less liable to become choked with ice in our high latitudes than the delivery pipes of its model.

For the transportation of boats to the place of launching on the beach there is a peculiar boat-carriage, very strongly made of oak and hickory, consisting of a skeleton reach 16 feet long resting on solid bed-pieces at either end, and mounted on fore and hind wheels 4 feet in diameter and of equal dimensions, the whole being furnished with a pole and whiffletrees for two horses. When horses cannot be had the surf-boat is drawn upon this carriage by the crew.

The life-car or surf car, which was invented by Capt. Douglass Oltinger, of the Revenue Marine, in 1848, is a species of covered boat made of galvanized iron, capable of holding from two to four persons, and, with a ring at each end, by which it is suspended with a pulley-block to a hawser, rigged between a wreck and the shore, and upon which it is pulled to and fro with hauling lines. It is entered by a hatchway closed with a sliding cover, which is pierced with air-holes, the perforations being made from within so as to raise the edges of the metal, and thus prevent water from entering as the car is hauled through the surf. Many lives have been saved by its instrumentality.

Another device employed for life-saving, and which may be used with hauling-lines, with oars, or with sails, as occasion requires, is the Rider life-raft. It is made of two pointed cylinders of canvas, each 26 inches in diameter and 22 feet long, which are coated with gutta-percha and inflated with air, and are secured together by hoops of hickory at equal distances, so as to sustain an intermediate frame-work, the whole forming a structure of 7 feet and 2 inches wide. It sits lightly on the water; is insubmergible, and its broad surface affords accommodation for a large number of passengers. For rowing, it is fitted with four oars for pulling and one for steering.

Still another contrivance for use with hauling-lines by suspension to a hawser stretched between a wreck and the shore, is the breechesbuoy, a circular life-preserver of cork, with a pair of short, stout, canvas breeches attached, into which the person to be brought ashore gets and sits for his landward journey through or over the surf. A similar invention is the life-buoy or cradle devised by Mr. H. Cordes, of Bremerhaven, which is simply a species of basket made of cork, eliptical in shape, with a sagging of canvas bands interwoven across, slung to the hawser like the breeches-buoy. In this a person to be rescued lies and is pulled ashore.

To effect the communication with a wreck, by which a hawser is stretched between it and the shore for the employment of the surf-car, breeches-buoy, &c., a shot is fired with a line attached, which, falling over the wreck, enables those on board to drag it in with the haulinglines and the hawser fastened thereto. To carry the shot over the wreck mortars, guns, and rockets are employed. The mortar used is of the eprouvette pattern; caliber, 5 inches; weight, with its bed, 288 pounds.

It is furnished with twelve spherical solid balls, 24 pounds each. The charge of powder is from 2 to 4 ounces. It can be relied upon to send a ball from 300 to 400 yards. For the transportation of the mortar or similar apparatus over the beaches there is a strong hand-cart, 4 feet 9 inches long, by 3 feet wide, with wheels of 4 feet diameter, made of oak and iron, with rims of from 4 to 5 inches broad.

Another invention for sending a shot-line to a wreck, produced by Cordes, of Bremerhaven, is a gun of 3-inch caliber, mounted on a 4wheeled carriage, which also carries the ammunition, implements, and lines. The extreme range of this gun is about 560 yards. The projectile used is peculiar, being a hollow, cylindrical, pointed shot, 20 pounds in weight, 3 inches diameter, and 20 inches long, through which the shot-line is rove with an ingenious contrivance for preventing the line from breaking by the impulse of the discharge from the mouth of the gun. The same inventor has contributed what is called a knapsack gun, being a small brass cannon mounted so that a strong surfman can carry it strapped to his back, and which has a range of 300 yards. He has also invented a hand or shoulder gun which has a range of 150 to 200 yards. The projectiles and method of firing are the same in all his guns.

The Liliendahl rocket apparatus is a portable contrivance for effecting communication with wrecks. It consists of a tube of iron upon a tripod for giving direction to the rocket, which is of steel and carries, instead of the stick usually attached to rockets, a loop of steel rod, to which the line is secured by a steel-wire lanyard. The rocket is capable of carrying a line 350 yards.

The Cordes apparatus has only recently come into notice, but all the other articles of boats, rafts, surf-cars, mortars, rockets, &c., are furnished to the stations of the first and second class, which are also provided, for the safety of the crews, with suits of the Merriman rubber life-saving dress, made famous by the exploits of Paul Boyton, and also with cork-life belts, which the men are required by regulation to wear when they go out in the boats to rescue. The stations are also furnished in suitable quantities, according to their respective wants, with a number of articles of ship's stores and equipments, such as axes, buckets, calking irons, hatchets, lanterns, marline-spikes, medicine-chests, oakum, sail-needles, speaking-trumpets, twine, &c. Such of the latter articles as are necessary are also provided for the houses of refuge, which are likewise provisioned with salt beef and pork, navy bread, coffee, and sugar.

