At the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE- BOAT INSTITUTION, held at St. Martin's Town Hall, Charing Cross Road, on Saturday, the 18th day of March, 1893, His ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES, K.G., in the Chair, the following Report of the Committee was read by the Secretary:— torily at Harwich for a year and a half, the Committee removed her in the autumn to Holyhead, with a view to ascertain whether similar results would be ANNUAL REPORT.

1893.

IT is now nearly seventy years since the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION came into existence, but never has its usefulness been more fully demonstrated and its progressive strength more clearly marked than in the year gone by.

Every possible effort has been made by the Committee to increase the efficiency of the service, and to obtain from the public that measure of support which the importance and national character of the work demands. They are glad to feel that their efforts have not been alto- gether in vain, and that help has been given in response to their constant and urgent appeals.

The Steam Life-Boat—the first ever built—added by the Committee to the Institution's fleet two years ago, was inspected by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and His Imperial Majesty the German Emperor in August last. fulfil all ex- suitability for Having tested She still continues to pectations as to her life-saving purposes.her powers thoroughly and satisfac- obtained in a sea of a different character.

They are fully satisfied with the result, and excellent life-saving services have already been rendered by the Boat at her pew station. It has been decided to still further test her later on at the mouth of the Mersey. So satisfied are the Committee with their first experi- ment in steam, that they feel it is incum- bent on them to take the necessary steps for building a second steam Life-boat, to include the various improvements sug- gested by past experience. This will entail a very heavy outlay, quite irre- spective of the large expenditure re- quired for the maintenance of the Boat.

It must not be lost sight of, however, that such boats would only be suitable for a limited number of stations, and that the cost of the construction and main- tenance of a steam Life-boat being so large, any further extension of the system can only be effected if the necessary funds are guaranteed for the purpose.

Competitive Life-boat Trials.—The Com- petitive Trials with sailing Life-boats, carried out by the Institution at Lowes- toft last winter, the results of which were subsequently published, may be looked upon as a part of the most important programme ever produced in Life-boat matters, and there is no doubt that the Life-boat of the future will in no small degree be the outcome of those trials, which although they entailed the expen- diture of several thousand pounds, have already tended to increased confidence and efficiency. The similar trials with pulling Life-boats, which have recently taken place at Montrose, will doubtless produce equally important results.

Life-boats. — The Service has been strengthened during the past year by the establishment of three new stations, each of which has been supplied with a fully The new stations are equipped Life-boat, as follows:— Culdaff . . . . . Co. Donegal.

Dungeness No. 2 . . Kent.

Gorleston No. 3 ... Suffolk.

Steps are also being taken to form new stations, as soon as the necessary arrange- ments can be made, at:— Barry Glamorganshire.

Folkestone .... Kent.

Greenore .... Co. Louth.

*Port of Ness.... Island of Lewis.

In addition to the new stations formed in 1892, new boats, possessing the latest improvements and the special qualifications necessary for the localities for which they were built, were after full consultation with the Local Committees, Coxswains and the crews interested, sent to eighteen other stations, viz.:— ENGLAND AND WALES.

Abersoch .... Carnarvonshire.

Atherfleld .... Isle of Wight.

Boulmer Northumberland.

Brancaster .... Norfolk.

Brighstone Grange. . Isle of Wight.

* Awaiting the completion of certain harbour works.

Caister No. 2 . . . Norfolk.

Moelfre Anglesey.

Morthoe North Devon.

Newquay Cornwall.

Lancashire.

Durham.

Norfolk.

St. Anne's No. 2 Sunderland, South Pier Yarmouth ....

SCOTLAND.

Ayrshire.

Ardrossan Gourdon Kincardineshire.

Nairn Nairnshire.

IRELAND.

Cahore Wexford.

Drogheda No. 1 . . . Co. Louth.

ISLE or MAN.

Port Erin.

The new Tubular Life-boat sent to Pwllheli in 1891, has, at the request of the coxswains and crew, been replaced by a self-righting boat, and an improved and almost new boat has taken the place of the old Gorleston No. 1 boat.

The boats at twenty other stations have also been provided with improve- ments, such as water-ballast tanks of the best description and drop keels, and further stations will be supplied with new or improved boats with as little delay as possible.

