CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
SAVING THE PASSENGERS AND CREW--OUR HEROES DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES.
When Bax and his party arrived at Saint Margaret's Bay, the scene ofwreck and death had already begun.
The vessel was just discernible in the midst of the turmoil of warringelements that filled the dark air with misty spray. A boat had tried toreach the shore with a number of passengers--chiefly men--in her. Herfate was quickly sealed. A huge breaker upset her, and six of the deadbodies of her crew had already been plucked from the sea, and laid onthe shingle. The rest were being hurled on the land and swept back bythe force of the returning waves, until the people assembled therecaught and dragged them also beyond their reach.
Messengers had already been sent to the nearest lifeboat stations, andthe people who remained behind were either occupied in attempting torecover the bodies of the drowned, as above described, or in suggestingimpossible plans for conveying a line on board the ill-fated vessel.
"Ha! here comes the man as'll tell us wot's to be done, and do it too!"cried one of the boatmen, "wot say, Bax, can we git a line off, think'ee?"
Bax stood on the edge of the roaring sea, silent and motionless, withhis arms crossed on his broad chest, and his bold gaze directed to thewreck.
"No," said he, after standing a few moments thus, "it can't be done. Nomortal man could cross the surf on the inner rocks; but there's a pointo' rocks not far to the nor'ard; does any one know how far the tide maycover 'em just now?"
"About half," answered several voices eagerly.
"Ay, so't does," observed a coast-guard-man, "but with sich a surfbeatin' on 'em there ain't a rock on the whole pint above water thisminute."
"Come, let's go see," cried Bax, snatching a coil of light rope from thehand of a man who stood close by, and hastening away with it in thedirection of the rocky point referred to.
In a few seconds he stood on its outer extremity, with Guy Foster,Coleman, and a few of the more courageous men at his side.
The point on which Bax stood was indeed a position of great danger.Besides being whelmed in driving spray, so that it was a matter ofextreme difficulty to see more than a few yards in any direction, thewaves at times rushed up to and over them with such violence as to reachthe knees of those who stood there, and threatened to wash them off.Nevertheless, from this point Bax thought it possible that the end ofthe line might be conveyed on board the "Trident," which could be seenlooming high and black in the murky air, lifting and falling with aheavy crash as each successive billow broke under and over her, carryingon with irresistible violence the work of destruction. Both chains hadgiven way, and she was now rolling a helpless wreck on the rocks.
"D'ye mean to try it?" said Guy, anxiously, as he observed his friendfastening the line round his waist.
"Hold the end of it, Guy, and pay out," said Bax, "mind you don't haulin unless you're _sure_ I'm goin' down."
With this caution, Bax plunged into the surf, and struck out for thewreck, having previously placed an open clasp-knife between his teeth.
A cheer broke from the nearest group on the rocks when they witnessedthis bold act. It was taken up and re-echoed by those farther up thebeach, who knew that some hopeful effort was being made, although theywere unable to perceive the precise nature of it. The people on thewreck also heard the cheer, and looked eagerly landward. But to themall was shrouded in darkness. Even Guy quickly lost sight of hisfriend, and was only made aware of his safety and onward progress by thecontinued running out of the line. Suddenly it stopped.
"He's a-board," cried Coleman.
"He would jerk on it if he was," said Guy, with a doubtful shake of thehead.
"He's sunk," cried one of those who stood by and held the slack of therope.
A panic seemed to seize the others who stood by. "Haul 'im in!" criedone. "Look alive!" shouted another, "he's a gone man." Before Guycould interfere, they acted on the impulse, and drew in two or threefathoms.
Twisting his left arm suddenly round the rope, Guy planted his foot on arock and stopped it; at the same time he raised his right hand, andthreatened to fell the man nearest to him. The result was that the mendesisted from hauling, but when the rope was again felt it becameevident that there was no weight at the farther end of it. Guy's heartsank with horror as the empty line was drawn in. For a moment he feltall the agony of despair; but a gleam of hope rushed in upon him onobserving that the end of the rope was _cut_, as if with a sharp knife,not by the edge of a rock.
Animated by this hope he hastened back to the beach in quest of anotherline, resolved himself to attempt to carry it to the wreck.
