Secours aux naufragés

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Secours aux naufragés

Le matelot de garde à un poste-vigie de la côte surveille de temps en temps l'horizon avec sa longue-vue. Tout à coup, il croit apercevoir au loin un navire en détresse et prévient aussitôt son chef de poste ; celui-ci, à son tour, regarde dans la longue-vue et aussitôt les hommes préparent et hissent les signaux de détresse.
Nous apercevons à notre tout par la longue-vue la scène qui se passe en mer : deux matelots et une passagère sont réfugiés dans la mâture et font des signaux de détresse. Sur la plage, les préparatifs de secours continuent, le canon d'alarme prévient la population de se rendre au bateau de sauvetage et annonce aux naufragés qu'ils vont être secourus. Bientôt la foule se précipite vers le garage du bateau, les portes sont ouvertes, le canot, placé sur un chariot, est traîné vivement dehors, les matelots, revêtus de leurs vêtements huilés, grimpent dans le canot, et de forts chevaux attelés au chariot partent au galop ver le point le plus proche du naufrage.
Après les derniers préparatifs, l'on procède au lancement du bateau, et, au moment où il entre dans la mer, une vague couvre complètement tout l'avant, les rames s'élèvent et retombent rapidement, et il se dirige vers la haute mer.
Tout à coup apparaît le cadavre d'un noyé ballotté par les vagues, le canot s'en approche et vivement deux hommes l'enlèvent à bord.
Le bateau de sauvetage est arrivé au but, les matelots lancent des amarres à bord du navire en perdition, mais toutes n'arrivent pas à être saisies par les naufragés, que nous apercevons alors réfugiés dans la mâture ; enfin, après plusieurs tentatives infructueuses, une des amarres saisies sert à attacher la passagère qui, au moyen du va-et-vient improvisé, est transportée à bord du canot ; il en est fait autant du deuxième naufragé, mais le va-et-vient s'est brisé. Heureusement le dernier parvient à saisir une amarre, et, après se l'être attachée autour du corps, se lance à la mer.
Aussitôt après l'avoir recueilli, le bateau de sauvetage rentre à la voile, file rapidement et accoste à la plage ; une partie de l'équipage saute à l'eau et procède au débarquement du noyé. Une toile est étenduE par terre, le noyé couché dessus, et l'on essaie de le rappeler à la vie, mais les diverses tentatives sont infructueuses, on recouvre le cadavre et les matelots l'emportent.
Pendant ce temps, le reste de l'équipage tire le bateau de sauvetage à terre, aidé par les chevaux. Après la chute d'un de ceux-ci, l'opération continue, et bientôt le canot est hissé sur son chariot. Les marins se serrent la main et rejoignent leur domicile.
Nous croyons que ces scènes prises sur le vif et nous dépeignant admirablement la vie des populations de la mer, toujours prêtes à porte secours à leurs semblables, seront bien accueillies du public auquel elles seront présentées et obtiendront un très vif succès.

GAU 1904-04


Man The Lifeboat!

Part I.-On the look-out
A Coastguardsman is patrolling the shore, and occasionally sweeping the horizon with his telescope, when his eye alights on a signal of distress from a ship which has run on the fatal Goodwin Sands. He moves along, and takes another look, then calls his officer, and pointing out the vessel hands the telescope to his superior, who in turn has a look. The officer immediately has the signal hoisted: ‘Do you want help?’ then again applies the telescope to his eye, and on this occasion the audience is able to judge of the officer’s reason for his signal, as they see what he saw through the telescope, namely, two distressed mariners with a woman on the rigging of a ship frantically waving for help. The woman is lashed to the mast, and one of the marines, in his endeavor to attract attention, takes off his coat as he springs upon the ratlines and waves frantically, to intimate their distress, and that assistance is urgently required.
We then return to the shore.
The officer immediately has the signal hoisted; ‘Help coming!’ and also has the signal-gun fired to assemble the crew and the Lifeboat, which he immediately orders to be launched.

Part II.-The outside of lifeboat house
The scene is at first deserted; then the crew, hurriedly assembled by the sound of the gun, rush forward, throw open the gates, and bring the Lifeboat out on her carriage at a trot. It is wheeled round upon the roadway, and the crew, hurriedly donning their sou’westers and oil-skins in the house, emerge at a brisk run, springing quickly into position in the boat. Meanwhile horses are attached to the carriage, and in the next section the procession is seen coming down the road to the sea-front.

Part III.-The Launch
The scene now changes to the beach, on which the boat on her carriage lumbers down. A heavy sea, with a wide expanse of surf, is seen, and the horses go out into the water as far as they safely can. The crew, who have got out, and are here, there, and everywhere, up to their waists in the water, assisting in the operation, now clamber back into the boat; the horses are moved to each side so as to assist the launch, and at a given signal the boat glides off her carriage into the water, while at the same moment a heavy breaker, many feet in height, bursts right over the bows of the craft, thoroughly drenching the gallant crew. The Lifeboat, however, bears herself splendidly, shakes the water away on either side, and lifts herself through it like a bird. This launch is wonderfully effective, and could not have been better, the heavy breaker giving a splendid idea of the difficulties under which the launch is made, and of the heavy sea which was running.
We now see the Lifeboatmen rowing hard in their anxiety to render assistance to their brothers in distress.

