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The Life-Saving Service

May 31, 1799

Early Legislative History of New Jersey State Laws Concerning Wrecks

Overview In 1799, the New Jersey House of Assembly passed a new law entitled “An act concerning wrecks,” which would be revised and amended a number of times over subsequent years.  The intent of the law was to establish that...
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January 6, 1832

Wreckers! The Land Pirates of Monmouth County

Either the Barnegat Pirates are the most infamous scoundrels upon the face of the earth, or they are a much injured set of men.   New Jersey State Senator Alexander Wurts of Hunterdon County, in a resolution adopted by the...
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February 15, 1846

The Wreck of the John Minturn: A Horrible Tragedy Implicates, but then Vindicates the Wreckers of Monmouth County and Inspires the First Federal Funding for Life-Saving Services

On February 15, 1846, a severe storm caused a number of horrifying shipwrecks along the northeast coast that were a shock even to a nation long accustomed to maritime disasters.  One of these was the John Minturn, a three-masted packet...
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January 1, 1850

Monmouth County’s Wreck-Master Comes to the Rescue of the Doomed Ayrshire

The early life-saving stations from Sandy Hook to Egg Harbor were for the use of paid officers called "commissioners of wrecks," or "wreck-master," who were responsible for leading and coordinating marine rescue and salvage efforts. These men received about $200...
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November 13, 1854

240 Drown as The New Era Sinks off Deal Beach

On November 13, 1854, the New Era, a three-masted square-rigged commercial ship, was blown onto the shoals of Deal Beach in heavy weather. Efforts from nearby boats as well as wreck-masters from life-saving stations proved futile, with crew members saving...
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June 18, 1878

The Evolution of the U.S. Life-Saving Service

On June 18, 1878, Congress passed a new law that created the U.S. Life-Saving Service as a part of the Treasury Department.   Prior to then, it was included within a long-gone bureau of the federal government known as the...
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January 28, 1915

The Legacy of the U.S. Life-Saving Service: The United States Coast Guard

Despite proving successful in being able to rescue people from wrecked ships, the U.S. Life-Saving Service struggled to fulfill its mandate, with inadequate manpower, equipment, and a lack of central management. These conditions continued until a major storm struck the...
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