Guy was right in his conjecture that Bax had cut the rope. On nearingthe ship the latter had come unexpectedly on a large rock, under the leeof which he paused to recover breath before making the last gallantstruggle towards the wreck. It was this pause that caused the alarm ofthose on shore. When Bax felt himself dragged violently back to theland, he at once divined the cause, and, knowing that there was no otherresource, he seized the clasp-knife, and cut the rope. A few minuteslater he swam under the lee of the wreck, and, catching hold of therigging of the foremast, which had gone by the board when the shipstruck, he clambered up the side and soon stood on the quarter-deck.
The hope raised among the passengers by the sudden appearance of thegigantic stranger in the midst of them, was quickly dispelled when hetold them how he had failed in the main object of his effort. But itrevived somewhat when they observed the active and energetic way inwhich Bax set about preparations for returning to the shore with a linefrom the ship. His first act was to ask for a blue-light, which after afew minutes was produced. This he set fire to, and, springing into themain rigging, held it aloft, and sent a bright glare for a few minutes,far and wide, over the scene.
The effect of this was twofold. It revealed to the shipwrecked peoplethe dangers by which they were surrounded, and the active efforts thatwere being made by land and water for their deliverance. On shore, theysaw crowds of men and women surrounding an instrument, which Bax, aftergiving vent to a hopeful cheer, explained was a rocket apparatus.Scarcely had they learned this, when Bax shouted and waved his handseaward. On turning their eyes in that direction, they beheld alifeboat bearing down towards them, her white-painted sides gleaminglike the wings of an angel of light in the midst of the dark tempest.
The lifeboat was also seen by the people on shore, and Guy, who at oncerecognised the figure, and the _vigour_, of his friend with theblue-light, lent able assistance to those who managed the rocket.
Dennett's Rocket Apparatus, which was being placed in position on therocks, is an invention by which many human lives are saved on our coastsevery year. Like Manby's Mortar Apparatus, it is simple in its actionand most effective in operation.
The grand difficulty in the case of a wreck near shore is to establish acommunication, by means of a rope, between the wreck and the land; andthis difficulty is, of course, much increased when the wreck occurs offa coast lined with rocks or steep cliffs. To swim off from the shore tothe wreck, or _vice versa_, is, in most cases, an absoluteimpossibility. The rocket apparatus has been devised for the purpose ofovercoming this difficulty. By means of it a light "line" as it iscalled, or rope, the thickness of the point of one's little finger, canbe thrown over a wreck lying at a distance of several hundred yards fromthe beach. This line, when caught, is the means by which many a lifehas been saved from the devouring sea. The _modus operandi_ will beseen in the sequel.
The apparatus consists of five parts; the rocket, the stand, the line,the whip, and the hawser. The rocket is a strong metal cylinder, ofabout eighteen inches in length, and more than two in diameter. Whenabout to be used a long stick is attached to it, and the principle onwhich it acts is precisely similar to that of the small rockets used inour pyrotechnic displays. The stand is a tripod supporting a rest forthe rocket. The line, which is made of the best material, is coiled ina large box in a zig-zag manner
on a number of pegs; these pegs, whenwithdrawn in a mass by removing the bottom of the box to which they areattached, leave the line loose and free to fly out with the utmostrapidity. The end of the line is fastened to the head of the rocket.
Any one who has stood near an ordinary rocket when it was being fired,can form some conception of the force and furor with which this ironmonster springs into the air and dashes out to sea in the teeth of thewildest storm. So tremendous is the gush of fire and smoke, that it hasto be let off by means of a lock, the trigger of which is pulled by aman standing some yards distant with a cord attached to it in his hand.
