A French author has lately proposed some methods of saving the lives of persons shipwrecked near the coast. He observes, that the most proper means for saving the crews of shipwrecked vessels is, to establish a rope of communication from them to the shore. To a bomb or cannon ball should be fastened the end of a rope, extended afterwards in a zig-zag direction before the mortar or cannon, or suspended on a piece of wood raised several feet. But as it was necessary to know if the cord would not break by the force of the explosion and the velocity of the motion, the author thought it proper to consult professional men. He accordingly wrote to some officers of the artillery in garrison at La Fere in France, and they almost all replied that the rope would infallibly break.

Not deeming this answer satisfactory, he happily conceived the idea of making the experiment on a small scale. He caused a piece of the barrel of a musket to be filed into the form of a small mortar of 18 lines in length internally; and having tied a packthread to a common ball of lead, he made an experiment which perfectly succeeded, as did many others which he afterwards repeated, even with the strongest charges of powder. This success he communicated to the officers of artillery, who replied, that there was a great difference between a quarter of an ounce of powder and four or five pounds employed for a bomb; and were still of opinion that the rope would break.

Having already made experiments, he was still disposed to doubt the truth of this assertion, and therefore tried a four-inch mortar with a ball of the same calibre, and 18 ounces of powder, with a rope only three or four four lines in diameter, and his success was equally flattering as before. These experiments were repeated by order of government at La Fere, four times with an eight-inch mortar, and three times with one of twelve inches, all of which happily succeeded. The same author goes on to observe:

"It ought to be remembered, that a vessel is never cast away, or perishes on the coast, but because it is driven thither against the will of the captain, and by the violence of the waves and the wind, which almost always blows from the sea towards the shore, without which there would be no danger to be apprehended: consequently in these circumstances, the wind comes always from the sea, either directly or obliquely, and blows towards the shore.

"1st, A common paper kite, therefore, launched from the vessel and driven by the wind to the shore, would be sufficient to save a crew of 1500 seamen, if such were the number of a ship of war. This kite would convey to the shore a strong packthread, to the end of which might be affixed a cord, to be drawn on board by means of the string of the kite; and with this cord a rope, or as many as should be necessary, might be conveyed to the ship.

"2d, A small balloon, of six or seven feet in diameter, and raised by rarefied air, would be also an excellent means for the like purpose. Being driven by the wind from the vessel to the shore, it would carry thither a string capable of drawing a cord with which several ropes might be afterwards conveyed to the vessel. Had not the discovery of Montgolfier produced any other benefit, it would be entitled on this account to be considered as of great importance.

"3dly, A sky rocket, of a large diameter, would be of equal service. It would also carry, from the vessel to the shore, a string capable of drawing a rope after it.

"Lastly, A fourth plan for saving the crew of a shipwrecked vessel, is that of throwing from the vessel into the sea an empty cask with a cord attached to it. The wind and the waves would drive the cask to the shore, and afford the means of establishing that rope of communication already mentioned."

The author just quoted says, that he announced his discovery in a French journal in January 1794. It is, however, to be observed, that the method he proposes of conveying a rope to the shore, by fastening it to a bullet or bomb, to be afterwards fired from a cannon or mortar, was proposed some years ago by a sergeant or officer of artillery at Woolwich, and it is said, similar experiments were made at Portsmouth, and succeeded.*