diff options
Diffstat (limited to '21717.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 21717.txt | 2767 |
1 files changed, 2767 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/21717.txt b/21717.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c1078b6 --- /dev/null +++ b/21717.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2767 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Battles with the Sea, by R.M. Ballantyne + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Battles with the Sea + +Author: R.M. Ballantyne + +Release Date: June 7, 2007 [EBook #21717] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BATTLES WITH THE SEA *** + + + + +Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England + + + + +BATTLES WITH THE SEA, BY R.M. BALLANTYNE. + + + +CHAPTER ONE. + +HEROES OF THE LIFEBOAT AND ROCKET. + +SKIRMISHES WITH THE SUBJECT GENERALLY. + +It ought to be known to all English boys that there is a terrible and +costly war in which the British nation is at all times engaged. No +intervals of peace mark the course of this war. Cessations of +hostilities there are for brief periods, but no treaties of peace. "War +to the knife" is its character. Quarter is neither given nor sought. +Our foe is unfeeling, unrelenting. He wastes no time in diplomatic +preliminaries; he scorns the courtesies of national life. No +ambassadors are recalled, no declarations of war made. Like the Red +Savage he steals upon us unawares, and, with a roar of wrathful fury, +settles down to his deadly work. + +How does this war progress? It is needful to put and reiterate this +question from time to time, because new generations of boys are always +growing up, who, so far from being familiar with the stirring episodes +of this war, and the daring deeds of valour performed, scarcely realise +the fact that such a war is being carried on at all, much less that it +costs hundreds of lives and millions of money every year. + +It may be styled a naval war, being waged chiefly in boats upon the sea. +It is a war which will never cease, because our foe is invincible, and +we will never give in; a war which, unlike much ordinary warfare, is +never unjust or unnecessary; which cannot be avoided, which is conducted +on the most barbarous principles of deathless enmity, but which, +nevertheless, brings true glory and honour to those heroes who are ever +ready, night and day, to take their lives in their hands and rush into +the thick of the furious fray. + +Although this great war began--at least in a systematic manner--only +little more than fifty years ago, it will not end until the hearts of +brave and generous Britons cease to beat, and the wild winds cease to +blow, for the undying and unconquerable enemy of whom we write is--the +Storm! + +"Death or victory!" the old familiar warwhoop, is not the final war-cry +here. Death is, indeed, always faced--sometimes met--and victory is +often gained; but, final conquests being impossible, and the "piping +times of peace" being out of the question, the signal for the onset has +been altered, and the world's old battle-cry has been exchanged for the +soul-stirring shout of "Rescue the perishing!" + +Though our foe cannot be slain, he can, like the genii of Eastern story, +be baffled. + +In the days of old, the Storm had it nearly all his own way. Hearts, +indeed, were not less brave, but munitions of war were wanting. In this +matter, as in everything else, the world is better off now than it was +then. Our weapons are more perfect, our engines more formidable. We +can now dash at our enemy in the very heart of his own terrible +strongholds; fight him where even the boldest of the ancient Vikings did +not dare to venture, and rescue the prey from the very jaws of death +amid the scenes of its wildest revelry. + +The heroes who recruit the battalions of our invincible army are the +bronzed and stalwart men of our sea-coast towns, villages, and hamlets-- +men who have had much and long experience of the foe with whom they have +to deal. Their panoply is familiar to most of us. The helmet, a +sou'wester; the breastplate, a lifebelt of cork; the sword, a strong +short oar; their war-galley, a splendid _lifeboat_; and their shield-- +the Hand of God. + +In this and succeeding chapters I purpose to exhibit and explain in +detail our Lifeboats, and the great, the glorious work which they +annually accomplish; also the operations of the life-saving Rocket, +which has for many years rescued innumerable lives, where, from the +nature of circumstances, Lifeboats could not have gone into action. I +hold that we--especially those of us who dwell in the interior of our +land--are not sufficiently alive to the deeds of daring, the thrilling +incidents, the terrible tragedies and the magnificent rescues which are +perpetually going on around our shores. We are not sufficiently +impressed, perhaps, with the _nationality_ of the work done by the Royal +National Lifeboat Institution, which manages our fleet of 270 lifeboats. +We do not fully appreciate, it may be, the personal interest which we +ourselves have in the great war, and the duty--to say nothing of +privilege--which lies upon us to lend a helping hand in the good cause. + +Before going into the marrow of the subject, let us put on the wings of +imagination, and soar to such a height that we shall be able to take in +at one eagle glance all the coasts of the United Kingdom--a sweep of +about 5000 miles all round! It is a tremendous sight, for a storm is +raging! Black clouds are driving across the murky sky; peals of thunder +rend the heavens; lightning gleams at intervals, revealing more clearly +the crested billows that here roar over the sands, or there churn and +seethe among the rocks. The shrieking gale sweeps clouds of spray high +over our windward cliffs, and carries flecks of foam far inland, to tell +of the dread warfare that is raging on the maddened sea. + +Near the shore itself numerous black specks are seen everywhere, like +ink-spots on the foam. These are wrecks, and the shrieks and the +despairing cries of the perishing rise above even the roaring of the +gale. Death is busy, gathering a rich harvest, for this is a notable +night in the great war. The Storm-fiend is roused. The enemy is abroad +in force, and has made one of his most violent assaults, so that from +Shetland to Cornwall, ships and boats are being battered to pieces on +the rocks and sands, and many lives are being swallowed up or dashed +out; while, if you turn your gaze further out to sea, you will descry +other ships and boats and victims hurrying onward to their doom. Here, +a stately barque, with disordered topsails almost bursting from the +yards as she hurries her hapless crew--all ignorant, perchance, of its +proximity--towards the dread lee-shore. Elsewhere, looming through the +murk, a ponderous merchantman, her mainmast and mizzen gone, and just +enough of the foremast left to support the bellying foresail that bears +her to destruction. + +Think you, reader, that this sketch is exaggerated? If so, let us +descend from our lofty outlook, and take a nearer view of facts in +detail. I quote the substance of the following from a newspaper article +published some years ago. + +The violence of the storm on Wednesday and Thursday night was terrific. +The damage to shipping has been fearful. On sea the tremendous gale +proved disastrous beyond precedent. Falmouth Harbour was the scene of +several collisions, and one barque and a tug steamer sank at their +anchors. A wreck is reported at Lelant, to which the Penzance lifeboat +with a stout-hearted crew had started, when our despatch left, to rescue +thirteen men who could be descried hanging in the shrouds. A fine new +ship is on Hayle bar, and another vessel is believed to be wrecked there +also. Doubtless we have not yet heard of all the wrecks on the Cornish +coast; but it is in the magnificent bay which includes Torquay, +Paignton, and Brixham that the most terrible havoc has occurred. On +Wednesday, about sixty sail were anchored in Torbay. Eleven have gone +ashore at Broadsands, five of which are total wrecks. The names of +those we could ascertain were the Fortitude, of Exeter; the Stately, of +Newcastle; the Dorset, of Falmouth, and a French brigantine. At five +o'clock on Thursday evening some of the crews were being drawn ashore by +lines and baskets. At Churston Cove one schooner is ashore and a total +wreck; there is also another, the Blue Jacket, which may yet be saved. +At Brixham there are two fine ships ashore inside the breakwater. At +the back of the pier ten vessels have been pounded to matchwood, and all +that remains are a shattered barque, her masts still standing, two +brigs, and a schooner, all inextricably mingled together. Twelve +trawlers have been sunk and destroyed. Out of the sixty ships at anchor +on Wednesday night there were not more than ten left on Thursday +afternoon. Many of these are disabled, some dismasted. A fishing-boat +belonging to Brixham was upset in the outer harbour about eight o'clock, +and two married fishermen of the town and a boy were drowned. At Elbury +a new brig, the Zouave, of Plymouth, has gone to pieces, and six out of +her crew of ten are drowned. Eleven other vessels are on shore at +Elbury, many of the men belonging to which cannot be accounted for. One +noble woman, named Wheaton, wife of a master mariner, saved two lives by +throwing a rope from the window of her house, which is built on the +rocks overhanging the bay at Furzeham Hill. Scores of poor shipwrecked +men are wandering distractedly about Brixham and Churston, the greater +part of them having lost all they possessed. The total loss of life +arising from these disasters is variously estimated at from seventy to a +hundred. + +Is not this a tremendous account of the doings of one gale? And let it +be observed that we have lifted only one corner of the curtain and +revealed the battlefield of only one small portion of our far-reaching +coasts. What is to be said of the other parts of our shores during that +same wild storm? It would take volumes instead of chapters to give the +thrilling incidents of disaster and heroism in full detail. To convey +the truth in all its force is impossible, but a glimmering of it may be +obtained by a glance at the Wreck Chart which is published by the Board +of Trade every year. + +Every black spot on that chart represents a wreck more or less +disastrous, which occurred in the twelve months. It is an appalling +fact that about two thousand ships, upwards of seven hundred lives, and +nearly two millions sterling, are lost _every_ year on the shores of the +United Kingdom. Some years the loss is heavier, sometimes lighter, but +in round numbers this is our annual loss in the great war. That it +would be far greater if we had no lifeboats and no life-saving rockets +it will be our duty by-and-by to show. + +The black spots on the Wreck Chart to which we have referred show at a +single glance that the distribution of wrecks is very unequal--naturally +so. Near the great seaports we find them thickly strewn; at other +places, where vessels pass in great numbers on their way to these ports, +the spots are also very numerous, while on unfrequented parts they are +found only here and there in little groups of two, three, or four. Away +on the nor'-west shores of Scotland, for instance, where the seal and +the sea-mew have the ocean and rugged cliffs pretty much to themselves, +the plague-spots are few and far between; but on the east coast we find +a fair sprinkling of them, especially in the mouths of the Forth and +Tay, whither a goodly portion of the world's shipping crowds, and to +which the hardy Norseman now sends many a load of timber--both log and +batten--instead of coming, as he did of old, to batten on the land. It +is much the same with Ireland, its more important seaports being on the +east. + +But there is a great and sudden increase of the spots when we come to +England. They commence at the border, on the west, where vessels from +and to the busy Clyde enter or quit the Irish Sea. Darkening the +fringes of the land on both sides, and clustering round the Isle of Man, +they multiply until the ports have no room to hold them, and, as at +Liverpool, they are crowded out into the sea. From the deadly shores of +Anglesea, where the Royal Charter went down in the great and memorable +storm of November, 1859, the signs of wreck and disaster thicken as we +go south until we reach the Bristol Channel, which appears to be choked +with them, and the dangerous cliffs of Cornwall, which receive the +ill-fated vessels of the fleets that are perpetually leaving or entering +the two great channels. But it is on the east coast of England that the +greatest damage is done. From Berwick to the Thames the black spots +cluster like bees. On the coasts of Norfolk and Suffolk, off Great +Yarmouth, where lie the dangerous Haisborough Sands, the spots are no +longer in scattered groups, but range themselves in dense battalions; +and further south, off the coast of Kent, round which the world's +commerce flows unceasingly into the giant metropolis, where the famous +Goodwin Sands play their deadly part in the great war, the dismal spots +are seen to cluster densely, like gnats in a summer sky. + +Now, just where the black spots are thickest on this wreck chart, +lifeboats and rocket apparatus have been stationed in greatest numbers. +As in ordinary warfare, so in battles with the sea, our "Storm Warriors" +[See an admirable book, with this title, written by the Reverend John +Gilmore, of Ramsgate. (Macmillan and Company)] are thrown forward in +force where the enemy's assaults are most frequent and dangerous. Hence +we find the eastern shores of England crowded at every point with +life-saving apparatus, while most of the other dangerous parts of the +coast are pretty well guarded. + +Where and how do our coast heroes fight? I answer--sometimes on the +cliffs, sometimes on the sands, sometimes on the sea, and sometimes even +on the pierheads. Their operations are varied by circumstances. Let us +draw nearer and look at them while in action, and observe how the enemy +assails them. I shall confine myself at present to a skirmish. + +When the storm-fiend is abroad; when dark clouds lower; when blinding +rain or sleet drives before the angry gale, and muttering thunder comes +rolling over the sea, men with hard hands and weather-beaten faces, clad +in oilskin coats and sou'-westers, saunter down to our quays and +headlands all round the kingdom. These are the lifeboat crews and +rocket brigades. They are on the lookout. The enemy is moving, and the +sentinels are being posted for the night--or rather, they are posting +themselves, for nearly all the fighting men in this war are volunteers! + +They require no drilling to prepare them for the field; no bugle or drum +to sound the charge. Their drum is the rattling thunder; their trumpet +the roaring storm. They began to train for this warfare when they were +not so tall as their fathers' boots, and there are no awkward squads +among them now. Their organisation is rough-and-ready, like themselves, +and simple too. The heavens call them to action; the coxswain grasps +the helm, the oars are manned, the word is given, and the rest is +straightforward fighting--over everything, through everything, in the +teeth of everything, until the victory is gained, and rescued men, +women, and children are landed in safety on the shore. + +Of course they do not always succeed, but they seldom or never fail to +do the very uttermost that it is in the power of strong and daring men +to accomplish. Frequently they can tell of defeat and victory on the +same battlefield. + +So it was on one fearful winter night at the mouth of the Tyne in the +year 1867. The gale that night was furious. It suddenly chopped round +to the South South East, and, as if the change had recruited its +energies, it blew a perfect hurricane between midnight and two in the +morning, accompanied by blinding showers of sleet and hail, which seemed +to cut like a knife. The sea was rising mountains high. + +About midnight, when the storm was gathering force and the sentinels +were scarcely able to keep a lookout, a preventive officer saw a vessel +driving ashore to the south of the South Pier. Instantly he burnt a +blue light, at which signal three guns were fired from the Spanish +Battery to call out the Life Brigade. The men were on the alert. About +twenty members of the brigade assembled almost immediately on the pier, +where they found that the preventive officer and pier-policeman had +already got out the life-saving apparatus; but the gale was so fierce +that they had been forced to crawl on their hands and knees to do so. A +few minutes more and the number of brigade men increased to between +fifty and sixty. Soon they saw, through the hurtling storm, that +several vessels were driving on shore. Before long, four ships, with +their sails blown to ribbons, were grinding themselves to powder, and +crashing against each other and the pier-sides in a most fearful manner. +They