At the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the ROYAL NATIONAL, LIFE- BOAT INSTITUTION, held at Princes' Hall, Piccadilly, on Saturday, 30th day of April, 1892, Sir EDWARD BIRKBECK, Bart., M.P., V.P., in the Chair, the following Report of the Committee was read by the Secretary:— ANNUAL REPORT.

1892.

NEVER probably since the establishment of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION in 1824 has public attention been so specially drawn to its work and needs as during the past year  to its work on account of the numerous gallant services of the Life-boat crews in the saving of life from shipwreck; to its needs by reason of the insufficiency of its income to carry on and extend in the manner desired by the Committee the great work it has under- taken.

The year has also been marked for the special efforts which the Committee have made, not only to improve the discipline and condition of the Life-boat crews, but also to introduce and adopt every improvement in the build of the Life-boats and the equipment and management of the stations which might tend to increase and perfect the efficiency of the service.

The Steam Life-boat, to which attention was drawn in the last Annual Report, has up to the present quite fulfilled the expectations and hopes of the Committee respecting it, having been oat altogether on service fourteen times and saved thirty- three lives and two vessels, giving in the performance of those services the greatest satisfaction to the crew. The Committee cannot but feel, however, that the boat has not yet passed out of the region of experiment, and that they would not be justified in building more boats of so ex- pensive a type until a considerable farther time has been employed in testing its merits or demerits on o her parts of the coast.

Life-boats.—In view of the competitive Life-boat trials, which have just been carried out at Lowestoft, the results of which wil) in due course be published, the Committee have for a time stayed their hand in building Life-boats of the largest classes, trusting that from the experience gained at the trials they may be able to build a more stable and better type of Sailing Life-boat than has hitherto been produced. During the past year, however, four new stations have been formed, each of which has been provided with a fully equipped Life-boat as follows :— Beaumaris .... North Wales.

Johnshaven .... Kiucardineshire.

Poith Khuffytld . . Anglesey.

Pwllheli Carnarvonshire.and new stations are in course of for- mation, or will be, it is hoped, shortly, at:— Co. Donegal.

Sussex.

Kent.

Suffolk.

Island of Lewis.

Besides the new stations which were established and equipped in 1891 eleven new Life-boats, specially built to meet the approval of the crews who would be called upon to man them, were sent to the following places on the coast:— ENGLAND AND WALES.

Devonshire.

Norfolk.

Anglesey.

Northumberland.

Dorsetshire.

Scilly Isles.

Appledore No. 1 Blakeney Holyhead No. 1 .

Holy Island No. 2 .

Lyme Regis St. Mary's .

SCOTLAND.

Orkney Islands.

Longhope Stromness IRELAND.

Co. Cork.

,, Louth „ Dublin.

Ballycotton ....

Dundalk (Giles' Quay) Kingstown No. 1 .

New and improved boats will be pro- vided for other stations as soon as cir- cumstances permit.

During the year the boats at nineteen stations were provided with wa,ter-ballast tanks and other improvements.

Owing to circumstances which have arisen, the Committee have found it necessary to retain the station at Chapel in Lincolnshire instead of transferring it, as had been decided and as reported last year, to Skegness; but they have with- drawn the small boat from Southend, as the work will be efficiently done by the larger Life-boat sent to the station some time since. At the close of the year the total number of Life-boats under the management of the Institution was 303.

The Committee reported last year that they had met with difficulties in obtaining from the contractors a sufficient supply of transporting carriages for the Life- boats, but that they hoped those difficulties would shortly be overcome, and that they would be enabled to send a large number of carriages to the coast in 1891. Their hopes proved, however, to be too sanguine and have not been fulfilled, for within the last twelve months only six Life-boat carriages have been completed. This state of affairs is most unsatisfactory; but the difficulty is one which cannot readily be overcome, owing to the impossibility of obtaining properly seasoned elm of the size required for the felloes of the wheels. The Committee trust that before long they may have found a metal wheel which, while as light as one made of timber, may have equal and sufficient strength.

Tipping plates.—During the year five stations were provided with Tipping sand- plates, and they have certainly tended to increase the efficiency of the service by enabling the Life-boats to be more easily and promptly launched than they could possibly have been without them.

