and in doing so made use of every known means of saving life from shipwreckthe boat, the breeches buoy, and the lifecar. Four crews on the same coast attended 65 wrecks during the years 1888 and 1889, rescuing 499 persons. During the first seven years of the present system on the Jersey coast, there were 180 disasters, involving 1,909 lives, of which only 18 were lost. During the entire history of the present Service on that coast, only one life has been lost of every 133 imperiled. Heroic Deeds the Many of the rescues have called out most noble acts of heroism. Just before daybreak during a hurricane on North Carolina coast, patrolman Midgett, alone, two miles away from his station, rescued 10 men, one by one, at the jeopardy of his own life in each instance. On the same coast, volunteers were once wanted to go to a wreck in the breeches buoy, under very desperate conditions. There were 21 surfmen on the beach; and when two were called for, 21 stepped forth and contended to the point of acrimony for the privilege of making that frightful trip. Some years ago, Fred Hatch, of Cleveland, Ohio, made a mighty leap one dark and tempestuous night, from the main boom of a submerged wreck to the mizzen shrouds, which he succeeded in reaching, and lives in saving the lives of others in waters over which the United States has jurisdiction. In several instances, women have been the recipients of these honors. GERMAN STEAMER GLUCKAUF, 2,306 TONS, WRECKED MARCH 24, 1893, ON LONG ISLAND COAST. All aboard were rescued. This picture was taken October 1, 1894, one and one-half years after the wreck. America, who has saved many lives in the vicinity of Narragansett Bay, where she is now a lighthouse keeper. The crews of stations comprising 6 or 7 men, dwell in the station houses, which are models of comfort and convenience; and the boat rooms amply accommodate the boats and appliances, which are always ready for instant service. In the exact sense in which we use the words "life-saving station," there is no such thing anywhere else in the world, the socalled stations of other countries being simply boat-houses, without living quarters or permanent crews. Nor is there any other life-saving establishment in the world maintained solely by Government, all save ours being supported wholly or mainly by contribution. There are now about 2,000 men in the Life-Saving stations stations of the United States; and these watchful outposts of humanity stretch from Quoddy Head on the North Atlantic to Cape Disappointment on the North Pacific, as well as along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico and the Great Lakes. Under the present system (since November, 1871), the Service has attended 14,076 disasters, involving 102,474 lives, of which only one FRED T. IIATCH. Surfman, Cleveland, Ohio, who made a midnight leap from main boom to mizzen shrouds. System of New Orleans A Notable Engineering Work that is Transforming the Entire Aspect of this Southern Metropolis T By DAY ALLEN WILLEY HE CITY of New Orleans has begun a new era in its history, thanks to a public improvement which is one of the most notable of American engineering feats. As a result of this great work, the community at last stands on "dry land" for the first time since it was founded by the French pioneers. For nearly two centuries, the inhabitants of New Orleans have been living on the surface of a great natural sponge. Owing to the topography of the city, there is no natural drainage whatever, and the formation is such that holes dug to a depth of even two or three feet would reach the water that saturated the ground nearly to the surface. Some scientists have believed that the site of the city is a part of the "trembling prairie" which is so extensive in this portion of Louisiana. Foundations of Mud and Water As a result of this condition of affairs, the construction of buildings even three stories in height has been a difficult problem, as it was found to be practically impossible to secure a stable foundation for them. In consequence, the great majority of the dwellings have been erected of wood; and the comparatively few structures of brick and stone have been built with great care, to prevent their foundations from settling to such an extent as to injure or destroy the buildings. The history of the Spanish fort at Belize, which was erected near the mouth of the Mississippi river and sank almost completely out of sight, is well known. The walls of the venerable St. Louis Cathedral settled after completion so that its towers crumbled. Among the engineers who realized the problem to be solved in the construction of buildings in New Orleans, was General Beauregard, the architect for the New Orleans Custom FIG. 1. INTERIOR OF ST. LOUIS STREET CANAL, NEW ORLEANS, IN COURSE OF CONSTRUCTION. ably; but fortunately all portions sank simultaneously, with the result that several cracks in the walls which were readily repaired-constituted the principal damage. It might be added that until a year or so ago not a cellar existed under a building in New Orleans; and the atmosphere, so constantly saturated with moisture from the earth, has, in the opinion of physicians, caused much of the sickness prevalent. Drainage to a Higher Level When the question of "drying out" the community was agitated, one of the problems which presented itself was how to get rid of the drainage, for, after an examination of the area to be drained, it was found that all of the water must be forced to a higher level than the site on which the city stands. As is well known, nearly all of the land on which moving the sewage. At New Orleans mechanical power entirely is employed. Canals for Drainage and Sewage The improvement in New Orleans, which was commenced in 1897 under the supervision of Mr. George G. Earl, with Mr. W. C. Kirkland engineer in charge, has progressed so rapidly that a very large section of the city is at last completely served by the drainage canals and pumping stations. In all, about thirty miles of trunk or main canals have thus far been completed, including channels extending beneath the principal thoroughfares, but excluding branches which reach the smaller streets. This network of waterways is so arranged that the adjacent buildings can be connected with them by pipes, affording sanitary facilities of which in the past the city has been almost entirely destitute. The canals FIG. 2. NASHVILLE AVENUE LINED AND COVERED CANAL, NEW ORLEANS, IN COURSE OF CONSTRUCTION. the city has been built lies below the surface of the Mississippi river to such an extent that, were it not for the levee protection, the water would rise to the second story of the buildings in the lower portion of the city. To furnish an adequate drainage system, it was necessary to construct a series of canals which would serve nearly 200 square miles, and to connect them with a series of pumping stations of sufficient capacity to force the water into a tributary of the Mississippi, elevating the water to heights varying from 6 to 18 feet according to the levels of the canals. It was calculated that the quantity of rainfall and other surface water to be removed, was SO great that it would be necessary to carry it away at a rate of nearly 60,000 gallons each second. In fact, the project has been considered by experts to be one of the most difficult ever attempted by engi neers. The City of Mexico was converted from a plague spot of disease into a healthy city by constructing a tunnel through the mountain side surrounding it. This has been a notable achievement, but the force of gravity has assisted in FIG. 3. CHARTRES STREET CANAL IN COURSE OF CONSTRUCTION, SHOWING STEAM EXCAVATOR AND ELEC TRIC MOTOR FOR OPERATING DUMP CARS. range from mere ditches 500 feet in length and 3 and 4 feet wide, to waterways nearly 2 miles in length, 40 feet in width, and 12 feet in depth. The latter are really huge tunnels which required no little skill to construct. Owing to the nature of the soil, it was found necessary to support them in many places upon wooden piles, which in turn rest upon plank foundations driven far into |