AT the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, held at the Royal United Service Institution, Whitehall, on Thursday, the 16th day of March, 1911, The Eight Honourable the EARL OF DERBY, G.C.V.O., G.B., in the Chair, the following Report of the Committee of Management was presented:— ANNUAL REPORT.

1911.

IN all branches of the work of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION thorough efficiency has been maintained during the past year, and the Service has never been in a better condition to meet the demands made upon it- The death of his late Majesty King Edward VII. was a severe blow to the Institution, in which he had always taken the deepest interest, having been Vice-President from 18° 3 to 1899, and President from 1899 till his Accession, when he became Patron. The Committee of Management have the satisfaction of stating that His Majesty King George, on relinquishing the office of President, graciously consented to become Patron of the Institution in succession to his late Majesty, thus emphasizing. his interest in everything that affects the welfare of the seafaring population.

His Grace the Duke of Northumberland, K.G., for many years a Vice-President and warm friend of the Institution, was proposed for election as President.

The Committee have to record the great loss which the Institution sustained on, the 7th June, 1910 — as reported in the Life-boat Journal — by the death of Mr. Charles Dibdin, who had filled the post of Secretary to the Institution for 27 years. Through- out this long period Mr. Dibdin had served the Institution with great devotion, and his death is deeply regretted by all concerned in its management.

In August, the Committee appointed to the Secretaryship Mr. George F. Shee, M.A., a gentleman widely known for his powers of organization as Secretary of the National Service League.

Life-boats. — Two additional motor Life-boats were sent to the coast, one to Broughty Ferry (Forfarshire), and the other to Donaghadee (co. Down) ; and eight additional motor Life-boats are in course of construction. New sailing boats were supplied to various stations, the coxswains and crews being fully consulted, as usual, as to the type of boat in which they had most con- fidence. The following is a list of the new boats of all kinds sent to the coast during the year :— Appledore No. 1 . . Devonshire.

Ayr Ayrshire.

Broughty Perry (motor) Forfarshire.

Orail Fifeshire.

Douaghadee (motor). Co. Down.

Hythe Kent.

Kirkcudbright. . . Kirkcudbrightshire.

Moelfre .... Anglesey.

Pakefield .... Suffolk.

Poolbeg .... Co. Dublin.

Poole Dorset.

Ruuswick .... Yorkshire.

St. Andrews . . . Fifeshire.

Southsea .... Hampshire.

At the end of the year 1910, exclusive of Boats in the Reserve, the fleet of the Institution consisted of 268 sailing and pulling Life-boats, 9 motor Life-boats, 4 steam Life-boats and 1 steam tug, making a total of 281 Life- boats and 1 steam tug.

Transporting Carriages. — A new transporting carriage was built and sent to Runswick (Yorkshire).

Inspection of Life-boats.—As usual, all the stations of the Institution were carefully inspected, a report in each case being submitted for the consideration of the Committee. Wherever necessary, the boats and stations were repaired.

Shipwrecks.—The gales of the year provided a full measure of arduous and dangerous work for the Life-boat crews, and it is with the deepest regret that the Committee report that one of the most gallant rescues was attended by the loss of the lives of three Life- boatmen. The St. David's Life-boat was called out about midnight on the 12th-13th October, by signals of distress from the ketch Democrat, of Barnstaple.

The weather was exceptionally bad, with a whole gale from the N.E. and a very heavy sea. The three men on board were rescued, but the Life-boat, on its way back, was dashed on a rock, with disastrous results, the Coxswain (John Stephens) and two of the crew (James Price and Henry Rowlands) sing their lives in the service of their fellow men. The remainder of the Life-boatmen and the three men rescued from the ketch managed to cling to the rock, but would have perished from prolonged exposure had not some brave men gone off in shore-boats to their aid. The fore- most of these men, a young fisherman named Sydney Mortimer, was rewarded with the Silver Medal of the Institution, and was subsequently elected Coxswain by the Life-boat crew. The Board of Trade, who held an enquiry into the disaster, found that no blame attached to the late Coxswain or the crew of the Life-boat. The Institution contributed £225 to the fund raised locally on behalf of the two widows and one dependent daughter who lost their bread-winners in this catastrophe.

