1879-J Plan for Life-saving Stations in Mid -Ocean. 343 
about 250 feet, or thereabout. But the exadt measurement 
of these intervals is of very little consequence at present ; 
they may be more or less, and could easily be determined 
upon whenever it was proposed to carry the idea into effedt, 
and would depend upon the size of the buoy, weight of 
cable adopted, &c. 
This length, 250 feet, is simply taken in order to illustrate 
the plan with a little more facility, as most people can un- 
derstand such things by illustration better than by abstract 
or technical terms. The depth of the Atlantic Ocean 
where such anchorages would be required is from 10,000 to 
15,000 feet. At 250 feet for a section, this would make 
from twenty to thirty sections, requiring twenty to thirty 
buoys. If each buoy had sufficient bearing capacity to 
support its sedtion of cable, it will readily be seen that the 
cable will stand as to strength on the same relative propor- 
tion and basis as any ordinary cable of 250 feet ; so that if 
the anchor was in water 3 miles deep the strength of chain 
or cable would be intadt for the purpose of holding the 
vessel or buoy at the surface, as though at any ordinary 
anchorage. 
Many may ask, how are we to get these buoys — all 
strung, as it were, on this cable — into position ? This, at 
first, seemed as insurmountable as the cable itself, but now 
it seems the easiest thing imaginable, and, in fadt, not more 
difficult than it would be to effedt any deep anchorage. Let 
the cable be construdted with the buoys all attached at their 
regular intervals, and in this manner towed to their respedtive 
grounds, soundings of which should be taken in advance, in 
order to determine the necessary length of cable, allowance 
to be made for the angle at which the cable would lie in the 
water. When this has been accomplished, secure the 
anchor and let go, and like any other anchor there would 
be no trouble in its finding its way to the bottom and taking 
hold. 
When located, these buoys or stations should be manned 
much after the manner of lightships and life-saving sta- 
tions, combined with lights, signals, stores, and life-saving 
implements ; and, in addition to this, have regular signal 
officers stationed upon them, with established communica- 
tions with the head-quarters on shore via the ocean tele- 
graph. Then we could begin to trace storms upon the ocean 
as well as upon the land, and if for no other purpose it would 
seem that these stations would pay for themselves. 
After having construdted the stations and suggested what 
could be accomplished by them, the practical mind will 