Shipwrecks.—The year 1891 was remarkable for sudden gales of unusual strength and fury rather than for any long periods of stormy weather; the blizzard of the 9fch March, and the great gales of the 13th October and the llth November, although productive of serious destruction to life and property, were not so disastrous in their consequences as might naturally have been expected. All through the year, however, and particularly on the special occasions to which reference has been made, admirable work in the saving of life and property was done by the Life-boat crews. In the year the Life-boats were launched 342 times on service and 973 I times for exercise, in addition to which crews were assembled fifty-one times for service when their assistance was not | ultimately required. It is with the deepest regret that the Committee have to report that, of the 17,000 men who were afloat in the Life-boats during the | year, six men lost their lives when making 2ND MAY, 1892.] ANNUAL BEPOBT. 27 gallant attempts to rescue shipwrecked In the So.of lives Year Saved. In the No. of Lives Year Saved. crews — namely, three at New Bomney, 1824 124 1859 499 two at Lydd, and one at Hythe. In each 1825 218 1828 175 I860 455 1861 424 of these cases a Public Inquiry was held, 1827 163 1862 574 by order of the Committee. The widows, 1828 301 1863 714 orphans, and dependent relatives of the 1829 463 1830 372 1864 698 1865 714 unfortunate men were in every case well 1831 287 1866 921 provided for by" the Institution, and by 1832 310 1833 449 1867 1,086 1868 862 funds raised locally. At Douglas, Me of. 1834 214 1869 1,231 Man, also, a man helping to launch the 1835 364 I 1870 784 boat was thrown down and so badly 1836 225 1837 272 " 1871 882 1872 739 crushed that he subsequently expired. 1838 456 1873 l!68 The Committee at once granted to his 1839 279 1874 713 1875 921 widow the sum of 10QI. In every ease 1841 128 1876 600 where it has been proved that an injury ls*2 276 1877 1,048 has been sustained by persons employed 1843 236 1844 193 1878 616 1879 855 in the service full compensation has been 1845 235 1880 697 made by the Institution 1846 134 1881 1,121 1847 157 1882 884 1848 123 1883 955 1849 269 1884 792 ' Kumber 1 Lives Vessels Lives 1850 470 1885 555 1 of Life- Saved Saved Saved 1851 230 1886 761 1891 i Doat by Life- by Life- Shore- 1852 773 1887 572 Launches. boats, boats. bo&ta. 1853 678 1888 800 January 31 52 i 1 12 1854 355 1855 406 1S90 773 February , 12 5 1 5 1856 473 1891 736 March i 38 73 3 24 April . ! 24 May . ' 10 18 ! I 20 I .. 14 y 1857 374 1858 427 Total 36,179 June . 7 6 , 1 9 July . 5 i 8 ) Rewards, — The rewards granted by the August 19 September 16 35 ! 2 15 i 1 jo Committee dariog the year 1891 for the October . 84 148 11 10 saving of life from shipwreck or for efforts November 43 December 53 98 1 1 98 j 2 Jjj with personal risk to do so and in recog- nition of other good services rendered Total . .342 568 | 24 188 comprised nineteen Silver Medals, one Gold Second Service Clasp, fire Silver Second The- coxswains and crews of the Life- Service Clasps, one Silver Third Service boats as usual conducted themselves Clasp, thirteen Binocular Glasses, fifty-one generally in a thoroughly exemplary Votes of Thanks inscribed on vellum and and gallant manner, so ihat considerable framed, nine Certificates of Service framed, and somewhat undue prominence has been and 8,245?. 18s. id., including grants to the given in those instances, happily very relatives of Life-boatmen who lost their lives rare, where there has been any lack of when discharging their duties, and compen- promptness or a disinclination to obey sation made to men injured in the service. the orders of the coxswain. In every case On the 31st December last the Institu- an official investigation has promptly tion had granted altogether in rewards followed. The officers and men of the since its establishment in 1824, 98 Gold Coastguard and the Volunteer Bocket Medals and Clasps, 1,073 Silver Medals Brigades have also rendered excellent and Clasps, 197 Binocular Glasses', IS service in saving life. Telescopes, 4 Aneroid Barometers, 1,352 Since the Institution was founded in Votes of Thanks inscribed on vellum and 1824, it has grafted rewards for the framed, 18 Certificates of Service framed, saving of 36,179 lives as follows : — and 121,739?. in money.

