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 27th day of March, 1897, The Eight Hon.

Gr. J. GOSCHEN, M.P., First Lord of the Admiralty, in the Chair, the following Report of the Committee was submitted and adopted:— ANNUAL REPORT.

1897.

THE important life-saying work of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION has been earnestly and actively carried on during the past year, and every effort has been made to maintain, increase and secure the efficiency of the service. The Committee, while thankfully acknowledging the valuable help they have received from the Public in the past, hope that they may be encouraged by similar co-operation in the coming year, and that in view of the improvement which has of late been manifested in the general trade of the country, better times are in store not only for all classes of the community, but also for the great Institution for which they plead.

Life-hats.—The Institution has estab- lished new stations during the past year at Carrickfergus, Formby, Port St. Mary, and Rosslare Harbour, a Life-boat fully equipped and of the type most suitable having been supplied to each.

A new station is also in the course of formation at Bhos (Colwyn Bay).

In addition to these four new stations which were established and equipped, ten other stations were supplied with new Life-boats, the coxswains and crews having in each instance been fully consulted as to the type and dimensions of the boat. they would be called upon to use. The stations to which these new boats were sent to take the place of obsolete, unsuitable, or worn-out boats were:— ENGLAND AND WALES.

Blackpool .... Lancashire.

Brixham .... South Devon.

Penmon Anglesey.

Teignmouth . . . Devonshire.

Winterton No. 1 . . Norfolk.

SCOTLAND.

Ayr Ayrshire.

IRELAND.

Ballycotton.... Co. Cork.

ISLE OF MAN.

Castletown Douglas No. 2.

Ramsey.

The boats at three other stations were also during the year improved and brought as far as possible up to date, and a similar course will be adopted with others as circumstances permit.

A steam Life-boat being built for the Institution by Messrs. Thornycroft, of Chiswick, will shortly be placed at New Brighton. The larger proportion of the cost of the boat has been raised by the Port of Liverpool Branch of the Institution. She is to be named The Queen in commemoration of the completion of the sixtieth year of the reign of Her Gracious Majesty, the Patron of the Institution.

In 1896 the Committee withdrew one of the Life-boats from Douglas, Isle of Man, the large sailing Life-boat recently stationed there being, in their opinion, well able to do all the work now required in the vicinity of the station. The large sailing Life-boat which had been placed at Beaumaris as an experiment has also been withdrawn, the new boat which has been sent to Penmon meeting fully the requirements of the Menai Strait and the immediate neighbourhood. One of two Life-boats at Selsey has likewise been withdrawn for a similar reason, and the stations at Dartmouth, Kimeridge and Silloth have been closed; local circumstances rendering it unnecessary to incur the expense of maintaining them.

There were 298 Life-boats belonging to the Institution on the coast at the close of 1896.

Transporting Carriages.—New trans- porting carriages have been supplied during the year to eighteen stations, and others are being built and will be despatched to the coast as soon as possible.

Tipping's Plates.—The launching arrangements at five stations have been rendered more efficient by being furnished with these very useful plates, which have fully justified their introduction into the service.

Inspection of Life-boats, &c.—All the Life-boats of the Institution on the coast have been thoroughly inspected by the Officers appointed for the purpose during the past year, and the majority of them on two or more occasions. A full report of each visit has been submitted to the Committee for their consideration and in- formation. The system of surprise visits, introduced two years ago, has been continued with satisfactory results.

Shipwrecks. — The last three years have been somewhat remarkable for the absence of any long continuance of stormy weather, and the year 1896 proved to be one of the calmest years experienced during the last decade.

Whole weeks passed without a single Life - boat being launched on service, and it was only, speaking generally, in the early and closing months of the year that the services of the Life-boats and their crews were specially called for. It is gratifying however to know that when the storm raged, making havoc on land and spreading desolation at sea, there was no hanging back on the part of the Life- boat crews, who, braving the tempest, gallantly rescued many a shipwrecked mariner from a watery grave.

The heaviest gales of the year occurred on the 25th of September and the 8th of October. During the first of these gales twenty-five Life-boats were launched on service, resulting in the saving of twenty- four lives and the landing of eight other persons from vessels in distress as a precautionary measure; whilst during the second, seventeen Life-boats were launched on service, resulting also in the saving of twenty-four lives and the landing of thirty-nine other persons from vessels in dangerous positions. An enormous amount of damage was done, particularly on the west coast, to the Life-boat houses, stages, slipways, &c., during these two gales, entailing a very heavy pecuniary loss on the Institution. The tide which •accompanied the gale of the 8th of October was alleged to have been the highest, in many places, on record.

