AT the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, held at the Royal United Service Institution, Whitehall, on Wednesday, the 12th day of March, 1902, The Eight Hon. The EARL OF SELBORNE, P.O., First Lord of the Admiralty, in the Chair, the following Report of the Committee of Management was submitted and adopted:— ANNUAL REPORT.

1902. Appeals to the charitable in constant - and possessing such improvements as OWING to the death of Queen Victoria, who had so graciously held the position of Patron since her accession to the Throne in 1837, the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION has suffered an irreparable loss. His Majesty King Edward VII., who as Prince of Wales had been a Vice-Patron of the Institution since 1863, and President from the beginning of 1899, at once, at -the re- quest of the Committee of Management, graciously consented to succeed Her late Majesty as Patron; the post of President, which His Majesty now vacated, being accepted by H.R.H.

The Prince of Wales, KG., who had been for eleven years a Vice-Patron of the Institution, and since 1894 a member of the Committee of Management.

The continuance of the South African War during the past year and the connection with the numerous funds organized for assisting those directly affected by the war in this country, has no doubt had an unfortunate effect on the finances not only of the Life- boat Institution, but on those of nearly all the old-established philanthropic societies. The difficulty therefore which has been met with by the Committee of Management in obtaining the necessary funds for carrying on the great life-saving work committed to them has been unusually great, and their way has not been made easier by the fact that, while it has required more than usual effort to raise the funds necessary to maintain the Life-boat Service inefficiency, the cost of materials and labour has considerably increased during the last few years.

Life-boats.—During the year, sailing and pulling Life-boats, fully equipped VOL. XVIII—No. 204 (2ju ED.).—LIFE BOAT JOURNAL.

experience has suggested for the various types, were built and placed at 26 stations, the coxswains and crew in each instance having been permitted to choose the special type and class of boat provided for them. Of these twenty-six new boats, four were sent to entirely new stations, namely to Barry (Glamorgan- shire), Coverack (Cornwall), Killough (co. Down), and Minehead (Somerset), the rest being despatched to stations to replace Life-boats by those of more modern construction.

In addition a new Steam Life-boat, furnished with a protected screw, and almost precisely similar to the Grimsby Steam Life-boat, was stationed in May last at Harwich, the turbine boat until then in use there having become in- efficient for the special purposes for which she was constructed.

The following is a complete list of the Stations to which new boats were sent in 1901 :— BanSshire.

Glamorganshire.

Essex.

Co. Cork.

Cornwall.

Kent.

Haddingtonshire.

Yorkshire.

Ayrshire.

Co. Down.

Essex.

Sussex.

Caithness-shire.

Go. Down.

Somerset.

Forfarshire.

Aberdeenshire.

Cornwall.

Norfolk.

Lancashire.

Co. Cork.

Island of Lewis.

Wigtownshire.

Sussex.

Banff Barry Dock . . .

Claoton-on-Sea . .

Courtmacsherry . .

Coverack .

Dover ......

Dunbar . . . .

Maryborough (No. 2) Girvan Groomsport Harwich .

Hastings . . . .

Huna Killough . . . .

Minehead . . . .

Montrose (2 boats) .

Newburgh ....

Padstow (2 boats). .

Palling (No. 1) . .

Piel (Barrow) Queenstown Stornoway .

Whithorn .

Worthing .

The Steam-Tug which the Committee of Management decided, as stated in last year's Annual Report, to construct for use only in conjunction with Life- boats of the Institution was completed and sent to her headquarters at Padstow (Cornwall) last September. She is 96 ft. in length with a beam 19 ft.

6 in., her depth being 11 ft. 6 in. and her mean draft 8 ft. 6 in., and the Committee have every confidence in her proving to be of great use for the Life- boat Service on the north coast of Cornwall.

Within the year three stations have been closed, changes in local requirements rendering it unnecessary that they should any longer be retained.

The Stations from which the Life-boats have been withdrawn are Kildonan (Isle of Arran), Llanaelhairn (Carnarvonshire), and Rye (Sussex).

The Institution's fleet at the close of 1901 included and comprised 284 Sailing and Pulling Life-boats, 4 Steam Life- boats and 1 Steam-Tug.

Transporting Carriages.—New trans- porting carriages have been supplied to 16 Stations.

Inspection of Life-boats, etc. — The Life-boat Stations of the Institution, including the boats and their gear, have, as usual, been thoroughly and very carefully inspected during the year, every effort being made to maintain them in the most perfect state of efficiency.