were the Mary Mac, the Cora, and the Maghee, belonging to +Whitstable, and the Lucern of Blyth. + +Several lifeboats were stationed at that point. They were all launched, +manned, and promptly pulled into the Narrows, but the force of the +hurricane and seas were such that they could not make headway against +them. The powers of man are limited. When there is a will there is not +always a way! For two hours did these brave men strain at the tough +oars in vain; then they unwillingly put about and returned, utterly +exhausted, leaving it to the men with the life-lines on shore to do the +fighting. Thus, frequently, when one arm of the service is prevented +from acting; the other arm comes into play. + +The work of the men engaged on the pier was perilous and difficult, for +the lines had to be fired against a head wind. The piers were covered +with ice, and the gale was so strong that the men could hardly stand, +while the crews of the wrecks were so benumbed that they could make +little effort to help themselves. + +The men of the Mary Mac, however, made a vigorous effort to get their +longboat out. A boy jumped in to steady it. Before the men could +follow, the boat was stove in, the rope that held it broke, and it drove +away with the poor lad in it. He was quickly washed out, but held on to +the gunwale until it drifted into broken water, when he was swallowed by +the raging sea and the boat was dashed to pieces. + +Meanwhile the crew of the Cora managed to swing themselves ashore, their +vessel being close to the pier. The crew of the Lucern, acting on the +advice of the brigade men, succeeded in scrambling on board the Cora and +were hauled ashore on the life-lines. They had not been ten minutes out +of their vessel when she turned over with her decks towards the terrible +sea, which literally tore her asunder, and pitched her up, stem on end, +as if she had been a toy. The crew of the Maghee were in like manner +hauled on to the pier, with the exception of one lad from Canterbury. +It was the poor boy's first voyage. Little did he think probably, while +dreaming of the adventures of a sailor's career, what a terrible fate +awaited him. He was apparently paralysed with fear, and could not +spring after his comrades to the pier, but took to the rigging. He had +scarcely done so when the vessel heeled over, and he was swung two or +three times backwards and forwards with the motion of the masts. + +It is impossible to imagine the feelings of the brave men on the pier, +who would so gladly have risked their lives to save him--he was so near, +and yet so hopelessly beyond the reach of human aid! + +In a very brief space of time the waves did their work--ship and boy +were swallowed up together. + +While these events were enacting on the pier the Mary Mac had drifted +over the sand about half a mile from where she had struck. One of her +crew threw a leadline towards a seaman on the shore. The hero plunged +into the surf and caught it. The rest of the work was easy. By means +of the line the men of the Life Brigade sent off their hawser, and +breeches-buoy or cradle (which apparatus I shall hereafter explain), and +drew the crew in safety to the land. + +That same morning a Whitby brig struck on the sands. The lifeboat +Pomfret, belonging to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, put out +and rescued her crew. In the morning the shores were strewn with +wreckage, and amongst it was found the body of the boy belonging to the +Mary Mac. + +All these disasters were caused by the masters of the vessels mistaking +the south for the north pier, in consequence of having lost sight of +Tynemouth light in the blinding showers. + +Of course many lifeboats were out doing good service on the night to +which I have referred, but I pass all that by at present. The next +chapter will carry you, good reader, into the midst of a pitched battle. + + + +CHAPTER TWO. + +DESCRIBES A TREMENDOUS BATTLE AND A GLORIOUS VICTORY. + +Before following our brilliant lifeboat--this gaudy, butterfly-like +thing of red, white, and blue--to the field of battle, let me observe +that the boats of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution have several +characteristic qualities, to which reference shall be made hereafter, +and that they are of various sizes. [A full and graphic account of the +Royal National Lifeboat Institution--its boats, its work, and its +achievements--may be found in an interesting volume by its late +secretary, Richard Lewis, Esquire, entitled _History of the Lifeboat and +its Work_--published by Macmillan and Company.] + +One of the largest size is that of Ramsgate. This may be styled a +privileged boat, for it has a steam-tug to wait upon it named the Aid. +Day and night the Aid has her fires "banked up" to keep her boilers +simmering, so that when the emergency arises, a vigorous thrust of her +giant poker brings them quickly to the boiling point, and she is ready +to take her lifeboat in tow and tug her out to the famed and fatal +Goodwin Sands, which lie about four miles off the coast--opposite to +Ramsgate. + +I draw attention to this boat, first because she is exceptionally +situated with regard to frequency of call, the means of going promptly +into action, and success in her work. Her sister-lifeboats of +Broadstairs and Margate may, indeed, be as often called to act, but they +lack the attendant steamer, and sometimes, despite the skill and courage +of their crews, find it impossible to get out in the teeth of a tempest +with only sail and oar to aid them. + +Early in December, 1863, an emigrant ship set sail for the Antipodes; +she was the Fusilier, of London. It was her last voyage, and fated to +be very short. The shores of Old England were still in sight, the eyes +of those who sought to "better their circumstances" in Australia were +yet wet, and their hearts still full with the grief of parting from +loved ones at home, when one of the most furious storms of the season +caught them and cast their gallant ship upon the dangerous Sands off the +mouth of the Thames. This happened on the night of the 3rd, which was +intensely dark, as well as bitterly cold. + +Who can describe or conceive the scene that ensued! the horror, the +shrieking of women and children, and the yelling of the blast through +the rigging,--for it was an absolute hurricane,--while tons of water +fell over the decks continually, sweeping them from stem to stern. + +The Fusilier had struck on that part of the sands named the Girdler. In +the midst of the turmoil there was but one course open to the crew-- +namely, to send forth signals of distress. Guns were fired, rockets +sent up, and tar-barrels set a-blaze. Then, during many hours of agony, +they had to wait and pray. + +On that same night another good ship struck upon the same sands at a +different point--the Demerara of Greenock--not an emigrant ship, but +freighted with a crew of nineteen souls, including a Trinity pilot. +Tossed like a plaything on the Sands--at that part named the Shingles-- +off Margate, the Demerara soon began to break up, and the helpless crew +did as those of the Fusilier had done and were still doing--they +signalled for aid. But it seemed a forlorn resource. Through the +thick, driving, murky atmosphere nothing but utter blackness could be +seen, though the blazing of their own tar-barrels revealed, with awful +power, the seething breakers around, which, as if maddened by the +obstruction of the sands, leaped and hissed wildly over them, and +finally crushed their vessel over on its beam-ends. Swept from the +deck, which was no longer a platform, but, as it were, a sloping wall, +the crew took refuge in the rigging of one of the masts which still held +fast. The mast overhung the caldron of foam, which seemed to boil and +leap at the crew as if in disappointed fury. + +By degrees the hull of the Demerara began to break up. Her timbers +writhed and snapped under the force of the ever-thundering waves as if +tormented. The deck was blown out by the confined and compressed air. +The copper began to peel off, the planks to loosen, and soon it became +evident that the mast to which the crew were lashed could not long hold +up. Thus, for ten apparently endless hours the perishing seamen hung +suspended over what seemed to be their grave. They hung thus in the +midst of pitchy darkness after their blazing tar-barrels had been +extinguished. + +And what of the lifeboat-men during all this time? Were they asleep? +Nay, verily! Everywhere they stood at pierheads, almost torn from their +holdfasts by the furious gale, or they cowered under the lee of boats +and boat-houses on the beach, trying to gaze seaward through the +blinding storm, but nothing whatever could they see of the disasters on +these outlying sands. + +There are, however, several sentinels which mount guard night and day +close to the Goodwin and other Sands. These are the Floating Lights +which mark the position of our extensive and dangerous shoals. Two of +these sentinels, the Tongue lightship and the Prince's lightship, in the +vicinity of the Girdler Sands, saw the signals of distress. Instantly +their guns and rockets gleamed and thundered intelligence to the shore. +Such signals had been watched for keenly that night by the brave men of +the Margate lifeboat, who instantly went off to the rescue. But there +are conditions against which human courage and power and will are +equally unavailing. In the teeth of such a gale from the +west-nor'-west, with the sea driving in thunder straight on the beach, +it was impossible for the Margate boat to put out. A telegram was +therefore despatched to Ramsgate. Here, too, as at Broadstairs, and +everywhere else, the heroes of the coast were on the lookout, knowing +well the duties that might be required of them at any moment. + +The stout little Aid was lying at the pier with her steam "up." The +Ramsgate lifeboat was floating quietly in the harbour, and her sturdy +lion-like coxswain, Isaac Jarman, was at the pier-head with some of his +men, watching. The Ramsgate men had already been out on service at the +sands that day, and their appetite for saving life had been whetted. +They were ready for more work. At a quarter past eight p.m. the +telegram was received by the harbour-master. The signal was given. The +lifeboat-men rushed to their boats. + +"First come, first served," is the rule there. She was over-manned, and +some of the brave fellows had to leave her. The tight little tug took +the boat in tow, and in less than half an hour rushed out with her into +the intense darkness, right in the teeth of tempest and billows. + +The engines of the Aid are powerful, like her whole frame. Though +fiercely opposed she battled out into the raging sea, now tossed on the +tops of the mighty waves, now swallowed in the troughs between. +Battered by the breaking crests, whelmed at times by "green seas," +staggering like a drunken thing, and buffeted by the fierce gale, but +never giving way an inch, onward, steadily if slowly, until she rounded +the North Foreland. Then the rescuers saw the signals going up +steadily, regularly, from the two lightships. No cessation of these +signals until they should be answered by signals from the shore. + +All this time the lifeboat had been rushing, surging, and bounding in +the wake of her steamer. The seas not only roared around her, but +absolutely overwhelmed her. She was dragged violently over them, and +sometimes right through them. Her crew crouched almost flat on the +thwarts, and held on to prevent being washed overboard. The stout cable +had to be let out to its full extent to prevent snapping, so that the +mist and rain sometimes prevented her crew from seeing the steamer, +while cross seas met and hurled her from side to side, causing her to +plunge and kick like a wild horse. + +About midnight the Tongue lightship was reached and hailed. The answer +given was brief and to the point: "A vessel in distress to the +nor'-west, supposed to be on the high part of the Shingles Sand!" + +Away went the tug and boat to the nor'-west, but no vessel could be +found, though anxious hearts and sharp and practised eyes were strained +to the uttermost. The captain of the Aid, who knew every foot of the +sands, and who had medals and letters from kings and emperors in +acknowledgment of his valuable services, was not to be balked easily. +He crept along as close to the dangerous sands as was consistent with +the safety of his vessel. + +How intently they gazed and listened both from lifeboat and steamer, but +no cry was to be heard, no signal of distress, nothing but the roaring +of the waves and shrieking of the blast, and yet they were not far from +the perishing! The crew of the Demerara were clinging to their +quivering mast close by, but what could their weak voices avail in such +a storm? Their signal fires had long before been drowned out, and those +who would have saved them could not see more than a few yards around. + +Presently the booming of distant cannon was heard and then a faint line +of fire was seen in the far distance against the black sky. The +Prince's and the Girdler lightships were both firing guns and rockets to +tell that shipwreck was taking place near to them. What was to be done? +Were the Shingles to be forsaken, when possibly human beings were +perishing there? There was no help for it. The steamer and lifeboat +made for the vessels that were signalling, and as the exhausted crew on +the quivering mast of the Demerara saw their lights depart, the last +hope died out of their breasts. + +"Hope thou in God, for thou shalt yet praise Him," perchance occurred to +some of them: who knows? + +Meanwhile the rescuers made for the Prince's lightship and were told +that a vessel in distress was signalling on the higher part of the +Girdler Sands. + +Away they went again, and this time were successful. They made for the +Girdler lightship, and on the Girdler Sands they found the Fusilier. + +The steamer towed the lifeboat to windward of the wreck into such a +position that when cast adrift she could bear down on her. Then the +cable was slipped and the boat went in for her own special and hazardous +work. Up went her little foresail close-reefed, and she rushed into a +sea of tumultuous broken water that would have swamped any other kind of +boat in the world. + +What a burst of thrilling joy and hope there was among the emigrants in +the Fusilier when the little craft was at last descried! It was about +one o'clock in the morning by that time, and the sky had cleared a very +little, so that a faint gleam of moonlight enabled them to see the boat +of mercy plunging towards them through a very chaos of surging seas and +whirling foam. To the rescuers the wreck was rendered clearly visible +by the lurid light of her burning tar-barrels as she lay on the sands, +writhing and trembling like a living thing in agony. The waves burst +over her continually, and, mingling in spray with the black smoke of her +fires, swept furiously away to leeward. + +At first each wave had lifted the ship and let her crash down on the +sands, but as the tide fell this action decreased, and had ceased +entirely when the lifeboat arrived. + +And now the point of greatest danger was reached. How to bring a +lifeboat alongside of a wreck so as to get the people into her without +being dashed to pieces is a difficult problem to solve. It was no new +problem, however, to these hardy and fearless men; they had solved it +many a time, before that night. When more than a hundred yards to +windward of the wreck, the boat's foresail was lowered and her anchor +let go. Then they seized the oars, and the cable was payed out; but the +distance had been miscalculated. They were twenty yards or so short of +the wreck when the cable had run completely out, so the men had to pull +slowly and laboriously back to their anchor again, while the emigrants +sent up a cry of despair, supposing they had failed and were going to +forsake them! At length the anchor was got up. In a few minutes it was +let go in a better position, and the boat was carefully veered down +under the lee of the vessel, from both bow and stern of which a hawser +was thrown to it and made fast. By means of these ropes and the cable +the boat was kept somewhat in position without striking the wreck. + +It was no easy matter to make the voice heard in such a gale and turmoil +of seas, but the captain of the Fusilier managed to give his ship's name +and intended destination. Then he shouted, "How many can you carry? We +have more than a hundred souls on board; more than sixty of them women +and children." + +This might well fill the breasts of the rescuers with anxiety. Their +boat, when packed full, could only carry about thirty. However, a +cheering reply was returned, and, seizing a favourable opportunity, two +of the boatmen sprang on the wreck, clambered over the side, and leaped +among the excited emigrants. Some seized them by the hands and hailed +them as deliverers; others, half dead with terror, clung to them as if +afraid they might forsake them. There was no time, however, to