AT the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, held at Willis's Booms, King Street, St. James's Square, on Tuesday, the 18th day of March 1879, his Grace the DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND, Lord Privy Seal, President of the Institution, in the Chair, the following Report of the Committee was read by the Secretary:— ANNUAL REPORT.

THE Committee of Management of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, in fulfilment of their duty to its supporters and to the British Public, for whose sympathy and co-operation they plead, have once more the satisfaction to render an account of their stewardship.

In so doing they entertain the hope that their transactions during the past twelve months may be found to merit the same confidence and approval which for a long series of years has been to them a source of pride and encourage- ment.

Those transactions may be summarised, under the usual heads, as follows :— Life-boats.—Since the last Annual report ten new Life-boats have been placed on the coast, three of them to new Stations and seven to replace old or inefficient boats.

The following are the Stations to which they have been sent:—• ENGLAND.

Hartlepool.

Donna Nook.

Dover.

Dartmouth.

DURHAM . .

LINCOLNSHIRE KENT . . .

DEVONSHIRE .

SCOTLAND Gourdon.

Kirkcudbright.

KIXCARDIXESHIRE KIRKCUDBRIGHT .

IRELAND.

DUBLIN . . . •. Kingstown.

WEXFORD . . . Cahore.

„ ... Wexford (No. 2).

KERRY .... Tralee Bay.

Although, it will be thus Been that the Institution is not now called on to esta- blish many new Life-boat Stations on the coast, yet it must be remembered that it has to maintain its large fleet of Boats, now numbering no less than 268, in a state of perfect efficiency, and that from time to time the earlier of those Boats, and others which may have received serious injury, require to be replaced by new ones; and that the Society has, therefore, the same need as heretofore of the kind and generous support afforded to it.

During the year 1878 the Life-boats of the Institution rescued 471 persons from wrecked or endangered vessels, nearly the whole of them under perilous circum- stances, when ordinary boats could not with safety have been employed.

LIFE-BOAT JOURNAL.—YOL. X.—No. 112.

2 E 436 ANNUAL KEPOKT.

[MAY 1, 1879.

The Committee are happily able to report that these invaluable services have been performed without the loss of a single life, or an accident to any of the Boats em- ployed. For such immunity they cannot feel too thankful, when the magnitude of the risk incurred, especially during the numerous stormy night services, is taken into consideration.

Shipwrecks.—Notwithstanding the fact that the shipping interests of this country increase every year, the number of ship- wrecks was less last year than it had been previously for a long period. The NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION has always contended that in proportion as our sailors improve in education, care, and thrift, the number of shipping disasters at home and abroad would diminish.

It is, nevertheless, a sad reflection that the actual loss of life last year on the coasts and in the seas of the British Isles has been unusually heavy. It is only necessary to refer to the 366 persons who perished from H.M.S. Eurydice, 284 from the German ironclad'Grosser Kurfiirst, and to the 600 from the steamer Princess Alice, in the. river Thames. It is consolatory, however, to know that so far as the operations of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION were concerned, they have been attended with more than usual suc- cess. Thus, as we have already men- tioned, not a single life has been lost from its 268 Life-boats during the past twelve months; notwithstanding the fact that on service and quarterly exercise its Life- saving Fleet was manned by about 12,000 persons.

The services of its Life-boats during each month of the year were as follows: — 1878. Number of Life- boat Launches. Vessels Saved. Lives Saved. 34 1 59 7 18 33 4 73 11 1 68 15 1 18 June, July, arid August September .... 13 20 23 2 2 22 64 20 November ....

December .... 40 11 6 103 26 Total .... 207 17 471 It must always occur that the launches of Life-boats unattended with positive results must, during storms, be very numerous; and last year formed no ex- ception. At such times, however, Life- boatmen have no time for hesitation; for the signal of distress always means urgency, and very often, in the absence of the Life-boats, death to those on board the distressed ship.

In addition to these Life-boat services, 145 lives were saved from shipwreck by shore-boats and other means, whose crews were rewarded by the Institution.

It is also gratifying to mention that hundreds of lives are saved every year by medns of the Eocket Apparatus, belong- ing to the BOARD OF TEADB, and worked so efficiently by the Coastguard and the Eocket Volunteer Brigades.

The number of lives saved during the fifty-five years from the establish- ment of the Institution, to the end of the year 1878, either by its Life-boats or by special exertions for which it has granted rewards, is 26,051, as shown in the annexed table.

