IN the report which has been recently issued by the General Superintendent of the Life-saving Service, for the fiscal year ended 30th June 1884, it is stated that there were then 201 Life-Saving Stations under their management, 156 being on the Atlantic, 37 on the Lakes, 7 on the Pacific, and one at the Falls of the Ohio, Louisville, Ky. There were 156 disasters in the course of the year to documented vessels within the field of station opera- tions. There were 4,253 persons on board these vessels, of whom 4,237 were saved, and only 16 lost. The number of vessels totally lost was 64. In addition, there were 102 disasters to smaller craft, such as sail-boats, row-boats, &c., on which were 179 persons, 175 of whom were saved and 4 lost.

The result of all the disasters within the scope of the service during the year is as follows: Total number of disasters 439; total value of property involved $10,607,940; total value of property saved, $9,161,354; total value of pro- perty lost, $1,446,586; total number of persons involved, 4,432; total number of persons saved, 4,412; total number of persons lost, 20 ; total number of ship- wrecked persons succoured at stations, 532; total number of days' succour afforded, 1,319.

In addition to those saved from vessels, there were 21 persons rescued who had fallen from wharves, &c. The number of disasters during the year exceed by 23 the number of disasters of the year pre- ceding, which was 71 more than that of any previous year in the history of the service.

It is recorded in 240 instances in which vessels were running into danger of stranding, that they were warned off by the night signals of the patrols attached to the Life-saving Service; most of those ships were tins in all probability saved from partial or total destruction.

In the year's operations there were landed by the surf-boats belonging to the United States Life-saving Service, 472 persons ; by the Life-boats, 272 ; by the small boats, 77; by the river life-skiffs, 48; and by the breeches-buoy, 158. A boat- swain's chair was used in landing thirty wreckers, who had gone on board a wreck with a view to getting her afloat. Twelve persons were assisted to land by means of a line which was held by a surfman on patrol. Two persons attempting to land in a dory were helped ashore by a surfman wading into the surf, while others held fast to lines attached to their bodies. Four were saved by means of a heaving line and a hawser, the rescued men sliding down the hawser over the side of the vessel, while two surfmen with lines around their bodies held by their comrades on shore, received them as they struck the water and aided them in landing. Eight persons were rescued by heaving lines being attached to their bodies, the surf- men on shore drawing in the lines, while others waded out and brought them through the surf; and one was rescued from a capsized boat by a surfman jumping into the water and assisting him to land.

As previously mentioned, 21 persons were taken in various ways from the water into which they had fallen from wharves, piers, &c.

During the thirteen years which have elapsed since the date of the introduction of the present life-saving system there have been recorded 2,547 disasters to vessels on the shores of the United States, resulting in the loss of 446 lives, and property of the value of $14,230,968— while, happily, no less than 22,771 per- sons were saved from endangered vessels.

Five new Life-saving Stations have been completed since the publication of the last Report, and two have been entirely rebuilt.

Through the co-operation of the Signal Service, telephonic communication has been established between nineteen stations on the coast of New Jersey, and measures are being taken to connect all stations wherever practicable as rapidly as means will permit. The establishment of this communication is thought very desirable, and it has already proved of great advan- tage. For example, a vessel may be seen passing a station under such conditions as to make it likely that she will eventually be driven ashore, and the telephone will enable the keeper to instruct a chain of stations further along to be ready for her; or should an accident happen to the apparatus while operating at a wreck or a fresh supply of powder or lines be re- quired, the next station can be quickly called on for assistance, or a message may be sent for a steam tug; or should occa- sion demand the employment of extra force at a particular shipwreck, the ad- joining stations can be communicated with and action taken accordingly.

Many gallant deeds were performed by the men attached to the United States Life-saving Service during the year under consideration.

On one occasion the men at one of the stations went a distance of sixty-four miles, by railway, steamer and other means, taking with them their mortal cait, wreck-ordnance and other appliances, and were then successful in saving 15 ship- wrecked men who would otherwise in all probability have perished.

Another time a surf boat was capsized by heavy seas in very cold weather; her crew found it impossible to right their boat, and were tossed about in the surf until at last they were rescued, some by means of lines thrown to them from the pier, and the remainder by clinging to the upturned boat until it drifted ashore.

The poor fellows were terribly exhausted, but revived after a time, and, having put on dry clothing, they bravely went out with the Life-saving Apparatus, and in thirty minutes from the time of firing the gun, they had the satisfaction of saving the whole of the eight persons from the stranded vessel, including one of their own men, who had gone on board some time previously to see that the life- saving gear was ptopeily rigged.