Before the rocket was quite ready for action, the lifeboat hadapproached the wreck, a hundred yards or so to windward of her. Herethey cast anchor in such a position that by paying out cable they couldveer down towards her slowly and endeavour to range up under her lee.Every different operation the lifeboat had to perform was fraught withextreme danger. The mere being overwhelmed by the furious sea andfilled was comparatively a trifling risk. This it had been twicealready, and, but for the time lost in bailing out, it would have beenmuch earlier on the scene. While paying out cable there was the fear ofthe rope breaking or the anchor dragging; then, on nearing the wreck,there was the risk of being dashed to pieces on the rocks, and aftergetting under her lee, the surging of the waves kept them constantly onthe verge of being hurled against the rigging. The wreck of theforemast, too, which still lay rolling alongside, was a source ofconstant anxiety, and the rolling of the ship itself rendered itprobable that one or both of the remaining masts would give way and fallover the side, in which case the destruction of the boat would be almostinevitable. Add to this the intense darkness, the terrible uproar ofwind and water, and the difficulty of acting effectively in a boat thatpitched and swooped wildly on the broken seas like the plungings of afiery charger,--and some faint idea may be formed of the horrors, aswell as the dangers of the lifeboat service.
Gradually, but surely, the boat dropped nearer and nearer to the doomedship, under the guidance of her able coxswain. As it passed under thestern a cheer burst from the crowd of eager faces that gazed over theside of the "Trident." Yet there were many hearts there that grew faintand chill when they beheld the little white speck that seemed to betheir only hope of rescue in that dark hour. "What hope was there thatsuch a nutshell should save them all?" they thought, perchance, onseeing it approach. They little knew the wonderful vitality of alifeboat!
Just as it passed under the quarter, a sea swept it right up into themizzen-chains. The utmost efforts of the crew to fend off wereunavailing. As the billow rolled on, the boat dropt swiftly, scrapingagainst the ship's side as it fell into the trough of the sea, andescaping an upset almost by a miracle.
"Throw a line aboard!" shouted Bax, who stood on the lee bulwarks, highabove the crowd, holding on by the mizzen-shrouds.
The middy caught up the instrument used for this purpose, and threw aline on board at once. This steadied the boat a little, and, watchingtheir opportunity, they succeeded in lowering three women and a childinto it by means of a bow-line.
In this way, one by one, the females and children were placed in theboat until it was full. Then there was a cry to shove off, and a rushwas made by the more timid and ignorant among the passengers, whothought they were about to be forsaken. Bax had foreseen this. He andseveral of the sailors met and checked the crowd, and before anymischief could be done the boat was away.
It made straight for the shore where hundreds of stout arms were readyto seize it. The midshipman stood on the bow with a rope in his hand.The sea through which they rushed was milk white with foam. To preventthe boat broaching-to and being rolled over on the beach was now themain effort of the coxswain. On they went steadily. A wave broke underthem, carried them on its boiling crest with lightning speed, andlaunched them with a roar like thunder on the shingle. The rope wasthrown before they touched. It was seized and manned; and before theretiring wave could suck them back, the lifeboat with her living freightwas run high upon the beach.
She was soon emptied and relaunched, for there was no time to waste.Many lives were still in danger, and the "Trident" could not be expectedto hold together long.
It was just as the boat quitted the side of the wreck, as abovedescribed, that the rocket was got in readiness to act.
"Stand by to fire," said the coast-guard-man who had been engaged forsome minutes in adjusting it carefully.
"Keep back! clear out o' the road," cried several of the seamen, as theypushed back the more curious among the crowd.
There was a flash, a mighty burst of flame and smoke, as the rockettrembled for an instant on its stand; then, with an impulse that seemedirresistible, and a hissing shriek that rose above the storm, it spranginto the air and described a bright curved line of light against theblack sky.
Its own wild blaze served to show that it had been well aimed, and thatthe line had fallen across the wreck. This was all that could be doneby the people on shore, until those on the wreck had performed theirpart of the work. But while they stood anxiously awaiting the result,they had no cause to fear that the ignorance of those whom they soughtto rescue would render their efforts useless (as has unfortunately beenthe case more than once), for it was known now that Bax was on board.
The ignorance of some seamen as to what should be done with the linewhen it is caught, has been the cause of loss of life several times. Onone occasion five men, the crew of a small vessel, being ignorant onthis point, tied the rocket-line round them and leaped together into thesea! Of course those on shore could do nothing but haul them to land asquickly as possible; when they had done so, all were found to be drownedexcept one.
