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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 12, 1912)
KSrP o Pension Our Life Savers Tin iiiifematiT IS PROMINENT IN CONGRESS IHr 1 "'il 11 M l I I mm m m Xx- .itoW w CNr VSTM 7JrUt V . I mtb2kZ?Z&m I AJ m&tt&J&. WatffflW I j aS7G7WZW& it HE proposition which will bo urged upon congress at Its present session to provide for tho retlromcnt nnd pensioning of employes of tho Unit oil Stiitos Llfo-Snvlng Sorvlco Is dl- trading public attention to ono of tho bruvest nnd moBt conscientious corps of men In tho world. Tho plan to pension tho members of our conBt patrol who hnvo been dis abled In tho performance of their duties or who havo grown gray In rendering such humnultnrlan sorvlco to their follow-mon has been ngl- tntcd for somo years past. Congress at Its last session wns on tho point of passing tho noccs nary lnw thus to glvo recognition to t)jo Ilfo-sav-era and It la bollovcd that theoo faithful sorvnnts of tho pooplo will not havo to wait much longor now to bo necorded their rights for, bo It known, tho life-savers only Hook such rollof from tho conditions of physical disability and old ago as Is frcoly accorded men In our military and naval sorvlco, Nor Is It merely that such a plnn of rotlromont and pensions will do Jimtlco to tho Burfraon who, U la claimed, run greater risks nnd enduro moro lordships for tho wages paid them than do tho turn in nny othor branch of tho government Borvlco, Quito asldo from this Is tho Influenco that will bo exerted upon prospective recruits for tho sorvlco. Indeed, tho ofTlcInlH of the Ufo Saving Sorvlco assort that with a satisfactory rotlromont nnd pension plan In oporntlon a supe rior cIobb of men will bo attracted to this voca tion whore so much must needs depend upon tho Individual. And, by tho way, probably vory fow of our readers know that tho United Statos Ufo-Savlng Service Is tho lnrgost ns well as tho most ofllclont In tho world. Llko tho flroinon In our cities, they are on duly nil tho tlmo nnd they risk their lives every tlmo thoy go to a wreck. Hut, for thnt matotr, If tho surfmon did no moro than dlschnrgo tho dutlos of their "night patrol" on tho lonoly storm-swopt honches thoy would havo to tholr credit moro hazardous and moro nrduous work thnn almost any other class In tho community, Tho scopo of tho relief work of tho American Life-Saving Servlco Is expanding all tho whllo. During the pnst year tho life-savers rendered nld In tho enso of nearly l.GOO wrecks and thanks largely to tho nld of those bravo and experienced men only soventy-four out of this largo number provod to bo a total Iobb. Measured In dollars and cents, tho service rendorod by thoso fear Ic.bb raon wnH ovon groator. In tho wrecks of tho pnst year thoro was Involved proporty, In cluding vossols und cargoes, to tho total valuo of $11,880,000, and of this amount tho surprising proportion of $10,057,000 wns saved. TIiIb In It self tnnkos tho two million dollars n year which I'uclo Sam spends on bis Ufo-Savlng Sorvlco pcom lllo n pretty good Investment nnd that is without taking Into consideration tho lives lm perllod on tho shipwrecked vossols, Thoro wore 0.601 pursons on board tho craft that mot dls nntor last yoar and tho total loss of Hfo, which was fifty-live, would havo boon many tlmos that number but for tho Biiccor affurded by Undo Sam's nemos of tho bonches. Former Govomor William A. Nowcll of Now Jorsoy lu generally rocognlzod as tho foundor of tho Llfo-Snvlng Borvlco nnd ho took tho Initia tive as tho result of a marine disaster which ho happened to witness during tho summer of 1839 when tho Australian bark "Count Pornsto" waa wrecked on Long Bonch, Jw Jorsoy. Tho thlr tcpn members of tlio crow, all of whom were drownod, might readily havo boon saved had ihoro boon at hand apparatus such ob now con-, stltutcs tho regulation equipment of tho United States life-saving crown. Tho need thus polntod out mndo so forcoful nn Impression upon tho mind of Mr. Nowoll that ho soon after entered upon exporlmonts with bows and arrows, rockets and n Bhortonad blunderbuss a means of throwing lines to ships strnndod In positions inaccessible by small boats, Eventually Jila oxporlmonto culminated In comploto succosa by the uso of a mortar or carronado wltli ball and lino. About this tlmo Mr. Nowoll wns oloctod to congress and on tho first resolution day of tho llrst session of tho thirtieth congress on Jan uary 3, 1818, to ho exact ho Introduced In tho nntlonnl legislature tho measure which laid tho foundation of our Llfo-Savlng Sorvlco. Tho nntlonnl govorniriont now maintains up ward of three hundred llfo-Bavlng stations dis tributed on tho coasts of tho Atlantic, tho Pa clflc, tho Qulf of Mexico and tho Croat I,nkos. Each of thoso stations Is mnned by a crow of from six to eight surfmon hardy nnd fonrlosa follows who aro splendid specimens of physical manhood and who aro skilled in handling boats In angry seas and In manipulating tho various mo ehanlcnl nppllnncos which Undo Sam provides ns aids to tho brown nnd tho quick