▁pier ' s ▁tower . ▁The ▁judge , ▁not ing ▁that ▁the ▁tower ▁and ▁clock ▁had ▁surv ived ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁fire , ▁an ▁attack ▁by ▁the ▁Luft wa ffe ▁and ▁an ▁accident al ▁mine ▁attack , ▁said ▁the ▁damage ▁caused ▁was ▁" high ly ▁visible ▁and ▁irre par able " ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁Ry ans ▁" will ▁always ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁two ▁men ▁who ▁destroyed ▁the ▁history ; ▁it ▁was ▁v andal ism ▁and ▁the ft ▁for ▁gre ed ". ▁ ▁West on ▁L if eb o at ▁Station ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁extreme ▁tid al ▁range ▁in ▁the ▁Br istol ▁Channel , ▁finding ▁a ▁suitable ▁launch ing ▁site ▁for ▁lif eb o ats ▁proved ▁an ▁ar du ous ▁task ▁for ▁the ▁Royal ▁National ▁L if eb o at ▁Institution ▁( R N LI ). ▁Dav its ▁were ▁installed ▁on ▁the ▁pier ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 2 , ▁en abling ▁a ▁lif eb o at ▁to ▁be ▁lower ed ▁into ▁the ▁water ▁below , ▁even ▁at ▁low ▁t ide . ▁A ▁new , ▁larger ▁lif eb o at ▁was ▁station ed ▁here ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 9 ▁and ▁a ▁bo ath ouse ▁was ▁built ▁for ▁it ▁on ▁the ▁north - east ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁island ▁with ▁a ▁ ▁s lip way ▁beside ▁the ▁pier . ▁This ▁facility ▁was ▁replaced ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 2 ▁when ▁a ▁new ▁bo ath ouse ▁was ▁built ▁on ▁the ▁south - east ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁island . ▁This ▁had ▁a