The conditions of the Forfarshire coast having somewhat changed during the last few years, the Committee recently decided to close the Montrose No. 3 station, and also, for a similar reason, to withdraw, as soon as the necessary arrangements have been completed, the smaller of the two boats stationed at Fleetwood on the Lancashire coast. One of the boats at New Brighton has also been withdrawn.

The Institution's fleet consisted, at the close of the year, of 304 Life-boats.

Transporting Carriages. — During the year the Committee have been more successful than for some years past in their efforts to build thoroughly efficient trans- porting carriages for the Life-boats, con- structed of really well-seasoned wood, seasoned elm of the class and size required for the felloes of the wheels being very scarce. In 1891 only six new carriages were sent to the coast, but in 1892 as the sufferer has received full compensation many as thirty were supplied. from the Institution. Tipping plates. — Greater efficiency in The conduct of the coxswains and the launching has been secured at nine crews of the Life-boats — speaking gene- stations during the past year by the pro- rally — has been all that could be desired vision of Tipping's sand-plates, which con- during the past year, and the steps taken time to give great satisfaction wherever by the Committee to secure the services they are used. of the best men for the work has met with Inspection of Life-boats, &e. — All the no small degree of success. Life-boats of the Institution have been The number of lives for the saving of inspected by the District Inspectors which the Committee granted rewards in during the past year, and on each 1892 was 1056, 836 of these having been occasion a detailed report has been for- saved by Life-boats , and 220 by shore- warded to the Chief Inspector for sub- boats. The details of the services are mission by the Secretary to the Committee. given in the following Table : — Reports have also been duly submitted in those cases where it has been found Number Lives Vessels Lives Saved necessary for the District Inspectors to 1892. of Life- boat Saved Saved by Life-, by Life- by Shore- pay special visits to stations or inland Launches. boats. boats. boats. branches, either for the purpose of Life- January 40 38 35 boat demonstrations, to investigate abuses February 80 456 3 22 or irregularities, or for other purposes. March April . 17 17 9 15 1 2 21 28 Shipwrecks. — The weather record for May . 14 4 1 10 1892 shows frequent storms and bad June .

July . 12 13 5 59 8 18 16 weather on our coast, requiring the con- August 19 33 4 3 stant services of the Life-boats and their September October . 17 43 28 93 2 5 14 33 crews. During the year the Life-boats November 19 35 2 11 were launched 340 times on service and December 49 61 5 9 1,013 times for exercise, besides which Total . . 340 836 33 220 crews were assembled thirty-two times in readiness for service, when their aid The following further Table gives the was not ultimately needed. It is a matter for the deepest satisfaction and congratu- lation that,, notwithstanding the risk so total number of lives for which the Insti- tution has granted rewards each year since the establishment of the Institution : often incurred by the many thousands of In the No. of Lives Year Saved. IQ the Year No. of Lives Saved. Life-boat men who were afloat in the boats 1824 124 1846 134 during the year, not one lost his life 1825 218 1826 175 i 1847 1848 157 123 on rescue duty. This is very remarkable 1827 U63 ! 1849 209 considering the danger to which the men 1828 301 1829 462 1851 470 230 were so frequently exposed. On the 1830 372 1852 773 23rd December, when the Kingstown 1831 287 1853 678 No. 2 Life-boat was returning from a night 1832 310 1833 449 I 1854 1855 355 406 surprise exercise, one of the crew, be- 1834 214 IS 56 473 coming apparently frightened by the boat 1835 364 1836 225 1857 1858 374 427 missing stays and striking on the rocks 1837 272 1859 499 near the pierhead, jumped overboard and 1838 456 1860 455 having no life-belt on was unfortunately 1839 279 1840 353 1861 1862 424 574 drowned, notwithstanding the efforts made 1841 128 1863 714 to save him. Minor casualties, entailing 1842 276 1864 698 broken bones, contusions, cuts, etc., have 1843 236 1844 193 | 1865 1866 714 95t not been infrequent, but in every instance 1845 235 1867 1,086 s 

In the Year 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 In the Year 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 No. of Lives Saved.

884 955 792 555 761 572 800 627 765 736 1,056 No. of Lives Saved.