Aneroids.—The demand for the Aneroid Barometers, supplied by the Institution to fishermen and small coasters at about a third the retail price still continues, 117 of these very reliable and valuable instruments having been sold during the past year, ninety-two to fishermen, and twenty-five to coasters, bringing the total provided by the Committee since June, 1882, when the system was introduced, to 3,132.

Local Committees, etc.—The best thanks of the Institution are due to the Local Committees, to their Honorary Secretaries and Treasurers, and to all who have co- operated with them for the very important services they have rendered during the past year. The Service being a voluntary one, much depends on the energy, care and attention of the Local Honorary Officials. The grateful thanks of the Committee are equally due to the Public Press for its powerful advocacy on behalf of the cause, and more particularly to those editors of newspapers who have generously opened their columns to receive contributions for the Institution.

In June last the Institution contributed the sum of 301. to the National Sea Fisheries Protection Association for the purpose of supplying oil-bags to various ports on the coast for distribution to fishermen and others in order to encourage them in the use of this very important means of protection, and thereby to diminish the loss of life from shipwrecks which annually takes place on the coasts of the United Kingdom. Most satisfactory reports have been received as to the result of the use of these oil-bags, and the experiments are being continued over an extended area.

The Committee cannot sufficiently congratulate themselves and the supporters of the Institution on having secured the passing of the Removal of Wrecks Act, 1877, Amendment Act, 1889, as under its useful provisions many wrecks, very dangerous to the crews of the Life-boats in the performance of their life-saving duties, have been removed during the past year.

In April last the Chairman of the Institution, at the request of the Committee, gave notice in the House of Commons that he would move a resolution that it was desirable, with the view of decreasing the loss of life from ship- wrecks on the coast, that the Government should provide telephonic and telegraphic communication between all the coast- guard stations and signal stations on the coast of the United Kingdom, and on such parts of the coast where there are no coastguard stations that the post offices nearest to the Life-boat stations should be connected. Owing to press of public business, however, no opportunity was afforded for moving this resolution. The Chairman gave notice therefore that he would move a similar resolution early this Session. The question of electrical communication on the coast is increasingly exciting attention in the country, and it is hoped that before the close of the year the Government will, as they have since promised, take action in the matter, with a view to adopting a system at once so important and popular.

With a view to improving the condition of the Life-boatmen, signalmen, and helpers employed in the service, and to securing the services of the best and smartest boatmen that can be procured, the Committee decided in November last to grant them one-half more pay than had hitherto been allowed for services, exercises, and assemblies during the six winter months, and also to appoint a permanent bowman for each Life-boat, wherever it can be arranged, to be allowed a special retaining fee of 30s. per annum.

These steps have given the greatest satisfaction all round the coast, and the Local Committees are almost unanimously of opinion that greater efficiency in the Service will be the result.

Finances. — An effort was made last spring to establish throughout the United Kingdom a " Life-boat Sunday " and a "Life-boat Saturday," and prominence was given to the statement made in the Annual Report of the previous year the the expenditure of the Institution had very considerably exceeded its income, and that the Committee had been compelled to make use of capital in order to meet the deficiency. The result of the urgent appeal then made to the public has been most satisfactory, and there is j every reason to hope that before long the "Life-boat Sunday" and the "Life-boat Saturday," so successfully inaugurated in Manchester in October last, will hold j the same place as institutions in the country as the " Hospital Sunday " and " Hospital Saturday " already do. The receipts during the past year under all heads showed a considerable increase.

The subscriptions, donations, dividends, etc., amounted to 65,486 . 18s. 6d. This sum included special gifts amounting to 13.450Z. for the following Life-boat establishments:— £. «. d.

Ardrossan SKIHHOW Mrs. AMELI& C.

