LIFE SAVERS AND HORSE HARNESSED TO SURF BOAT CART READY TO GO TO A WRECK.
The work of burying the sand anchor, getting the crotch, whip line, hawser, and breeches-buoy ready is speedily accomplished. Torches are kept burning by the life savers to tell those on the wrecked vessel that assistance is at hand and the life savers are at work, and even if the imperiled crew do not hear the report of the gun, which has fired a shot to the vessel, they at once begin a search for the shot-line which is invariably found somewhere in the rigging.
The captain, with the shore end of the shot-line in his hand, waits for a signal from the ship that the line has passed over the vessel, and that the crew have found it and are ready to proceed with the work of rescue. A tail-block with a whip, an endless line rove through it, is made fast to the shot-line, and the wrecked seafarers haul it aboard their vessel as speedily as possible. Attached to the tail-block is a tally board with the following directions in English and French printed on it:—
“Make the tail of the block fast to lower mast well up. If the masts are gone, then to the best place you can find. Cast off shot-line, see that rope in the block runs free, and show signal to shore.”
THE BEACH CART, MEN, AND HORSE, WITH HARNESS ON, READY TO GO TO A WRECK.
The foregoing instructions having been complied with, the result will be as shown in [Figure 1].
FIGURE 1.
As soon as the life savers get a signal from the vessel that the tail-block has been made fast, they “tie” bend on a three-inch hawser to the whip, the endless line, and by it haul the hawser off to the vessel. Occasionally circumstances permit wrecked crews to assist in this part of the work, but usually the life savers are compelled to do it alone. To the end of the hawser, which has been bent on to the whip, the endless line, is also attached a tally board with the following directions in English and French:—