Tag: US Life-Savers

October commemorated the 150th anniversary of the United States Life-Saving Service, the predecessor of today’s US Coast Guard, along the East Coast!

The United States Coast Guard is recognized for numerous achievements, with its primary focus in the public’s eye being its mission to assist those “in peril upon the seas.” In fact, every federal agency that contributed to the establishment of the modern Coast Guard played a role in aiding those in distress and working to prevent loss of life at sea.

For instance, the U.S. Lighthouse Service was responsible for maintaining lighthouses and navigational markers to alert ships to potential dangers. Lighthouse Keepers also provided assistance to individuals in peril near their stations. Additionally, there were other agencies, such as the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service, which aided mariners in distress at sea, and the Steamboat Inspection Service, tasked with preventing disasters before they occurred. Among these organizations, the one that significantly shaped the U.S. Coast Guard’s reputation as a lifesaving entity was the U.S. Life-Saving Service. It is essential to explore the history of this Service, as many of the U.S. Coast Guard’s search and rescue practices can be traced back to its foundational work.

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, much of the eastern coastline of the United States was sparsely populated. Crews of ships that ran aground could anticipate minimal, if any, assistance. As maritime trade expanded, so did the need for support for vessels wrecked near the shore. Both coasts featured sandbars located 300 to 800 yards offshore. In the event of a storm, ships stranded on these sandbars often broke apart within hours. Very few individuals could endure a 300-yard swim through tumultuous surf with a temperature of 40 degrees.

In 1848, the federal government initiated its involvement in shore-based lifesaving operations. The U.S. Revenue Marine, which later became known as the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service, was tasked with overseeing these stations under the Treasury Department. The Great Carolina Hurricane struck the East Coast in 1854 as a category 4, resulting in numerous sailor fatalities due to a lack of lifesaving stations and poorly maintained equipment, which was sometimes used inappropriately, such as using a lifeboat for mixing mortar or scalding hogs. In response, Congress allocated funds for additional stations, and this time, part of the budget was dedicated to hiring full-time keepers for each facility.

Here is a clipping found in The Charleston Mercury, Charleston, South Carolina describing the storm • Sat, Sep 9, 1854, Page 2 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charleston-mercury-great-carolina-hu/103886025

The American Civil War led to the neglect of the government’s lifesaving network along the coast, a situation that persisted until 1870 when another devastating storm caused significant loss of life. In 1871, Mr. Sumner Kimball successfully secured a $200,000 appropriation from Congress, which authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to employ crews of surfmen as needed. Kimball established six-man crews at all stations, constructed new facilities, developed regulations with performance standards for crew members, established station routines and physical requirements, thereby laying the foundation for a more professional organization.

By 1874, the lifesaving stations expanded to cover the Maine coast and ten sites south of Cape Henry, Virginia, including the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The following year saw further expansion to the Delaware-Maryland-Virginia Peninsula, the Great Lakes, and the Florida coast. Eventually, the Gulf and West Coasts were incorporated, along with a station in Nome, Alaska. Four years later, the lifesaving stations were formalized as a distinct agency within the Treasury Department, named the U.S. Life-Saving Service, with Sumner I. Kimball appointed as General Superintendent. The stations were categorized into three main types: lifesaving stations, lifeboat stations, and houses of refuge. Lifesaving stations employed full-time crews during periods with a high likelihood of shipwrecks, typically from November to April, known as the “active season.”

By the early 1900s, these operations expanded to year-round activity. Many stations were situated in remote areas, requiring crew members to proficiently launch boats from the beach into the surf. The third category, houses of refuge, were located along the coasts of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, housing a paid keeper and a small boat, though they did not maintain active rescue operations. Life-Saving District Superintendents reported directly to Kimball, while an Inspector of Life Saving Stations, a Captain in the U.S. Revenue Marine Service, also reported to him. This structure created a system of checks and balances.

The Superintendents were accountable for selecting keepers, who in turn chose their crews. Both keepers and crews underwent evaluations by an inspection board comprised of a Revenue Marine officer, a surgeon from the Marine Hospital Service (later known as the U.S. Public Health Service), and a skilled surfman to assess their health, character, and abilities. Keepers were expected to be physically fit, of good moral standing, literate, under forty-five years of age, and adept at boat handling, particularly in challenging weather. Many keepers had extensive backgrounds in fishing or maritime professions, or they advanced through the ranks of the U.S. Life-Saving Service. While some keepers moved from station to station, many remained at a single station or within close proximity throughout their careers.

The daring rescues undertaken by the U.S. Life-Saving Service captivated the imagination of 19th-century America. The image of a keeper standing tall at the stern of a small boat, gripping his sweep oar and motivating his crew through the towering surf, inspired reporters to craft thrilling stories. Phrases like “soldiers of the surf” and “storm warriors” became popular descriptors for these brave lifesavers. While their rescues were indeed remarkable, the majority of the crews’ efforts focused on rigorous training with rescue equipment, conducting patrols, maintaining lookout duties, and ensuring the general upkeep of their stations. 