wits of our coast patrolmen In tho dangerous tnsk of cheat ing tho deop of Its proy. For dovotlon to n duty that necessitates eternal vlgllanco nnd tho most fatiguing sorvlco tho llfo savors recolvo tho mod eat wngo of $G0 por month. Moreover thoy re colvo that pay for only nlno months a year, tho crows bolng laid off during Juno, July and Au gust, nt which Benson sovoro stprmB nnd wrecks nro almost unknown. Should a llfo-savor bo In jured during hlB summer "lay-off" ho not only cannot got back Into tho sorvlco but ho cannot mdor existing conditions draw any ponslon or retirement pay, no mnttor how mnny years ho has faithfully Borved tho nntlon. Tho vnst majority of roBcuoB effected' by tho llfo-savlng crows aro occompllshoil by moans of lifeboats or suifboats. Thoso stanch craft, which, nfl now manufactured, nro almost unslnknblo, uro tho Ideal vohlcles for taking cdnsldornblo num bers of persons from Imperiled vessels In a llm ltod space of tlmo. If tho patrolman, who In his vigils on tho boach discovers u vobbo! ashore and hastens to tho llfo-savlng station for assistance, reports thnt tho uso of a boat Ib practicable olth od tho largo" lifeboat Is launohod from Its wnys In tho station and proceeds to tho wreck by wa tor, or tho lighter surfboat Is haulod ovorlnnd to a point opposlto tho wreck and launchod as clr cums'tnncoB may dictate. Formorly all of thoso boats woro propolled by oars and many of them yet aro, but latterly thoro havo boon Introduced big motor llrobonts, which aro a vast Improve ment In ovory way ovor tholr predecessors. Ofttlmos a ship meets disaster In so dangerous a position or with Bitch a high sea running thnt It is nlanlfostly hopeless to attempt to reach tho lm periled craft with a small boat Under such clr- John Sharp Williams, sonator from Mississippi, Is ono of tho plctureBquo figures In congress. Two things mako him so. Ono Is his deafness, which is considerable, and which thoy say is growing on him. As a result of It ho continually keeps his hand hollowed' to his ear and frequently has to ask to havo tho question repeated to him. Tho' other is his habit a result, prob ably of his deafness of moving about, tho senate during debate. Ho does not llko to sit still. Ho walks softly nnd gracefully from his chair toward tho man whom ho is talking nt, with his right forefinger extended and ac cusing his opponent, and with his left hand helping him to hear. Apparently ho never for a moment thinks that ho is conspicuous or picturesque Williams Is nttractlvo in speech ati well as picturesque la garb, nnd man ner. Tho press gallery, that collection, of cynics and expert listeners, usually flllc un wlmn tliAi.ttmnt nnoanii nrminrl' Midi Llf. I11IUU . lllliu. j..juuu wu that Willlnms Is on his feet. Williams, knows how to debate. With him do-i bato Is not merely contradicting what somo other fellow has said, or olso np-; pealing to tho constitution of tho United States as tho Dlblo of all political and; economic philosophy. Ho dobntes with deftness nnd Btylo. Ho uses his tongue and his mind as a fonclng weapon, and the man who Is off his' guard Is sure to get spiked. He speaks with vigor, humor nnd sense, thrco qualities not nlwrfys found In working harmony. His stylo Is a runnlpg ono It carries you nnd his Ideas; swiftly nnd pleasantly along on Its current. NEW LEADER OF THE REDS Tho Job of handling tho Cincinnati team has fallon to Hank O'Dny, for many years a well-known National leaguo umplro. A numbor of tho best known players In tho country were mentioned for tho position of mnnngor, but tho selection of O'Day wns In tho nature of a big surprise. O'Day was a pitcher before ho Joined the ranks" of umpires 12 years ago. Ho twirled for the Now York Giants nnd other of tho big leaguo teams and was accounted ono of tho best box nrtlsts on tho dia mond. Ho has never been tried In a managerial position and there will bo much interest manifested In tho man ner in which ho will succeed In Cin cinnati, where so many good baseball pilots havo- mado failures In building up a strong team. O'Day Is a man of excellent Judg ment and tact and has tho necessary amount of nervo to back up his opin ions. When brought up against a tldkllsh proposition ho has novor been found wanting. Tho best evidence of tho fairness and courage which aro notablo portions of his character was furnished in that September gamo in New York In 1908, when ho mado a decision against Morkel which cost tho Giants tho pennnnt, nnd which ho could have Bldestoppodj If he had been that kind of a man. Tho decision cost tho Giants tho pennant, nnd O'Day was roundly criticised by tho partisan fans of tho Giants, but ho carod nothing ror that. By baseball men familiar with tho rules ho was warmly applauded for his action, which was simply In lino with tho spirit which has prompted his work as an umplro all through his career. With these qualities at his disposal ho should succeed as a manager and ho will command tho respect of tho players and tho fans alike. cumBtoncoa recourse Is had to tho wreck gun and bench apparatus with a view to carrying on roscuo work through tho Instrumentality of tho breeches buoy or tho Ufo car. First of all a shot with a lino attached Is fired ncross tho stranded vossol by means of n powerful llttlo mortar or snub-nosed cannon, which will hurl a lino over n wreck -100 ynrds distant, even In the teeth of a gale. With thta preliminary lino In their possession the crew of a shipwrecked craft can quickly haul out a larger lino nnd finally a three-Inch hnwsor. Attachod to tho hawser Is a uoord which boars in English on one side and In French on tho other Instructions ns to how to mako tho hawser fast to a mast or tho best place that can bo found. When tho shipwrecked mnrlnors slgnnl that they havo oboyod instructions ns to fastening tho hawser tho llfo-Bavcrs on shore haul tho hawser taut and porhaps elovato tho shore end by means of a tripod In ordor to lift It well clear of the wator, after which thoro Is sent off to tho ship a brcoches buoy, suspended from a traveler block, or a life car dopondlng from rings running on tho hawser. Only ono person at n tlmo can bo landed by tho brooches buoy, but from four to six pooplo can bo cnrrled ashore at each trip of tho Ilfo car. Whlchovor bo tho vohlclo employed tho trips contlnuo until nil tho Imperiled persons nro safely ashore, aftor which an ingenious mechan ical dovloo known ns tho hawser cuttor is drawn out to tho wreck nlong tho cabloway nnd upon arriving at tho terminus of tho hnwser nuto mntlcally cuts tho ropo, allowing tho life-savers to haul It ashore and thus prosorvo Intact a vat uablo part of tholr apparatus. Ambitious invontora nro constantly dovlslng now forms of npnratus for tho uso of tho United States llfc-savlng crows. Indeod, thoso invon tlona aro so numerous that tho federal govern mont has folt obllgod to create a board of oxports whoso Bpeclal duty It Is to tost novelties and who hold such trlolB several tlmos n your. However, not many of tho now Ideas that nro advanced prova practicable, for tho exacting conditions ot tho rough and ready service Involved nnd the nbovo mentioned classes of apparatus contlnuo to bo tho stnndbya on which our llfo-snvors place tho greatest dopondenco. However, thoro has lnttorly hoen nn ndvanco In facilities for signal Ing and thoro is now In uso a form of bonch light no poworful as nn Jllumlnnnt that It enables one to read tho faco of a watch at a distance of moro than nlno hundred fcot MODERN ORIENTAL PRINCE The Gaokwar of Baroda Is essential ly a modern monarch. His palace Is, furnished in many respects qulto llko a Now York mansion, ho has a big bank In tho capital of his state, which was organized by an American, his, son is being educated in an American, college, his wife is encouraged to go in for tho "fripperies" beloved ot American women nnd now tho Gaek war has been named co-respondent In a suit for divorce! Somo unhappy Englishman, not ldontlfled as yet, who wishes to bo freed from his wife, claims tho fas cinating Gaekwar is to blamo for his1 domostlc troubles. Through his attor ney, tho latter, although ho doesn't bother to deny his connection with tho caso, claims loftily that being a prlnco of India, ho is outsldo tho Jurisdiction of tho court. This idea tho opposing counsel turns down flatly and tho point Is bolng nrguod at great length Tho Gaekwar, who Is well known and very popular In London, visited tho United States last yoar accompanied by his wlfo to get ideas on tho development of manufacturing in his state,, ono of tho smallest, but ono of tho most important in India, As ono of tha three Indian rulers entitled to a saluto of 21 guns tho Gaekwar 1b held In ven eration by hlB people. Tho other two aro tho Nizam of Hydorbad and tho Ma haroja of Mysore. Ji)ii' FIGHTING DICK' IS OUT The official life of "ono of the great est fighters, best follows nnd most bo loved officers tho sorvlco afloat has over had" expired tho othor day, when Rear Admiral Richard Walnwrlght re tired from active sorvlco, owing to tho ago limit. No officer in tho United Stntcs navy was bettor known or better liked than "Fighting Dick" Walnwrlght. His record of service Is long and officlont. Ho graduated from tho Naval Academy in 18G8, but It was not until tho early 00's that his nume began to bo heard outsldo the servlco. Ho was oxecutlvo officer of tho Battleship Malno whon she was blown up In Havana harbor. Whon war was declared with Spain Capt. Walnwrlght was among tho first to apply for nctlvo sorvlco. Ho was delighted when he was placod In com mand of J. Plorpont Morgan's trans formed pleasure yacht, tho Corsair. Tho llttlo vessel was ' renamed tho Gloucester, lu honor of the Massachu setts city where Walnwrlght was born, Tho Gloucester lost no tlmo In Join ing tho blockading fleet at Santiago. When tho Spanish fleet attempted to escapo tho Gloucester pounded and destroyed the two torpedoboat destroyers, Pluton nnd Furor, oro they scarcely had begun their reckless dash from tho harbor. For tho "eminent and conspicuous conduct" displayed at Santiago Capt. Watnwrlcht was advanced ton numbers.