In the Year 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 i. of Lives Saved.

124 218 175 163 301 463 372 287 310 449 214 364 .of Lives Saved.

225 272 456 279 353 128 276 236 193 235 134 157 In the No.

Year 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 In the No.

Year 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 In the No.

Year 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 of Lives 123 209 470 230 773 678 355 406 473 374 427 499 In the No. of Lives Year 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 Saved.

455 424 574 714 698 714 921 1,086 862 1,231 784 882 No. of Lives Saved.

739 668 713 921 600 1,048 616 Total 26,051 MAT 1,1879.] ANNUAL EEPOKT.

437 The amount of happiness thus brought home to so many thousands of persons can, of course, only be adequately appre- ciated by the saved themselves; but their families and the public at large are also fully sensible of the great importance of the national services of the Life-boat Institution; and it must ever be a source of satisfaction to all its coadjutors on the coast and its numerous supporters to feel that they have helped to bring about a result which, as far as Life-boat services are concerned, is without a parallel in the history of the saving of life from shipwreck.

Rewards.—In the Appendix a summary is given of the cases where honorary and other rewards have been voted. During the past year 2 Silver Medals, 9 Votes of Thanks inscribed on vellum, and 2750Z.

have been granted for saving the lives of 616 persons by Life-boats, shore and fishing boats, and by other means, on the coasts and outlying sandbanks of the United Kingdom.

The Committee continue to devote much time and consideration to the in- vestigation and granting of these rewards.

Thus each case is minutely inquired into, in the first instance, through the valu- able co-operation of the Officers of Coast- guard and Customs, the local Com- mittees of the several Branches, or other responsible persons; and afterwards they are in succession thoroughly con- sidered by the preparatory Committee, previous to their being sanctioned by the General Committee at their monthly meetings.

The thanks of the Institution are due to the Admiral Superintendent of Naval Ee- serves, and the Officers and men of the Coastguard Service, for their continued valuable co-operation.

Since the establishment of the Insti- tution, it has expended on Life-boat Sta- tions, and other means for saving life from shipwreck, on the coasts of the United Kingdom, upwards of 480,000?., and has voted 92 Gold Medals, 892 Silver Medals, and 57,710?. in pecuniary rewards for saving life from shipwreck.

Barometers.—The Committee have the satisfaction to state that the one hundred and four barometers which they have placed at Life-boat Stations and elsewhere continue to be thoroughly appreciated by the boatmen and fishermen. The daily indications of each instrument are care- fully chronicled ; and thus fishermen and others are, as far as possible, warned of the approach of a coming storm, which, in the absence of the barometer, they might have had to encounter far at sea.

Local Committees. — The Committee again tender their best acknowledgments for the valuable and earnest co-operation afforded them by the Local Branch Com- mittees, and their Honorary Secretaries, which constitute so important a part of the work and supervision of the In- stitution's numerous Life-boat Establish- ments, and the collection of funds for their support.

Finances.—The donations, subscriptions, and dividends during the year 1878 have been 34,493?. 3s. 5d., of which sum 4580?. were special gifts to defray the cost of the following eight Life-boats:— £. s. d.

Cadgwith—Joseph Armstrong Life- boat Memorial Fund .... 550 0 0 Cahore—The Misses"Brooke, per John Richardson, Esq., Q.C 600 0 0 Cemaes—Loyal Order of Ancient Shepherds, A.U 200 0 0 Hartlepool, No. 3 —Miss Sarah Bar- low 600 0 0 Rhyl, No. 2—D 750 0 0 Wexford, No. 2—Civil Service Life- boat Fund 480 0 0 Friends at Manchester . 800 0 0 Samuel Bird, Esq. ... 600 0 0 The Committee have also thegratification to acknowledge the receipt, since the last _____ 438 ANNUAL EEPOET.

[MAY 1, 1879.

Keport, of the following other special contributions:— £. s. d.

HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN (animal subscription) 50 0 0 Alsatia, s.s., collected on board, per Messrs. Henderson Brothers . 622 Armstrong, Thomas, Esq., Ore, near Hastings, Executors of the late . 200 0 0 " A Thank-offering from F. R. A." . 100 0 0 Bristol Histrionic Club, in aid of the support of their Life-boat at Lossie- mouth, N.B 50 0 0 Burnley, Lancashire, St. James's Schools, contents of contribution box at, per Mr. C. Everson, addi- tional 4 12 0 Clapton Debating Society, per Thomas Carpenter, Esq G 18 6 Covent Garden Life-boat Fund, Stewards of the, per Mr. J. Webber, additional 157 10 0 Haverstock Hill Congregational Sunday School, Maitland Park, col- lected at the, per Mr. W. H. E.