On the present occasion Bax seized the line as soon as it fell on thewreck and began to haul it in-board. Guy had attached to it a pulley orblock with a stoutish rope rove through it, and soon those on shore hadthe satisfaction of seeing this second and double line (named the"whip"), hauled out by the people on the wreck. After a time it ceasedto run out, and then they knew that Bax had got hold of the pulley, andwould quickly attach it to the ship. This was soon done. Bax fastenedthe pulley to the mainmast, and then caused a lantern to be shown for amoment, to indicate that all was ready.
Still those on shore delayed to act for a minute, in order to make quitesure that ample time had been allowed for the fastening of the pulley.And now the all-important operation of conveying a thick hawser to thewreck was begun. With the tackle already fast to the ship this wascomparatively easy. The _whip_ being rove through a pulley, both endswere kept on shore and fastened together. It thus became a sort ofendless rope, by which things could be passed to the wreck and backagain. Even without any hawser at all, many lives might have been savedby this rope; but, being small, it was liable to get broken, thereforethe end of the thick hawser was sent out and received by Bax, who boundit also securely to the mainmast close to the pulley, about fifteen feetabove the deck.
The reader will understand that two ropes were now fastened to themainmast of the "Trident," their other ends being fixed to a heavyanchor buried in the sand on shore. One of these ropes was the thickhawser, the other the whip; but as this whip was an endless or revolvingrope, as has been explained, to an onlooker it appeared that there were_three_ ropes stretched between the vessel and the shore, two of themthin and one thick.
These preliminary arrangements having been made, much more rapidly thanthe description of them might lead one to suppose, the purpose for whichthey had been fixed soon began to be carried out. Just as the lifeboatarrived with its first cargo of passengers, a large block or pulley wasrun out along the hawser by means of the whip, having attached to it acircular lifebuoy with a canvas bag hanging from it. This was thecontrivance into which one individual at a time was placed and drawnashore. Two holes in the bag allowed the legs of the occupant to hangdown, and as the belt reached almost up to the neck, there was not muchchance of his being tossed out of it. It was in order to
prevent this,however, that Bax had fastened the end of the hawser high on themainmast, so that the travelling bag was raised sufficiently above thewater, except when it neared the shore. Then, indeed, it was frequentlyimmersed in the towering waves, but then, too, it was so near the landthat a few seconds sufficed to draw it beyond the reach of the sea.[See Note 1.]
For two hours did these men of the coast toil in this arduous labour oflove. More than a hundred persons had been saved; but nearly a hundredstill remained on board the wreck.
The storm was now at its height, and the vessel rolled over on her bilgeso violently that the lifeboat was more than once on the point of beingcrushed under her massive sides. On her last trip she came close upunder the quarter as on former occasions, but before any one could betaken off a monstrous wave lifted the hull right over the rocks on whichshe lay, and let her fall with fearful violence on a bed of sand in sucha position that one of her large timbers snapped across with a reportlike a cannon shot.
The lifeboat got entangled in the wreck and could not get clear. Tomake matters worse it grounded on a sandbank that rose close to the sideof the "Trident," and could not be hauled out of the dangerous positionin which it was thus suddenly placed. The top-gallant masts of the shipwere swaying wildly over it, the yards were swinging to and fro,threatening each moment to strike it, and the ragged sails flapped overit with a noise like thunder.
"Haul off! haul off!" shouted Bax, who observed the extreme danger inwhich the boat was placed.
The crew attempted to do so, but for some minutes were unsuccessful. Atlast they got into deep water, but just as this was accomplished themainyard struck it on the side and overturned it in an instant.
Not being constructed on the self-righting principle, the boat remainedkeel up, but the men, buoyed up by their life-jackets, succeeded inclimbing on board the wreck.
A cry of despair arose from those still on board the ill-fated "Trident"when this catastrophe happened. During the next half-hour the rocketapparatus was plied with great success, but although most of the womenand children were saved by it (and by the boat before it was disabled),there were still upwards of fifty men on board the wreck.
"D'you think the ship will hold together long?" said Bax, going aft tothe captain, who clung to the mizzen-shrouds superintending theoperations of the men.