862 1,231 784 882 739 668 713 921 600 1,048 616 Total 37,257 855 697 1,121 Rewards.—The rewards bestowed in 1892 by the Committee for the saving of life from shipwreck or for efforts with personal risk to do so, and in acknowledg- ment of other meritorious services ren- dered to the cause, comprised 14 Silver Medals, 2 Silver Second Service Clasps, 1 Silver Third Service Clasp, 1 Silver Fourth Service Clasp, 19 Binocular Glasses, 1 Aneroid Barometer, 42 Votes of Thanks inscribed on vellum and framed, 14 Certificates of Service framed, and 8.482Z. 17s. d., including grants for injuries received in the Service, etc.

On the 31st December last the Institu- tion had granted altogether in rewards since its establishment in 1824, 98 Gold Medals and Clasps, 1,091 Silver Medals and Clasps, 216 Binocular Glasses, 15 Telescopes, 5 Aneroid Barometers, 1,394 Votes of Thanks inscribed on vellum and framed, 32 Certificates of Service framed, and 130,223Z. 11s. Id. in money.

Aneroids.—There has been a steady demand during the year for the Aneroid Barometers supplied by the Institution to fishermen and small coasters at about a third the retail price, 85 having been sold to fishermen and 22 to coasters, making a total of 107, and bringing up the number of these really useful and valuable instruments thus disposed of since June, 1882, to 3,239.

During the year many wrecks in non- navigable waters round our coasts, con- stituting a serious danger to the crews of the Life-boats in the discharge of their meritorious life-saving duties, have been dispersed by the Elder Brethren of the Trinity House under authority from the Board of Trade. This has been done under the provisions of the Removal of Wrecks Act 1877, Amendment Act 1889, the passing of which was so happily promoted and secured by the Institution three years ago.

In April last the Chairman of the Institution, on behalf of the Committee, moved a resolution in the House of Commons that a complete system of electrical communication should be pro- vided by the Government between -all coastguard stations and signal stations on the coast of the United Kingdom, and that the Postal Telegraph Offices should be similarly connected on such parts of the coasts where no coastguard stations existed, the object being to give the earliest possible information to the Life- boat authorities, that the Life-boats were required for service ; and further, that a Royal Commission should be appointed to consider the desirability or otherwise of electrically connecting the rock-light- houses, lightships, etc., with the shore.

This resolution, which was supported by every shade of politics in the House, was agreed to without a division. Since then every effort has been made by the Institution to push on this great work, and the Committee are glad to be able to recognise the untiring zeal which has been exhibited by the officials of Her Majesty's Post Office in their endeavours to make the system as complete and use- ful as possible, and to lay out to the very best advantage the funds granted them by the Treasury for the purpose.

Lives have already been saved by the Life-boats as a result of this new system, and much is expected as the outcome of the recommendations of the Royal Commission. From a life-saving point of view, the system which the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION has been the fortunate instrument of establishing, will in all probability prove in its results to be one of the most important events of the present generation.

Local Committees, etc. — The grateful acknowledgments of the Institution are due to the Local Committees and to their Honorary Secretaries and Treasurers for the valuable and Tery important aid which they continue to give to the cause. With- out such a staff of voluntary officers, ever ready to co-operate in promoting the interests and efficiency of the Service it would be impossible to carry on the work.

Much has been successfully done during the past year by the Public Press to stir up an interest in the objects of the Society, and to remind the Public of the claim it has for support on the people of a great maritime nation such as ours.

For this powerful advocacy the Committee have to return their best and cordial thanks, as well as to all those who have in any way endeavoured to assist them.

Too much cannot be said of the self- denying and strenuous efforts of those kind friends, notably in Lancashire and Yorkshire, who have endeavoured by means of " Life-boat Saturday " demon- strations, and the formation of Ladies' Committees, to add to the funds of the Institution. The first " Life boat Satur- day " was held at Manchester and Salford in 1891, and the example then so well and successfully set and repeated during the past year has been followed by the good people of Brighouse, Bury, Clacton-on- Sea, Grail, Douglas (Isle of Man), Dundee, Ilfracombe, Moutrose, Preston, Euncorn, Stockport, Teignmouth and Warrington ; besides which special collections have been made at, among other places, Bolton and Wolverhampton. In these demon- strations all classes of society have worked with a will to make the effort really suc- cessful, and to everybody who has either directly or indirectly contributed help, the Committee have to express their warmest thanks. Many of the Clergy and Ministers of all denominations have kindly caused collections to be made on behalf of the Institution's funds in their churches and chapels, and partial success has attended the attempt made to establish a " Life-boat Sunday" throughout the length and breadth of the land. The Committee trust that the " Life-boat Saturday " and " Life-boat Sunday" collections which have been made during the past year are merely a sample of what is to be in the future, and they look forward to the time when the Life-boat Service will be main- tained, not as hitherto, almost entirely by the contributions of the monied classes, but also by the many pence of the masses, all being equally dependent on our ships and sailors for the common necessaries of daily life. With the view of helping for- ward the movement which has been so satisfactorily started in this direction, the Committee have decided to appoint an Organizing Inspector, whose principal duty it will be to promote special col- lections for the cause and to form new inland branches.

