Episode 35: Indian River Life Saving Station

Curator's Choice

This week we meet with Laura Scharle at the Indian River Life-Saving Station Museum in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Life saving stations were erected along the Eastern coastline, at about 5 - 7 mile intervals. The purpose of these stations was to offer rescue and first aid to victims of shipwrecks. A precursor to today’s U.S. Coast Guard, the United States Lifesaving Service staffed these stations with trained servicemen who practiced drills during the day, and conducted beach-patrols at night. The station at Indian River was originally in 1876, but was moved to its present location in 1877 due to a sand dune building up around the station. It has since been restored to it’s 1905 appearance.

Breeches Buoy

A lyle gun was used to deploy the breeches buoy: a gun and carriage of solid bronze weighing 186 pounds would fire a 17 pound steel projectile with a line attached. Once this whip line was secured to the mast of the ship in distress, the hozer line would be strung up. Hanging from the hozer line was a life ring with a pair of pants sewn to it. Using the system as a zip-line, sailors could be pulled from the sinking vessel to safety on shore.

Beach Patrols

Beach patrols were a daily part of life for the men working the stations, and between nightly patrols and daily drills, there may have been a man or two who would rather take a quick nap than complete their patrol. With the life saving stations only about 5 to 7 miles apart from each other, the men walking the patrols would meet in the middle, one heading South, the other North) and exchange surfman’s checks with their corresponding identification information. This ensured no one skipped out on doing their portion of the patrol! If a water source like a river inlet blocked the path to next station, a patrol clock would be installed. This clock would punch out a time on a piece of paper (effectively acting as the first punch clock) to show the guard completed his route.

Episode Links:

• Indian River Life Saving Station webpage: https://destateparks.com/History/IRLifeSavingStation

• U.S. Life-saving Station Service Heritage Association: https://uslife-savingservice.org/station/locate-a-station/

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