humour +feelings. Shaking them all off--kindly but forcibly--the men went to +work with a will, briefly explained that there was a steamer not far +off, and began to get the women first into the boat. + +Terror-stricken, half fainting, trembling in every limb, deadly pale, +and exhausted by prolonged anxiety and exposure, the poor creatures were +carried rather than led to the ship's side. It needed courage even to +submit to be saved on such a night and in such circumstances. Two +sailors stood outside the ship's bulwarks, fastened there by ropes, +ready to lower the women. At one moment the raging sea rose with a roar +almost to the feet of these men, bearing the kicking lifeboat on its +crest. Next moment the billow had passed, and the men looked down into +a yawning abyss of foam, with the boat surging away far out of their +reach, plunging and tugging at the ropes which held it, as a wild horse +of the plains might struggle with the lasso. No wonder that the women +gazed appalled at the prospect of such a leap, or that some shrieked and +wildly resisted the kind violence of their rescuers. But the leap was +for life; it had to be taken--and quickly, too, for the storm was very +fierce, and there were many to save! + +One of the women is held firmly by the two men. With wildly-staring +eyes she sees the boat sweep towards her on the breast of a rushing sea. +It comes closer. Some of the men below stand up with outstretched +arms. The woman makes a half spring, but hesitates. The momentary +action proves almost fatal. In an instant the boat sinks into a gulf, +sweeps away as far as the ropes will let her, and is buried in foam, +while the woman is slipping from the grasp of the men who hold her. + +"Don't let her go! don't let her go!" is roared by the lifeboat-men, but +she has struggled out of their grasp. Another instant and she is gone; +but God in His mercy sends the boat in again at that instant; the men +catch her as she falls, and drag her inboard. + +Thus, one by one, were the women got into the lifeboat. Some of these +women were old and infirm; some were invalids. Who can conceive the +horror of the situation to such as these, save those who went through +it? + +The children were wrapped up in blankets and thus handed down. Some of +the husbands or fathers on board rolled up shawls and blankets and +tossed them down to the partially clothed and trembling women. It +chanced that one small infant was bundled up in a blanket by a frantic +passenger and handed over the side. The man who received it, mistaking +it for merely a blanket, cried, "Here, Bill, catch!" and tossed it into +the boat. Bill, with difficulty, caught it as it was flying overboard; +at the same moment a woman cried, "My child! my child!" sprang forward, +snatched the bundle from the horrified Bill, and hugged it to her bosom! + +At last the boat, being sufficiently filled, was hauled up to her +anchor. Sail was hoisted, and away they flew into the surging darkness, +leaving the rest of the emigrants still filled with terrible anxiety, +but not now with hopeless despair. + +The lifeboat and her tender work admirably together. Knowing exactly +what must be going on, and what would be required of him, though he +could see nothing, the captain of the Aid, after the boat had slipped +from him, had run down along the sands to leeward of the wreck, and +there waited. Presently he saw the boat coming like a phantom out of +the gloom. It was quickly alongside, and the rescued people-- +twenty-five women and children--were transferred to the steamer, taken +down to her cabin, and tenderly cared for. Making this transfer in such +a sea was itself difficult in the extreme, and accompanied with great +danger, but difficulty and danger were the rule that night, not the +exception. All went well. The Aid, with the warrior-boat in tow, +steamed back to windward of the wreck; then the lifeboat slipped the +cable as before, and returned to the conflict, leaping over the seething +billows to the field of battle like a warhorse refreshed. + +The stirring scene was repeated with success. Forty women and children +were rescued on the second trip, and put on board the steamer. Leaden +daylight now began to dawn. Many hours had the "storm warriors" been +engaged in the wild exhausting fight, nevertheless a third and a fourth +time did they charge the foe, and each time with the same result. All +the passengers were finally rescued and put on board the steamer. + +But now arose a difficulty. The tide had been falling and leaving the +wreck, so that the captain and crew determined to stick to her in the +hope of getting her off, if the gale should abate before the tide rose +again. + +It was therefore agreed that the lifeboat should remain by her in case +of accidents; so the exhausted men had to prepare for a weary wait in +their wildly plunging boat, while the Aid went off with her rescued +people to Ramsgate. + +But the adventures of that night were not yet over. The tug had not +been gone above an hour and a half, when, to the surprise of those in +the lifeboat, she was seen returning, with her flag flying half mast +high, a signal of recall to her boat. The lifeboat slipped from the +side of the wreck and ran to meet her. The reason was soon explained. +On his way back to Ramsgate the captain had discovered another large +vessel on her beam-ends, a complete wreck, on that part of the sands +named the Shingles. It was the Demerara, and her crew were still seen +clinging to the quivering mast on which they had spent the livelong +night. + +More work for the well-nigh worn out heroes! Away they went to the +rescue as though they had been a fresh crew. Dashing through the surf +they drew near the doomed ship, which creaked and groaned when struck by +the tremendous seas, and threatened to go to pieces every moment. The +sixteen men on the mast were drenched by every sea. Several times that +awful night they had, as it were, been mocked by false hopes of +deliverance. They had seen the flashing of the rockets and faintly +heard the thunder of the alarm-guns fired by the lightships. They had +seen the lights of the steamer while she searched in vain for them on +first reaching the sands, had observed the smaller light of the boat in +tow, whose crew would have been so glad to save them, and had shouted in +vain to them as they passed by on their errand of mercy to other parts +of the sands, leaving them a prey to darkness and despair. But a +merciful and loving God had seen and heard them all the time, and now +sent them aid at the eleventh hour. + +When the lifeboat at last made in towards them the ebb tide was running +strongly, and, from the position of the wreck, it was impossible to +anchor to windward and drop down to leeward in the usual fashion. They +had, therefore, to adopt the dangerous plan of running with the wind, +right in upon the fore-rigging, and risk being smashed by the mast, +which was beating about with its living load like an eccentric +battering-ram. But these Ramsgate men would stick at nothing. They +rushed in and received many severe blows, besides dashing into the iron +windlass of the wreck. Slowly, and one by one, the enfeebled men +dropped from the mast into the boat. Sixteen--all saved! There was +great shaking of hands, despite the tossings of the hungry surf, and +many fervid expressions of thankfulness, as the sail was hoisted and the +men of the Demerara were carried away to join the other rescued ones, +who by that time thronged the little Aid almost to overflowing. + +At Ramsgate that morning--the morning of the 4th--it was soon known to +the loungers on the pier that the lifeboat was out, had been out all +night, and might be expected back soon. Bright and clear, though cold, +was the morn which succeeded that terrible night; and many hundreds of +anxious, beating, hopeful hearts were on the lookout. At last the +steamer and her warrior-boat appeared, and a feeling of great gladness +seemed to spread through the crowd when it was observed that a flag was +flying at the mast-head, a well-known sign of victory. + +On they came, right gallantly over the still turbulent waves. As they +passed the pier-heads, and the crowd of pale faces were seen gazing +upwards in smiling acknowledgment of the hearty welcome, there burst +forth a deep-toned thrilling cheer, which increased in enthusiasm as the +extent of the victory was realised, and culminated when it became known +that at one grand swoop the lifeboat, after a fight of sixteen hours, +had rescued a hundred and twenty souls from the grasp of the raging sea! + +Reader, there was many a heart-stirring incident enacted that night +which I have not told you, and much more might be related of that great +battle and glorious victory. But enough, surely, has been told to give +you some idea of what our coast heroes dare and do in their efforts to +rescue the perishing. + + + +CHAPTER THREE. + +LIGHT AND SHADE IN LIFEBOAT WORK. + +But victory does not always crown the efforts of our lifeboats. +Sometimes we have to tell of partial failure or defeat, and it is due to +the lifeboat cause to show that our coast heroes are to the full as +daring, self-sacrificing, and noble, in the time of disaster as they are +in the day of victory. + +A splendid instance of persevering effort in the face of absolutely +insurmountable difficulty was afforded by the action of the Constance +lifeboat, belonging to Tynemouth, on the night of the 24th November, +1864. + +On that night the coast of Northumberland was visited by one of the +severest gales that had been experienced for many years, and a +tremendous sea was dashing and roaring among the rocks at the mouth of +the Tyne. Many ships had sought refuge in the harbour during the day, +but, as the shades of evening began to descend, the risk of attempting +an entrance became very great. At last, as the night was closing in, +the schooner Friendship ran on the rocks named the Black Middens. + +Shortly afterwards a large steamer, the Stanley, of Aberdeen, with +thirty passengers (most of whom were women), thirty of a crew, a cargo +of merchandise, and a deckload of cattle, attempted to take the river. +On approaching she sent up rockets for a pilot, but none dared venture +out to her. The danger of putting out again to sea was too great. The +captain therefore resolved to attempt the passage himself. He did so. +Three heavy seas struck the steamer so severely as to divert her from +her course, and she ran on the rocks close to the Friendship, so close +that the cries of her crew could be heard above the whistling winds and +thundering waves. As soon as she struck, the indescribable +circumstances of a dread disaster began. The huge billows that had +hitherto passed onward, heaving her upwards, now burst over her with +inconceivable violence and crushed her down, sweeping the decks +continuously--they rocked her fiercely to and fro; they ground her sides +upon the cruel rocks; they lifted her on their powerful crests, let her +fall bodily on the rocks, stove in her bottom, and, rushing into the +hold, extinguished the engine fires. The sound of her rending planks +and timbers was mingled with the piercing cries of the female passengers +and the gruff shouting of the men, as they staggered to and fro, vainly +attempting to do something, they knew not what, to avert their doom. + +It was pitch dark by this time, yet not so dark but that the sharp eyes +of earnest daring men on shore had noted the catastrophe. The men of +the coastguard, under Mr Lawrence Byrne, their chief officer, got out +the rocket apparatus and succeeded in sending a line over the wreck. +Unfortunately, however, owing to mismanagement of those on board the +steamer, it proved ineffective. They had fastened the hawser of the +apparatus to the forecastle instead of high up on the mast, so that the +ropes became hopelessly entangled on the rocks. Before this +entanglement occurred, however, two men had been hauled ashore to show +the possibility of escape and to give the ladies courage. Then a lady +ventured into the sling-lifebuoy, or cradle, with a sailor, but they +stuck fast during the transit, and while being hauled back to the wreck, +fell out and were drowned. A fireman then made the attempt. Again the +cradle stuck, but the man was strong and went hand over hand along the +hawser to the shore, where Mr Byrne rushed into the surf and caught +hold of him. The rescuer nearly lost his life in the attempt. He was +overtaken by a huge wave, and was on the point of being washed away when +he caught hold of a gentleman who ran into the surf to save him. + +The rocket apparatus having thus failed, owing to the simple mistake of +those in the wreck having fastened the hawser _too low_ on their vessel, +the crew attempted to lower a boat with four seamen and four ladies in +it. One of the davits gave way, the other swung round, and the boat was +swamped. Three of the men were hauled back into the steamer, but the +others perished. The men would not now launch the other boats. Indeed +it would have been useless, for no ordinary boat could have lived in +such a sea. Soon afterwards all the boats were washed away and +destroyed, and the destruction of the steamer itself seemed about to +take place every moment. + +While this terrible fight for dear life was going on, the lifeboat-men +were not idle. They ran out their good boat, the Constance, and +launched her. And what a fearful launching that was! This boat +belonged to the Institution, and her crew were justly proud of her. + +According to the account given by her gallant coxswain, James Gilbert, +they could see nothing whatever at the time of starting but the white +flash of the seas as they passed over boat and crew, without +intermission, twelve or thirteen times. Yet, as quickly as the boat was +filled, she emptied herself through her discharging-tubes. Of these +tubes I shall treat hereafter. Gilbert could not even see his own men, +except the second coxswain, who, I presume, was close to him. Sometimes +the boat was "driven to an angle of forty or forty-five degrees in +clearing the rocks." When they were in a position to make for the +steamer, the order was given to "back all oars and keep her end-on to +the sea." The men obeyed; they seemed to be inspired with fresh vigour +as they neared the wreck. Let Gilbert himself tell the rest of the +story as follows. + +"When abreast of the port bow, two men told us they had a rope ready on +the starboard bow. We said we would be there in a moment. I then +ordered the bow-man to be ready to receive the rope. As soon as we were +ready we made two dashing strokes, and were under the bowsprit, +expecting to receive the rope, when we heard a dreadful noise, and the +next instant the sea fell over the bows of the Stanley, and buried the +lifeboat. Every oar was broken at the gunwale of the boat, and the +outer ends were swept away. The men made a grasp for the spare oars. +Three were gone; two only remained. We were then left with the rudder +and two oars. The next sea struck the boat almost over end on board the +Friendship, the boat at the time being nearly perpendicular. We then +had the misfortune to lose four of our crew. As the boat made a most +fearful crash, and fell alongside the vessel, James Grant was, I +believe, killed on the spot, betwixt the ship and the boat; Edmund +Robson and James Blackburn were thrown out, Joseph Bell jumped as the +boat fell. My own impression is that the men all jumped from the boat +on to the vessel. We saw them no more. There were four men standing in +a group before the mainmast of the schooner. We implored them to come +into the boat, but no one answered." + +Little wonder at that, James Gilbert! The massive wreck must have +seemed--at least to men who did not know the qualities of a lifeboat--a +surer foothold than the tossed cockleshell with "only two oars and a +rudder," out of which four of her own gallant crew had just been lost. +Even landsmen can perceive that it must have required much faith to +trust a lifeboat in the circumstances. + +"The next sea that struck the lifeboat," continues the coxswain, "landed +her within six feet of the foundation-stone of Tynemouth Dock, with a +quickness seldom witnessed. The crew plied the remaining two oars to +leeward against the rudder and boathook. We never saw anything till +coming near the three Shields lifeboats. We asked them for oars to +proceed back to the Friendship, but they had none to spare." + +Thus the brave Constance was baffled, and had to retire, severely +wounded, from the fight. She drove, in her disabled and unmanageable +condition, into the harbour. Of the four men thrown out of her, Grant +and Robson, who had found temporary refuge in the wrecked schooner, +perished. The other two, Bell and Blackburn, were buoyed up by their +cork lifebelts, washed ashore, and saved. The schooner itself was +afterwards destroyed, and her crew of four men and a boy were lost. + +Meanwhile the screams of those on board of her and the Stanley were +borne on the gale to the vast crowds who, despite darkness and