Okay...so I've heard and seen what a "light ship" is and I also know what a "life boat" is...but I have never heard of a "lifesaving station".
Sorry...but I am still learning...(playing the newbie card for as long as I can! ).
Can someone explain exactly how to recognise a lifesaving station? I was thinking "hospitals" when I first heard this term...but now I'm confused. Is there a list of these that I can paroose and see if any are near me in NJ?

BB

BB,

I'll wait for others much more knowledgeable than I am to answer your question.

But just to remind you, THERE ARE NO DUMB QUESTION.ONLY DUMB ASWERS.

bobo

Bob O is quite right. Try going to www.beachbum.homestead.com/Life-SavingStations. This is the website of our resident expert on life saving stations - Stephen Wilmoth. I have learned a whole lot by going through his website. It is very fascinating.

Apparently, it's just www.beachbum.homestead.com. When you go to the one I posted first, it redirects you to this link. It is very worthwhile taking the time to go through it; Stephen has done a great job!

I'm impressed! What a very informative website!
I wasn't totally off-base but the story behind the stations is simply marvelous!

Thanks for the link!

BB

Hi BeaconBob, and a big welcome to you.

This is by no means a dumb question. What it will probably do is open up a whole new subject to explore. To give you a general idea of where this is going, the life-saving service was the beginning of what we know today as the U. S. Coast Guard. It joined with the Revenue Cutter Service (the boats) in 1915 to form the USCG.

Lifesaving stations were situated along the shore between lighthouses just as lightships were placed out in the water where lighthouses could not be built. The surfmen at these lifesaving stations guarded the shore and rescued survivors from shipwrecks. The statistics say a lot...the service assisted 28,121 disasters and shipwrecks and preserved the lives of 174,682 persons and $288,871,237 worth of vessels and cargo between 1871, and 1915.

Here are a few sites to get you started:
In New Jersey, you can visit Spermacetti Cove near the Highlands and Monmouth Beach

One of our members here, Stephen Wilmoth, has done a great job exploring the subject. Take a look at his site Here He will also give you a good idea of the different styles and how to recognize them.

This site Chicamacomico LSS contains a good overview of the service and in-depth info about the stations along the coast of North Carolina.

And this is good reading... A Heavy Sea Running: the Formation of the U. S. Lifesaving Service, 1846-1878

You can look here HL Lifesaving Stations to see the LE's that Harbour Lights has produced.

Let us know what you think, and please join us here in this forum.

And you are halfway to WACKO...dom! You'll be there before you know it.

Judy

edit...
BB, the Harbour Lights link I provided apparently only works sometimes, but HL did both Chicamacomico and Point Allerton.

BB- Never be afraid to ask!
This group is a very knowledgeable and talented bunch!!!
You don't learn if you don't ask!

I must say that after only a few days...I am really beginning to enjoy the amount of information that I am reading and getting from these forums.
I feel kind of dumb that I didn't make the connection of the current version Coast Guard with the lifesaving stations but now I totally get it!
And some of the reading on these links is truelly incredible. When you talk about heroes...these people were truelly amazing and courageous!

Thanks for the info about the stations in NJ. They are only about 1 1/2 hrs or so from where I live and I will try to see them soon.

BB

I'm always impressed by the motto of the US Lifesaving Service:

"You have to go out; you don't have to come back."

Makes one wonder why anyone would do it - real heroes don't worry about that, I guess.

Thanks for the plug guys.

BB, you will find that there are a bunch of lifesaving stations in NY. If you want, I can get you in touch with someone who has visited most of them and will most likely give you directions to them

You have stumbled on a very exciting and interesting topic. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to let me know. I will help were I can.

By the way, another book that is needed for your collection is "US Life-Saving Service" by Shanks and York.

This will help fill in gaps in info that you may find on the web.

Definitely pick up the Shanks/York book. It has (AFAIK) complete listings of all LSSes in all states, as well as an extremely well-done history of the service and stations.

It's not a travel guide (to my knowledge, none exists for LSSes), but it's got a bunch of maps of the different regions, and lists with position info on the stations. With some map skills, some work, and maybe some satellite photos (a la Google Earth), you might be able to scope some out.

There should really be a full travel guide to the LSS of America. Stephen's site is the best resource out there that I've found - really, it's the only resource I've found that gives you any kind of real traveller's information, and he's only been able to get to stations from DE-SC (though the coverage in those areas is very detailed and very concise - especially for NC/OBX area).

Other than that, there's not much info out there. The NPS has a listing similar to their lighthouse listing for LSS, but it's really only those that are open to the public. So any that are homes, privately owned, etc. aren't there.

It's a fascinating field to get into - and it's just as much fun to go "LSSing" (no really good verb for "the act of visiting life saving stations") as it is to go lighthousing - and maybe a tiny bit more, since there's that whole "uncharted territory" thing going on with many.

If you really want to get into LSSes, I'd highly suggest picking up the Shankin/York book. I got mine at the Manteo Booksellers on the Outer Banks - if you can't find it somewhere else, they might be able to ship it to you.

Ditto on the Shanks & York book, BB. I think I purchased mine from the gift shop at Chicamcomico LSS. You can contact them online through the web site.

Are you hooked?

Judy

Stephen and Greg,

Thanks for all the tips and YES...I just ordered the Shanks and York book from Manteo as you suggested. They do ship out and will be shipping it out on Monday...slow boat method 7-10 days was cheapest way.

I can't wait to start to explore this interesting area of LSS's. And I will begin to find them and get pics of the ones I find.

BB

Getting there Judy....definately am getting hooked to this Collectors Forum....love the info here and so far the natives seem friendly enough!

and thanks for the "Big Welcome"!

BB

BB,

More here:

http://www.cr.nps.gov/maritime/lssacces.html

http://www.uscg.mil/history/h_USLSS.html

http://www.uslife-savingservice.org/index.html

Thanks for those links...

Great info to be read.

BB