LIFEBOAT BRIGADE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19140, 25 October 1927, Page 5

LIFEBOAT BRIGADE.

I A VOLUNTARY ORGANISAI TION. ! MANY RESCUES RECORDED. • Contributed by .Mr 11. J. Marrnicr.) Before, tlic Lyttelton tunnel V :as pierced and ihe niihviiy provided mean, o; transport ;ind «. (jtiiui iiLiitf.t i. in between Christchurrh and its port, ; , largo qiKintity ui the heavier for (.'liri.itclmrcli was i riiu.-hippc.l int.. scows and taken over the Sumner |,;ir ii.> the lieatheotc river to the old wharf, and then- car ted into Christchurch. Lifeboat Service, It was necessary, owing to the dangcroas bar, to have a pilot, and in Sep torn her, 1*67. Mr J. "Day was appointed by the then Superintendent of Canterbury, Mr Uealev. About the year 1391 the Harbour Board instituted a iifoiioat .service with Pilot Day as captain. A whalebout was seuc for the; purpose, and was Loused on the. west side of the Cave Rock. J hie i>: the first rescues recorded was that ..;!• the Water Lily and her crew of live. A more up-to-date boat w,;.s found U> be necessary and particulars were sent by the Harbour Board to Messrs. White f..nci '."•.>., Ce.v-.'S Isio oc Wiglu. On August i.Dtii, 1398, the "present boat, The Rescue, was launched. Ti; is built of teak, double-ended to allow it to be worked in :•. restricted area ii' necessary, is ;iboiil 'Jo foot in length, has roiir oars, and has water-tight compartments, but is not self-emptying. The Rescue wr:s housed on the pier and is still in good condition. From 1808 tii! the present date, about 380 lives k:i\o been saved, thus move thai; -juiCiiying the service. Successive Captains. Co.pt. Day was In charge hi] 1013 ivhen, owing to J'ailintr health, he w;n reluctantiy obliged to resign. Mr •'. Hine.s .succeeded him but to his healtli bc-int; unpaired through .:er\ire in the motor boat patrol during the wor. lie had t« resign, ami his brother. Mr G. Hines, was appointed and still holds t!:■■.• •xisitioi! of captain. The Aid Launched. Ovvin-.: In the often dangerous state j of the bar, and consequent difficulty in j negotiating it. it was though advisable to have a smaller boat at the Scarborough end, and in February, 1919, the Aid was launched. Borough Council lakes Over. In order to bring the lifeboats and crew under the jurisdiction of the Harbour Board for insurance, the crew received a nominal fee each year. Tho captain also had to attend to any shipping over the bar, and was a paid official of the Board. In 1914 the foreshores were made over to Sumner and New Brighton, and the Board closed the signal station. This created much discussion at the time, and the Sumner Borough Council ovcntually took over the assets and liabilities, and the lifeboat brigade became, and .still remains, a voluntary institution. The Sumner and other Ixiroush councils, the City Council, and the Harbour Board voluntarily contribute towards the equipment,' while several private vieople also have shown their interest by contributing.

Conduct of the Brigade,

The crew of fourteen members nets as a committee, appointing its ehairman, honorary secretary, ami treasurer, and regulates the organising of the brigade. No member receives any remuneration. In the event of a.i accident, a jiowert'ul clectrie syren. lately installed, is .sounded If from various causes a sufficient number of tlio crew docs not arrive in time, the senior member present takes charge ami calls for volunteers, as time is of the highest importance. Practices are hold regularly ami otcry member of the crew is taught to handle the boat, to take the twenty fcefc steering oar, and to watch the peculiarities of the tides and rips so that in case of emergency they m<iy be leady and confident. The wisdom 01 this "was demonstrated recently when enlv the -'ml olliccr and the junior meiiiber of the crew were in time to get away to the rescue of a motnrboat. and had to call for voluntary assistance, which was readily given, ; MU } carried through with ranch credit. The case was urgent and delay might have meant loss of life.

War Service. Nine member., of tlio ctcw .served cluriim the (ireat War—.Messrs ]■'. P. llibell' and C. P. Hibell, and Lieut. T.itvie making th-j supreme saeiifite. Lieut. J. S. Hines and Lieut. C. 1. Dcnhiim did meritorious work - in the motor patrol in the Knglisli Clianncl. -Mr Arthur Kerr volunteered with the Xain. and remained in service throughout the war. beinu: one of the last to return. Messrs V. Lindross, A. 0. Wood, and A. F. 1 Lines also served their country during the war.

A Treacherous Bar. The Sumner hnr is very treacherous owing to the cross currents and rocks, f.iul every care is taken during work—the crew going out prepared for any emergency. The bar is sometimes smooth, but it is no .guarantee that it is safe, as many years ago Pilot Day with a crew of five was crossing an apparently smoot! bar when, without any warning, a lingo blind roller suddenly struck the boat and turned it over and four of the crew were drowned. Humorous incidents. There have been many other serious adventures, but even in lifeboat work there are humorous happenings. For example: When a new hand during practice is given' the steering oar, and not gripping it with sullicient strength, iinds himself hoisted overboard by it. A few months ago. the coxswain was -.teering through heavy v.iter on the spit when, without warning, a wa-ve struck the oar. swung i_t .ound ana the coxswain holding dy one hand t) the oar. was hanging suspended a lew feet over the sea. Before bis ji'.vf'icainent was realised, another wave i'mni the opposite directum '-aught the oar. and he was shot inio iho head of the bat. Fortunately he was unhurt.

The Sea Anchor. Captain Y*ris<, vliu sailed round the world in his ;'.C)h yawl, visited Sumner and yave a demonstration on the '"»:»r with n son anchor, which resembled a glorified jolly Imp:, which drags behind the hoat ni.ui it from bnmejiing. and is :i very useful and safe device for controlling the boat ie heavy seas. Optniii Vo.ss vcrv kiiullv «n\c th brigade instruction in foing the sou anchor.

Recent Improvements. The Government lias recently renovated the lifeboat shed and built a :■■■■•'■' slip-way for lami'diing. The Ueseiie, .vhieh enables the crew to liot ;;w\iy more quickly; it is also safer than formerly. The brigade much appreciate this assistance. Though The Rescue has stood the wear and tear of nearly thirty years' service wonderfully well, it is beginning to show the effect of its work a little, and not being self-emptying is liable to fill , and become unmanageable. The brigade is now considering ways und means of procuring a more up-to-date boat to meet future rcijmrpmetits. Finns and specifications ■".re being prepared and when it is made possible to replace The Rescue on the ,'icr, it will be transferred for further service to tlie Scarborough cod. '.'.here a more ?ei"» iceable boat is rcallv needed.

Personnel of tlio Crews. The ■.xisiinc; iveords <n ihe i oinmittee '!n 'vi 1 : aive the I'-'.'ii •- ui' the crew in ISOI, !)ilt the crow -■' The •u.'M-'iu '.hen -it? \'.a> :.":nehoi' ;• l'-'' a <Mr..-i<te..i of: Pilot J. Dav W. i!u:e<. Mnhley Monek. I ;:n.. Mark !I;:'C-. r.ml Win. Thntna..-. The 1\)27 -lew -on>Ms of C-'eerr.e Hincs (captain), ('. I. Donha'-i. J'. Kerr. F. j.iu:lr..ss 11. J. Mnriviv.-, ■'. Nicholson, P. liarher, C. Alh".i. ('. V.". Bowman, K. Allen. If. Meiriu. C Ogier, C. 1 lines. 11. Oilier, A. Kerr.