"Not long, I fear," he replied. "If she had been thoroughly repairedbefore starting on this voyage she might have weathered the gale; but,but--"
"But," interposed Mr Clelland,--the dark passenger, who during thewhole of the proceedings which we have narrated had stood calmly besidethe captain looking on--"but Messrs. Denham, Crumps, and Company, beingpenny wise and pound foolish, thought that the ships were strong enoughfor _their_ purpose, both ship and cargo being fully covered byinsurance!"
There was a spice of bitterness in this man's tone and manner whichdispleased Bax. He was about to administer a rebuke to him, when alarger wave than usual lifted the ship up, and let her fall with suchforce that another of her large timbers broke across like a pipe-stem,and the two remaining masts went by the board, sweeping several of thepassengers and crew into the sea along with the wreck of spars andcordage.
Just under the quarter a child fell into the water. It had beenwrenched from its mother's arms by the coil of a flying rope. Themother leaped frantically on the bulwarks, and would have plunged intothe sea had not Bax seized her. At that moment Mr Clelland passed arope round his waist, tied it in that swift and perfect manner peculiarto seamen, and sprang into the sea. He seized the child in his arms.The captain of the "Trident" had caught the rope as Clelland sprang overthe side. Bax assisted him, and in a few minutes both were hauledsafely on board.
"You're better stuff than I gave you credit for," said Bax, as the darkpassenger delivered the child to its mother.
"Indeed!" said Mr Clelland, with a touch of sarcasm in his tone; "Ihope that I may be able to return you the like compliment at a morefitting season. At present there is other work for us to do. Come,lads, we must try to right the lifeboat, who will help me?"
Mr Clelland sprang into the sea as he spoke and swam towards the boat,which still lay under the lee of the wreck with its keel uppermost. Baxfollowed instantly, and so did nearly the whole crew of the boat. Theselatter, having on their cork-jackets, ran comparatively little risk ofdrowning, but they, as well as Bax and Clelland, were in danger of beingdisabled by the rolling spars that surrounded them. With greatdifficulty they succeeded in turning the boat over, but, as it wasnearly full of water, much valuable time was wasted before it could bebaled out sufficiently to render it once more serviceable. When thiswas accomplished they hauled clear of the wreck, intending to veer roundtowards the stern, where they could approach the ship with greatersafety.
The remaining passengers seeing this, rushed upon the poop. At thatmoment the ship was lifted up, and hurled with such violence on a sunkenrock that her back was broken; the sea dashed against her side,separating the poop from the fore part of the vessel, and turning itcompletely over, so that every soul on board was plunged suddenly intothe sea.
A wild shriek of despair rose high above the howling of the storm, andmost of the weaker among the passengers sank in the raging sea to riseno more. But the lifeboat was now in a condition to render effectualaid to those who were strong enough to struggle a few minutes for theirlives, or to cling to broken portions of the wreck. She was soon asfull as she could hold, and Bax, seizing the bow oar, forced her headround towards the shore. The coxswain sprang to the helm; "Give way,lads," was shouted, and in a few seconds the boat was once againcareering towards the shore on the crest of a towering billow. She tookthe beach in safety.
"Now, then, shove off again," cried Bax, when the last of the passengerswas assisted out of her.
"Stop!" cried a coast-guard-man, "some of the men are too much knockedup to go off again."
This was evident, for when the lanterns were held up to the faces of thebrave fellows it was seen that several of the less robust among themwere deadly pale from sheer exhaustion and fatigue. They indignantlyprotested, however, that they were still "game for another bout"; butthe coxswain firmly, though kindly, insisted that the cork belts shouldbe taken off two or three of them and given to the stoutest of at leasta dozen volunteers who eagerly stepped forward.
The boat was then relaunched, and after a careful search, and anothersharp struggle with the angry sea, returned with six saved men and awoman, besides several apparently dead bodies, which were instantlyremoved to a neighbouring cottage, to be treated according to the ruleslaid down by the Royal Humane Society for the recovery of those who areapparently drowned. [See Note 2.]
After the back of the ship was broken, and the wreck overwhelmed, therocket apparatus of course became useless, as the mast to which theropes were attached broke off close to the deck, and the ropesthemselves became so entangled with the wreck as to be unmanageable; butbefore this catastrophe occurred good service had been done, for nofewer than sixty of the passengers of the ill-fated "Trident" had beensaved by this means alone. The lifeboat had been the means of savingone hundred and twenty lives; and fifteen men, who succeeded in swimmingto the beach, were rescued with the utmost difficulty by the people onshore.
