THE Life-saving Service in the United States, which is a branch of the Govern- ment, has recently issued its Annual Report, giving full particulars of its operations during the year which ended on the 30th June, 1896.

We observe that at that time the organization comprised 256 stations, 186 being on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, 55 on the coasts of the Great Lakes, 14 on the Pacific, and one at the Palls of the Ohio, Louisville, Kentucky.

About two-thirds of the stations are furnished with surf-boats; the remainder are supplied with self-righting Life-boats.

The number of persons landed or taken to places of safety by surf-boats during the year under consideration was 879, and those rescued in the same period by self-righting boats numbered 72.

During the year there had been 437 disasters to vessels coming within the field of station operations, this number being 46 less than in the previous twelve months. There were 4,608 persons t n board these vessels, of whom 13 only perished. The number of vessels totally lost was 67, being a decrease of 14 as compared with the previous year. In addition there were, during the year reported on, 243 disasters to smaller craft, such as sail-boats, row-boats, &c., which had 597 persons on board, only 7 of whom were lost. The total number of persons succoured at the stations was 613.

Besides the lives saved from vessels, the life-saving crews were instrumental in rescuing 82 persons under various circumstances, as follows:—21 had fallen from wharves, piers, &c., and would have perished but for the timely assistance of the life-saving crews; 12, who were cut off from shore by the tide while fishing from outlying rocks, were rescued by the surf- men, who waded into the water and assisted them with heaving lines; 6 bathers were rescued; also 11 persons were taken off an island which was under water; the remaining lives were saved in various other ways.

In 571 instances vessels were worked off when stranded, repaired when damaged, piloted out of dangerous places, and simi- larly assisted by the station crews. Minor assistance was also rendered in 167 other cases. There were, besides, 229 instances where vessels running into danger of stranding were warned off by the signals of the patrols.

The surf-boats were used 743 times, making 1100 trips, and the self-righting and self-bailing Life-boats were used 115 times, making 147 trips.

The foregoing statistics exhibit the most satisfactory results yet accomplished by this Service; while the total number of disasters (680) was greater than in any previous year, the percentage of lives and property lost was less, being only one person out of every 260, and 11 per cent, of property—a very gratifying result, the average for twenty years, excluding one abnormally heavy year, being 1 loss out of every 112 lives imperilled, and 21 per cent, of the property involved.

As directed by the Act of Congress organizing the Life-saving Service, special inquiries were held into every case where there was loss .of life, with results eminently satisfactory to the Service, it being satisfactorily demonstrated that it was from no want of daring or skill on the part of their men that those lives were unhappily lost.

The Service has to deplore the loss by death of an able and energetic member of the service, viz., Capt. JOHN M. EICHAED- SON, Superintendent of the First Life- saving District, who received his appoint- ment in July, 1874, and was the first officer to have charge of a district; he therefore necessarily performed an important part in the initiation and development of the present system, which was then in the early stages of its organization.

The Report closes with an allusion to the inadequacy of the compensation awarded by Congress to the Super- intendents of Life-saving Districts and to the surfmen, which was a source of serious discontent and complaint, and which it was strongly hoped would lead to early remedial action being taken..