tempest, +lined the neighbouring cliffs, and the Shields lifeboats just referred +to made gallant attempts to approach the wrecks, but failed. Indeed, it +seemed to have been a rash attempt on the part of the noble fellows of +the Constance to have made the venture at all. + +The second cabin of the Stanley was on deck, and formed the bridge, or +outlook. On this a number of the passengers and crew had taken refuge, +but a tremendous sea carried it, and all its occupants, bodily away. +After this the fury of the sea increased, and about an hour before +midnight the steamer, with a hideous crash, broke in two amidships. The +after part remained fast; the fore part swung round. All the people who +remained on the after part were swept away and drowned. The new +position into which the fore part of the wreck had been forced was so +far an advantage to those who still clung to it, that the bows broke the +first violence of the waves, and thus partially protected the exhausted +people, thirty-five of whom still remained alive out of the sixty souls +originally on board. Ten of these were passengers--two being ladies. + +Meanwhile fresh preparations were being made by the rocket-men. +Messengers had been sent in hot haste to Cullercoats for more rockets, +those at Tynemouth having been exhausted. They arrived at five o'clock +in the morning. By that time the tide had fallen considerably, +admitting of a nearer approach to the wreck, and once more a gleam of +hope cheered the hearts of the perishing as they beheld the fiery +messenger of mercy rush fiercely towards them from the shore. But hope +was still delayed. Four of the rockets missed. The fifth passed right +over them, dropping the lifeline on the wreck, and drawing from the poor +sufferers a feeble cheer, which was replied to lustily from the shore. +This time, fortunately, no mistakes were made by those on board. The +blocks and tackle were drawn out, the hawser on which the sling-lifebuoy +traversed was fastened high up on the foremast to prevent the ropes +fouling the rocks, as they had done on the first attempt; then the +lifebuoy was run out, and, eventually, every soul was drawn in safety to +the shore. + +Thus did that battle end, with much of disaster and death to regret, +indeed, but with upwards of thirty-five rescued lives to rejoice over. + +I have now shown the action and bearing of our coast heroes, both in +circumstances of triumphant victory and of partial success. Before +proceeding to other matters it is well to add that, when intelligence of +this disaster was telegraphed to the Lifeboat Institution, a new +lifeboat was immediately forwarded to Tynemouth, temporarily to replace +the damaged Constance. Instructions were given for the relief of the +widows and children of the two lifeboat-men who had perished, and 26 +pounds was sent to the crew of the boat. At their next meeting the +committee of the Institution, besides recording their deep regret for +the melancholy loss of life, voted 100 pounds in aid of a fund raised +locally for the widows and seven children of the two men. They likewise +bestowed their silver medal and a vote of thanks, inscribed on vellum, +to Mr Lawrence Byrne, of the coastguard, in testimony of his gallant +services on the occasion. Contributions were also raised by a local +committee for the relief of the sufferers by these disasters, and a +Volunteer Corps was formed to assist in working the rocket apparatus on +future occasions of shipwreck. + +Let me at this point earnestly request the reader who dwells in an +_inland_ home, and who never hears the roaring of the terrible sea, +carefully to note that in this case it was _men of the coast_ who did +the work, and _people of the coast town_ who gave subscriptions, who +sympathised with sufferers, and raised a Volunteer Corps. Ponder this +well, good reader, and ask yourself the question, "Is all as it should +be here? Have I and my fellow-inlanders nothing to do but read, admire, +and say, Well done?" A hint is sufficient at this point. I will return +to the subject hereafter. + +Sometimes our gallant lifeboat-men when called into action go through a +very different and not very comfortable experience. They neither gain a +glorious victory nor achieve a partial success, but, after all their +efforts, risks, and exposure, find that their services are not required, +and that they must return meekly home with nothing to reward them but an +approving conscience! + +One such incident I once had the opportunity of observing. I was living +at the time--for purposes of investigation, and by special permission-- +on board of the Gull Lightship, which lies directly off Ramsgate +Harbour, close to the Goodwin Sands. It was in the month of March. +During the greater part of my two weeks' sojourn in that lightship the +weather was reasonably fine, but one evening it came on to blow hard, +and became what Jack styles "dirty." I went to rest that night in a +condition which may be described as semi-sea-sick. For some time I lay +in my bunk moralising on the madness of those who choose the sea for a +profession. Suddenly I was roused--and the seasickness instantly +cured--by the watch on deck shouting down the hatchway to the mate, +"South Sand Head Light is firing, sir, and sending up rockets!" + +The mate sprang from his bunk--just opposite to mine--and was on the +cabin floor before the sentence was well finished. Thrusting the poker +with violence into the cabin fire, he rushed on deck. I jumped up and +pulled on coat, nether garments, and shoes, as if my life depended on my +speed, wondering the while at the poker incident. There was unusual +need for clothing, for the night was bitterly cold. + +On gaining the deck I found the two men on duty actively at work, one +loading the lee gun, the other fitting a rocket to its stick. A few +hurried questions by the mate elicited all that it was needful to know. +The flash of a gun from the South Sand Head Lightship, about six miles +distant, had been seen, followed by a rocket, indicating that a vessel +had got upon the fatal sands in her vicinity. While the men were +speaking I saw the flash of another gun, but heard no report, owing to +the gale carrying the sound to leeward. A rocket followed, and at the +same moment we observed the distress signal of the vessel in danger +flaring on the southern tail of the sands, but very faintly; it was so +far away, and the night so thick. + +By this time our gun was charged and the rocket in position. + +"Look alive, Jack; fetch the poker!" cried the mate, as he primed the +gun. + +I was enlightened as to the poker! Jack dived down the hatchway and +next moment returned with that instrument red-hot. He applied it in +quick succession to gun and rocket. A grand flash and crash from the +first was followed by a blinding blaze and a whiz as the second sprang +with a magnificent curve far away into surrounding darkness. This was +our answer to the South Sand Head Lightship. It was, at the same time, +our signal-call to the lookout on the pier of Ramsgate Harbour. + +"That's a beauty!" said our mate, referring to the rocket. "Get up +another, Jack. Sponge her well out, Jacobs; we'll give 'em another shot +in a few minutes." + +Loud and clear were both our signals, but four and a half miles of +distance and a fresh gale neutralised their influence on that dark and +dismal night. The lookout did not see them. In a few minutes the gun +and rocket were fired again. Still no answering signal came from +Ramsgate. + +"Load the weather gun!" said the mate. + +Jacobs obeyed, and I sought shelter under the lee of the weather +bulwarks, for the wind seemed to be made of pen-knives and needles! The +sturdy Gull straining and plunging wildly at her huge cables, trembled +as our third gun thundered forth its summons, but the rocket struck the +rigging and made a low, wavering flight. Another was therefore sent up, +but it had scarcely cut its bright line across the sky when we observed +the answering signal--a rocket from Ramsgate pier. + +"That's all right now, sir; _our_ work is done," said the mate to me, as +he went below and quietly turned in, while the watch, having sponged out +and re-covered the gun, resumed their active perambulations of the deck. + +I confess that I felt somewhat disappointed at the sudden termination of +the noise and excitement. I was told that the Ramsgate lifeboat could +not well be out in less than an hour. There was nothing for it, +therefore, but patience, so I turned in, "all standing," as sailors have +it, with a request that I should be called when the lights of the tug +should come in sight. Scarcely had I lain down, however, when the voice +of the watch was heard shouting hastily, "Lifeboat close alongside, sir! +Didn't see it till this moment. She carries no lights." + +Out I bounced, minus hat, coat, and shoes, and scrambled on deck just in +time to see a boat close under our stern, rendered spectrally visible by +the light of our lantern. It was not the Ramsgate but the Broadstairs +lifeboat, the men of which had observed our first rocket, had launched +their boat at once, and had run down with the favouring gale. + +"What are you firing for?" shouted the coxswain of the boat. + +"Ship on the sands bearing south," replied Jack, at the full pitch of +his stentorian voice. + +The boat which was under sail, did not pause, and nothing more was said. +With a magnificent rush it passed us, and shot away into the darkness. +Our reply had been heard, and the lifeboat, steering by compass, went +straight as an arrow to the rescue. + +It was a thrilling experience to me! Spectral as a vision though it +seemed, and brief almost as the lightning flash, its visit was the +_real_ thing at last. Many a time had I heard and read of our +lifeboats, and had seen them reposing in their boat-houses, as well as +out "for exercise," but now I had _seen_ a lifeboat tearing before the +gale through the tormented sea, sternly bent on the real work of saving +human life. + +Once again all became silent and unexciting on board the Gull, and I +went shivering below with exalted notions of the courage, endurance, and +businesslike vigour of our coast heroes. I now lay wakeful and +expectant. Presently the shout came again. + +"Tug's in sight, sir!" + +And once more I went on deck with the mate. + +The steamer was quickly alongside, heaving wildly in the sea, with the +Ramsgate lifeboat "Bradford" in tow far astern. She merely slowed a +little to admit of the same brief question and reply, the latter being +repeated, as the boat passed, for the benefit of the coxswain. As she +swept by us I looked down and observed that the ten men who formed her +crew crouched flat on the thwarts. Only the steersman sat up. No +wonder. It must be hard to sit up in a stiff gale with freezing spray, +and sometimes heavy seas sweeping over one. I knew that the men were +wide awake and listening, but, as far as vision went that boat was +manned only by ten oilskin coats and sou'-westers! + +A few seconds carried them out of sight, and thus, as regards the Gull +Lightship, the drama ended. There was no possibility of the dwellers in +the floating lights hearing anything of the details of that night's work +until the fortnightly visit of their "tender" should fall due, but next +morning at low tide, far away in the distance, we could see the wreck, +bottom up, high on the Goodwin Sands. + +Afterwards I learned that the ship's crew had escaped in one of their +own boats, and taken refuge in the South Sand Head Lightship, whence +they were conveyed next day to land, so that the gallant men of Ramsgate +and Broadstairs had all their toil and trouble for nothing! + +Thus, you see, there are not only high lights and deep shadows, but also +neutral tints in the various incidents which go to make up the grand +picture of lifeboat work. + +There is a Fund connected with the Broadstairs Lifeboat which deserves +passing notice here. It was raised by the late Sir Charles Reed, in +1867, the proceeds to be distributed annually among the seamen who save +life on that coast. The following particulars of this fund were +supplied by Sir Charles Reed himself:-- + +"Eight boatmen of Broadstairs were interested in a lugger--the +Dreadnought--which had for years done good service on the Goodwins. One +night they went off in a tremendous sea to save a French barque; but +though they secured the crew, a steam-tug claimed the prize and towed +her into Ramsgate Harbour. The Broadstairs men instituted proceedings +to secure the salvage, but they were beaten in a London law court, where +they were overpowered by the advocacy of a powerful company. In the +meantime they lost their lugger off the coast of Normandy, and in this +emergency the lawyers they had employed demanded their costs. The poor +men had no means, and not being able to pay they were taken from their +homes and lodged in Maidstone Gaol. He (Sir Charles) was then staying +in Broadstairs, and an appeal being made to him, he wrote to the +`Times', and in one week received nearly twice the amount required. The +bill was paid, the men were liberated and brought home to their +families, and the balance of the amount, a considerable sum, was +invested, the interest to be applied to the rewarding of boatmen who, by +personal bravery, had distinguished themselves by saving life on the +coast." + + + +CHAPTER FOUR. + +CONSTRUCTION AND QUALITIES OF THE LIFEBOAT. + +In previous chapters enough has been told, I think, to prove that our +lifeboats deserve earnest and thoughtful attention, not only as regards +their work, but in reference to their details of construction. It has +been said that the lifeboat possesses special qualities which +distinguish it from all other boats. Chief among these are the +self-righting and self-emptying principles. Stability, resulting from +breadth of beam, etcetera, will do much to render a boat safe in rough +seas and tempestuous weather, but when a boat has to face mighty rollers +which turn it up until it stands straight on end, like a rearing horse, +and even tumble it right over, or when it has to plunge into horrible +maelstroms which seethe, leap, and fume in the mad contention of cross +seas, no device that man has yet fallen upon will save it from turning +keel up and throwing its contents into the water. + +Instead therefore, of attempting to build a boat which cannot upset, men +have deemed it wiser to attempt the construction of one which will not +remain in that position, but which will, of necessity, right itself. +The end aimed at has been achieved, and the boat now in use by the +Lifeboat Institution is absolutely perfect in this respect. What more +could be desired in any boat than that, after being upset, it should +right itself in a _few seconds_, and empty itself of water in less than +one minute? + +A boat which does not right itself when overturned is only a lifeboat so +long as it maintains its proper position on the water. + +Let its self-emptying and buoyant qualities be ever so good, you have +only to upset it to render it no better than any other boat;--indeed, in +a sense, it is worse than other boats, because it leads men to face +danger which they would not dare to encounter in an ordinary boat. + +Doubtless, lifeboats on the non-self-righting principle possess great +stability, and are seldom overturned; nevertheless they occasionally +are, and with fatal results. Here is one example. In the month of +January, 1865, the Liverpool lifeboat, when out on service, was upset, +and seven men of her crew were drowned. This was not a self-righting +boat, and it did not belong to the Lifeboat Institution, most of whose +boats are now built on the self-righting principle. Moreover, the +unfortunate men had not put on lifebelts. It may be added that the men +who work the boats of the Institution are not allowed to go off without +their cork lifebelts on. + +Take another case. On the 4th January, 1857, the Point of Ayr lifeboat, +when under sail in a gale, upset at a distance from the land. The +accident was seen from the shore, but no aid could be rendered, and the +whole boat's crew--thirteen in number--were drowned. This boat was +considered a good lifeboat, and doubtless it was so in many respects, +but it was not a self-righting one. Two or three of the poor fellows +were seen clinging to the keel for twenty minutes, by which time they +became exhausted, were washed off, and, having no lifebelts on, +perished. + +Again in February, 1858, the Southwold lifeboat--a large sailing boat, +esteemed one of the finest in the kingdom, but not on the self-righting +principle--went out for exercise, and was running before a heavy surf +with all sail set, when she suddenly ran on the top of a sea, turned +broadside to the waves, and was upset. The crew in this case were +fortunately near the shore, had on their lifebelts, and, although some +of them could not swim, were all saved--no thanks, however, to their +boat, which remained keel up--but three unfortunate gentlemen who had +been permitted to go off in the boat without lifebelts, and one of whom +was a good