Shipwrecks.—Probably no year in the last half century was more remarkably free from storms and gales than the year 1901. Week after week and even month after month passed without any weather being experienced on our coasts which could be considered other than fine, with the result that happily the crews of the Life-boats were not called upon nearly so frequently as usual to render those gallant and self- denying services which they are at all times ready and willing to give. The heaviest gale of the year occurred on tIST MAY, 1902.] ANNUAL REPORT. 315 which 37 of the Institution's Life-boats Lives were launched and saved 73 lives and of Life- Saved Saved Saved hv 3 vessels, in addition to which the 1901. boat Launch by Life- B. boats. by Life- boats. oy Shore- boats. crews were assembled in readiness at 25 other stations, but their services January 42 17 1 24 were not required. Between the 1st February 15 37 22 29 1 5 10 January and the 31st December, 1901, April '. 10 3 — 11 inclusive, the Institution's Life-boats May . 13 17 1 4 were launched on service 286 times, June .

July . 8 6 27 ~ 2 1 and 1079 times for exercise, besides August 17 4 1 which crews were assembled in readi- September 12 10 — 4 October 13 9 2 9 ness for service 71 times, but their aid November 53 79 4 13 was fortunately not ultimately required. December. 60 180 4 10 The Committee deeply regret to Total. . 286 397 15 93 announce that during the gale of the 14th November, 9 of the crew of the The total number of lives for the Life-boat Beauchamp, of Caister, perished saving of which the Institution has while on their errand of mercy, leaving granted rewards since 1824, by Life- 6 widows and 37 other dependent boats, shore-boats, or by other means, relatives unprovided for. The Institu- has been 43,197, the number for each tion, with as little delay as possible, year being given in the following table : — contributed 2000Z. to the fund raised Year. No. of Lives. Year. No. of Lives. for them locally, and also paid all the 1824 124 1825 218 1864 698 1865 714 funeral expenses. This sad disaster 1826 175 1866 951 excited very great sympathy through- 1827 163 1828 301 1867 1,086 1868 862 out the United Kingdom. 1829 463 1869 1,231 The Committee have to report with 1830 372 1831 287 1870 784 1871 882 great regret that whilst the Steam 1832 310 1872 739 Life-boat, Duke of Northumberland, 1833 449 1873 668 was in the river Mersey on the 26th 1834 214 1835 864 1874 713' 1875 921 June last, and about to return to her 1836 225 1876 660 station at Holyhead after overhaul and 1837 272 1838 456 1877 1,048 1878 616 repair, an explosion occurred in the 1839 279 1879 855 engine-room, resulting in the sad death of the two firemen, and the serious 1840 353 1841 128 1842 276 1880 697 1881 1,121 1882 884 injury of the second engineer. The 1843 236 1883 955 Committee at once contributed- 1,0001. 1844 193 1845 235 1884 792 1885 555 for the maintenance of the bereaved 1846 134 1886 761 widows and orphans, and compensated 1847 157 1848 123 1887 572 1888 800 the engineer for his injuries. 1849 209 1889 627 The total number of lives for the 1850 470 1851 230 1890 765 1891 736 saving of which the Institution granted 1852 773 1892 1,056 rewards in 1901 was 490 ; of these, 1853 678 1893 598 397 were saved by the Life-boats, and 1854 355 1855 406 1894 1895 790 709 93 by shore-boats and other means, 1856 473 1896 461 besides which the Life-boat crews were 1857 374 1858 427 1897 1898 662 756 instrumental in saving 15 vessels. 1859 499 1899 609 The following table gives the details 1861 424 1900 1901 865 490 of the services during each month of 1862 574 the year. 1863 714 Total 43,197 he 12th to 14th November, duringRewards.—The rewards bestowed by the Institution in 1901 for the saving of life from shipwreck on our coasts or for prompt and praiseworthy efforts to do so, and in due recognition of other good services rendered in the interests of the cause included 1 Gold Medal, 4 Silver Medals, 48 Decorations, 16 Binocular Glasses, 6 Aneroid Baro- meters, 18 Votes of Thanks inscribed on vellum and framed, 11 Certificates of Service framed and 11,911Z. Is. 3d., including grants to the families of men lost on Service, compensation for personal injuries sustained in the Service, and retiring allowances.

At the end of the year the Institution had granted altogether in rewards since 1824, 99 Gold Medals and Clasps, 1,196 Silver Medals and Clasps, 51 Decorations, 321 Binocular Glasses, 15 Telescopes, 34 Aneroid Barometers, 1,690 Yotes of Thanks inscribed on vellum and framed, 138 Certificates of Service framed and 224,121*. 10«. 2d.

in money.

Aneroids.—The demand for the valuable Aneroid Barometers, supplied by the Institution since 1882 to the Masters and Owners of fishing-boats and also since 1883 to small coasters at about one-third the retail price, still continues.

