P a ge 61 t opside V olume 79 , I s s u e 1
USCG Auxiliary District 5 NR USCG Station Histories Continued
The economic pressures of the Civil War halted any significant improvement or expansion to the coastal stations . Congress continued to appropriate money ; however it was rarely spent and normally returned to the Treasury . During this period , the stations and equipment fell into a state of disrepair . In 1869 , Congress passed a bill that enabled crews to man every other station in New Jersey during the active season . The active season was normally the beginning of September through May . These manned stations were located in the populated areas which left the desolate stations with only a keeper on hand . Without direct oversight supervision of these crews , there was mediocre performance .
The winter of 1870-1871 was extremely harsh and many maritime disasters occurred with great loss of life . It was obvious the current system of permanent keepers and volunteer crews was not sufficient to prevent or minimize these tragedies . Even if the keeper was skilled and conscientious , volunteer crews were usually untrained and had to be summoned at a moment ’ s notice . Congress then appropriated $ 200,000 for paid crews , new stations and equipment repair in 1871 .
In 1878 , the US Life-Saving Service formally came into existence with Sumner Kimball as the head . An exceptional individual , Kimball immediately went to work on implementing change . He attacked the problem with personnel by requiring entry into the Service be through examination . Crews of six members were selected from able-bodied surfmen who lived in the vicinity of the station . They could not be older than 45 and were ranked in the order of skill and experience , with the most competent designated as “ No 1 ”. To maintain a high level of performance , manuals were written and crews performed drills daily on a set schedule . These had to do with launching surfboats , drilling with the “ Breeches Buoy ” as well as signaling and first aid . Inspectors checked each station periodically to witness drills and verify performance met the standards . Keepers were required to keep accurate records and submit formal reports and log books regularly to the district superintendent .
Breeches Buoy Rescue
USCG Auxiliary 5NR Historian File
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