AT the close of the fiscal year ended the 30th June, 1901, the Life-saving Estab- lishment of the United States embraced 270 stations, an increase of 1 as com- pared with the previous year. Of this total (270) 195 were situated on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, 58 on the coasts of the Great Lakes, 16 on the Pacific coast, and 1 at the Falls of the Ohio, Louisville, Kentucky. In the majority of cases, the stations are kept open for only a portion of the year, the times ranging from 3 to 10 months.

The number of disasters to documented vessels within the field of the station operations during the year was 377, and there were on board these vessels 2,848 persons, of whom only 7 were lost.

The estimated value of the vessels was $5,263,420, and that of their cargoes $2,OSO,580, making the total value of the property imperiled, $7,354,000. Of this amount $6,405,035 was saved and $948,965 lost. The number of vessels totally lost was 43. In addition to the foregoing, there were also 393 casualties to undocumented craft—sail boats, row boats, etc.—carrying 927 persons, 10 of whom perished. The value of the property involved in these instances is estimated at $213,540, of which $160,240 was saved and $53,300 lost.

647 persons were succoured at the stations, the number of day's relief furnished aggregating 1,214.

The foregoing figures show tiafc there were only 17 lives lost during the year within the scope of the Service. This total of lives lost is considerably below the average for the last 25 years, the yearly average in that period having been 37—that is to say, 1 life lost in every 13 casualties, whereas in the year under consideration the number of lives lost represented only 1 in every 45 casualties. From documented vessels alone the number of lives lost was only 7, i.e., 1 to every 54 casualties.

In 548 instances, vessels were worked off when stranded, repaired when damaged, piloted out of dangerous places and similarly assisted by the station crews. Besides these, assistance of minor importance was rendered to 403 vessels and small craft. 231 vessels running into danger were warned off by station patrolmen, namely, 210 by night signals and 21 by day signals.

The surf-boat was used 720 times, making 996 trips. The self-righting and self-bailing life-boat was used 78 times, making 118 trips. The gasoline launches at the City Point Station were used 112 times, making 119 trips.

Smaller boats were used 502 times, making 585 trips. The river Hfe-skiflsat the Louisville Station were used 53 times, making 56 trips. Tho breeches buoy was used 11 times, making 73 trips. The wreck gun was employed 15 times, firing 24 shots, and the heaving stick was used 27 times.

684 persons during the year were landed by the surf-boats ; 172 by the life-boats; 165 by the gasoline launches; 56 by the river life-skiffs; 194 by other station boats, and 65 by the breeches buoy.

The cost of maintaining the United States Life-Saving Service during the year ended the 30th June, 1901, was $1,640,013, to which must be added the sum of $42,645 expended in the salaries of the officials at the head office, making a total of $1,682,658, or :£345,751.