CRITICISMS have been expressed in recent years as to the great cost of the construction of the Institution's Life- boats. It would seem, from these, criticisms, that the public do not fully: understand either the nature of Life-boat{ work or the extreme risks which the Boats and their Crews have to face.

The necessity for super-qualities, super-material and super-construction can, I think, be summed up in the following words : If commercially-built vessels and boats were built on such lines that they could withstand the enormous stresses and strains put upon them under all conditions of storm and sea, including foundering in collision, stranding and breakdowns of machinery, failure of masts, sails and equipment, then, apart from the casualties due to the mistakes of the human element, there would be no need for a Life-boat Service, Unfortunately, the commercial world could not, and cannot, afford super-work in the construction of their vessels and boats, so that any vessel or boat that has to go to the assistance of a casualty must of necessity be of superior quality to the vessel or boat which she is succouring. Otherwise she could not carry out her task without incurring the gravest risk not only to herself but to the lives of those who volunteer to man her and to render aid to their less fortunate comrades.

It is here that the expense occurs in construct/on and equipment. .Everything put into a rescuing craft must be of the very highest quality obtainable, and the necessity of doing this has been demonstrated in hundreds of cases since the inception of the Life-boat Service in 1824. I will only quote one recent instance, which should suffice to make the point clear.

On the 27th November of last year, a cross-Channel steamer, making New- haven from Dieppe, missed the entrance to the harbour and was thrown ashore.

The Newhaven Life-boat was called out, and; in the teeth of a driving gale, went to her help. The steamer herself was found in a position where the passengers were in no immediate danger, but a tug-boat which was in attendance on her, and had been connected to her by a hawser, was swept round and driven ashore in a very dangerous position, her crew being in imminent peril of losing their lives. The Coxswain of the Life- boat, realizing the predicament of the four men on board the tug, instantly made up his mind that his urgent duty was to go to their rescue. At the same time he realized that he had to take the extreme risk of breaking up the Life- boat, but knowing the super-quality and construction of the Boat he took the risk. He went to the tug's help, and while her crew were being taken aboard, the tug rolled on top of the Life-boat, tearing her planking above and below the water-line, ripping out the wale or fender, gunwale, stanchions, crutches, and everything that came into contact with the tug's side. In spite of that he rescued that crew; he took them ashore: he then returned to the cross-Channel steamer. He did all this, although his Boat was so badly damaged that she had, later, to be sent to a boat-building yard at Cowes for repairs. (It will be interesting to note here that the machi- nery compartment suffered no damage, and the installation was uninjured.) No Admiralty pinnace, no com- mercially-built vessel could have with- stood the blow which she received and continued her work under the violent conditions of weather on that night.

An examination of this Boat revealed the fact that her timbers were intact, and after being at Messrs. Saunders' yard ten days, she was returned to her Station repaired and completed for any further work that she might be called upon to perform.

One other very interesting illustration may be of value to show the immense strength of the Life-boats.

The Teesmonth Motor Life-boat, which was launched last June, carried out a three months' propaganda cruise on the Thames before going to her Station.

After this cruise, it was found that some slight misalignment in the tail shaft had taken place, necessitating very careful examination of the Boat at the Institution's storeyard, at Poplar, before she could proceed to take up her work on the coast.

Various suggestions were put forward, it being considered by some that the Boat had altered her form, and very careful measurements and tests had to be made.

The conclusive tests were as follows : The Boat is a 45-foot Watson Cabin type, weighing 20 tons, including a solid iron keel, 30 feet in length. 12 inches wide, 7 inches deep, weighing 3 tons, and a motor just abaft the midship section weighing 2 tons with its instal- lation. She was placed on two sets of blocks, the one being just under the after end of the iron keel, the other 2 inches forward of the fore-end of the iron keel, leaving a distance of 32 feet out of a total of 45 feet between them.

These two sets of blocks took the entire weight of the Boat, and when the tail- shaft coupling was broken, the varia- tion in the straightness of the keel showed a deviation of 23/l,030ths of an inch, by which amount the keel had sagged.

The next test was made by placing two sets of blocks 2 feet apart under her keel, just abaft the midship section of the Boat, and the sets of blocks sup- porting her extreme ends were knocked out. The total weight of this 20-ton Boat then rested on these two sets of blocks, 2 feet apart, the ends over- hanging without any support. The coupling was again broken, and showed a variation of 23/l,OOOths of an inch, by which amount the keel had " hogged." When the four sets of blocks were replaced in their normal position, the Boat regained her original form imme- diately, and when she was placed afloat, and her further steaming trials were carried out, everything proved to be in order.