Finances.—The subscriptions, dona- tions, dividends, etc., amounted at the close of the year to 58,654Z. 3s. 5d., as against 65,486Z. 18s. 6rf. in the previous year, the decrease being almost entiielydue to adim- inution in the amount received in special gifts, which produced only 7,125?. for the following Life-boat establishments :— £. s. d.

Aldeburgh and Upgang—Anony- mous (additional) .... 800 - - Abersoch — Oldham Life - boat Fund 700 - - Branoiister—Mrs. JOSEPHINE H. SlLKENSTADT 700 - - Clovelly—Mrs. FRANCES ROKET . 700 - - Culdaff—Mrs. E. C. MONTGOMERY (additional) 850 - - Kingstown No. 2—Civil Service Life-boat Fund, per CHAKLES DIBDIN, Esq. (additional) . . 1,000 - - Lyme Eegis—C. CARR ASHLEY, Esq. (additional) .... 25 - - Palling No. 2—" Hearts of Oak" Life-boat Fund 700 - - Porthoustock and Silloth— Miss ANNE F. Howis (additional) . 100 - - Forth Bhuffyd — Norbury Life- boat Fund (additional) . . . 300 - - Sunderland South Pier—Execu- tors of the late JOHN COPPIN, Esq. (additional) .... 500 - Whitburn—A Lady (additional) 50 - Pulling Life-boat for Competitive Trials—Executors of the lute S. C. WATSON, Esq 700 - - 294 THE LITE-BOAT.

[IsT MAT, 1893.

d.

£. s.

1,000 - 1,000 - Daring the year the following legacies were also received, without which the work of the Institution could not have been properly carried on :— £.

50 90 s. d.

ADDISON, Miss MART, Staines ADDISON, Mrs., Lochgelly, Fife .

ALLEN, Miss E. C., Finchley Road, N.W 700 - - APPLEBY, Mrs. A., Low Boston . 50 - - ATKINSON, THOMAS, Esq.,Peckham 324 10 7 ATOCK, WILLIAM, Esq., Doncaster 100 - - BAILLIB, Lady GEIZELL, St. Bos- well's, Scotland 200 - - BARKER, A. C., Esq., Aberdeen . 61 5 9 BARKER, J., Esq., Wakefield . . 100 - - BiGGE, F. W., Esq., Prince's Gardens, W 100 - - BRADSHAW, Miss B. J., Lancaster 500 - - BUTCHER, SAMUEL, Esq., Norton . 890 8 - CARNLEY, Mrs. H. O., Hull . . 500 - - CARTWRIGHT, MissM. A.,Bury St.

Edmunds (additional) ... 44 - - COOPER, EDW., Esq., Little Oakley 250 - - COOPER, Miss MARY, Milford . . 100 - - CORKY, A. J., Esq., Putney . . 1,500 - - CURTIS, Mrs. MARY, Worthing . 50 - - DAVENPORT, E. H., Esq., Corn- wall is Gardens, W 25 — — DEAN, W. H., Esq., Stratford (additional) 27 18 4 DBVERELL, Dr. W. P., Ardglass . 90 - - EDWARDS, W. J., Esq., Elmore Street, N. (additional) ... 218 13 10 ELLEY, Mrs. MARY, Stafford . . 50 - - ELLIOTT, Mrs. M. D. E., Bath . 500 - - FORBES, J. STEWART, Esq., Wimbledon 5,000 - - FRYETT, Miss S., Gray's Inn Boad 18 - - GOWLAND, JAMES, Esq., Harston. 393 18 2 GREENACRE, JOHN, Esq., Great Yarmouth 100 - - HENNING, Mrs. M., Orsett Terrace 50 - - HODGES, J. E., Esq., Knighton . 100 — - HUNTI.Y, Miss K., Dover ... 25 - - JONES, Mrs. M., Highbury Hill, N. 50 - - KERSHAW, W. W., Esq., Surbiton 90 - - KING, Miss J. E., Hammersmith . 1,800 - — LAVERS, H. K., Esq., Englefield Eoad, N 270 - - LEE, Mrs. S. A., Gunnersbury . 1,000 - - LINO, Miss MARY, North Euncton 5 - - MACFARLANE, Mies H., Edinburgh 50 - - McNAB, ALEXANDER, Esq., Kerse 100 - - METHVEN, EGBERT, Esq., Cupar . 1,000 - - MORRICE, E. E., Esq., Eltham . 300 - - MULLIGAN, T. M., Esq., Demerara 50 - • - NEWBON, EGBERT ALGER, Esq., Upper Street, N 17,662 5 8 PBNDRY, Miss E. A., Harewood . 45 - - PICKARD, Miss, Ossett....

PICKUP, JAMES, Esq., Southport .

1,000 - - 210 - - 100 - - 180 - - 305 13 2 250 - - PRICE, DAVID, Esq., Queen Anne Street, W SAUL, JAMES, Esq.. Tottenham (additional) SCHOFIELD, Miss M. A., Aberfurd SEMPLE, A., Esq., Maida Vale SIBLEY, Miss E. S., Worcester SMITH, Mrs. E. A., Cornwall Gardens, W 40 - 100 - 50 -, 1,000 - 200 - 50 - 3 5 180 - 100 - 17 19 50 - 100 - 5 - 360 - 500 - 10 SMITH, Rev. H. W., Warrington Crescent, W. (additional) . .

SMITH, Mrs. E., Greenwich .

STRANGMAN, L. G., Esq., Monks- town, Ireland STOTT, J. M., Esq., Eastrick . .

SWAINE, E. H., Esq., Southsea SWAEBRICK, Miss M. A., Bolton .

THOMAS, Mrs. F. E., Nunncj (ad- ditional) THOMAS, Mrs. M. A., Blenheim Crescent, Netting Hill .

THORNHILL, FREDERIC, Esq., Withington TREMLETT, Miss A. H., Plymouth VAUGHAN, EVAN, Esq., Caer- marthen VOOGHT, Mrs. A. P., Wandsworth WALKER, Dr. G. A., Dollar . .

WHEELER, Mrs. C., Eccleston Square, W WILSON, Miss ANN, Bolton WOOLLAMS, Mrs. E., Avenue Road, Regent's Park . .

500 - - The expenditure for the year, which was far in excess of that of any year since the establishment of the Institution in 1824, amounted to 80,4162. 10s. Id., so that the Committee not only expended all the moneys they received from the ordinary sources of revenue, but were compelled, in order to meet their liabili- ties, to spend in addition 21,8882. 15s. Id.

of their legacy money instead of carrying it to capital as they would have wished to do. The disbursements included 13,4452. 15s. for the building, improving and repairing of Life-boats; 5,7072. 6s.

Ilc2. for Life-boat Carriages and Tipping's Sand-plates; 9.376Z. 6s. 3d. for Life-boat Houses and Slipways; 19,2942. 10s. 4rf.

for Life-boat Stores, Life-belts, Subsidies to outlying Stations, Branch payments, Aneroids for fishermen and coasters, the Store-yard and experiments; 23,090?. 5s.

Id. on payments to inspectors, coxswains, bowmen, signalmen, crews, etc., for services and for exercising the boats, special rewards and recognitions, medals, vellums, grants for injuries and to relatives of men lost on service; and 3,2812. 10s. 5 2. for carrying out the Competitive Trials -with Sailing Life-boats at Lowestoft. The balance was laid out on printing and publishing the Life-boat Journal, the Annual Report and Appeals, on salaries, rates, taxes, office, repairs, advertisements, housekeeper, post- age, stationery, etc. Every item of receipt and expenditure has been as usual care- fully examined, verified and passed by Mr. LOVELOCK, of the well-known firm of Messrs. LOVELOCK, WHIFFIN, and DICKIN- SON, 19 Coleman Street, E.G., Chartered Accountants.

In conclusion, the Committee earnestly appeal to all classes of the community to come forward and assist them in their endeavour to reduce to a minimum the grievous loss of life from shipwreck which year after year takes place on our shores, and to enable them to maintain in a state of thorough and creditable efficiency the largest and oldest Life-boat service in the world..