ON 21st October H.R.H. the Duke of Kent, K.G., President of the Institu- tion, named the new motor life-boat at Blackpool and opened the new boat- house on a site, in the centre of the sea front, provided by the Corporation.

The Duke had already named nine motor life-boats on different parts of the coast during the past nine years, but this was the first naming ceremony that he had attended since becoming the Institution's President at the beginning of this year.

The Blackpool station was established in 1864, and its life-boats have been launched on service 39 times and have rescued 130 lives.

The motor life-boat has replaced a pulling and sailing life-boat, and Lan- cashire now has only motor life-boats on its coast. The new boat is of the light Liverpool type, 35 feet by 10 feet 3 inches, weighing 7 tons. She is divided into six water-tight compart- ments, and is fitted with 115 air-cases.

She has one screw, driven by a 35-h.p.

engine in a water-tight engine-room.

The engine itself is water-tight, so that it could continue running even if the engine-room was flooded. Her speed is 7£ knots, and she carries enough petrol to be able to travel 100 miles at full speed without refuelling. She carries a crew of seven, and can take thirty people on board in rough weather.

A Gift from Leeds and Southport.

She has cost £3,895. A legacy received under the will of Mrs. Sarah Ann Walker, of Leeds, which she left to provide a life-boat, bearing the name Sarah Ann Austin, and stationed, if possible, near Blackpool, has been used towards the provision of this life-boat.

The engine has been built out of a gift of £700 from the governors of the Skelton Bounty at Southport. The Bounty is the residuary estates of the late Miss Ann Skelton and her brothers, and the income from it is being used for the benefit of charities. A plate inside the life-boat records the gift.

The Duke of Kent, who was visiting Blackpool to open the new North Promenade and the new Victoria Hospital, as well as to name the motor life-boat and open the boat-house, arrived at the boat-house accompanied by the Rt. Hon. the Earl of Derby, K.G., P.C., G.C.B., G.C.V.O., a vice- president of the Institution and chair- man of the Port of Liverpool branch, and by the Mayor of Blackpool. He was received by Mr. C. H. Turver, chairman of the branch, supported by Sir Godfrey Baring, Bt., chairman of the Institution, Alderman C. E.

Tatham, J.P., honorary secretary of the branch, Mr. Lionel H. Franceys, honorary treasurer of the branch, and Lieut.-Col. C. R. Satterthwaite, O.B.E., secretary of the Institution. Repre- sentatives of many Lancashire branches of the Institution were present.

The Duke opened the boat-house with a golden key presented to him by Mr. Halstead Best, F.R.I.B.A., F.S.I., the architect. Sir Godfrey Baring, Bt., then presented the motor life-boat to Blackpool, on behalf of the donor and the Institution, and she was received by Mr. C. H. Turver.

The Bishop of Blackburn (the Right Rev. Percy M. Herbert, D.D.) dedicated the life-boat, assisted by Canon F. B.

Freshwater, chaplain of the Blackpool life-boat station.

H.R.H. The Duke of Kent, K.C.

The Duke of Kent then named the life-boat Sarah Ann Austin and wished her and her crew God-speed. He said : "It is a great pleasure to me that the first life-boat naming ceremony in which I have taken part since I became the President of the Royal National Life-boat Institution should be at Blackpool, and it is very appropriate that it should take place on Trafalgar Day.

" Before I became President I had seen the work of the life-boat service and named life-boats on many parts of the coast, from the Orkneys to Weston- super-Mare, but this is my first life- boat visit to the coast of Lancashire.

" No seaside town in our land is more famous than Blackpool for providing new pleasures for holiday-makers, but you have never forgotten the sternerduties which belong to those who live on the coast. For over seventy years you have had a life-boat station and your record is 130 lives rescued.

Lancashire life-boats have rescued 833 lives. Those are records of which you have every right to be proud.

" Now that you have this fine new life-boathouse in the centre of your seaside front, I hope that it will always remind the thousands who visit Black- pool in the summer of those who are ex- posed to the dangers of the sea and of the record of Blackpool's life-boatmen in their work of rescue.

"The whole of the coast of Lancashire is now provided with motor life-boats. Within a very few years there will be only motor life-boats in our fleet; but those boats would be useless if we could not depend on the men who man them. In opening this new boat-house and naming this new boat, I wish to express my gratitude to the donor of the boat and to all those who help us to maintain the service, but, above all, I wish to pay my tribute to the gallantry of the men of our life-boat crews." The life-boat was then launched by motor tractor and the whole audience sang the first verse of " Eternal Father, strong to save," accompanied by the Blackpool Life-boat Band.

After opening the new Promenade and the Victoria Hospital, the Duke switched on the illuminations and then made a tour, and returned to the railway station, in an illuminated tram- car representing a life-boat..