The heaviest gales occurred on the 17th-21st February, the 12th-14th October, and the 15th-16th December.

During the February gales 22 Life-boats were launched, 41 lives were saved, and 4 vessels were assisted. During the October storm 26 Life-boats were launched, resulting in the saving of 70 lives and 6 vessels. Finally, during the terrible storm of the 15th-16th December, 23 Life-boats were launched, 47 lives were saved, and 4 vessels ; while 8 vessels and a very large number of fishing-cobles were assisted.

Altogether the Life - boats were launched 438 times on service, being manned by 6,381 men; in addition to which the crews were assembled in readiness for service on 52 occasions when fortunately it was found unnecessary to launch.

The Committee granted rewards for the saving of 649 lives by Life-boats and 118 lives by shore-boats and other means, or a total of 767 lives. The Life- boats were instrumental in saving 60 vessels and boats.

The following table gives the details of the services during each month of the year : — 1910.

January . .

February . .

March .

April . . .

May . . .

June .

July . . .

August September October .

November December .

Total. .

The total Number of Lifeboat Launches.

42 43 20 30 23 10 21 33 13 68 51 81 438 number saving of which the Lives Saved by Lifeboats.

73 80 13 32 13 G 2 46 25 130 48 175 649 Vessels and Boats Saved by Lifeboats.

8 4 2 3 2 1 GO bOCO | 4 23 60 Lives Saved by Shoreboats, etc.

10 2 16 4 7 13 22 7 12 5 18 2 118 of lives for the Committee granted rewards since the of the Institution on the 1824, is 49,394.

have foundation 4th March, Shore-boats, Total No.

Year. Life-boats. etc. of Lives.

1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 — — —— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —— — .

, — — — — • — — —— — — — — 124 218 175 163 301 463 372 287 310 449 214 364 . 225 272 .

456 279 353 128 276 236 235 134 157 123 209 470 230 773 8189 NOTE.— Prior to 1853 tlie lives saved by Life-boats, Shore-boats, etc,, were not separately recorded.

Shore-boats, Total No.

Year. Life-boats. etc. o£ Lives.

1853 97 581 678 1854 132 223 355 1855 75 331 406 1856 129 344 473 1857 132 242 374 1858 110 317 427 1859 227 272 499 1860 210 245 455 1861 288 136 424 1862 358 216 574 1863 417 297 714 1864 432 266 698 1865 532 182 714 1866 426 495 921 1867 783 303 1,086 1868 603 259 862 1869 871 360 1,231 1870 513 271 784 1871 658 224 882 1872 569 170 739 1873 471 197 668 1874 543 170 713 1875 726 195 921 1876 515 85 600 1877 848 200 1,048 1878 471 145 616 1879 637 218 855 1880 577 120 697 1881 966 155 1,121 1882 741 143 884, 1883 725 230 955 1884 633 159 792 1885 371 184 555 1886 601 160 761 1887 368 204 572 1888 626 174 800 1889 420 207 627 1890 555 218 773 1891 568 168 736 1892 836 220 1,056 1893 428 170 598 1894 649 141 790 1895 533 176 709 1896 312 149 461 1897 537 125 662 1898 682 74 756 1899 501 108 609 1900 690 175 865 1901 397 93 490 1902 364 91 455 1903 572 137 709 1904 390 138 528 1905 397 153 550 1906 595 177 772 1907 932 224 1,156 1908 486 152 638 1909 434 210 644 1910 649 118 767 Total 29,308 11,897 49,394Rewards.—The rewards bestowed in 1910 for rescuing lives from shipwreck or for praiseworthy and gallant attempts at rescue and in recognition of other good services rendered to the cause, included 4 Silver Medals and clasps, 14 Binocular Glasses, 5 Aneroid Barometers, 16 Votes of Thanks in- scribed on vellum and framed, 10 Certificates of Service framed, and 12,2Q21. 13s. 4d. in money payments, including pensions, retiring allowances, gratuities and compensation for personal injuries or loss sustained in the service.