The total number issued last year was 127. Of these, 106 were sold to Fisher- men and 21 to Coasters. The total number provided has been 4,417.

Electrical Communication on the Coast.—The General Post Office has not been able to do much during the past year towards completing the very important system of electrical communication established on the coast for life - saving purposes owing to the small amount voted last year by the Government for this valuable work.

The Committee cannot but express their hope that wireless telegraphy, the value of which remarkable invention cannot be overrated, will before long be provided for the light-vessels and light- houses round our coast.

Local Committees.—The very grateful thanks of the Committee of Management are due to all the honorary officials of the Institution, whose work during the past two years has been rendered unusually arduous and difficult as the result of the special circumstances in which the country has been placed.

The help, therefore, which has been received during the year from the Branch Committees, Secretaries and Treasurers, has been of more than usual value and importance and has earned the most hearty and cordial acknowledgments of all taking an interest in Life-boat work.

The best thanks of the Institution are also tendered to the Public Press, whose powerful voice has been and is so often raised in accents of appeal on behalf of the cause; as well as to H. M. Coastguard for their continued hearty and important co-operation.

Life-boat Saturday.—The enthusiasm and zeal of the Life-boat Saturday workers throughout the country has been productive of excellent results for the Institution during the past year, notwithstanding the continuance of the more than usual difficulties encountered during the preceding year in raising money for charitable objects. The number of cities and towns in which the Life-boat Saturday movement was worked in 1901 was 145, as compared with 93 in 1900, and the amounts realized showed a very remarkable improvement on those obtained the previous year, the net proceeds having almost doubled. The best and most appreciative thanks of the Committee of Management are tendered to the Central Committee of the Life-boat Saturday Fund, as well as to all the local Life-boat Saturday Committees and their Officers, and to the Ladies'Auxiliaries which can always be relied on for untiring activity and self-denying effort. The most remarkable event of the year—or, indeed, of any year—in connection with the Life-boat Saturday Fund, was the Garden Pete held at Stafford House on the 26th June last under the patronage of their Majesties the King and Queen, every member of the Royal Family, and the leaders of English society. Probably no function connected with a charity ever before received so much attention at the hands of the Press or was so generally dis- cussed by the Public.

Inventions, &c.—Numerous patents, inventions and suggestions have been carefully considered by the Committee since the issue of their last Report, and they wish it to be generally under- stood by the Public that they are always ready to receive and examine any proposal which, if adopted, might possibly be the means of increasing the efficiency of the Service.

Finances.—The total amount received by the Committee of Management in 1901, in subscriptions, donations, dividends, etc., and including the record contribution (21.433Z. 4*. lid.) received from the Life-boat Saturday Fund, was 77.071Z. 12s. 5d., a very gratifying in- crease of 7,378Z. 5s. 9 J. as compared with the corresponding total of 1900.

A further sum of 30.221Z. 14s. Gd. was received in legacies, of which 13,195Z.

15s. Id. was for special trusts or specified purposes.

The total expenditure in 1901 was 111.296Z. 17s. Id., an increase of 15,673Z. 13s. 6d. as compared with the previous year, such increase being mainly due to the fact that the Institu- tion completed in 1901 a steam-tug, a steam Life-boat and 23 other new Life- boats, the cost of materials and of the hire of labour having vastly increased within the 2ast few years. The expen- diture included 56,732Z. 2s. 9d. for building, equipping, improving and re- pairing Life-boats, a Steam-tug, Life-boat carriages, Life-boat houses and Slipways; 18,128Z. 9s. 4d. for subsidies to non-self- supporting stations, branch payments, aneroids for fishermen and coasters, life- belts, and other stores and the storeyard; 30,516Z. 15s. 8d. for payments to cox- swains, bowmen, signalmen; to crews, etc., for services and for exercising the Life-boats ; for special rewards and recognitions for services; grants to the relatives of men lost on service; for injuries, pensions and retiring allow- ances to coxswains and signalmen; medals and vellums; also for payments to Inspectors. The balance was ex- pended in printing, advertising, postage, telegrams and stationery; on salaries, rates, taxes, house-keeper, other office expenses, and legal charges connected with leases and bequests. Every item of receipt and expenditure has, as usual, been examined, verified, and passed by Mr.

Samuel Lovelock, Chartered Accountant.

In conclusion, the Committee of Management again earnestly appeal to all classes of the community for in- creased financial support without which it will be impossible to properly maintain as a voluntary work, the British Life-boat Service, a service which for more than three-quarters of a century has been not only the pride of our own country, but also the admiration of all the civilised nations of the world.