27486. Merriman’s Improved Water-Proof Dress and Life Preserver. Scientific American. January 14, 1871.
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27486. Merriman’s Improved Water-Proof Dress and Life Preserver. Scientific American. January 14, 1871.
27486. Merriman’s Improved Water-Proof Dress and Life Preserver. Scientific American. January 14, 1871. Rare issue provides great detail of the new Merriman patent rubber life-saving suit. The Merriman rubber life-saving suit was an innovation of the time. The inventor, Clark S. Merriman, in a bid to help sea-rescue, designed this life preserving suit, which was made from India rubber and was inflatable. This suit had been tested by Captain Boyton of the New Jersey Life Saving Service, when he was dropped over the side of a steamer into the Irish sea , in a gale. Soon suits were issued to some other stations as warranted, including the Surfside station on Nantucket . They did see some use including at the well known wreck of the Metropolis near the Poyners Hill station in North Carolina in 1878. There, after a number of unsuccessful attempts to get a shot line aboard the stricken vessel, Keeper Chappell then donned the Merriman life-saving dress and made two valiant attempts to carry a line out to the vessel. Great half page article with illustration includes a good description of the garment with testimonial of its usefulness. Full issue with numerous informative articles of the day. (VG). $85.