The following is a specific catalogue of the exhibit at the life-saving station erected on the Centennial grounds:

1. Self-righting and self-bailing life-boat, with following attachments: Masts, sails, rudder and yoke, tiller, row-locks, oars, boat-hooks, canvas boat cover, transporting trucks and turn-table, skids, ridge-pole and stanchion.

2. Surf-boat, with following attachments:

Boat wagon (complete), oars, boat-hooks and warp, boat anchor, thole-pins, rubber bailing buckets, carriage wrench, hand-grapnels and warp, cork life-jackets, boat cover (canvas).

3. Howitzer, with following attachments:

Carriage (complete) and containing shot-lines, hauling line and guide posts, wooden maul, spare article box, containing rubber springs, leather sabots and friction primers, iron shot or elongated projectiles.

4. Life-car (metallic), with following attachments:

Manila hawser, hauling line, or double "whip"; large and small tackles, selvagee strops; shot-line, with box and faking pegs; tally-board, with instructions to wrecked persons in the application of life-car apparatus; mortar and bed; spherical shot (24pounder), shot wires, cannon fuzes (water-proof); sand anchor, with bull's-eye and strap; shovel.

5. "Lilliendahl" rocket, with following attachments:

Rocket range,

plete).

"Lilliendahl" rockets; connecting shackles, with rocket line (com

6. Breeches buoy, with sling and runner block.

7. Life-basket (cork).

8. Life-raft, with following attachments:

Rubber cylinders, with air-pumps; oars, boat-hooks, thole-pins (spare), cork floats, and life-lines.

9. Knapsack gun, with following attachments:

Carriage (complete), to be transported upon the back of a surfman; elongated projectiles (iron); rubber springs, leather sabots, shot-line, box and faking pegs.

10. Shoulder gun, with following attachments:

Swivel, projectiles (iron), sabots, cone key, oil-can, cleaning rod.

11. Loaded mace (for throwing lines by hand over a wrecked vessel). 12. Merriman's life-saving suits (rubber).

13. Equipments:

Hand-cart (for transportation of life-car apparatus); large beach light and staff, (for night work on the beach); signal lanterns (brass); lamp-feeder, powder magazine, powder flask, speaking trumpet; marine glasses (binocular), with case; calking mallet and iron; claw hammer, gimlets, grindstone and box; monkey wrench, hand-saw, jack-plane, axes, hatchets, marline-spikes; "Costin's" night signals, with holders; signal rockets and staffs; sewing palm, sail-needles, branding iron (“U. S. L. S. S. "); fire buckets (rubber); sponge (boat); rocket and lantern stand; clock; signal flags ("U. S. L. S. S. "); national ensigns.

14. Medicine chest, containing the following medicines, &c.:

Brandy and sherry wine (in flasks), ammonia carb., snuff, Monsel's salt (to arrest bleeding), pills of camph. and opii, adhesive plaster, sinapisms, probangs (for clearing the throat), sponge, bandages, wadding, flannel, and pins; printed directions of the most approved method of "resuscitating the apparently drowned."

15. Stores:

Manila cordage, marline, spun yarn, cotton sewing-twine, putty, white lead, paint, oil, signal oil, boat nails, tacks, sand-paper, emery-paper, lamp-wicking, stove-blacking, rottenstone, whiting, soap, brooms.

16. Furniture:

Ten cot-bedsteads (of iron and canvas); ten mattresses (husk), with linen covers; en pillows (husk), with linen covers; twenty woolen blankets ("U. S. L. S. S. " pat

tern), chairs, mess table (with drawers), desk (writing), washstand (iron), water pitcher, wash-bowl and pitcher, water cooler, glass tumblers, cocoa mats, cuspidors, dustpan and brush, painters' duster, brushes (scrubbing), brushes (stove-blacking), crash toweling, watering can, water pails.

17. Cooking utensils:

Cook stove and fixtures complete, including extra set of fire-brick and grate; coal scuttle, shovel and poker, mess pans, coffee pots, tea kettle, tin pans, plates and cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, knives and forks, mess kettles (iron, with covers), skill let, wash boiler, butcher knife, and large fork.

