Some Operations of the Life Saving Corps

Creator

Keystone View Company

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Creation Date

1905

Description

This image depicts some Life Saving Corps personnel practicing rescue operations on a beach with a sailboat in the background. In 1848, the previously private humanitarian organization of the Life Saving Corps gained United States government support as an essential service, providing funding, new lifesaving stations, and permanent crew positions for the newly consolidated service network. However, the system remained inefficient and underprepared until September 1854, when the Great Carolina Hurricane showed the flaws in the service’s crew training and equipment. Following the hurricane, Congress allocated more funds to the service for developing better training methods and equipment to avoid the flaws demonstrated by the storm. Sumner Increase Kimball further convinced Congress to allocate an additional $200,000 to employ full time crews at lifesaving stations, moving the service away from the previous inexperienced volunteer system. The numerous individual lifesaving stations were consolidated in 1878 by the National Treasury into the Life-Saving Service, and on January 28, 1915, they were merged with the Revenue Cutter Service to form the United States Coast Guard.

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