swimmer, lost their lives. + +Let it be noted here that the above three instances of disaster occurred +in the day time, and the contrast of the following case will appear all +the stronger. + +One very dark and stormy night in October, 1858, the small lifeboat of +Dungeness put off through a heavy sea to a wreck three-quarters of a +mile from the shore. Eight stout men of the coastguard composed her +crew. She was a self-righting, self-emptying boat, belonging to the +Lifeboat Institution. The wreck was reached soon after midnight, and +found to have been abandoned. The boat, therefore, returned towards the +shore. Now, there is a greater danger in rowing before a gale than in +rowing against it. For the first half mile all went well, though the +sea was heavy and broken, but, on crossing a deep channel between two +shoals, the little lifeboat was caught up and struck by three heavy seas +in succession. The coxswain lost command of the rudder, and she was +carried away before a sea, broached to, and upset, throwing her crew out +of her. _Immediately_ she righted herself, cleared herself of water, +and was brought up by her anchor which had fallen out when she was +overturned. The crew meanwhile having on lifebelts, floated and swam to +the boat, caught hold of the life-lines festooned round her sides, +clambered into her, cut the cable, and returned to the shore in safety! +What more need be said in favour of the self-righting boats? + +The self-emptying principle is quite equal to the self-righting in +importance. + +In _every_ case of putting off to a wreck in a gale, a lifeboat ships a +great deal of water. In most cases she fills more than once. +Frequently she is overwhelmed by tons of water by every sea. A boat +full of water cannot advance, therefore baling becomes necessary; but +baling, besides being very exhausting work, is so slow that it would be +useless labour in most cases. Besides, when men have to bale they +cannot give that undivided attention to the oars which is needful. To +overcome this difficulty the self-emptying plan was devised. + +As, I doubt not, the reader is now sufficiently interested to ask the +questions, How are self-righting and self-emptying accomplished? I will +try to throw some light on these subjects. + +First, as to self-righting. You are aware, no doubt, that the buoyancy +of our lifeboat is due chiefly to large air-cases at the ends, and all +round the sides from stem to stern. The accompanying drawing and +diagrams will aid us in the description. On the opposite page you have +a portrait of, let us say, a thirty-three feet, ten-oared lifeboat, of +the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, on its transporting carriage, +ready for launching, and, on page 95, two diagrams representing +respectively a section and a deck view of the same (Figures 1, 2, and +3). + +The breadth of this boat is eight feet; its stowage-room sufficient for +thirty passengers, besides its crew of twelve men--forty-two in all. It +is double-banked; that is, each of its five banks, benches, or thwarts, +accommodates two rowers sitting side by side. The lines festooned round +the side dip into the water, so that anyone swimming alongside may +easily grasp them, and in the middle part of the boat--just where the +large wheels come in the engraving--two of the lines are longer than the +others, so that a man might use them as stirrups, and thus be enabled to +clamber into the boat even without assistance. The rudder descends +considerably below the keel--to give it more power--and has to be raised +when the boat is being launched. + +The shaded parts of the diagrams show the position and form of the +air-cases which prevent a lifeboat from sinking. The white oblong space +in Figure 2 is the free space available for crew and passengers. In +Figure 3 is seen the depth to which the air-chambers descend, and the +height to which the bow and stern-chambers rise. + +It is to these large air-chambers in bow and stern, coupled with great +sheer--or rise fore and aft--of gunwale, and a very heavy keel, that the +boat owes its self-righting power. The two air-chambers are rounded on +the top. Now, it is obvious that if you were to take a model of such a +boat, turn it upside down on a table, and try to make it rest on its two +_rounded_ air-chambers, you would encounter as much difficulty as did +the friends of Columbus when they sought to make an egg stand on its +end. The boat would infallibly fall to one side or the other. In the +water the tendency is precisely the same, and that tendency is increased +by the heavy iron keel, which drags the boat violently round to its +right position. + +The self-righting principle was discovered--at all events for the first +time exhibited--at the end of last century, by the Reverend James +Bremner, of Orkney. He first suggested in the year 1792 that an +ordinary boat might be made self-righting by placing two watertight +casks in the head and sternsheets of it, and fastening three +hundredweight of iron to the keel. Afterwards he tried the experiment +at Leith, and with such success that in 1810 the Society of Arts voted +him a silver medal and twenty guineas. But nothing further was done +until half a century later, when twenty out of twenty-four pilots lost +their lives by the upsetting of the non-self-righting Shields lifeboat. + +Then (1850) the late Duke of Northumberland offered a prize of 100 +guineas for the best lifeboat that could be produced. No fewer than 280 +models and drawings were sent in, and the plans, specifications, and +descriptions of these formed five folio manuscript volumes! The various +models were in the shape of pontoons, catamarans or rafts, north-country +cobles, and ordinary boats, slightly modified. The committee appointed +to decide on their respective merits had a difficult task to perform. +After six months' careful, patient investigation and experiment, they +awarded the prize to Mr James Beeching, of Great Yarmouth. Beeching's +boat, although the best, was not, however, deemed perfect. + +The committee therefore set Mr James Peake, one of their number, and +assistant master-shipwright at Woolwich Dockyard, to incorporate as many +as possible of the good qualities of all the other models with +Beeching's boat. From time to time various important improvements have +been made, and the result is the present magnificent boat of the +Institution, by means of which hundreds of lives are saved every year. + +The self-discharge of water from a lifeboat is not so easy to explain. +It will be the more readily comprehended if the reader understands, and +will bear in remembrance, the physical fact that water will, and must, +find its level. That is--no portion of water, small or great, in tub, +pond, or sea, can for a moment remain above its flat and level surface, +except when forced into motion, or commotion. Left to itself it +infallibly flattens out, becomes calm, lies still in the lowest +attainable position--in other words, finds its level. Bearing this in +mind, let us look again at Figure 3. + +The dotted double line about the middle of the boat, extending from stem +to stern, represents the _floor_ of the boat, on which the men's feet +rest when standing or sitting in it. It also represents, or very nearly +so, the waterline outside, that is, the depth to which the boat will +sink when afloat, manned and loaded. Therefore, the _boat's floor_ and +the _ocean_ _surface_ are on the same level. Observe that! The space +between the floor and the keel is filled up with cork or other ballast. +Now, there are six large holes in the boat's floor--each hole six inches +in diameter--into which are fitted six metal tubes, which pass down by +the side of the cork ballast, and right through the bottom of the boat +itself; thus making six large openings into the sea. + +"But hallo!" you exclaim, "won't the water from below rush up through +these holes and fill the boat?" + +It will indeed rush up into these holes, but it will not fill the boat +because it will have found its level--the level of ocean--on reaching +the floor. Well, besides having reached its level, the water in the +tubes has reached six valves, which will open downwards to let water +out, but which won't open upwards to let it in. Now, suppose a huge +billow topples into the boat and fills it quite full, is it not obvious +that all the water in the boat stands _above_ the ocean's level--being +above the boat's floor? Like a wise element, it immediately seeks its +own level by the only mode of egress--the discharging tubes; and when it +has found its level, it has also found the floor of the boat. In other +words, it is all gone! moreover, it rushes out so violently that a +lifeboat, filled to overflowing, frees itself, as I have already said, +in less than one minute! + +The _buoyancy_, therefore, of a lifeboat is not affected for more than a +few seconds by the tons of water which occasionally and frequently break +into her. To prove this, let me refer you again to the account of the +Constance, given by its gallant coxswain, as recorded in the third +chapter. He speaks of the lifeboat being "buried," "sunk" by the wave +that burst over the bow of the Stanley, and "immediately," he adds, "the +men made a grasp for the spare oars!" There is no such remark as "when +we recovered ourselves," etcetera. The sinking and leaping to the +surface were evidently the work of a few seconds; and this is indeed the +case, for when the force that sinks a lifeboat is removed, she rises +that instant to the surface like a cork, and when she tumbles over she +recovers herself with the agility of an acrobat! + +The transporting-carriage is a most essential part of a lifeboat +establishment, because wrecks frequently take place at some distance +from a station, and prompt assistance is of the utmost importance in all +cases of rescue. It is drawn by horses, and, with its exceedingly broad +and strong wheels, can be dragged over any kind of road or across soft +sand. It is always backed into the surf so deep that the boat may be +launched from it, with her crew seated, and the oars out, ready to pull +with might and main the instant the plunge is made. These first strokes +of a lifeboat's crew are of immense importance. Want of union or energy +on the part of steersman or crew at this critical point may be fatal. +The boat must be made to cut the breakers end-on, so as to prevent her +turning broadside on and being rolled back on the beach. Even after +these initial strokes have been made successfully, there still remains +the possibility of an unusually monstrous wave hurling the boat back end +over end. + +The boat resting on its carriage on the sands (Figure 1) shows the +relative position of the two. It will be seen, from that position, that +a very slight tip will suffice to cause the bow of the boat to drop +towards the sea. As its keel rests on rollers, comparatively little +force is required to launch it. Such force is applied by means of ropes +attached to the stern, passing through pulleys at the outer end of the +carriage, so that people on shore haul the ropes inland in order to +force the boat off its carriage seaward. + +Once the boat has got fairly over the surf and out upon the wild sea, +her progress is comparatively safe, simple tugging against wind and sea +being all that has to be done until the wreck is reached, where dangers +of another kind await her. + +I have now shown that the great qualities of our lifeboat +are--_buoyancy_, or a tendency not to sink; _self-righting_ power, or +inability to remain upside down; _self-emptying_ power, or a capacity to +discharge any water that may get into it; and _stability_, or a tendency +not to upset. The last quality I shall refer to, though by no means the +least, is _strength_. + +From what has been already written about lifeboats being hurled against +wrecks and rocks, it must be evident that the strength of ordinary boats +would not suffice. + +In order to give them the requisite strength of frame for their +tremendous warfare, they are built of the best Honduras mahogany, on +what is known as the diagonal plan--that is, the boat has two distinct +"skins" of planking, one set of planks being laid on in a diagonal +position to the others. Moreover, these planks run from one gunwale +round under the boat to the other gunwale, and have a complete layer of +prepared canvas between them. Thus great strength and elasticity are +combined, so that the boat can stand an inconceivable amount of +battering on wreckage, rocks, or sand, without being destroyed. + +That this is really so I will endeavour to prove by referring in the +next chapter to a particular instance in which the great strength of one +of our lifeboats was powerfully illustrated. + +It may be added, in conclusion, that the oars of a lifeboat are short, +and so made as to combine the greatest possible strength with lightness. +They are fastened to the gunwale by short pieces of rope, and work in a +moveable iron crutch on an iron thole-pin. Each boat is provided with a +set of spare oars. Her equipment of compass, cables, grapnels, anchors, +etcetera, is, as may be supposed, very complete, and she rides upon the +storm in a rather gay dress of red, white, and blue, in order that she +may be readily distinguished from other boats--her lower parts being +white, her upper sides blue, and her line of "fender" all round being +scarlet. + + + +CHAPTER FIVE. + +MORE TALES OF HEROISM. + +If any one should doubt the fact that a lifeboat is _all but_ +indestructible, let that sceptical one read the following tale of wreck +and rescue. + +On a terrible night in the year 1857 a Portuguese brig struck on the +Goodwin Sands, not far from the lightship that marks the northern +extremity of those fatal shoals. A shot was fired, and a rocket sent up +by the lightship. No second signal was needed. The Ramsgate men were, +as usual, keeping a bright lookout. Instantly they jumped into the +lifeboat, which lay calmly floating in the harbour alongside the pier. +So eager were the men to engage in the deadly struggle that the boat was +over-manned, and the last two who jumped in were obliged to go ashore +again. + +The tug _Aid_ was all ready--according to custom--with steam up. She +took the boat in tow and made for the mouth of the harbour. Staggering +out in the teeth of tide and tempest they ploughed their way through a +heavy cross sea, that swept again and again over them, until they +reached the edge of the Goodwins. Here the steamer cast off the boat, +and waited for her while she dashed into the surf, and bore the brunt of +the battle alone. + +It was a familiar proceeding to all concerned. Many a time before had +the Ramsgate boat and steamer rescued men and women and little ones from +the jaws of death on the Goodwins, but they were about to experience a +few novelties that night. + +It was very dark, so that the boat had much difficulty in finding the +brig. On coming within about eighty yards of her they cast anchor and +veered down under her lee. At first they were in hopes of getting the +vessel off, and some hours were spent in vain attempts to do this, but +the gale increased in fury; the brig began to break up. She rolled from +side to side, and the yards swung wildly in the air. A blow from one of +these yards would have stove the boat in, so the Portuguese crew--twelve +men and a boy--were taken from the wreck, and the lifeboat-men +endeavoured to push off. + +All this time the boat had been floating in a basin worked in the sand +by the motion of the wreck; but the tide had been falling, and when they +tried to pull up to their anchor the boat struck heavily on the edge of +this basin. They worked to get off the shoals with the energy of men +who believe that their lives depend on their efforts. For a moment they +succeeded in getting afloat, but again struck and remained fast. + +Meanwhile the brig was lifted by each wave, that came rushing over the +shoals like a mountain chain of snow, and let fall with a thundering +crash. Her timbers began to snap like pipe-stems, and, as she worked +nearer and nearer to the boat, the wildly-swaying yards threatened +immediate destruction. The heavy seas flew continually over the +lifeboat, so that passengers and crew could do nothing but hold on to +the thwarts for their lives. At last the brig came so near that there +was a stir among the men; they were preparing for the last struggle-- +some of them intending to leap into the rigging of the wreck and take +their chance. But the coxswain shouted, "Stick to the boat, boys, stick +to the boat!" and the men obeyed. + +At that moment the boat lifted a little on the surf and grounded again. +New hope was inspired by this. They pulled at the cable and shoved +might and main with the oars. They succeeded in getting out of +immediate danger, but still could not pull up to their anchor in the +teeth of wind and tide. The coxswain then saw plainly that there was +but one resource left--to cut the cable and drive away to leeward right +across the Goodwin Sands, which at that place were two miles wide. But +there