ROCKET APPARATUS – Redcar & Coatham Volunteer Life Brigade

Accreditation The Redcar and Saltburn-by-the-Sea Gazette 20/07/1877.

REDCAR AND COATHAM VOLUNTEER
LIFE BRIGADE

            This brigade was inspected on Thursday evening (12/07), by Captain C. F. Johnson, Assistant Coastguard Inspector. At the last quarterly inspection, owing to their being no definite object at which to fire the rocket, the men were not practised in the use of the rocket apparatus, but a pole has since been erected for this purpose on the Coatham Pier, and on Thursday the apparatus was placed about two hundred yards to the West of the pier, and a capital shot was fired, the line passing right over the pole. Considerable time was lost, however, in adjusting the ropes, through the tail in connection with the hawser being too short, and when they were eventually fixed, a person was removed from the pier to the shore, but in so unskilful a manner that had there been a heavy sea, the chances of reaching the shore in safety would have been doubtful, and as it was he was thoroughly drenched. The inspector expressed himself rather strongly at the way in which the men had gone about their work, through not being attentive to their individual duties, and he had the ropes again adjusted, when the man was removed in much less time. The practice was witnessed by a large number of persons, principally visitors, and it is to be regretted that the impression given them was such as to give reason for grave doubts as to the efficiency of the brigade in case of emergency.