The Committee have to report with thankfulness that, notwithstanding the thousands of their Life-boat men who were Year. No. of Lives. : Year. No. of Lives. 1846 134 1 1873 668 afloat in the Life-boats during the year, 1847 157 : 1874 713 only one lost his life on service, and that 1848 123 1875 921 from an accident not due in any way to 1849 209 1850 470 1876 600 1877 1,048 the Life-boat, but unfortunately, it is 1851 230 1878 616 to be feared, to an error of judgment 1852 773 1853 678 j 1879 855 1880 697 on the part of the poor fellow who had 1854 355 1881 1,121 divested himself of his life-belt and fell 1855 406 : 1862 884 from the side of a vessel he was endea- 1856 473 1857 374 1863 9S5 1884 792 vouring to board. 1858 427 1885 5S5 The number of lives for the saving 1859 499 1886 761 I of which the Institution granted rewards 1860 455 1861 424 1887 572 / 1888 800 I in 1896 was 461 ; of which number 312 1862 574 | 1889 627 were rescued by Life-boats, and 149 by 1863 714 1864 698 1890 765 1891 736 shore-boats and other means. On other 1865 714 ' 1892 1,056 occasions the crews were assembled for 1866 951 1893 598 service 50 times, their services not being 1867 1,086 1868 862 1894 790 1895 709 ultimately required. The details of the 1869 1,231 1 Q7rt Q ( 1896 461 services during each month of the year lo*U fO* 1871 882 Total 39,815 are as follows : — 1872 739 i Number Lives Vessels Lives Rewards. — The rewards granted by the of Life- Saved Saved Saved hv Institution last year for the saving of 1896. boat by Life-;by Life- Launches.- boats, boats. °y Shore- boats. life from shipwreck on the coast, or for 1 efforts to do so and in recognition of January February 24 15 — 25 j 10 — 28 25 other good services rendered to the March 29 13 1 5 Society, comprised 1 Gold Medal, 5 Silver April .

May . 18 9 3 11 11 • 2 2 19 Medals, 9 Binocular Glasses, 4 Aneroid T J June . 5 — 1 2 Barometers, 39 Totes of Thanks inscribed July .

August 11 2 1 11 — 1 4 on vellum and framed, 6 Certificates September 49 29 4 4 of Service framed, and 10,616?. 18s., October .

November 74 ! 95 3 37 58 2 11 26 including grants to relatives of men lost December 50 1 70 2 23 on service and compensation for injuries Total . . 345 312 20 149 received in the Service. At the close of the year the Institution had bestowed altogether in rewards since The total number of lives for the saving 1824, 99 Gold Medals and Gold Clasps, of which the Institution has granted 1,154 Silver; Medals and Clasps, 266 rewards since its establishment in by Life-boats, shore-boats, or by 1824 other Binocular Glasses, 15 Telescopes, 13 Aneroid Barometers. 1.558 Votes of means, has been 39,815, the number for Thanks inscribed on vellum and framed. each year being as follows : — ! 63 Certificates of Service framed, and Tear. No of Lives. Year. No. of Lives. 169,546?. 5s. 6rf. in money. 1-824 124 1835 364 : 1825 218 1826 175 :. 1836 225 . . , ,, ... , , 1837 272 Aneroids. — Many of these very useful 1827 163 1838 456 and reliable instruments were in 1896 1828 301 1829 463 ! 1839 279 supplied by the Institution, at about a 1830 372 1841 128 third the retail price, to Masters and 1831 287 1842 276 Owners of Fishing -boats and small 1832 310 1833 449 1844 193 i Coasters- Of the 144 instruments so 1834 214 1845 235 supplied, 114 went to Fishermen and 30 to Coasters. The total number provided by the Institution since Jane 1882 has been 3,753.

Removal of Wrecks.—Several wrecks in non-navigable waters which were danger- ous to the Life-boat crews when dis- charging their life-saving duties, were removed by the Elder Brethren of the Trinity House, and other authorities j during the past year, this being done under the useful provisions of the Removal of Wrecks Act 1877, Amendment Act 1889, passed through Parliament as the result of the exertions of the Institution.

Electrical Communication on the Coast.— Further progress was made last year in the very important system of Electrical Communication on the Coast for Life- saving purposes, taken in hand by the Government in 1892, at the instance of the Institution. The Royal Commission is still continuing its labours, and thanks to their efforts and to the energy dis- played by the Officials of Her Majesty's Post Office, it is earnestly hoped that, provided the Treasury can be persuaded to grant the necessary funds, the system will ere long be complete. Such a system as that contemplated cannot fail to prevent loss of life, and will possibly at no distant date be also found to conduce in no small degree to the commercial interests of the country.