was not yet sufficient water on the sands even for the attempting +of that forlorn hope. As far as could be seen in that direction, ay, +and far beyond the power of vision, there was nothing but a chaos of +wild, tumultuous, whirling foam, without sufficient depth to float them +over, so they held on, intending to wait till the tide, which had +turned, should rise. Very soon, however, the anchor began to drag. +This compelled them to hoist sail, cut the cable sooner than they had +intended, and attempt to beat to windward--off the sands. It was in +vain. A moment more, and they struck with tremendous force. A breaker +came rolling towards them, filled the boat, caught her up like a +plaything on its crest, and, hurling her a few yards onwards, let her +fall with a shock that well-nigh tore every man out of her. Each +successive breaker treated her in this way! + +Those who dwell by the seashore know well those familiar ripples that +mark the sands when the tide is out. On the Goodwins those ripples are +gigantic banks, to be measured by feet, not by inches. I can speak from +personal experience, having once visited the Goodwins and walked among +the sand-banks at low water. From one to another of these banks this +splendid boat was thrown. Each roaring surf caught it by the bow or +stern, and, whirling it right round, sent it crashing on the next ledge. +The Portuguese sailors gave up all hope and clung to the thwarts in +silent despair, but the crew did not lose heart altogether. They knew +the boat well, had often gone out to battle in her, and hoped that they +might yet be saved, if they could only escape striking on the pieces of +old wreck with which the sands were strewn. + +Thus, literally, yard by yard, with a succession of shocks, that would +have knocked any ordinary boat to pieces, did that lifeboat drive, +during two hours, over two miles of the Goodwin Sands! + +A thrilling and graphic account of this wreck and rescue is given in the +Reverend John Gilmore's book, "Storm Warriors," in which he tells us +that while this exciting work was going on, the _Aid_ lay head to wind, +steaming half power, and holding her own against the storm, waiting for +her lifeboat, but no lifeboat returned to her, and her gallant captain +became more and more anxious as time flew by. Could it be possible that +her sturdy little comrade, with whom she had gone out to battle in +hundreds of gales, was overcome at last and destroyed! They signalled +again and again, but got no reply. Then, as their fears increased, they +began to cruise about as near to the dangerous shoals as they dared-- +almost playing with death--as they eagerly sought for their consort. At +last the conviction was forced upon them that the boat must have been +stove by the wreck and swamped. In the midst of their gathering despair +they caught sight of the lightship's bright beam, shining like a star of +hope through the surrounding darkness. With a faint hope they made for +the vessel and hailed her. "Have you seen anything of the lifeboat?" +was the eager question. "Nothing! nothing!" was the sad reply. Back +they went again to the place they had left, determined to cruise on, +hoping against hope, till the night should pass away. Hour after hour +they steamed hither and thither, with anxiously straining eyes. At last +grey dawn appeared and the wreck became dimly visible. They made for +it, and their worst fears were realised--the remnant of the brig's hull +was there with ropes and wreckage tossing wildly round it--but no +lifeboat! + +Sadly they turned away and continued to search for some time in the +faint hope that some of her crew might be floating about, buoyed up by +their lifebelts, but none were found, and at last they reluctantly made +for the harbour. + +And when the harbour was gained what saw they there? The lifeboat! safe +and sound, floating as calmly beside the pier as if nothing had +happened! As the captain of the _Aid_ himself said, he felt inclined at +once to shout and cry for wonder, and we may be sure that his wonder was +not decreased when he heard the lifeboat's story from the brave +coxswain's lips--how that, after driving right across the sands, as I +have described, they suddenly found themselves in deep water. That +then, knowing the extremity of danger to be past, they had set the +sails, and, soon after, had, through God's mercy, landed the rescued +Portuguese crew in Ramsgate Harbour! + +It must not be imagined, however, that such work as this can be done +without great cost to those who undertake it. + +Some of the men never recovered from the effects of that night's +exposure. The gratitude of the Portuguese seamen was very great, as +well as their amazement at such a rescue! It is recorded of them that, +before arriving in the harbour, they were observed to be in consultation +together, and that one who understood a little English spoke to one of +the crew in an undertone. + +"Coxswain," said the lifeboat man, "they want to give us all their +money!" + +"Yes, yes," cried the Portuguese interpreter, in broken English; "you +have saved our lives! Thank you, thank you! but all we have is yours. +It is not much, but you may take it between you." The amount was +seventeen pounds! + +As might have been expected, neither the coxswain nor his men would +accept a penny of it. + +This coxswain was Isaac Jarman, who for many years led the famous +Ramsgate lifeboat into action, and helped to save hundreds of human +lives. While staying at Ramsgate I had the pleasure of shaking the +strong hard hand of Jarman, and heard some of his adventures from his +own lips. + +Now, from all that has been said, it will, I think, be seen and admitted +that the lifeboats of the Institution are almost indestructible. + +The _lifebelt_, to which reference has been so often made, deserves +special notice at this point. The figure on the title-page shows its +appearance and the manner in which it is worn. It was designed in 1854, +by Admiral J.R. Ward, the Institution's chief inspector of lifeboats. +Its chief quality is its great buoyancy, which is not only sufficient to +support a man with head and shoulders above water when heavily clothed, +but enables the wearer easily to support another person--the extra +buoyancy being 25 pounds. Besides possessing several great advantages +over other lifebelts, that of Admiral Ward is divided in the middle by a +space, where the waistbelt is fastened. This permits of great freedom +of action, and the whole machine is remarkably flexible. It is also +very strong, forming a species of armour which protects the wearer from +severe blows, and, moreover, helps to keep him warm. + +It behoves me now to say a few words about the inventor of lifeboats. +As has been told, our present splendid boat is a combination of all the +good points and improvements made in such boats down to the present +time. But the man who first thought of a lifeboat and invented one; who +fought against apathy and opposition; who completed and launched his ark +of mercy on the sea at Bamborough, in the shape of a little coble, in +the year 1785, and who actually saved many lives therewith, was a London +coachbuilder, LIONEL LUKIN by name. + +Assuredly this man deserved the deepest gratitude of the nation, for his +was the first lifeboat ever brought into action, and he inserted the +small end of that wedge which we have been hammering home ever since, +and which has resulted in the formation of one of the grandest, most +thoroughly national and unsectarian of our charitable institutions. + +Henry Greathead--a boatbuilder of South Shields--erroneously got the +credit of this invention. Greathead was a noted improver and builder of +lifeboats, and was well and deservedly rewarded for his work; but he was +not the inventor. Lionel Lukin alone can claim that honour. + +In regard to the men who man them, enough has been written to prove that +they well deserve to be regarded as the heroes of the coast! + +And let me observe in passing that there are also _heroines_ of the +coast, as the following extract from the Journal of the Institution will +show. It appeared in the January number of 1865. + +"Voted the Silver Medal of the Institution, and a copy of its vote of +thanks on parchment, to Miss Alice R. Le Geyt, in admiration of her +prompt and courageous conduct in rowing a small boat into the surf at +the risk of her life, and rescuing two little boys who had fallen into +the sea from the outer pier at Lyme Regis, Dorset, on the 4th August." + +Again, in October, 1879, the Committee of the National Lifeboat +Institution voted the Silver Medal of the Institution, and a copy of the +vote inscribed on vellum, to Miss Ellen Francis Prideaux Brune, Miss +Gertrude Rose Prideaux Brune, Miss Mary Katherine Prideaux Brune, Miss +Beatrice May Prideaux Brune, and Miss Nora O'Shaughnessy, in +acknowledgment of their intrepid and prompt services in proceeding +through a heavy surf in their rowing-boat, and saving, at considerable +risk of life, a sailor from a boat which had been capsized by a squall +of wind off Bray Hill, Padstow Harbour, Cornwall, on the 9th August. +When the accident occurred, the ladies' boat was being towed astern of a +fishing-boat, and Miss Ellen Prideaux Brune, with great gallantry and +determination, asked to be cast off, and, with her companions, she +proceeded with all possible despatch to the rescue of the drowning +sailor. All the ladies showed great courage, presence of mind, and +marked ability in the management of their small boat. They ran great +risk in getting the man into it, on account of the strong tide and sea +on at the time. + +So it would appear that the spirit of the far-famed Grace Darling has +not yet departed from the land! + +If heroism consists in boldly facing and successfully overcoming dangers +of the most appalling nature, then I hold that thousands of our men of +the coast--from Shetland to the Land's End--stand as high as do those +among our soldiers and sailors who wear the Victoria Cross. Let us +consider an example. + +On that night in which the Royal Charter went down, there was a Maltese +sailor on board named Joseph Rodgers, who volunteered to swim ashore +with a rope. Those who have seen the effect of a raging sea even on a +smooth beach, know that the power of the falling waves is terrible, and +their retreating force so great that the most powerful swimmers +occasionally perish in them. But the coast to which Rodgers volunteered +to swim was an almost perpendicular cliff. + +I write as an eye-witness, reader, for I saw the cliff myself, a few +days after the wreck took place, when I went down to that dreary coast +of Anglesea to identify the bodies of lost kindred. Ay, and at that +time I also saw something of the awful aspect of loss by shipwreck. I +went into the little church at Llanalgo, where upwards of thirty bodies +lay upon the floor--still in their wet garments, just as they had been +laid down by those who had brought them from the shore. As I entered +that church one body lay directly in my path. It was that of a young +sailor. Strange to say, his cheeks were still ruddy as though he had +been alive, and his lips were tightly compressed--I could not help +fancying--with the force of the last strong effort he had made to keep +out the deadly sea. Just beyond him lay a woman, and beside her a +little child, in their ordinary walking-dresses, as if they had lain +down there and fallen asleep side by side. I had to step across these +silent forms, as they lay, some in the full light of the windows, others +in darkened corners of the little church, and to gaze earnestly into +their dead faces for the lineaments of those whom I had gone to find-- +but I did not find them there. Their bodies were washed ashore some +days afterwards. A few of those who lay on that floor were covered to +hide the mutilation they had received when being driven on the cruel +rocks. Altogether it was an awful sight--well fitted to draw forth the +prayer, "God help and bless those daring men who are willing to risk +their lives at any moment all the year round, to save men and women and +little ones from such a fate as this!" + +But, to return to Joseph Rodgers. The cliff to which he volunteered to +swim was thundered on by seas raised by one of the fiercest gales that +ever visited our shores. It was dark, too, and broken spars and pieces +of wreck tossing about increased the danger; while the water was cold +enough to chill the life-blood in the stoutest frame. No one knew +better than Rodgers the extreme danger of the attempt, yet he plunged +into the sea with a rope round his waist. Had his motive been +self-preservation he could have gained the shore more easily without a +rope; but his motive was not selfish--it was truly generous. He reached +the land, hauled a cable ashore, made it fast to a rock, and began to +rescue the crew, and I have no doubt that every soul in that vessel +would have been saved if she had not suddenly split across and sunk. +Four hundred and fifty-five lives were lost, but before the catastrophe +took place _thirty-nine_ lives were saved by the heroism of that Maltese +sailor. The Lifeboat Institution awarded its gold medal, with its vote +of thanks inscribed on vellum, and 5 pounds, to Rodgers, in +acknowledgment of his noble conduct. + +All round the kingdom the men are, as a rule, eager to man our +lifeboats. Usually there is a _rush_ to the work; and as the men get +only ten shillings per man in the daytime, and twenty shillings at +night, on each occasion of going off, it can scarcely be supposed that +they do it only for the sake of the pay! True, those payments are +increased on occasions of unusual risk or exposure; nevertheless, I +believe that a worthier motive animates our men of the coast. I do not +say, or think, that religious feeling is the cause of their heroism. +With some, doubtless, it is; with others it probably is not; but I +sincerely believe that the _Word of God_--permeating as it does our +whole community, and influencing these men either directly or +indirectly--is the cause of their self-sacrificing courage, as it is +unquestionably the cause of our national prosperity. + + + +CHAPTER SIX. + +SUPPLIES A FEW POINTS FOR CONSIDERATION. + +I have now somewhat to say about the Royal National Lifeboat +Institution, which has the entire management and control of our fleet of +273 lifeboats. That Institution has had a glorious history. It was +founded by Sir William Hillary, Baronet--a man who deserves a monument +in Westminster Abbey, I think; for, besides originating the Lifeboat +Institution, he saved, and assisted in saving, 305 lives, with his own +hands! + +Born in 1824, the Institution has been the means of saving no fewer than +29,608 lives up to the end of 1882. + +At its birth the Archbishop of Canterbury presided; the great +Wilberforce, Lord John Russell, and other magnates were present; the +Dukes of Kent, Sussex, and other members of the Royal family, became +vice-patrons, the Earl of Liverpool its president, and George the Fourth +its patron. In 1850 good Prince Albert became its vice-patron, and her +Majesty the Queen became, and still continues, a warm supporter and +annual contributor. This is a splendid array of names and titles, but +let me urge the reader never to forget that this noble Institution +depends on the public for the adequate discharge of its grand work, for +it is supported almost entirely by voluntary contributions. + +The sole object of the Institution is to provide and maintain boats that +shall save the lives of shipwrecked persons, and to reward those who +save lives, whether by means of its own or other boats. The grandeur of +its aim and singleness of its purpose are among its great +recommendations. + +When, however, life does not require to be saved, and when opportunity +offers, it allows its boats to save property. + +It saves--and rewards those who assist in saving--many hundreds of lives +every year. Last year (1882) the number saved by lifeboats was 741, +besides 143 lives saved by shore-boats and other means, for which +rewards were given by the Institution; making a grand total of 884 lives +saved in that one year. The number each year is often larger, seldom +less. One year (1869) the rescued lives amounted to the grand number of +1231, and in the greater number of cases the rescues were effected in +circumstances in which ordinary boats would have been utterly useless-- +worse than useless, for they would have drowned their crews. In respect +of this matter the value of the lifeboat to the nation cannot be +estimated--at least, not until we invent some sort of spiritual +arithmetic whereby we may calculate the price of widows' and orphans' +tears, and of broken hearts! + +But in regard to more material things it is possible to speak +definitely. + +It frequently happens in stormy weather that vessels show signals of +distress, either because they are so badly strained as to be in a +sinking condition, or so damaged that they are unmanageable, or the +crews have become so exhausted as to be no longer capable of working for +their own preservation. In all such cases the lifeboat puts off with +the intention in the first instance of saving life. It reaches the +vessel in distress; some of the boat's crew spring on board, and find, +perhaps, that there is some hope of saving the ship. Knowing the +locality well, they steer her clear of rocks and shoals. Being +comparatively fresh and vigorous, they work the pumps with a will, +manage to keep her afloat, and finally steer her into port, thus saving +ship and cargo as well as crew. + +Now let me impress on you that incidents of this sort are not of rare +occurrence. There is no play of fancy in my statements; they happen +every year. Last year (1882) twenty-three vessels were thus saved by +lifeboat crews. Another year thirty-three, another year fifty-three, +ships were thus saved. As surely and regularly as the year comes round, +so surely and regularly are ships and property saved by lifeboats--saved +_to the nation_! It cannot be too forcibly pointed out that a wrecked +ship is not only an individual, but a national loss. Insurance protects +the individual, but insurance cannot, in the nature of things, protect +the nation. If you drop a thousand sovereigns in the street, that is a +loss to you, but not to the nation; some lucky individual will find the +money and circulate it. But if you drop it into the sea, it is lost not +only to you, but to the nation, indeed to the world itself, for ever,-- +of course taking for granted that our amphibious divers don't fish it up +again! + +Well, let us gauge the value of our lifeboats in this light. If a +lifeboat saves a ship worth ten or twenty thousand sovereigns from +destruction, it presents that sum literally as a free gift to owners +_and_ nation. A free gift, I repeat, because lifeboats are provided +solely to save life--not property. Saving the latter is, therefore, +extraneous service. Of course it would be too much to expect our +gallant boatmen to volunteer to work the lifeboats, in the worst of +weather, at the imminent risk of their lives, unless they were also +allowed an occasional chance of earning salvage. Accordingly, when they +save a ship worth, say 20,000 pounds, they are entitled to put in a +claim on the owners for 200 pounds salvage. This sum would be divided +(after deducting all expenses, such as payments to helpers, hire of +horses, etcetera) between the men and the boat. Thus--deduct, say, 20 +pounds expenses leaves 180 pounds to divide into fifteen shares; the +crew numbering thirteen men:-- + ++==================================+==========+ +|13 shares to men at 12 pounds each|156 pounds| ++----------------------------------+----------+ +|2 shares to boat |24 pounds | ++----------------------------------+----------+ +|Total |180 pounds| ++==================================+==========+ + +Let us now consider the value of loaded ships. + +Not very long ago a large Spanish ship was saved by one of our +lifeboats. She had grounded on a bank off the south coast of Ireland. +The captain and crew forsook her and escaped to land in their boats. +One man, however, was inadvertently left on board. Soon after, the wind +shifted; the ship slipped off the bank into deep water, and drifted to +the northward. Her doom appeared to be fixed, but the crew of the +Cahore lifeboat observed her, launched their boat, and, after a long +pull against wind and sea, boarded the ship and found her with seven +feet of water in the hold. The duty of the boat's crew was to save the +Spanish sailor, but they did more, they worked the pumps and trimmed the +sails and saved the ship as well, and handed her over to an agent for +the owners. This vessel and cargo was valued at 20,000 pounds. + +Now observe, in passing, that this Cahore lifeboat not only did much +good, but received considerable and well-merited benefit, each man +receiving 34 pounds from the grateful owners, who also presented 68 +pounds to the Institution, in consideration of the risk of damage +incurred to their boat. No doubt it may be objected that this, being a +foreign ship, was not saved to _our_ nation; but, as the proverb says, +"It is not lost what a friend gets," and I think it is very satisfactory +to reflect that we presented the handsome sum of 20,000 pounds to Spain +as a free gift on that occasion. + +This was a saved ship. Let us look now at a lost one. Some years ago a +ship named the Golden Age was lost. It was well named though ill-fated, +for the value of that ship and cargo was 200,000 pounds. The cost of a +lifeboat with equipment and transporting carriage complete is about 650 +pounds, and there are 273 lifeboats at present on the shores of the +United Kingdom. Here is material for a calculation! If that single +ship had been among the twenty-seven saved last year (and it _might_ +have been) the sum thus rescued from the sea would have been sufficient +to pay for all the lifeboats in the kingdom, and leave 22,550 pounds in +hand! But it was _not_ among the saved. It was lost--a dead loss to +Great Britain. So was the Ontario of Liverpool, wrecked in October, +1864, and valued at 100,000 pounds. Also the Assage, wrecked on the +Irish coast, and valued at 200,000 pounds. Here are five hundred +thousand pounds--half a million of money--lost by the wreck of these +three ships alone. Of course, these three are selected as specimens of +the most valuable vessels lost among the two thousand wrecks that take +place _each year_ on our coasts; they vary from a first-rate mail +steamer to a coal coffin, but set them down at any figure you please, +and it will still remain true that it would be worth our while to keep +up our lifeboat fleet, for the mere chance of saving such valuable +property. + +But after all is said that can be said on this point, the subject sinks +into insignificance when contrasted with the lifeboat's true work--the +saving of human lives. + +There is yet another and still higher sense in which the lifeboat is of +immense value to the nation. I refer to the moral influence it +exercises among us. If many hundreds of lives are annually saved by our +lifeboat fleet, does it not follow, as a necessary consequence, that +happiness and gratitude must affect thousands of hearts in a way that +cannot fail to redound to the glory of God, as well as the good of man? +Let facts answer this question. + +We cannot of course, intrude on the privacy of human hearts and tell +what goes on there, but there are a few outward symptoms that are +generally accepted as pretty fair tests of spiritual condition. One of +these is parting with money! Looking at the matter in this light, the +records of the Institution show that thousands of men, women, and +children, are beneficially influenced by the lifeboat cause. + +The highest contributor to its funds in the land is our Queen; the +lowliest a sailor's orphan child. Here are a few of the gifts to the +Institution, culled almost at random from the Reports. One gentleman +leaves it a legacy of 10,000 pounds. Some time ago a sum of 5000 pounds +was sent anonymously by "a friend." A hundred pounds comes in as a +_second_ donation from "a sailor's daughter." Fifty pounds come from a +British admiral, and five shillings from "the savings of a child!" +One-and-sixpence is sent by another child in postage-stamps, and 1 pound +5 shillings as the collection of a Sunday school in Manchester; 15 +pounds from three fellow-servants; 10 pounds from a shipwrecked pilot, +and 10 shillings, 6 pence from an "old salt." I myself had once the +pleasure of receiving twopence for the lifeboat cause from an +exceedingly poor but enthusiastic old woman! But my most interesting +experience in this way was the receipt of a note written by a blind +boy--well and legibly written, too--telling me that he had raised the +sum of 100 pounds for the Lifeboat Institution. + +And this beneficial influence of our lifeboat service travels far beyond +our own shores. Here is evidence of that. Finland sends 50 pounds to +our Institution to testify its appreciation of the good done by us to +its sailors. President Lincoln, of the United States, when involved in +all the anxieties of the great war between North and South, found time +to send 100 pounds to the Institution in acknowledgment of services +rendered to American ships in distress. Russia and Holland send naval +men to inspect--not our armaments and _materiel_ of hateful war, but-- +our lifeboat management! France, in generous emulation, starts a +Lifeboat Institution of its own, and sends over to ask our society to +supply it with boats--and, last, but not least, it has been said that +foreigners, driven far out of their course and stranded, soon come to +know that they have been wrecked on the British coast, by the +persevering efforts that are made to save their lives! + +And now, good reader, let me urge this subject on your earnest +consideration. Surely every one should be ready to lend a hand to +_rescue the perishing_! One would think it almost superfluous to say +more. So it would be, if there were none who required the line of duty +and privilege to be pointed out to them. But I fear that many, +especially dwellers in the interior of our land, are not sufficiently +alive to the claims that the lifeboat has upon them. + +Let me illustrate this by a case or two--imaginary cases, I admit, but +none the less illustrative on that account. + +"Mother," says a little boy, with flashing eyes and curly flaxen hair; +"I want to go to sea!" + +He has been reading "Cook's Voyages" and "Robinson Crusoe," and looks +wistfully out upon the small pond in front of his home, which is the +biggest "bit of water" his eyes have ever seen, for he dwells among the +cornfields and pastures of the interior of the land. + +"Don't think of it, darling Willie. You might get wrecked,--perhaps +drowned." + +But "darling Willie" does think of it, and asserts that being wrecked is +the very thing he wants, and that he's willing to take his chance of +being drowned! And Willie goes on thinking of it, year after year, +until he gains his point, and becomes the family's "sailor boy," and +mayhap, for the first time in her life, Willie's mother casts more than +a passing glance at newspaper records of lifeboat work. But she does no +more. She has not yet been awakened. "The people of the coast +naturally look after the things of the coast," has been her sentiment on +the subject--if she has had any definite sentiments about it at all. + +On returning from his first voyage Willie's ship is wrecked. On a +horrible night, in the howling tempest, with his flaxen curls tossed +about, his hands convulsively clutching the shrouds of the topmast, and +the hissing billows leaping up as if they wished to lick him off his +refuge on the cross-trees, Willie awakens to the dread reality about +which he had dreamed when reading Cook and Crusoe. Next morning a lady +with livid face, and eyes glaring at a newspaper, gasps, "Willie's +ship--is--wrecked! five lost--thirteen saved by the lifeboat." One +faint gleam of hope! "Willie may be among the thirteen!" Minutes, that +seem hours, of agony ensue; then a telegram arrives, "_Saved, Mother-- +thank God,--by the lifeboat_." + +"Ay, thank God," echoes Willie's mother, with the profoundest emotion +and sincerity she ever felt; but think you, reader, that she did no +more? Did she pass languidly over the records of lifeboat work after +_that_ day? Did she leave the management and support of lifeboats to +_the people of the coast_? I trow not. But what difference had the +saving of Willie made in the lifeboat cause? Was hers the only Willie +in the wide World? Are we to act on so selfish a principle, as that we +shall decline to take an interest in an admittedly grand and good and +national cause, until our eyes are forcibly opened by "our Willie" being +in danger? Of course I address myself to people who have really kind +and sympathetic hearts, but who, from one cause or another, have not yet +had this subject earnestly submitted to their consideration. To those +who have _no heart_ to consider the woes and necessities of suffering +humanity, I have nothing whatever to say,--except,--God help them! + +Let me enforce this plea--that _inland_ cities and towns and villages +should support the Lifeboat Institution--with another imaginary case. + +A tremendous gale is blowing from the south-east, sleet driving like +needles--enough, almost, to put your eyes out. A "good ship," under +close-reefed topsails, is bearing up for port after a prosperous voyage, +but the air is so thick with drift that they cannot make out the guiding +lights. She strikes and sticks fast on outlying sands, where the sea is +roaring and leaping like a thousand fiends in the wintry blast. There +are passengers on board from the Antipodes, with boxes and bags of +gold-dust, the result of years of toil at the diggings. They do not +realise the full significance of the catastrophe. No wonder--they are +landsmen! The tide chances to be low at the time; as it rises, they +awake to the dread reality. Billows burst over them like miniature +Niagaras. The good ship which has for many weeks breasted the waves so +gallantly, and seemed so solid and so strong, is treated like a cork, +and becomes apparently an egg-shell! + +Night comes--darkness increasing the awful aspect of the situation +tenfold. What are boxes and bags of gold-dust now--now that wild +despair has seized them all, excepting those who, through God's grace, +have learned to "fear no evil?" + +Suddenly, through darkness, spray, and hurly-burly thick, a ghostly boat +is seen! The lifeboat! Well do the seamen know its form! A cheer +arouses sinking hearts, and hope once more revives. The work of +rescuing is vigorously, violently, almost fiercely begun. The merest +child might see that the motto of the lifeboat-men is "Victory or +death." But it cannot be done as quickly as they desire; the rolling of +the wreck, the mad plunging and sheering of the boat, prevent that. + +A sturdy middle-aged man named Brown--a common name, frequently +associated with common sense--is having a rope fastened round his waist +by one of the lifeboat crew named Jones--also a common name, not seldom +associated with uncommon courage. But Brown must wait a few minutes +while his wife is being lowered into the boat. + +"Oh! be careful. Do it gently, there's a good fellow," roars Brown, in +terrible anxiety, as he sees her swung off. + +"Never fear, sir; she's all right," says Jones, with a quiet reassuring +smile, for Jones is a tough old hand, accustomed to such scenes. + +Mrs Brown misses the boat, and dips into the raging sea. + +"Gone!" gasps Brown, struggling to free himself from Jones and leap +after her, but the grasp of Jones is too much for him. + +"Hold on, sir? _she's_ all right, sir, bless you; they'll have her on +board in a minute." + +"I've got bags, boxes, _bucketfuls_ of gold in the hold," roars Brown. +"Only save her, and it's all yours!" + +The shrieking blast will not allow even _his_ strong voice to reach the +men in the lifeboat, but they need no such inducement to work. + +"The gold won't be yours long," remarks Jones, with another smile. +Neptune'll have it all to-night. See! they've got her into the boat all +right, sir. Now don't struggle so; you'll get down to her in a minute. +There's another lady to go before your turn comes. + +During these few moments of forced inaction the self-possessed Jones +remarks to Brown, in order to quiet him, that they'll be all saved in +half an hour, and asks if he lives near that part of the coast. + +"Live near it!" gasps Brown. "No! I live nowhere. Bin five years at +the diggings. Made a fortune. Going to live with the old folk now--at +Blunderton, far away from the sea; high up among the mountains." + +"Hm!" grunts Jones. "Do they help to float the lifeboats at +Blunderton?" + +"The lifeboats? No, of course not; never think of lifeboats up there." + +"Some of you think of 'em down _here_, though," remarks Jones. "Do +_you_ help the cause in any way, sir?" + +"Me? No. Never gave a shilling to it." + +"Well, never mind. It's your turn now, sir. Come along. We'll save +you. Jump!" cries Jones. + +And they do save him, and all on board of that ill-fated ship, with as +much heartfelt satisfaction as if the rescued ones had each been a +contributor of a thousand a year to the lifeboat cause. + +"Don't forget us, sir, when you gits home," whispers Jones to Brown at +parting. + +And _does_ Brown forget him? Nay, verily! He goes home to Blunderton, +stirs up the people, hires the town-hall, gets the chief magistrate to +take the chair, and forms a _Branch_ of the Royal National Lifeboat +Institution--the Blunderton Branch, which, ever afterwards, honourably +bears its annual share in the expense, and in the privilege, of rescuing +men, women, and little ones from the raging seas. Moreover, Brown +becomes the enthusiastic secretary of the Branch. And here let me +remark that no society of this nature can hope to succeed, unless its +secretary be an enthusiast. + +Now, reader, if you think I have made out a good case, let me entreat +you to go, with Brown