Part IV.- The floating body
Here we get a close glimpse of the sea, with the body of an unfortunate mariner, who has gone to his last account, tossed this way and that by the waves; then the Lifeboat comes into the picture, and the look-out man sees the body. They pull up close to it, and, reaching out, hoist it aboard. It is reverently laid in the bottom of the boat. Then, in a further section, having now approached the strange vessel, we see the boatswain of the Lifeboat heaving a line to those they have come to save. (This section was necessarily taken looking towards the Lifeboat, and it was owing to the heavy sea running that it was impossible to get close to the distressed vessel.

Part V.-In the rigging
We now return to the other side of the picture, and see the little group of two men and a woman upon the rigging of the doomed vessel awaiting the assistance so close at hand. One of the men is standing on the ‘ratlines,’ straining every nerve to catch the rope that is thrown so dexterously from the Lifeboat. The condition of these unfortunate people is pitiable to note as the first throw of the line misses its mark, owing to the heaving sea; the second, however, is more successful, the sailor catches it, and the woman, who is lashed to the mast, is made fast to the end of it, and then lowered as carefully as circumstances will allow, from the rigging, out of the picture, into the sea, to be hauled aboard the Lifeboat. Of the two poor fellows remaining, one unselfishly decides to be the last to go. The rope is again attached to his comrade, who is lowered out of the picture to be hauled again to the boat, after shaking hands with his mate. Once again the line is thrown to the last man, and it is only at the second throw that he succeeds in catching it, then making it fast to his waist he jumps into the water. The picture now changes to the sea, and we see the shipwrecked sailor, the last to leave his ship, jump into the swirling eddying water, swim a few powerful strokes, and then as the rope to which he is fastened is pulled taut from the Lifeboat, he is rapidly pulled towards her and pulled in aboard.

Part VI.-Arrival ashore
Here, the merciful errand successfully effected, we now see the brave little Lifeboat, with sails set, scudding shoreward; and then the picture changes to the shore. We see the signal-man firing a rocket in answer to the signal from the boat that the rescue is effected, while the coastguardsmen and a large crowd are grouped around to welcome the gallant fellows on their return. Meanwhile planks are laid down to the edge of the water, and every preparation made ready for the boat on its arrival. Then the boat comes into view, but, owing to the roughness of the surf and breakers, it is carried round almost broad side on. But as she gets into shallow water, willing hands are ready to assist; and while the crew, in their oilskins, &c., jump out of either side of the boat into the water, the coastguardsmen and others rush down to meet it, and haul her half out of the water. The rescued sailors are now lifted out and helped ashore; the body of the man found drowned being reverently carried up the beach.

Part VII.-Attempted resuscitation

A spot on the beach, on which the coastguardsman lays a blanket. A large crowd gathers around, but is kept at a respectful distance by a policeman; meanwhile the coastguards bring to the body, lay it down on the blanket, and try every means to attempt resuscitation of the drowned. The whole thing is done in a smart and workmanlike manner, but the officer who is standing by sees that the task is useless; another blanket is then thrown over the body, and a cap thrown on top; the coastguards then hoist the unfortunate man upon their shoulders and carry his body away-
We now return to the Lifeboat. Every effort is being directed towards putting the boat up high and dry on the steeply shelving beach: horses are attached, while the crew and other helpers put their shoulders to the wheel, and after many efforts succeed in moving it. We also have a glimpse of one of the horses which fell on the shingle under the great strain; many hands, however, make light work, and the boat is eventually landed high and dry, and with a final effort placed upon her carriage to be returned to the Boat-house.

Part VIII.-Conclusion
Having housed their boat, a few of the crew are seen lighting their pipes, with a coastguard companion, and bidding each other adieu before returning to their anxious wives and children to pursue their usual peaceful occupation, until again assembled by that call of duty which they are ever ready to answer-a signal of distress.

GAU 1904-GB

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1 Gaumont 744 L 148-152 (GAU 1904-GB) 
2 Alfred, Claude Bromhead  
 

Take the case of 'The Lifeboat,' which was one of our most successful and realistic subjects. Time after time we tried to be on the spot synchronously with a wreck. Views were taken at several seaside towns - Gravesend figures prominently-and the Worthing Lifeboat crew, which we specially engaged, made many perilous launches before we could obtain the desired effect. Many feet of film were used and much money was spent, but finally we were able to present a subject that has been cheered again and again at hundreds of shows. The theatrical agencies know our man well, for he is ever endeavouring to engage special people to act particular characters which may be required, and several ludicrous incidents have happened whilst they have been engaged in their work.


"Chats with Trade Leaders. nº 3-Mr. A. C. Bromhead (or Gaumont &Co)", The Optical Lantern and Cinematograph Journal, February 1905, p. 86-87.
3 09/1903-04/02/1904 200 m/700 f 
4 Grande-Bretagne   

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04/02/1904 Grande-Bretagne, Londres The Era  Man the Lifeboat 
       

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