliaries are 11,068Z. 9s. 9d. in money payments, to be heartily congratulated on the ex- including pensions, retiring allowances, cellent results obtained by their zealous gratuities and compensation for per- and enthusiastic efforts, which are sonal injuries or loss sustained in the worthy of the very grateful acknow- service.