Edward, second son of Abraham and Margaret, lived to be 96. His life span was the longest that I know of in the family. He, too, had served many years in The Life Saving Service and was pensioned off. He had been stationed somewhere near East Rockaway Inlet. Hence he did not have to cross the Great South Bay to get to his post. He once told me, (Ralph Hausrath), he had often ridden a bicycle from his home in Amityville to reach his duty station near the inlet. He still rode his bicycle when he was past 70 as he came frequently from Amityville to visit his sister and brothers in Copiague. He also kept his boat tied up on the Austin land down on Howell Creek. The boat was a big, old Chesapeake Bay type skipjack which had been shorn of its mast and sails to be powered instead by a big, hand-cranked "one-lunger" gas engine that rested on its beds plum in the center of the cabin.
when Ed wanted to take the boat out, he'd first have to check over the engine to make certain the gas was on and that there was a good spark, maybe turn it over a few times to be sure she was firing, then go up on deck and cast off all his lines so the boat lay drifting, headed down-creed, go back in the cabin and spin the flywheel by hand cranking until she caught and started up, rush back up on the deck and grab the tiller to steer her clear of any obstacle, because there was no clutch and when she started, she went ahead at full speed immediately. he managed to do all of this quite well for a number of years that he had the boat as I remember. 
     He was a handsome, always-neatly -groomed man with a nicely trimmed handlebar mustache who never looked dishevelled---even when engaged in such a messy job as skinning a keg of writhing, live eels. 
In his latter days, Uncle Ed was one of the stars of the Amityville Decoration Day parade, riding with the honored and aging Spanish-American War veterans in one of the autos reserved for this group. By virtue of the fact that he had served with the Life Saving Service during the time of that war, he rode with these veterans.
     In the 1920's and early 1930's, Edward often worked together with his brother Stephen, (my, (Ralph Hausrath), Grandfather, on the bay. When my grandfather would announce that we were going out eeling, Ed would provision his boat for a three-day stay on the water and follow us out. The brothers would select the area to be fished, then work together to get the bait for the eelpots that would be set that night. Ed's boat and my grandfather's boat each carried 100 or more eelpots in its hold. And each boat towed a small skiff astern as the small boats were used in catching the bait and in setting and later retrieving the eelpots which were buoyed and set out for a mile or more through the fishing area. As I usually went along on these trips with my grandfather and as the cabin of my grandfather's boat had bunks for two people, Ed went into his won boat. The arrangement allowed for more eelpots to be set and thus the possibility of a bigger catch. They often worked together like this as a team. I am told that when they were younger they had once operated a restaurant in the city as partners. And Steve and Edward had married sisters. 
     Edward had first married Ann Turner of Farmingdale who became the mother of Birdsall Austin, his only son. But Ann died at an early age. Consumption was the cause, I believe. Her death caused Elizabeth Austin to take over the upbringing of Birdsall for a time at "the old homestead". Edward then remarried to Ella Chichester and had two daughter by her, Mildred and Edna. 
     Although hospitalized briefly for TB in 1936, Edward recovered, then underwent major surgery around the time of World War II, survived to see his Grandson released form Japanese captivity, and lived on to the start of his 97th year. He was an avid Bayman to the end. When I, (Ralph Hausrath), last visited him during an illness in the 1950's, his wish was "to take a little trip out in the bay on your boat."
 
 

Station Long Beach, New York
Station #90

Location: On the north side of Atlantic Beach, 3/4 mile northeast of breakwater and 13 1/2 miles east northeast of Romer Shoal Light;
40-35' 03" N x 73-39' 09"W in 1878; 40-35' 10"N x 73-40' 45"W in 1915. 
Date of Conveyence 1849 Station Built: 1849 
Fate: Original station destroyed by fire on 9 December 1917; the rebuilt station was closed in 1939. 

Remarks:

Long Beach (#90) This station was first built in 1849; the early position 
given was "near west end of Long Beach." In fact, the 1882 listing carries
the station as being called "Long Beach, west end" and it position as "near
Lucy’s Inlet." Later this was "abreast of Lawrence, near west end of 
Long Beach." The original site was apparently abandoned; in 1888 a new site
was acquired and the station was rebuilt in 1890. On 9 December 1917 a fire
destroyed this building. In 1921, a contract was awarded to construct a 
new station building and accessories on a new site.

Keepers:

The first keeper was Oliver S. Denton who was appointed in 1856; it is not  known when he left. Next was Charles Wright, who had experience as a  surfman and a wrecker, and who was appointed at the age of 40 on July 2, 1869; he was removed on January 5, 1875. Next was Henry F. Johnson (appointed January 5, 1875, and serving until April 17, 1886), Richard Van Wicklen (May 19, 1886 until his dismissal May 3, 1906), B. Frank Langdon (November 30, 1906 until his retirement with thirty years’ service November 25, 1916), Israel Van Nostrand (reassigned from the Gilgo station April 4, 1917 until his retirement with thirty years’ service on October 5, 1921), George Frederick Morin (reassigned from the Lone Point station on October 24, 1921 and served until his reassignment to the  Rockaway Point station on January 24, 1923) and William B. Tooker (reassigned from Zachs Inlet station January 24, 1923 until his reassignment to the Fire Island station April 14, 1924).  William Tooker was back from Fire Island on January 4, 1925 and served until his reassignment to the Blue Point station September 6, 1927. Then followed  Chief Boatswains Mate G. M. Schellenger (until his reassignment to the  Office of the Southern Inspector on December 13, 1935-he was commissioned  as a warrant officer October 11, 1930). The last assigned commanding officer  was Hubert B. Tuttle, who was reassigned from the Squan Beach station on December 2, 1935 and served until his reassignment to the Quogue station on  February 11, 1939.

The station was still in commission at the outbreak of World War II, but no  keepers after Tuttle are identified. 

Crew:

Edward Austin, Surfman: 1 December 1897 - 30 September 1912 
Melvin Austin, Oarsman: 20 January 1913 - 31 August 1917