1,000 - - Ballycotton—T. P. HEAHNE, Esq. 700 Beaumaris—" D." 750 Caister No. 2—Sir BEBTOAI-D PBOCTOB-BEMICHAMF, Bart, , 500 Cemljn—Mrd. B. J. NICHOLSON . 700 Culdaff—Mrs. E. C. MONTGOMERY 1,000 Dungeness—Mrs. T. Suicox . . 1,050 Fleetwood—Coloutl W. BLACK- BCRNE 700 Folkestone—Mis-s CCRLIXS . . 700 Gorleston No. 3—JAS. McLAKKN SMITH, Esq 1,000 Great Yarmouth—Mrs. BURCS. . 800 Kingstown No. 2—Civil Service Life - boat Fund, per CHAS.

DIBDIN, Esq. (additional) . .1,100 Lyrae Regis—C. CARE ASHLEY, 700 - - Plymouth—Miss LUCY HARRIS (additional) 100 - - Port Ehuffydd—Norbury Life- boat Fund (on account) . . 700 - - Pwllheli—Executors of Mrs. MAS- GAKET PLATT 700 - - Stromness — LOYAL OBDEB or ANCIENT SHEPHERDS (Ashton Unity) 700 - - Snnderland, Soutli Pier—The late J. COFFIN, Esq. (on account) . 500 - - Whitburn-—A Lady (additional). 50 - - The following legacies were also re- ceived by tho Committee in 1891:— £.

ALLEN,Mrs. ELIZABETH.Westbourne 500 ASIPHLS.TT, Ruv. J., Worcester . 100 BAIBD, Miss MARY, Edinburgh . 150 BARNARD, Mrs. E. M., Weston- super-Mare 200 BEATSON, Mrs., Norsend ... 150 BEDDELL, BENJAMIN, Esq., Hull. 90 BELCHER, LADY, Cumberland Terrace GOO 19 1 BELL, Miss M. M., B«th . . . 450 BCSWELL, Mrs. E., Sherborne. . 17 BROWN, DCNCAN, Esq., Dig* vell. 90 BUNDOCK, Miss S., Exmoutli . . 18 CABMICHAEL, P.,Esq.,Arthuvstown 900 CHALMERS, Miss M., Broughty Ferry 100 CHRISTEY, HENRY, Esq., Balhara. 500 CLAGETT, Mrs., St. John's Wood 12 2 (balance) 11 CUKKE, Miss JANE, Lancaster . 50 COLLIXSOM, Mrs. M. L., W&st Ham 1,000 CRABTBEE, Mi.-s F., Halesworth . 250 CfiEAiocK, Lieut.-General HOPE, C.B 45 -3 DEAN,W. H., Esq., Stratford (ad- ditional) 57 Dixos, Capt. M., E.N., Bath . . joo - - EARLB, F. W., Esq., Edenlmr t . 100 - - ECHALAZ, Eev. THEOPHILUS, Sur- biton . 3,000 - - EDWARDS, W. J., Esq., Islington. 675 - - ELY, The Most Hon. The MAKQUIS OF 111 8 1 ESTWISTLE, Mrs. JANE, Tunbridj,'e Wells 100 - - FALCONER, Miss and Mrs. CRMME, Falconhall 75 - - FEBBEY, Mrs. JOANNA, Chri,-.t- church 41 18 - FRKSHFIELB, Miss JANE, Godman- chester 17 9 6 200 - - 50 - - 50 - - GREOOHY, FRANCIS, Esq., Yiitton. 50 - - HAIGH, WILLIAM, Esq., Southamp- ton HALPORD, WALTER, Esq., Cannon Street HASTIE, Miss MARY, Nottingham HAWKINS, CHARLES, Esq.,Warwick 650 360 90 200 ,000 100 500 100 250 200 100 100 Street HIBBERT, Miss A. A., Sotitbprtrt.

HINTON, J. T., Esq, Ciiiionbury .

HODGSON, JOHN, Esq., Strensall .

HOLLON, R. W., Esq., York . . 1 INCE, H. A., Esq., Thurloe Square JARMAN, Miss A. E., Slouch .

JENNINOS, JOEPH, Esq., Bristol .

KEBLOTS, Kev. W., Barrow .

KIBCHNER, JOHN, Esq., Peckham LEIGH, Miss MARIANNE, Dublin, for Wexford Life- boat . . .

Ditto, for Wicklow Life-boat. .

30 THE LIFE-BOAT.

[2ND MAY, 1892.

£. s. d.