Bennett, additional ..... 2 17 3 Jumna, H.M.S., contribution from the Canteen Fund of, per Lieut.

M. L. Kelham, R.N 500 Maidstone, H.M. Prison, moiety of offertory at, per Rev. A. H. Harri- son, additional 100 Newport (Mon.) Histrionic Club, pro- ceeds of ninth annual entertain- ment, per G. M. Humphries, Esq., additional 23 13 0 Railway Clearing House, contents of contribution box at the, per H.

Turner, Esq., additional ... 5 10 0 " W.," anonymous 100 0 0 Weston-super-Mare, moiety of collec- tions in St. John's and Trinity Churches, in November, per Capt.

R.D.Crawford 29 15 8 LEGACIES IN 1878-9.

£. «. d.

Armstrong, Mrs. Hannah, Skerton, Lancaster ........ 19 19 0 Atkinson, Miss Alice, Giggleswick, York 19 19 0 Back, Admiral Sir George, F.R.S. . 100 0 0 Ditto, to be invested in Government Stock and the interest to be applied in providing annually a substantial dinner for the crew of the Rams- gate Life-boat 200 0 0 Baker, Mrs. C. H., Acton . . . 19 19 0 Ball, James, Esq., Reading . . 50 0 0 Barnicot, Richard, Esq., Dorking 200 0 0 Batho, J. A. Esq., Brighton . . 100 0 0 Burrell, Miss F. A., Durham . . 100 0 0 Fisher, Edward, Esq., Ashby-de-la- Zouch 100 0 0 Foxton, Mrs. C. D., Pendlebury, near Manchester 1,000 0 0 Hoyle, Duncan, Esq., Orme Square, Bayswater 1,000 0 0 Jones, Edward, Esq., Port Hope, Ontario, Canada 3,000 dels.

Kendall, William, Esq., Exeter . . 1,000 0 0 Lupton, Miss Mary, Broughton, Sal- ford 100 0 0 £.

50 1,000 500 s. d.

0 0 0 0 0 0 Maltby, Miss Jane, Southwell . .

Mason, Miss E., Necton ....

Ovey, Miss Jane, Henley-on-Thames Partridge, Mr. Charles, of Shelly, Suffolk. (An annual contribution of 2Z., to be paid during the lives of his brother and sister.) 30 0 0 Paton, William, Esq., Greenock . .

500 20 100 10 600 1,000 50 5 100 500 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Popham, Mrs., Ardchattan, Argyle- shire Puekle, Miss Caroline, Cambcrwell .

Shaw, James, Esq., Brighton . .

Snagg, Sir William, Georgetown, Demerara Sykes, Mrs. A. E., Butharlyp How, Grasmere Thomas, Miss Louisa, Bowdon, Chester Thompson, Miss Sarah, Manghold, Isle of Man Tinkler, Mrs. Elizabeth, Brixton Trowel], William, Esq., Fletton, Hun- tingdon West, Richard Thornton, Esq., Exeter There were expended during the past year 10,879?. 11s. lid. on additional Life- boats, Transporting Carriages, Boat-houses, and necessary gear; 13,459?. 14s. 8d.

in repairs, painting, refitting, &c.; 8151?. 12s. Od. in rewards for services to shipwrecked crews, coxswains'salaries, and quarterly practice of the Life-boats' crews; and 2030?. Is. lOd. on the new Life-boat store-yard of the Institution at Poplar: making altogether—including liabilities on Life-boat Houses now in course of con- struction, and other expenses—a total of 40,406?. 14s. 3d. against receipts amount- ing to 34,493?. 3s. 5d.

The Committee have the satisfaction to state that they have received in full the amount—2500?.—being the balance due to the Institution from the estate of the late firm of Messrs. WILLIS, PEBCIVAL, and Co.

The items of receipt and expenditure are fully detailed in the financial state- ment, which has been audited as usual by Mr. LOVELOCK, public accountant.

The Committee, deeply sensible, as years roll round, of the increasing import- ance of their duties, and encouraged by the sympathy and generous support which they have hitherto received, are animated afresh in laying the claims of the Institution before the British Public..