The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-01-07 00:00:00

HEROES OF TO-DAY.

The Committee of the Royal Humane Society,
having just completed the examination for the year of
cases of bravery displayed in saving life from drown-
ing, have awarded eleven bronze medals in nine of
the more prominent instances. One has been bestowed '
upon Edward Devereux, of the training-ship Ex-
mouth, lying off Grays, in the Thames, for saving a
boy of the vessel, William Manley, who fell overboard
at night, on the 9th November, from the gig, when she
was being hoisted on to the davits, he being quickly
swept out of sight The electric light was shown, and
Devereux swam after the lad, having to go about 500
yards before he reached him, the two being picked up ,
by a boat. Devereux saved a boy in a somewhat like _
manner last year. On the recommendation of the Ad- 3-1--"'
miralty, a medal was awarded to George Beer, a first-
class boy of her Majesty's ship Nelson, for gallantly
endeavouring to save Major Robilliard, R.M.A., in
Jervis Bay, Australia. The deceased officer, with
several other officers of the ship, was in a whaler
under sail, which was capsized by a sudden squall.
The efforts to right her were unsuccessful, and Major
Robilliard, who had become insensible through the
coldness of the water, was supported for a long while
by the boy Beer, who was at last compelled to let him
go. The rest of the party, Nth° were two miles from
the shore and three from the ship, were picked up by
a boat. A third medal was given to James Humby,
master of a steam launch at Portsmouth, for saving
a Royal Artilleryman named Allen, who, an the night
of the 21st November, persisted in standing on the
side of the launch till he eventually fell backward into
the sea. There was a swift current running, but llumby
managed to bring the man back to the launch. The
fourth medal is bestowed upon Robert Stay, fourth
officer of the Peninsular and Oriental steamer Lom-
bardy, who saved a Chinaman in Hong Kong Harbour,
the man having with others jumped overboard to
reach his boat as the steamer was lea ving the harbour,
but, unlike his comrades, failing to reach his boat.
John Collins, a sailmaker's apprentice at South
Shields, receives the medal for rescuing a boy of 12,
who fell out of a boat he was sculling on the Tyne on
the 21st November. Collins had to swim a consider-
able distance with heavy boots on before rescuing the
boy. Another medal has been given to Piran Ditta,
of the Indian Police at Lahore, for saving another
native who had attempted suicide in a well, his
rescuer having to hold on to the side of the well for
some time before assistance came, and both were
pulled out. Three medals have been awarded to two
Cypriotes and a Turk, who very heroically descended
a dry well to bring out two men who were lying
there overcome by the poieonous gas inhaled while
clearing out the shaft. One of the Cypriotes
first went down, and then the Turk, but only
in turn to become stupefied. Notwithstanding the
imminent danger, the second Cypriote ventured down
with a rope, which he fastened round one man, and
immediately returning to purer air at the top, hauled
him up, continuing his exertions till he had three of
the four up, all of whom recovered. The fourth was
beyond resuscitation. Another medal goes to W.
Ferron, first-class boy of her Majesty's ship Lion, who
saved another boy named Howson, who threw himself
overboard at Devonport on the night of the 12th Nov.
Hewson, finding himself being carried away by the
current, against which he could not swim, called for
help, and, despite the darknens, Ferron succeeded in
rescuing him with a lifebuoy. The last medal has
been voted to Constable Murdo Urquhart, who,
on the 25th November, saved Malcolm Macdonald,
a fisherman, at Stornoway. The last-named tripped
over a ship's moorings at midnight, and fell into
the dock, and the constable had to paddle
a boat with a bottom board he had pulled up for about
300 yards, in a strong gale, before reaching the drown-
ing man. The society's testimonial on vellum was
awarded to James Price, a clerk of 17, for saving a boy
named Lonergan, who had fallen off a barge at the
quay at Youghal ; to Thomas Holden, a miner, for
saving a boy from the canal at Barnsley, Holden
running straight from his bed to rescue the lad; to
Norman Caruth, a student, for saving Samuel Patton,
who had sunk in deep water by the Pickle Rock at
Bangor, co. Down; to Alexander Joy, a gentleman at
Uppingliam School (and winner of the society's swim-
ming medal in the school competition last year), for
saving Mr. Hoare, the banker, at Sandsend, near Whitby,
Mr. Hoare having been with his sons in a boat which
capsized; to James Spring, fish merchant, at Hull, for
saving a boy who had fallen into the dock; to George
Frederick, a clerk, for saving a man whose outrigger
was upset in attempting to get through Kew Bridge:
to Constable Samuel Holbrook, for saving a little boy
who fell into the milldam at Holmfirth while trying to
slide on the ice with which the dam was covered;
and to Michael Brick and Christopher Sheehy for
saving Michael Hoar, whose canoe was upset at Per-
moyle, on the Kerry coast. Other testimonials on
parchment were given to a man named Jones for sav-
ing John Lewis from the river at Aberdovey ; to
Elizabeth M'Donald, a girl of fourteen, who rescued
little boy who had been swept off a groyne at Bognor
by a strong sea; and to five fishermen and two
labourers for saving three men whose boat had cap-
sized on Loch Neagh, four men being lost on the same
occasion.