Show EARLY SAVING LIFE-SAVING STATION On the south shore of Long Island N. N Y near the present lifesaving lifesaving life life- saving station half halt hidden from view by the sand dunes that have been built up about it by the gales that have swe swept t the coast during the past hundred half years stands an abandoned abandoned abandoned aban aban- saving life station the only one of Its Us type In existence and the first that was erected by the national gov gov- In 1845 1846 the Humane Society of Massachusetts Massachusetts Massachusetts Mas Mas- which may be considered the parent of the United States lifesaving lifesaving lifesaving life- life saving service had 18 stations on the tile Massachusetts coast equipped wi with h boats and mortars for throwing lines to stranded vessels in addition to numerous numerous numerous nu nu- huts or houses of ot refuge at exposed exposed exposed ex ex- ex- ex posed points Congress finally was awakened to action and a tI bill bUl appropriating for saving life-saving purposes was passed March 3 1847 1347 In 1848 a second approprIation appropriation appropriation ap ap- ap- ap of was made Again in 1849 the sum of was appropriated and eight stations were built on the coast of ot Long Island N. N Y that at Napeague being one of ot the number and the only one of ot the original sixteen so called now In existence The stations were plain houses 42 feet long 18 feet wide of two stories and four rooms One lower room was used by the crew which later manned each station as a mess room Theother Tho The other contained the the life life boat and additional additional addi addi- apparatus used at shipwrecks One of ot the upper rooms was used as asa a chamber the the other other as a storeroom The old station that still stands near Napeague was one of ot the first to bo be manned by a crew of ot regular It is in a fairly good state of preservation because It was used until a comparatively short time ago as the home of the coast guards Visitors to the Napeague saving life station take great pleasure in visiting the old station which is now used as asa 55 a s storehouse house The whirling sands that are driven against It by the furious gales ales that sweep the coast of ot Long have worn the shingles down downto to a thickness not much greater than paper but the o oak k timbers Umbers are sound The building seems destined to last for many years a relic of the first days of the United States saving life-saving service |