in your eye, "and do likewise." + +And don't fancy that I am advising you to attempt the impossible. The +supposed Blunderton case is founded on fact. During a lecturing tour +one man--somewhat enthusiastic in the lifeboat cause--preached the +propriety of inland towns starting Branches of the Lifeboat Institution. +Upwards of half a dozen such towns responded to the exhortation, and, +from that date, have continued to be annual contributors and +sympathisers. + + + +CHAPTER SEVEN. + +THE LIFE-SAVING ROCKET. + +We shall now turn from the lifeboat to our other great engine of war +with which we do battle with the sea from year to year, namely, the +Rocket Apparatus. + +This engine, however, is in the hands of Government, and is managed by +the coastguard. And it may be remarked here, in reference to coastguard +men, that they render constant and effective aid in the saving of +shipwrecked crews. At least one-third of the medals awarded by the +Lifeboat Institution go to the men of the coastguard. + +Every one has heard of Captain Manby's mortar. Its object is to effect +communication between a stranded ship and the shore by means of a rope +attached to a shot, which is fired over the former. The same end is now +more easily attained by a rocket with a light rope, or line, attached to +it. + +Now the rocket apparatus is a little complicated, and ignorance in +regard to the manner of using it has been the cause of some loss of +life. Many people think that if a rope can only be conveyed from a +stranded ship to the shore, the saving of the crew is comparatively a +sure and easy matter. This is a mistake. If a rope--a stout cable-- +were fixed between a wreck and the shore, say at a distance of three or +four hundred yards, it is obvious that only a few of the strongest men +could clamber along it. Even these, if benumbed and exhausted--as is +frequently the case in shipwreck--could not accomplish the feat. But +let us suppose, still further, that the vessel rolls from side to side, +dipping the rope in the sea and jerking it out again at each roll, what +man could make the attempt with much hope of success, and what, in such +circumstances, would become of women and children? + +More than one rope must be fixed between ship and shore, if the work of +saving life is to be done efficiently. Accordingly, in the rocket +apparatus there are four distinct portions of tackle. First the +_rocket-line_; second, the _whip_; third, the _hawser_; and, fourth, the +_lifebuoy_--sometimes called the sling-lifebuoy, and sometimes the +breeches-buoy. + +The rocket-line is that which is first thrown over the wreck by the +rocket. It is small and light, and of considerable length--the extreme +distance to which a rocket may carry it in the teeth of a gale being +between three and four hundred yards. + +The whip is a thicker line, rove through a block or pulley, and having +its two ends spliced together without a knot, in such a manner that the +join does not check the running of the rope through the pulley. Thus +the whip becomes a double line--a sort of continuous rope, or, as it is +called, an "endless fall," by means of which the lifebuoy is passed to +and fro between the wreck and shore. + +The hawser is a thick rope, or cable, to which the lifebuoy is suspended +when in action. + +The lifebuoy is one of those circular lifebuoys--with which most of us +are familiar--which hang at the sides of steamers and other vessels, to +be ready in case of any one falling overboard. It has, however, the +addition of a pair of huge canvas breeches attached to it, to prevent +those who are being rescued from slipping through. + +Let us suppose, now, that a wreck is on the shore at a part where the +coast is rugged and steep, the beach very narrow, and the water so deep +that it has been driven on the rocks not more than a couple of hundred +yards from the cliffs. The beach is so rocky that no lifeboat would +dare to approach, or, if she did venture, she would be speedily dashed +to pieces--for a lifeboat is not _absolutely_ invulnerable! The +coastguardsmen are on the alert. They had followed the vessel with +anxious looks for hours that day as she struggled right gallantly to +weather the headland and make the harbour. When they saw her miss stays +on the last tack and drift shoreward, they knew her doom was fixed; +hurried off for the rocket-cart; ran it down to the narrow strip of +pebbly beach below the cliffs, and now they are fixing up the shore part +of the apparatus. The chief part of this consists of the rocket-stand +and the box in which the line is coiled, in a peculiar and scarcely +describable manner, that permits of its flying out with great freedom. + +While thus engaged they hear the crashing of the vessel's timbers as the +great waves hurl or grind her against the hungry rocks. They also hear +the cries of agonised men and women rising even above the howling storm, +and hasten their operations. + +At last all is ready. The rocket, a large one made of iron, is placed +in its stand, a _stick_ and the _line_ are attached to it, a careful aim +is taken, and fire applied. Amid a blaze and burst of smoke the rocket +leaps from its position, and rushes out to sea with a furious +persistency that even the storm-fiend himself is powerless to arrest. +But he can baffle it to some extent--sufficient allowance has not been +made for the force and direction of the wind. The rocket flies, indeed, +beyond the wreck, but drops into the sea, a little to the left of her. + +"Another--look alive!" is the sharp order. Again the fiery messenger of +mercy leaps forth, and this time with success. The line drops over the +wreck and catches in the rigging. And at this point comes into play, +sometimes, that ignorance to which I have referred--culpable ignorance, +for surely every captain who sails upon the sea ought to have intimate +acquaintance with the details of the life-saving apparatus of every +nation. Yet, so it is, that some crews, after receiving the +rocket-line, have not known what to do with it, and have even perished +with the means of deliverance in their grasp. In one case several men +of a crew tied themselves together with the end of the line and leaped +into the sea! They were indeed hauled ashore, but I believe that most, +if not all, of them were drowned. + +Those whom we are now rescuing, however, are gifted, let us suppose, +with a small share of common sense. Having got hold of the line, one of +the crew, separated from the rest, signals the fact to the shore by +waving a hat, handkerchief, or flag, if it be day. At night a light is +shown over the ship's side for a short time, and then concealed. This +being done, those on shore make the end of the line fast to the _whip_ +with its "tailed-block" and signal to haul off the line. When the whip +is got on board, a _tally_, or piece of wood, is seen with white letters +on a black ground painted on it. On one side the words are English--on +the other French. One of the crew reads eagerly:-- + +"Make the tail of the block fast to the lower mast well up. If masts +are gone, then to the best place you can find. Cast off the +rocket-line; see that the rope in the block runs free, and show signal +to the shore." + +Most important cautions these, for if the tail-block be fastened too low +on the wreck, the ropes will dip in the water, and perhaps foul the +rocks. If the whip does not run free in the block it will jamb and the +work will be stopped; and, if the signals are not attended to, the +coastguardsmen may begin to act too soon, or, on the other hand, waste +precious time. + +But the signals are rightly given; the other points attended to, and the +remainder of the work is done chiefly from the shore. The men there, +attach the hawser to the whip, and by hauling one side thereof in, they +run the other side and the hawser out. On receiving the hawser the crew +discover another _tally_ attached to it, and read:-- + +"Make this hawser fast about two feet above the tail-block. See all +clear, and that the rope in the block runs free, and show signal to the +shore." + +The wrecked crew are quick as well as intelligent. Life depends on it! +They fasten the end of the hawser, as directed, about two feet _above_ +the place where the tail-block is fixed to the stump of the mast. There +is much shouting and gratuitous advice, no doubt, from the forward and +the excited, but the captain and mate are cool. They attend to duty and +pay no regard to any one. + +Signal is again made to the shore, and the men of the coastguard at once +set up a triangle with a pendent block, through which the shore-end of +the hawser is rove, and attached to a double-block tackle. Previously, +however, a block called a "traveller" has been run on to the hawser. +This block travels on and _above_ the hawser, and from it is suspended +the lifebuoy. To the "traveller" block the whip is attached; then the +order is given to the men to haul, and away goes the lifebuoy to the +wreck, run out by the _men on shore_. + +When it arrives at the wreck the order is, "Women first." But the women +are too terrified, it may be, to venture. Can you wonder? If you saw +the boiling surf the heaving water, the roaring and rushing waves, with +black and jagged rocks showing here and there, over which, and partly +through which, they are to be dragged, you would respect their fears. +They shrink back: they even resist. So the captain orders a 'prentice +boy to jump in and set them the example. He is a fine, handsome boy, +with curly brown hair and bright black eyes. He, too, hesitates for a +moment, but from a far different motive. If left to himself he would +emulate the captain in being that proverbial "last man to quit the +wreck," but a peremptory order is given, and, with a blush, he jumps +into the bag, or breeches, of the buoy, through which his legs project +in a somewhat ridiculous manner. A signal is then made to the shore. +The coastguardsmen haul on the whip, and off goes our 'prentice boy like +a seagull. His flight is pretty rapid, considering all things. When +about half-way to land he is seen dimly in the mist of spray that bursts +wildly around and over him. Those on the wreck strain their eyes and +watch with palpitating hearts. The ship has been rolling a little. +Just then it gives a heavy lurch shoreward, the rope slackens, and down +goes our 'prentice boy into the raging sea, which seems to roar louder +as if in triumph! It is but for a moment, however. The double-block +tackle, already mentioned as being attached to the shore-end of the +hawser, is manned by strong active fellows, whose duty it is to ease off +the rope when the wreck rolls seaward, and haul it in when she rolls +shoreward, thus keeping it always pretty taut without the risk of +snapping it. + +A moment more and the 'prentice is seen to emerge from the surf like a +true son of Neptune; he is seen also, like a true son of Britain, to +wave one hand above his head, and faintly, through driving surf and +howling gale, comes a cheer. It is still more faintly replied to by +those on the wreck, for in his progress the boy is hidden for a few +seconds by the leaping spray; but in a few seconds more he is seen +struggling among the breakers on the beach. Several strong men are seen +to join hands and advance to meet him. Another moment, and he is safe +on shore, and a fervent "Thank God!" bursts from the wrecked crew, who +seem to forget themselves for a moment as they observe the waving +handkerchiefs and hats which tell that a hearty cheer has greeted the +rescued sailor boy. + +There is little tendency now to hesitation on the part of the women, and +what remains is put to flight by certain ominous groans and creakings, +that tell of the approaching dissolution of the ship. + +One after another they are lifted tenderly into the lifebuoy, and drawn +to land in safety, amid the congratulations and thanksgivings of many of +those who have assembled to witness their deliverance. It is truly +terrible work, this dragging of tender women through surf and thundering +waves; but it is a matter of life or death, and even the most delicate +of human beings become regardless of small matters in such +circumstances. + +But the crew have yet to be saved, and there are still two women on +board--one of them with a baby! The mother--a thin, delicate woman-- +positively refuses to go without her babe. The captain knows full well +that, if he lets her take it, the child will be torn from her grasp to a +certainty; he therefore adopts a seemingly harsh, but really merciful, +course. He assists her into the buoy, takes a quick turn of a rope +round her to keep her in, snatches the child from her arms, and gives +the signal to haul away. With a terrible cry the mother holds out her +arms as she is dragged from the bulwarks, then struggles to leap out, +but in vain. Another wild shriek, with the arms tossed upwards, and she +falls back as if in a fit. + +"Poor thing!" mutters the captain, as he gazes pitifully at the +retreating figure; "but you'll soon be happy again. Come, Dick, get +ready to go wi' the child next trip." + +Dick Shales is a huge hairy seaman, with the frame of an elephant, the +skin of a walrus, and the tender heart of a woman! He glances uneasily +round. + +"There's another lady yet, sir." + +"You obey orders," says the captain, sternly. + +"I never disobeyed orders yet, sir, and I won't do it now," says Dick, +taking the baby into his strong arms and buttoning it up tenderly in his +capacious bosom. + +As he speaks, the lifebuoy arrives again with a jovial sort of swing, as +if it had been actually warmed into life by its glorious work, and had +come out of its own accord. + +"Now, then, lads; hold on steady!" says Dick, getting in, "for fear you +hurt the babby. This is the first time that Dick Shales has appeared on +any stage wotsomediver in the character of a woman!" + +Dick smiles in a deprecating manner at his little joke as they haul him +off the wreck. But Dick is wrong, and his mates feel this as they cheer +him, for many a time before that had he appeared in woman's character +when woman's work had to be done. + +The captain was right when he muttered that the mother would be "soon +happy again." When Dick placed the baby--wet, indeed, but well--in its +mother's arms, she knew a kind of joy to which she had been a stranger +before--akin to that joy which must have swelled the grateful heart of +the widow of Nain when she received her son back from the dead. + +The rest of the work is soon completed. After the last woman is drawn +ashore the crew are quickly rescued--the captain, of course, like every +true captain, last of all. Thus the battle is waged and won, and +nothing is left but a shattered wreck for wind and waves to do their +worst upon. + +The rescued ones are hurried off to the nearest inn, where sympathetic +Christian hearts and hands minister to their necessities. These are +directed by the local agent for that admirable institution, the +Shipwrecked Fishermen's and Mariners' Society--a society which cannot be +too highly commended, and which, it is well to add, is supported by +voluntary subscriptions. + +Meanwhile the gallant men of the coastguard, rejoicing in the feeling +that they have done their duty so well and so successfully, though wet +and weary from long exposure and exertion, pack the rocket apparatus +into its cart, run it back to its place of shelter, to be there made +ready for the next call to action, and then saunter home, perchance to +tell their wives and little ones the story of the wreck and rescue, +before lying down to take much-needed and well-earned repose. + +Let me say in conclusion that hundreds of lives are saved in this manner +_every_ year. It is well that the reader should bear in remembrance +what I stated at the outset, that the Great War is unceasing. Year by +year it is waged. There is no prolonged period of rest. There is no +time when we should forget this great work; but there are times when we +should call it specially to remembrance, and bear it upon our hearts +before Him whom the wind and sea obey. + +When the wild storms of winter and spring are howling; when the frost is +keen and the gales are laden with snowdrift; when the nights are dark +and long, and the days are short and grey--then it is that our prayers +should ascend and our hands be opened, for then it is that hundreds of +human beings are in deadly peril on our shores, and then it is that our +gallant lifeboat and rocket-men are risking life and limb while fighting +their furious Battles with the Sea. + +THE END. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Battles with the Sea, by R.M. Ballantyne + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BATTLES WITH THE SEA *** + +***** This file should be named 21717.txt or 21717.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/1/7/1/21717/ + +Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +http://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at http://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit http://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |