Those Who Save Life.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF STATIONS.
Disasters Last Year Were More Numerous--Only 20 out of 5,402 Person on Wrecked Vessels Were Lost--Appropriations Work Injustice to the Men.
The Annual report of the general superintendent of the life saving stations shows that during the last fiscal year the number of disasters within the scope of the service exceeds that of any previous year by 79. This large excess is in a measure found to be due to the extension of the service, but principally to the conditions of the weather which prevailed during the year.
The number of disasters to documented vessels within the field of operations of the service during the year was 483. There were on board these vessels 5,402 of whom 5,382 were saved and 20 lost. The estimated value of the vessels involved was $8,001,275, and that of their cargos $2,645,960, making a total value of property imperiled $10,647,235. Of this amount $9,145,085 was saved and $1,502,150 lost. The number of vessels totally lost was 73. Besides the number of persons saved from vessels of all kinds, there were 110 others rescued who had fallen from warves, piers, etc., and most of them would have perished without the aid of the life-saving crews.
The crews saved and assisted to save during the year, 379 vessels, valued with their cargoes at $3,561,665, and rendered assistance of minor importance to 181 other vessels in distress, besides warning from danger by signals of the patrolmen, 249 vessels.
The general superintendent complains that the appropriation by the last congress of a uniform rate of $1,000 per month per annum as compensation for the district superintendents, reducing the salaries of eight of them from $1,800 to $1,600, works of injustice. He shows that the duties of these officers are of great importance and responsibility, and that they are required to furnish bonds ranging from $10,000 to $50,000, and considers that at least $1,800 is none too large a salary for each. He also deprecates the difference in the rates of compensation paid to the surfmen--$65 per month to those serving eight half months or less, or only $60 to those serving longer periods--stating that it makes a discrimination in favor of those employed upon the lakes as against those serving on the ocean coast, except as to one man employed as an extra surfman from December 1 to May 1 in each of the 154 stations on the Atlantic coast, and also discriminates in favor of this extra man as against his comrades in the small stations and all others employed on the ocean coasts. He considers that simple justice demands that the compensation should be made uniform, and believes that the rate of $65 per month established by the act of July 22, 1892, was none too large.