Local Committees, &c.—The best thanks of the Committee are due to all the Local Committees, their Honorary Secretaries and Treasurers, for their much needed and valued services in raising funds for the cause, and their aid in maintaining the Life-boat stations in efficiency. The Committee fully appreciate the fact that, were it not for the important voluntary help received by the Institution in all parts of the country, it would be practically-impossible to carry on the work.

The thanks of the Committee are also due to the many patentees and inventors who have been good enough to submit their proposals and suggestions to the Institution, trusting that they might be utilised for the purposes of the Institution. The Committee are at all times very grateful for any suggestions from any source which may be the means of increasing efficiency.

Life - Boat Saturday. — The Life-boat Saturday Fund has developed in a remark- able manner during the past year. Not only has the Ladies Auxiliary of the Fund been favoured and helped by H.H.H. THE DUCHESS . OF YORK graciously accepting the post of President of the Auxiliary, but the Fund generally, notwithstanding obstacles and difficulties, has gained ground and prospered. The greatest enthusiasm in the work continues to be shown by the Local and District Committees, and the Central Committee of the Fund, composed of Life-boat Saturday representatives from all parts of the country and which has its office in London, is to be congratulated on the success which has attended the first year of its existence. The number of cities and towns in the United Kingdom which held Life-boat Saturday demonstrations or made Life-boat Saturday collections in 1895 was seventy-four, whereas in the past year the number was increased to one hundred and three, and of this total fifty-three had never moved in the matter before. While some of the cities and towns propose to renew their efforts annually others will do so biennially. The excellent work done by the Central Committee of the Fund during its first season of office argues well for the future, and there is no doubt that under its fostering care the movement has been carried on and extended on more economical lines than formerly was the case.

London for the first time participated in the Life-boat Saturday movement last spring, but owing to the short time allowed for making the necessary preparations only twelve out of the eighty districts into which the metropolis has been divided were worked. The results, however, were very encouraging, and it is expected that this year London will take its proper place among the Life-boat Saturday collections. The Committee are most grateful to all the kind friends through- out the country who have worked so well and with such self-denying enthusiasm, their special thanks being perhaps due to the ladies.

Finances.—The receipts for the past year in subscriptions, donations, dividends, &c., including the amount received from the Life-boat Saturday Fund, were 74,587?. 19s. 4cZ., the largest amount received under the head of ordinary income in any year since the Institution was founded in 1824. Large however as this total was, it was insufficient to meet the expenditure for the year, and a con- siderable draw was made on the " Trust Funds Capital Account." Numerous legacies, the details of which will be found in another part of the report, were also received by the Committee during the year, and have been and will be of great service in helping to maintain the Institution's work.

The total expenditure for the year 1896 amounted to 78,6642.5s. Id. and comprised 27,511?. 10s. lOd. for building, equipping, improving and repairing Life-boats and Life-boat Carriages, Life-boat Houses and Slipways; 17,099?. 8s. 5d. for Life-belts and other Stores, the Storeyard, Subsidies to non-self-supporting Stations, Branch Payments, and Aneroids for Fishermen and Coasters; 27,087?. 6s. lid. for pay- ments to Inspectors, Coxswains, Bowmen, Signalmen; to Crews, &c., for Services and for Exercising the Life-boats, Special Rewards and Recognitions for Services, Grants to the Relatives of Men lost on Service, and for Injuries, also for Medals and Vellums. The remainder was expended in Printing, Advertising, Postage, Telegrams and Stationery; on Salaries, Bent, Bates, Taxes, Housekeeper, &c. Every item of receipt and expenditure has, as usual, been examined, verified and passed by Mr. LOVELOCK, of the firm of Messrs. LOVELOCK, WHIFFEN, and DICKINSON, 19, Coleman Street, B.C., Chartered Ac- countants.

The Committee, in issuing this their 73rd Annual Report and in submitting to their Supporters and the Public an outline of what has been accomplished during the past year, once again earnestly appeal for renewed effort and increased [ financial aid for the great cause of life- saving which they have the honour to direct. They feel that the thankfulness of this great maritime nation for the preservation on the throne during the last sixty years of their beloved Queen— the Patron of the Institution—could not be bettor or more appropriately shown than by contributing to the Life-boat Institution, the object of which is to afford assistance to every shipwrecked person around the coasts of the United Kingdom. They therefore invite special gifts for the Reserve Fund of the Institution to mark the completion of the Sixtieth Year of Her Majesty's Reign in addition to special contributions for the general maintenance of the Service.