Among these last was the captain, who, with that heroic self-devotionwhich seems to be a common characteristic of British seamen, had made uphis mind to be the last man to quit the ship. This intention wasfrustrated by the breaking up of the vessel. In the confusion he wasswept beyond the reach of the lifeboat, and gained the beach he scarceknew how. Here he was launched on the shingle by a billow, and washedhigh up on the beach. He grasped the loose pebbles with the energy ofdespair, but the cataract of white water that rushed back as the waveretired, swept him with irresistible force into the sea. Again thishappened and as he dug his fingers into the moving gravel, and felt howhopeless was his case, a cry of anguish burst from him.
The cry was heard by Guy Foster, who, wi
th a rope round his waist, hadbeen for the last half-hour engaged in rescuing men and women from thefatal grasp of these retiring waves.
"This way, lads, fetch the lantern, look alive!" he shouted, and sprangtowards the part of the shore whence the cry had proceeded, followed bya crowd of seamen who had assisted him by holding the rope.
Guy was much exhausted. Six times already had he plunged into theboiling surf and been dragged out with a fellow-creature in his arms.He had removed the loop of the rope for a few minutes, and now held itin his hand as he ran along the beach looking anxiously at the surf.
Once again the captain was hurled on the beach, but in so exhausted acondition that he could make no effort to save himself. He rolled sonear to Guy's feet that the latter dropped the rope in his haste as heleaped towards the drowning man. He caught him round the waist just asthe broken billow began to rush back. For one moment Guy stood firm,but as the retiring water gathered force his limbs quivered, the gravelrolled from beneath his feet, and he was swept off his legs!
Before he was engulfed in the surf, and almost before the cry of alarmhad burst from his companions on the beach, a boy flung the loop of therope over his shoulders, plunged headlong into the sea, and, catchingGuy round the neck with both arms, held to him like a vice. It wasTommy Bogey! The men hauled gently on the rope at first, fearing totear the little fellow from his grasp, but they need not have been socareful. Tommy's grip was an uncommonly firm one. In half a minute thethree were pulled beyond the reach of the waves--the captain stillbreathing, Guy able to walk, though much exhausted, and Tommy Bogey nonethe worse for his heroic and successful exertions.
This was the last incident worthy of note that occurred. Of the twohundred and fifty souls who had rejoiced that night in the prospect of asafe and speedy termination to their long voyage, fifty-five weredrowned and one hundred and ninety-five were saved. Of these last thefifteen men who swam ashore would have been the sole survivors, in allhuman probability, if there had been no lifeboat or rocket apparatus onthe coast.
For the service thus rendered, each man who risked his life that nightin the lifeboat received 2 pounds from the Royal Lifeboat Institution.Others who had assisted in saving life on the beach received rewardsproportioned to their services, and Bax, Guy, and Tommy Bogey were eachawarded the gold medal of the Society for the distinguished gallantrydisplayed, and the great risks voluntarily encountered by them on thisoccasion. It was suggested that Denham, Crumps, and Company should givesomething to the men of the lifeboat in acknowledgment of theirservices, but Denham, Crumps, and Company did not act on the suggestion!
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Note 1. In order to give those of our readers who happen to beinterested in this subject a better idea of the manner of using theRocket apparatus, we subjoin the Instructions given by the Board ofTrade to masters and seamen in regard to it:--
In the event of your vessel stranding within a short distance of theUnited Kingdom, and the lives of the crew being placed in danger,assistance will, if possible, be rendered from the shore in thefollowing manner, namely:
1. A rocket or shot with a thin line attached will be fired across yourvessel. Get hold of this line as soon as you can, and when you havesecured it let one of the crew be separated from the rest, and, if inthe daytime, wave his hat or his hand, or a flag or handkerchief; or ifat night let a rocket, a blue light, or a gun be fired, or let a lightbe shown over the side of the ship, and be again concealed, as a signalto those on shore.
2. When you see one of the men on shore, separated from the rest, wavea red flag, or (if at night) show a red light and then conceal it, youare to haul upon the rocket line until you get a tailed block with anendless fall rove through it.
3. Make the tail of the block fast to the mast about 15 feet above thedeck, or if your masts are gone, to the _highest secure_ part of thevessel; and when the tail block is made fast, and the rocket line unbentfrom the whip, let one of the crew, separated from the rest, make thesignal required by Article 1 above.
4. As soon as the signal is seen on shore a hawser will be bent to thewhip line, and will be hauled off to the ship by those on shore.
5. When the hawser is got on board, the crew should at once make itfast to the same part of the ship as the tailed block is made fast to,only about 18 inches _higher_, taking care that there are no turns ofthe whip line round the hawser.
6. When the hawser has been made fast on board, the signal directed byArticle 1 above is to be repeated.
7. The men on shore will then pull the hawser taut, and by means of thewhip line will haul off to the ship a sling life-buoy fitted withpetticoat breeches. The person to be hauled ashore is to get into thissling, thrusting his legs through the breeches, and resting his armpitson the lifebuoy. When he is in and secure, one of the crew must beseparated from the rest, and again signal to the shore as directed inArticle I above. The people on shore will then haul the person in thesling to the shore, and when he has landed will haul back the emptysling to the ship for others. This operation will be repeated to andfro until all persons are hauled ashore from the wrecked vessel.
8. It may sometimes happen that the state of the weather and thecondition of the ship will not admit of the hawser being set up, inwhich case the sling will be hauled off instead, and the persons to berescued will be hauled in it through the surf instead of along thehawser.
Masters and crews of wrecked vessels should bear in mind that thesuccess in landing them may in a great measure DEPEND UPON THEIRCOOLNESS AND ATTENTION TO THE RULES HERE LAID DOWN; and that byattending to them many lives are annually saved by the Mortar and RocketApparatus on the coasts of the United Kingdom.
The system of signalling must be strictly adhered to; and all women,children, passengers, and helpless persons should be landed before thecrew of the ship.--BOARD OF TRADE, 22nd _December_ 1859.
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Note 2. It is of immense importance that every man in the kingdomshould possess some degree of knowledge on the subject of therestoration of persons apparently drowned, for no one can tell at whatmoment he may be called upon, in the absence of medical aid, to act in acase of this nature. We therefore make no apology for here giving infull the rules which have been adopted by the National LifeboatInstitution. They run as follows:
I. Send immediately for medical assistance, blankets, and dry clothing,but proceed to treat the patient _instantly_ on the spot, in the openair, with the _face downwards_, whether on shore or afloat; exposing theface, neck, and chest to the wind, except in severe weather, andremoving all tight clothing from the neck and chest, especially thebraces.
The points to be aimed at are--first and _immediately_, the RESTORATIONOF BREATHING; and secondly, _after_ breathing is restored, the PROMOTIONOF WARMTH AND CIRCULATION.
The efforts to _restore breathing_ must be commenced immediately andenergetically, and persevered in for one or two hours, or until amedical man has pronounced that life is extinct. Efforts to promote_warmth_ and _circulation_ beyond removing the wet clothes and dryingthe skin must _not_ be made _until_ the first appearance of naturalbreathing. For if circulation of the blood be induced before breathinghas recommenced, the restoration to life will be endangered.
II. TO RESTORE BREATHING.
TO CLEAR THE THROAT.--Place the patient on the floor or ground with theface _downwards_, and one of the arms under the forehead, in whichposition all fluids will more readily escape by the mouth, and thetongue itself will fall forward, leaving the entrance into the windpipefree. Assist this operation by wiping and cleansing the mouth.
If satisfactory breathing commences, use the treatment described belowto promote warmth. If there be only slight breathing, or no breathing,or if the breathing fail, then:--
TO EXCITE BREATHING--Turn the patient well and instantly on the side,supporting the head, and excite the nostrils with snuf
f, hartshorn, andsmelling salts or tickle the throat with a feather, etcetera, if theyare at hand. Rub the chest and face warm, and dash cold water, or coldand hot water alternately, on them.
If there be no success, lose not a moment, but instantly:--
TO IMITATE BREATHING--Replace the patient on the face, raising andsupporting the chest well on a folded coat or other article of dress.