The men worked from Monday through Saturday, honing their skills with beach apparatus. When district inspectors arrived, the entire drill had to be completed in five minutes; any delays could lead to dismissal. Crews practiced launching and landing their boats through the surf, and to prepare for emergencies, they would intentionally capsize their boats and practice righting them. Training also included signaling, first aid, and maintaining the cleanliness of the station. Although the drills were simple in nature, they were continuously reinforced, ensuring that the crew could respond swiftly and instinctively in critical situations. Additionally, they had another crucial responsibility that occupied a significant part of the surfmen’s daily routine: lookout and patrol duties. During daylight hours, a surfman was designated to monitor the surrounding waters from the lookout tower. To ensure vigilance, no seating was provided in the tower.

The beaches were often “cloaked in ice,” and at their best, resembled “pathless deserts in the night.” The treacherous combination of “soft sand, disorienting snowfalls, fierce winds, and biting cold” frequently threatened to halt the men. Surfmen dressed in oilskins and carried a patrol clock to avoid overlapping with other patrols, along with a pouch of coston signals (the pouch was created by my 2nd great-grandfather Captain John Thomas Wescott, Jr.) These signals functioned like flares, alerting ships that were coming too close to the shore or informing grounded vessels that they had been spotted and assistance was on the way. Mariners were fortunate that beach patrols operated in all kinds of weather. In 1899, for instance, surfmen using coston signals successfully warned off 143 ships at risk of running aground. Notably, in October of that same year, Surfman Rasmus Midgett (my 1st cousin 4x removed) of the Gull Shoals, North Carolina Station, achieved the remarkable feat of rescuing ten individuals from the wreck of the Priscilla while on patrol—all by himself.¹

The Life-Saving Service saw its most significant expansion between 1871 and 1881, during which it executed some of its most notable rescues. However, as the nineteenth century approached its end, the Service faced two critical challenges. Firstly, the rise of steam-powered vessels reduced the reliance on sailing ships, making them less susceptible to the whims of the wind and decreasing the likelihood of shipwrecks. Secondly, the Service struggled to adapt to the growing number of gasoline-powered small boats, particularly those used for leisure activities.

Additional issues emerged, including the absence of a retirement system and a lack of compensation for injured crew members. Low salaries made it difficult to recruit new personnel, and without retirement benefits, promotions proved challenging. By 1914, some keepers were in their seventies, manning the traditional sweep oar, while the stroke positions were filled by men in their sixties. Kimball had long sought a retirement system for his staff. In 1914, he concluded that merging the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service with the U.S. Life-Saving Service would benefit both organizations and the nation. Consequently, the legislation establishing the U.S. Coast Guard was enacted on January 28, 1915, which included provisions for retirement for Kimball and many of the senior keepers and surfmen.

The U.S. Life-Saving Service exhibited remarkable dedication throughout its forty-four years of operation. During this time, “28,121 vessels and 178,741 individuals benefited from its services.” Remarkably, only “1,455 people lost their lives while under the protection of the Life-Saving Service.” Even as late as 1959, U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboat Stations on the Great Lakes were utilizing a revised version of the Life-Saving Service’s drill schedule. Weekly beach apparatus drills continued to be conducted for first aid and signaling practice. Additionally, lookout tower watches were still operational. The ongoing emphasis on practicing with rescue equipment and conducting inspections persists to this day.

The United States Coast Guard has built upon the solid foundation laid by the U.S. Life-Saving Service and has incorporated its own initiatives, evolving into the recognized authority in maritime search and rescue operations. The introduction of the 36 and 44-foot motor lifeboats, the creation of a dedicated search and rescue school, and the utilization of helicopters have all enhanced the Coast Guard’s stature as the premier agency for those “in peril upon the seas.” Today, the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard uphold the service legacy established by the U.S. Life-Saving Service crews, and with their advanced equipment, they have surpassed the achievements of their esteemed predecessors.

As we reflect on the legacy of the U.S. Life-Saving Service, we honor the brave men, known as the ‘soldiers of the surf,’ whose dedication and sacrifice laid the groundwork for today’s U.S. Coast Guard. Their timeless commitment to rescuing those ‘in peril upon the seas’ continues to inspire the men and women of the modern Coast Guard, who uphold this noble tradition. As we commemorate 150 years, let us remember their courage, their innovation, and the lives they saved along the treacherous coasts of America.

Noble, D. L. (1 Jan 1976). A Legacy: The United States Life-Saving Service. U.S. Coast Guard. https://uslife-savingservice.org/about-us/history-of-the-uslss/

1. https://www.mycg.uscg.mil/News/Article/3370103/the-long-blue-line-evidence-suggests-the-midgetts-actually-were-mighty/ ↩︎