Recently, while I was at Highland House Museum in Truro, MA my eye caught this. Can you imagine pinning your hopes of survival in icy ocean waters on this? There were other equally terrifying pieces of 1800s lifesaving equipment there. If you’re ever in the neighborhood be sure to stop. Make sure you climb the lighthouse because it’ll give you cool views.
Very very cool! I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a life jacket older than the old WW2 Mae West ones.
I’m glad this particular technology has come a long way in that time.
Bottle Stoppers In the Drink
Back in those days,
when men were men,
(many bobbin’ up dead,
in the ocean),
A Mae West invest,
wasn’t amply at work,
so in bosom of sea
boys were poppin’ the cork.
(Tis no shock the kapok
later in cork stuck fork.)
I think this would have been a viable option in its era when new as the passage of time likely isn’t kind to things as they age. I think some of the strings got frayed with use or just age. Imagine when it was brand new though you probably had some buoyancy from it just as good if not better than a modern such device. It would be a strange feeling though.
I wonder if there was an outer layer to keep the pieces of cork “packaged” in just like the modern life jackets.
Those corks are probably still perfectly good. Much better than the rest of it, at least, and I wonder if it had some kind of crotch straps to keep it from floating up over your head.
Remarkably it isn’t frayed (as you might think) in person. It appears rather flimsy and ill fitting. I’m not sure a crotch strap would help. The ship wrecks around Outer Cape Cod have a history of people dying, including rescue personnel. Next time I go back I’ll stop in and ask about the “PFD”.
@CA139 said:
I think this would have been a viable option in its era when new as the passage of time likely isn’t kind to things as they age. I think some of the strings got frayed with use or just age. Imagine when it was brand new though you probably had some buoyancy from it just as good if not better than a modern such device. It would be a strange feeling though.I wonder if there was an outer layer to keep the pieces of cork “packaged” in just like the modern life jackets.
@greyheron said:
Those corks are probably still perfectly good. Much better than the rest of it, at least, and I wonder if it had some kind of crotch straps to keep it from floating up over your head.
As you are probably aware by mentioning it, more than a few high end life jackets, including the US Navy flotation devices, have crotch straps.