Turn the body very gently on the side and a little beyond, and thenbriskly on the face, back again; repeating these measures cautiously,efficiently, and perseveringly about fifteen times in the minute, oronce every four or five seconds, occasionally varying the side.
[_By placing the patient on the chest the weight of the body forces theair out; when turned on the side this pressure is removed, and airenters the chest_.]
On each occasion that the body is replaced on the face make uniform butefficient pressure with brisk movement, on the back between and belowthe shoulder-blades or bones on each side, removing the pressureimmediately before turning the body on the side. During the whole ofthe operations let one person attend solely to the movements of thehead, and of the arm placed under it.
[_The first measure increases the expiration, the second commencesinspiration_.]
The result is _respiration_ or _natural breathing_, and, if not toolate, _life_.
Whilst the above operations are being proceeded with, dry the hands andfeet; and as soon as dry clothing or blankets can be procured, strip thebody and cover, or gradually re-clothe it, but taking care not tointerfere with the efforts to restore breathing.
III. Should these efforts not prove successful in the course of fromtwo to five minutes, proceed to imitate breathing by Dr Silvester'smethod, as follows:--
Place the patient on the _back_ on a flat surface, inclined a littleupwards from the feet; raise and support the head and shoulders on asmall firm cushion or folded article of dress placed under theshoulder-blades.
Draw forward the patient's tongue, and keep it projecting beyond thelips; an elastic band over the tongue and under the chin will answerthis purpose, or a piece of string or tape may be tied round them, or byraising the lower jaw the teeth may be made to retain the tongue in thatposition. Remove all tight clothing from about the neck and chest,especially the braces.
TO IMITATE THE MOVEMENTS OF BREATHING.--Standing at the patient's head,grasp the arms just above the elbows, and draw the arms gently andsteadily upwards above the head, and _keep them stretched_ upwards fortwo seconds. (_By this means air is drawn into the lungs_.) Then turndown the patient's arms, and press them gently and firmly for twoseconds against the sides of the chest. (_By this means air is pressedout of the lungs_.)
Repeat these measures alternately, deliberately, and perseveringly aboutfifteen times in a minute, _until a spontaneous effort to respire isperceived_, immediately upon which cease to imitate the movements ofbreathing, and proceed to INDUCE CIRCULATION AND WARMTH.
IV. TREATMENT AFTER NATURAL BREATHING HAS BEEN RESTORED--TO PROMOTEWARMTH AND CIRCULATION.
Commence rubbing the limbs upwards, with firm grasping pressure andenergy, using handkerchiefs, flannels, etcetera: [_by this measure theblood is propelled along the veins towards the heart_.]
The friction must be continued under the blanket or over the dryclothing.
Promote the warmth of the body by the application of hot flannels,bottles or bladders of hot water, heated bricks, etcetera, to the pit ofthe stomach, the arm-pits, between the thighs, and to the soles of thefeet.
If the patient has been carried to a house after respiration has beenrestored, be careful to let the air play freely about the room.
On the restoration of life a teaspoonful of water warm should be given;and then, if the power of swallowing have returned, small quantities ofwine, warm brandy and water, or coffee, should be administered. Thepatient should be kept in bed, and a disposition to sleep encouraged.
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.
The above treatment should be persevered in for some hours, as it is anerroneous opinion that persons are irrecoverable because life does notsoon make its appearance, persons having been restored after perseveringfor many hours.
APPEARANCES WHICH GENERALLY ACCOMPANY DEATH.--Breathing and the heart'saction cease entirely, the eyelids are generally half-closed, the pupilsdilated, the jaws clenched, the fingers semi-contracted; the tongueapproaches to the under edges of the lips, and these, as well as thenostrils, are covered with a frothy mucus. Coldness and pallor ofsurface increase.
CAUTIONS.--Prevent unnecessary crowding of persons round the body,especially if in an apartment.
Avoid rough usage, and do not allow the body to remain on the backunless the tongue is secured.
_Under no circumstances_ hold the body up by the feet.
_On no account_ place the body in a warm bath, unless under medicaldirection, and even then it should only be employed as a momentaryexcitement.
The Lifeboat Page 13