18. Books, blanks, &c.:

Register, journal, receipt and expenditure book, "Regulations for the Government of the United States Life Saving Service;" rocket and mortar drill; specifications and plans of construction of United States life-saving stations on Pacific and Lake coasts; specifications and plans of construction of self-righting and self-bailing lifeboat; blank shipping articles (U. S. L. S. S.); blank wreck report (U. S. L. S. S. ) ; blank quarterly report (U. S. L. S. S.); blank requisition for supplies (U. S. L. S. S.); blank quarterly estimate for funds (U. S. L. S. S.); blank pay-rolls (U. S. L. S. S.); blank vouchers, purchases, and repairs; blank inventory of public property; blank vouchers for services and traveling expenses attending drill and exercise; blank requisition for official postage stamps; blank report of official postage stamps; blank requisition for blank forms; blank account current of disbursement by superintendents; blank abstract of disbursements by superintendents; blank weekly transcript of journal; blank statement of accounts by superintendents.

19. Special exhibits:

Life-saving medals, gold (in case), first class; life-saving medals, silver (in case), second class; 24-pounder ball (being the first shot fired in the United States to save life from shipwreck). This ball, with line attached, was thrown over the ship Ayrshire, wrecked on Squan Beach, New Jersey, January 12, 1850, saving 201 lives. 20. Model life-car apparatus, including the model of a vessel ashore and in distress, the whole showing practically the method of rescuing life from the perils of the sea by means of the life-car.

21. Diagram of life-car.

22. United States Life-Saving Service signal code. 23. Model of self-righting and self-bailing life-boat.

Superintendents of construction.-The stations are built and kept in repair through the agency of superintendents of construction, located for this purpose at New York. The two officers of the Revenue Marine acting in this capacity supervise the work under the contracts and agreements made by the Department for the construction and repair of stations, and of all boats, boat-carriages, &c., and see that they are properly carried out. They have oversight of all plans and specifications, inspect all materials, and are responsible for all constructions being effected in a workmanlike manner.

Inspectors.-The inspector is a captain of the Revenue Marine, assisted by two lieutenants of the Revenue Marine, all detailed for this duty. He and his assistants exercise a general supervision over all the districts. The duty of an inspector involves the personal scrutiny of every station along the whole coast, at least once a year, and oftener if directed by the Department. He is accompanied in each district by its

superintendent. He notifies the stations of his intended visit in advance, so that the surfmen may be assembled to meet him. He exercises the men in the use of the boat and car, causing them to launch and to go and return through the surf; also in the use of the mortar and rocket apparatus, all as if actually engaged in the work of saving life. He closely examines everything in and about the station, ascertaining that all is in proper condition. He is required to know the use and application of every article, and to see that the keeper and surfmen have the same knowledge. After each visit he makes a full report to the Department, containing such recommendations as may be called for. All requisitions for supplies and repairs are received by him from the superintendents of the districts, which he approves or disapproves, and forwards to the Department. He also forwards all reports which he receives in the same way. Capt. James H. Merryman has ably performed the important duties of this office since June, 1872.

Fiscal management.-The Life-Saving Service is annually appropriated for by Congress. The cost of new stations is defrayed by special appropriations. The appropriations for the annual running expenses are two; one for the Life-Saving Service, covering expenditures for salaries and pay; the other for contingent expenses, providing for all other current outlays. For the year ending June 30, 1877, the appropriation for the purpose first named was $201,580; the other appropriation was $30,000.

The salaries of the superintendents of the districts and of the keepers are fixed by law. The wages of the surfmen are prescribed by the Department. All payments of salary and wages are made quarterly upon pay-rolls, in accordance with estimates which the superintendents of the districts are required to forward at least twenty days before the expiration of the quarter. Payments must be made in lawful money, and only to the persons to whom they are owed. No purchases of any description for the stations can be made without the authority of the Department. When such authority is obtained, the purchases are made upon written proposals obtained from three or more responsible dealers. All supplies and outfits of any considerable quantity are procured by contract made upon proposals obtained by public advertisement, and are rigorously inspected upon delivery. Bills and vouchers are required to be made out in detail and presented in duplicate.

Co-operation of the Storm-Signal Service. By the act of March 3, 1873, the Storm-Signal Service of the Army made an affiliation with the LifeSaving Service, and is now directly connected with the stations at Sandy Hook, Monmouth Beach, Squan Beach, Barnegat, Atlantic City, and Peck's Beach, New Jersey; at Cape Henry, Virginia; and at Kitty Hawk and Little Kinnakeet, North Carolina. The signal stations at Cape May, Oswego, Buffalo, Erie, Cleveland, Grand Haven, Chicago, Milwaukee, and San Francisco, are also available for the Life-Saving Service. The connection has worked beneficially in two ways; first, by affording means of immediate communication between the stations,