At the close of 1910 the Institution had granted since its foundation in March, 1824, 101 Gold Medals and Clasps, 1,273 Silver Medals and Clasps, 69 Decorations, 426 Binocular Glasses, 15 Telescopes, 95 Aneroid Barometers, 1,932 Votes of Thanks inscribed on vellum and framed, 223 Certificates of Service framed, and 317,714Z. in money.

Aneroids.—The Institution supplied, at a considerable reduction in price, 51 Aneroid Barometers to fishermen and 6 to coasters, making a total issue since 1882 of 5,156.

Life-boat Saturday Fund.—The Life- boat Saturday Fund, which had done excellent work for many years past in collecting funds on behalf of the Institution, was dissolved on the 31st December with a view to economy and to unity of effort and control. The grateful appreciation of the Committee of Management for the public-spirited work done by many thousands of patriotic men and women, who had devoted themselves to the Life-boat cause in connexion with the Fund, found expression, not only in the thanks publicly accorded to them through the medium of the Press, but also in the gracious words in which His Majesty referred to their work in the letter addressed by Sir Arthur Bigge to the Chairman of the Institution.

It is most satisfactory to be able to add, that, in response to the invitation issued by the Committee of Management, the vast majority of the Local j Committees and Ladies' Auxiliaries of the late Fund have, in a spirit of hearty good will, agreed to transfer their energies to the Institution direct.

Local Committees.—The very grateful thanks of the Committee of Management are tendered to the Local Committees and their officers for their continued cordial co-operation, and more particularly to those at Station Branches who undertake the responsibility of managing and controlling the Life-boats and their crews. Special thanks are due to the Honorary Secretaries and Treasurers.

Public Authorities.—The warm thanks of the Committee are due to the Post Office and the various Light-house and Light-vessel authorities for their continued help. Also to His Majesty's Coastguard, whose watching of the coast is most important to the success of the Institution. The Committee earnestly hope that the system of watching by the Coastguard will be maintained and extended in the interests of humanity.

The Press.—The generous support of the Public Press is very gratefully acknowledged by the Committee.

Inventions.—Inventions have been submitted during the past year, and have received the careful attention of j the Committee who are always on the look-out for any improvement which may tend to the increased efficiency of the Service.

Finances. — The amount received in annual subscriptions, donations, dividends, etc., including 14,5922. 2s. 5d.

from the Life-boat Saturday Fund, was 72,6092. 9s. Id., a decrease of 6,092Z. 16s. lOd. as compared with 1909. In addition, legacies amounting to 21,812Z. 14s. 2(7. were received, of which 6,442Z. 11s. 5d. were for special trusts or specified purposes. 2,900Z.

were also received in gifts specially earmarked. But for the legacies the work could not have been carried on without encroaching on the invested funds of the Institution ; for the total expenditure was 99,403L 19*. This amount included 36,907Z. 4«. for building, equipping and repairing Life-boats, Life-boat transporting carriages, Life- boat houses and slipways ; 19,017Z. 3s.

for subsidies for non - self - supporting stations, branch outlays, aneroids for fishermen and coasters, life-belts and other stores and the store - yard ; 32,862Z. 13*. llrf. (a) for payments to coxswains, bowmen and signalmen, crews, etc., for services and for exercising the Life - boats, (b) for special rewards and recognitions, (c) for grants for injuries and to the relatives of deceased Life-boatmen, (rf) for pensions and other retiring allowances to coxswains, bowmen and signalmen, (e) for medals and vellums, and (/) for payments to the inspecting staff. The balance was expended on printing, advertising, postage, telegrams and stationery, and on salaries, rates, taxes, office expenses and legal charges.

Each item of receipt and expenditure I has been examined and verified by Mr.

I Albert W. Wyon, Chartered Account- ant, of the firm of Messrs. Price, Water- house & Co.

The Pension Scheme which was sanctioned last year has, after careful re-consideration, been confirmed; and the Committee entertain no doubt that it will prove a measure of true economy, productive of the best results in the work of the permanent staff of the Institution.

In conclusion, the fact that the Institution has now undertaken, as part of its ordinary business, the whole work of collecting funds for the national service with which it is entrusted, encourages the Committee to ask all supporters of the Institution to work with renewed energy and zeal on behalf of a cause which makes a special appeal alike to the instincts of humanity and to the spirit of a sea- faring people.