The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-05-01 00:00:00

REWARD OF BRAVERY.

The Committee of the Royal Humane Society has just con.
eluded the investigation of the reports of a large number of
eases of saving life, and has unanimously recommended the
Society's awards to the following persons :--
The most noteworthy case, for which the silver
medallion will in all probability be given, as it has
already been recommended, was that of a French
naval officer named Francois Tardivel, belonging to
the Mouette (gunboat), who on the 28th of last
month rescued two women—Lydia Clutton and
Hannah Morgan—who fell into the water at the South
puay, Lowestoft, where the Mouette was then
moored. M. Tardivel, without any hesitation, plunged
from the gunboat 'into the water when it was evident
that his bold effort was attended with considerable
risk to his own life, one of the women clutching him
by the throat. He, however, did not lose his presence
of mind; but, while under this trying ordeal, and
observing the other woman sinking, dived down with
his burden and rose with both clinging to him. An
ordinary swimmer must have succumbed to such a
position ; but M. Tardivel, who, it transpired, had
previously saved the lives of twenty-two persons, by
dint of great exertion reached one of the mooring
rings, to which he clung with the women, one of whom
by that time had become unconscious. The boat of
the Mouette soon afterwards reached them, and they
were all taken safely on board.
Another gallant rescue (the case being recommended
by the Lords of the Admiralty) was effected in the
sea at Devonport by George Whitelock, of her
Majesty's ship Cambridge, who was awarded the
bronze medallion of the society for jumping overboard
to the rescue of a seaman named Ruze, of the same
ship, on the 19th of February.
The bronze medallion was also voted to Joshua C.
Rodway for endeavouring to save an Indian who fell
overboard from the ship Lassa, while on a voyagefrom Calcutta to British Guiana; to Patrick Gough,
for saving J. Tookey, who became immersed in the
Shannon while towing a small boat astern of a large
ship on the 22nd of February; to William Edward
Yaldwyn for rescuing Mrs. Lass, who was in danger
of drowning from a flood which surrounded and nearly
submerged a house at Dalby, Queensland, Yaldwyn
rowing to the woman in a small canvas coracle, and
taking her off the roof of the house, where it appeared
she had been for four hours; to Robert Dow, for
rescuing Charles Stallaway, steward of the steamer
Taymouth Castle, who fell overboard on the Ist ult.
i
at Cape Town Bay, and was n great danger of being
drowned or crushed by the vessel; and to Charles
M'lntosh, who had previously saved the lives of 18
persons, for rescuing Alexander Steward, who fell off
the dock wall into the water at Dundee on the 20th
ult.
Other rewards were voted to Miss Alice S.
Goodinge and Frank Hancock, for saving a boy
named Wheeler, who fell off the breakwater into the
sea at Brighton, on the 18th inst. ; to John Spencer,
of the Bedford Constabulary, for saving George
Chandler and Thomas Francis, who broke through the
ice while skating on the river Ouse, near Bedford, on
the 24th of last December ; to James Albert Nield for
saving John James Whitely, who got out of his depth
while bathing in the Bridgwater Canal at Stretford,
near Manchester, on the 28th ult. ; to James
Martin, for rescuing William Chapman, who acci-
dentally fell into the tidal drain near Hull .on the
4th nit.' to Major Charles Ford, of the 9th Essex
Rifle Volunteers, and Mr. Aubrey C. Cecil fw saving
a lady who was being carried out by the ebb tide whfle
bathing at Southsea ; to Maurice Blackford and George
Fisher for attempting to save a lady from drowning in
the sea at Preston, near Weymouth, on the Ist inst. ;
fellt.
to Batty Mulvaney'for saving Mary E. Hogan, who
i; to John ntoth e river
Dge
erautnßoy fyle, Roscommon, on the 19th
u or
savin a boy named
Richards, who fell out of a boat into the dock at
F
Swansea on the 27th ult.; to William Loveland for
rescuing G. R. Kilty, who fell into the river Nene,
Northampton, on the 21st of February; and to Charles
s. yills for saving Samuel Jones (both of her Majesty's
ship Ganges) on the 7th ult., at Falmouth.