45 - - LEVESQUE, Mrs. C. JEFFREYS, Curcain Road 463 45 426 37 70 5,000 200 750 750 100 300 2,000 20 2,250 5 6 - MAHONY, Dr. MONTAGUE MARTIN (balance) MUNDY, Miss E. A., Beer.

MUSSARD, E. T., Esq., Islington .

NEAME, Eev. W. J. K., Falmouth PARFREY, R. A.,Esq., Teddington, for Lowestoft Life-boat.

PICKAKD, ANDREW, E. q., Ossett .

PYNE, Miss ANNE, Exeter ROGERS, Dr. JAMES, Saltash .

SAUL, JAMES, Esq., Tottenham .

SIMCOE, Capt. J. K., Hoiiiton.

SMITH, Rev. H. W., Warrington Crescent (additional) SMITH, JAMES, Esq., Hastings STALLEBRASS, Mrs. LYDIA, Hack- ney STANNAH, Mrs. E. M., Balham .

STEPHENS, Mrs. MAY, Cheltenham 100 - - 100 - - 180 - - 900 - - STEPHENS, Mrs. TABITHA, Ply- mouth STRANGE, Mrs. M. A., Elvaston Place STROUD, Rev. R. A. H., Bristol .

SYMES, Mrs. E. A., Bangor .

529 100 2 4 TAIT, Mrs. MARY, Regent's Park (additional) TAYLOR, Miss ANN, Croydon 328 100 - - 1,000 - - 180 - - 30 - - 500 - - ],898 14 8 900 - - THOMAS, Mrs. F. E., Nunney (additional) TITHEBIDGE, JOSEPH, Esq., Win- chester .

WARRINGTON, Mi?s L. A., Torquay WATSON, CHARLES, Esq., Halifax WHITE, A. C., Esq., Hoxton . .

WHITEHEAD, Miss CAKOLINE,G!OU- cester WHITTON, C. R., Esq., Wimbledon WIGNEY, Mrs. L. C., Twyford 90 10 25 110 WILLATS, RICHARD, Esq., Homer- ton WINDSOR, J., Esq., Ipswich .

WYATT, J. D., Esq., Islington .

YATES, S. R., Esq., Northcote .

14 2 The expenditure for the year was 65,162?. 12s. Id. Of this sum, the building, improving, repairing and equip- ping of Life-boats cost 10,735?. 7s. 8d.; Life-boat Carriages and repairs thereto, 2,099Z.8d.; Life-boat Houses and Slipways, 7,7911. 8s. 3d.; Life-boat Stores, Life-belts, Subsidies to outlying Stations, Branch payments, Aneroids for fishermen and coasters, the Store-yard, the Inspectors'Department and experiments, 22,2942. 15s. lOrf.; the payments to coxswains, signalmen and crews for service, and exercising the boats, special rewards and recognitions, medals, vellums, grants for injuries and to rela- tives of Life-boat men lost on service, amounted to 16,660?. 13s. lid. The balance was spent on printing and pub- lishing the Life-boat Journal, the Annual Report and Appeals, on salaries, taxes, office, repairs, advertisements, house- keeper, postage, stationery, etc. Every item of receipt and expenditure has been carefully examined, and vouched for by Mr. LOVELOCK, of the well-known firm of Messrs. LOVELOCK, WHIFFIN, and DICKIN- SON, 19 Coleman Street, E.G., Chartered Accountants. With the view of demon- strating to the public that the capital of the Institution is altogether insufficient to produce- in dividends an amount, even when added to the subscriptions, sufficient by one-half to maintain the service in thorough efficiency independently of elee- mosynary help, such as donations and gifts, the Committee have decided to publish in future a balance sheet in addition to the Income and Expenditure account. They trust that the result will be not only an increase in the number of annual subscribers, but that those who wish to bequeath money for the benefit of the cause will be led to do so without fettering their contributions by conditions which not unfrequently entail heavy expense on the Institution.

The Committee, in concluding their report, desire to impress strongly on the public the necessity for well-sustained support if the Life-boat Service is to be kept up as hitherto in a proper state of thorough efficiency, and they very earnestly appeal to all to help them in their efforts to minimize the great loss of life which annually takes place from shipwrecks on the coasts of the United Kingdom.