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Life Saving Service

History

1848 – 28 January 1915 In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries large sections of the United States’ eastern seaboard were sparsely populated. The crew of any ship running aground could expect very little, if any, help. As maritime trade increased, so did the demand for assistance for those wrecked near the shore. The concept of …

Joshua James

Joshua James was born on 22 November 1826. A natural seaman, Joshua also applied himself to practical books, and started going to sea early in life with his father and brothers. One night when the helmsman lost his bearing in unfamiliar waters, Joshua was roused from a sound sleep and brought on deck. Yawning and …

Boats

The LSS had two basic boats; surfboats and lifeboats. The terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a distinct difference. Either type can be rowed or powered. The lifeboat was created in 1784 in England by a coach-builder named Lionel Lukin. He was obsessed by the fact that the crew and passengers of a …