Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 12.djvu/260

* LIFE-SAVING SERVICE. 236 LIFFEY. the shore. These mean?, with few exceptions, are controlled and supported either whiilly or in part by private institutions. China for cen- turies has had a life-savinj; service, operated by benevolent societies, which has been mainly directed to rendering aid and ])reventing casual- ties on the great waterways of the Emi)ire. A society for saving life "from shipwreck was formed in Japan in 18'.)0. The following sum- mary embraces the principal ellorts in this direc- tion'lhat have been made in European countries: AlSTRlA. The conditions on the east coast of the Adriatic do not render necessary the main- tenance of a regular life-saving service. In case of shipwreck or other marine casualty the health ollicers of the port or harbor police are required to give the first aid to those in danger, and to relieve and take charge of vessels and cargoes. Specially constructed lifeboats, ready for immediate use, are stationed for this pur- pose at a number of the ports, while steamers and other boats are employed in emergencies. Beloiim. a small service, which was organ- ized in IS.'iS, is maintained l)y the Government. Life-saving stations are scattered along the coast, over an e.vtent of about 400 miles, and these are provided with lifeboats, completely equipped, wreck guns and projectiles, and other apparatus for assisting crews and vessels in distress. The appliances are kept in sheds situated at places accessible to the beach. Medicines and surgical implements are also supplied, a physician being appointed to care for shipwrecked crews. Dknmakk. The institutions for the rescue of the shipwrecked are those of North .Jutland, ]5ornholm. and iliien, the expenses of which are defrayed by the Government. The service was organized in 1852, but means for the relief of distressed seamen were adopted at certain points on the coast before that time. Lifeboats and rocket apparatus are used and the work is per- formed by overseers and boatmen, there being some lifty or more stations and sub-stations on the coast of .lutland. where the principal efforts for saving life are directed. Franck. The task of maritime life-saving is performed by the Soeiete Cent rale de Sauvetage des NaufragCs, which was founded in 185. The organization is somewhat similar to that of Great Hritain and is supported mainly by volun- tary contriliutions, the Government granting some financial aid. The society has between 400 and .500 stations on the coasts of France and Algeria, and employs more than 2000 persons, most of whom, however, are in the customs service. About one-fifth of the stations are pro- vided with lifeboats. I'nlike most of the foreign services, the French use the gun in preference to the rocket for effecting line connnunication with vessels, and the claim is made that to il. Ducarne de Blangy is due the credit of having first invented a line-carrying |irojectih' in 1700. Germany. The entire life-saving service is under the management of (he 'German Society for (he Kescue of tlie Shipwrecked.' which was founded in 180.5. It is under the patronage of the Emperor and is wholly supported by volun- tary contributions, there being more than a hundred stations on the coasts of the Baltic and North Sea. About half of them are equipped with both boats and rocket apparatus, the others having boats or rockets only. Grf.at Britain. Life-saving operations are conducted by the Koyal National Lifeboat Insti- tution, which was established in 1824. This organization, which is aided by various local corpinatious and private parties, provides life- boats and apparatus for the whole English coast. There are more than 300 lifeboat stations under its management. Except a coxswain and an assistant for each boat, who receive annual salaries, the boatmen are vohinteers, who are paid for each occasion of service. The rocket service, which embraces a large number of sta- tions, is in charge of the Board of Trade and was organized in 185.5. Operations on wrecks are under the supervision of the Coast (iuanl. which patrols the coast. The English claim that I^ieutcnant Hell, of the Royal Artillerj-, first in- vented, in 1701, a method for projecting a line to a vessel from the shore. HoLLAXn. Two private companies carry on the life-saving operations, one at Amsterdam and the other with lieadipuirters at Kotterdam. The former, which aj)pcars to be the more important, is supported by donations from ])rivate sources, no assistance being received from the Govern- ment. The exertions of the company are con- fined exclusively to the saving of imperiled per- sons, about twent3'-five stations, provided with lifeboats, being maintained. Fifteen of these have rocket apparatus also. Italy. The principal life-saving institution is the SoeietA Italiana per provvedere al Soc- corso dei Naufraghi. which has its central ollices in Rome. It maintains eight lifeboat and two rocket stations. There are besides a number of local societies for alleviating the miseries of the shipwrecked or for resuscitating persons ap- parently drowned. One of these, the Societ. Ligure di Salvamento, has sixteen huts of refuge. RtssiA. The work of rendering assistance to persons in distress on the seas, lakes, and rivers is directed by a society established under the patronage of Her Majesty the Empress. It is supported mainly by private benefactions. The business of the society is managed by a prin- cipal board located at Saint Petersburg, and by a number of district and local boards in various towns and villages. The stations number nearly a thousand of all kinds, including boat and rocket stations, winter stations, substations, places of refuge, lighthouses, posts, etc. The compensation of the life-saving men is deter- mined by (he district boards, some of the keepers and crews being paid anmml salaries, while others receive remuneration for service anil drill only. Spain. The 'Spanish Society for Raving the Shipwrecked,' with a central board in Jladrid, which was reorganized in 1880, has charge of the life-saving service. It receives both Govern- ment and private gratuities. Its object is to save lives only, Sfime fifty stations are sup- ported, supplied with boats, line-throwing ap- paratus, etc., while life-saving appliances of various kinds are kept at many of the light- houses. LIFFEY, lif'fT, A river of Leinster. Ireland, rising in the icklow ilountains. 12 miles southwest of Dublin (:Map: Ireland. E .3). After a semicircular course of 70 miles, south, west, and northeast, it divides the city of Dublin (q.v. ) in two, and flows into Dublin Bay on the Irish Sea.