Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-10-21
MISCELLANEOUS.
A Real Hero.

"A Real Hero.
A Liverpool correspondent of the New
York Courier, who was passenger in the
packet ships New World" gives thrilling
description of the burning of the Ocean
Monarch, in the course of which he thus
chronicles the conduct of a real hero, who
is an honor to his country and to human
nature:-
"We then hauled of, leaving about
twenty on the wrech--persons who were so
| frightened that, except for wild and almost
pibhering gestures to us, they might have
passed for statues their faces were If n
creeniSh pale color and their eyes looked
large and hollow. They chung to the wreck,
and refused (by utter noncompliance every
endeayor TO induce them 10 Jump for the
/ boats. At this time--will it be believed 7
some passengers and the captain (probabiy
suggested by the latter) urged that we could
| do no more good and that we had better
proceed on our voyage! shall ever feel
| gratified that human nature redeemed itself
the proposition was received with horror.
| | spoke but few words: When we saw
this ship first, the captain said, all who were
aboard must either have persisted or been
/ taken off, and, therefore, he did not wish to
bear down; we came, and have saved at least
Item. say let us stay by her, no matter how
long it may be, so there is living thing
aboard her. Look at that little child cling
ing to the hoom-will you leave it?' A groan
/ and n Never!' was answered from all save
two or three. The captain appeared vexed.
He turned our boat, ran astern, picked up
his boats, and ordered the helnisman to run
us close alongsde' He had refused 10 do
h this three or four hours before, when there
was little or no danger; now it was expected
that the whole head of the burning ship
would fall, and the experiment be really
dangerous. Some who had advocated il
before now demurred; but the more bold
declared they would run the risk, and the
voice of fear was stified give our captain
credit here--it was trying time-my heart
fIuttered, for was afraid but still could
not look at that child which for hours we
had seen hanging with the mute determina-
ton of despair, without resolving every risk
rather than no rescue.
:" And there, close into the head, was an
old gray-haired man with an infant in his
arms! He sat there with perfect ease, APP
Inarently unconscious of the particulars of
/ The scene about him. We backed down
within about ten yards, and then was per-
4 formed an act of heroism the memory OF
(which should be undying as the reward must
be eternal Frederick Jerome, Of S43 Wa
ter street, New York, sailor belonging to
the ship New World, volunteered to board
the wreck, and declared he would not leave
| her until he had saved them all. He strip
ped passing a hauling line around his body,
and was pulled in a boat close in to the
wreck, and then jumped overheard, swan
under her bows, caught by the hanging rig
ging. and, 10y climbing and shining, got up
to the head The loose sticks-the risk OF
being struck by which was iinmlnent-and
remember that we all looked momentarlly
for the falling away Of the head, bowsprit,
passengers and all--and you may conceive
the noble spirit, the only one ont of hundreds
around, that dared venture his life for the
salvation of his fellow-creatures. weep
at the recollection.
"After attaining his position, one by one
I he fixed line around them, took a turn with
it and lowered them away: they were then
hauled by the other end of the line close to
the boat and picked out of the water into
/ it, The little child to which have before
alluded was not more than five years old
/ Ii chung to its hold, resisting him with des-
perate and extraordinary strength when
Lowering, it had got well down, the little
creature grasped rope and clung to u, while
the sea- large and strong, broke over II two
or three times at least. Jerome was com
PEELED by main strength TO tear il away and
lower it swiftly TO prevent il seizing another
hold. 1t was saved after having chung to its
one position for at least three hours The
old man who had the little infant was the
last-the infant had been sent before-he
refused to let 90, and il required great deal
of threatening and some slight force to clear
him. At last he was got OF. jerome hav-
ing performed his promise, that he would
mot leave the wreck till he bad saved them
Tall, after being IN imminent peril for bali or
three quarters of an hour, lowered himself,
sprang off into the sea, and was picked up
and brought on board our ship.
4 collection was mnde on board and
piyen 10 him. which, as there were but few
cabin passengers, and none Of them were
very wei provided, and rs be was compell-
&c to hurry to his own ship, did NOT amount
10 much. He will be in New York soon,
in the New Word. New York should do
something for him. can assure you ], as
a New Yorker, was prord when ] heard
where he hailed from. Somebody said that
he was born in Portsmouth, England; bat
he called himself from New York. lie said
that by some similar feat he had once pre-
served the lives of near five hundred peo-
ple.n
10 The Ohio State Journal gives the
- i A.s.tst