The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-12-12
Real Heroism..ThriIIino sc.r..


The wreck Of the schooner Niagara, at Fort
Hope, Canada, was attended with loss Of life, un.
der singularly painful circumstances The Toronto
Colonist Of the 5th says:
In endesvonng to make the hsrbor she struck on
the shoal of the east of it. and Immediately
over. 1t was blowing terrific gale at the time aud
so much crystal The hands 6rst took Shelter upde
the eulwarks on the quarter deck bat these wore
soon carried swsy, and they obliged to tats to
ice Hu.dreds upsn hundreds of people were look.
ing from the shsre Point Hope shout two hundred
yards distant at the painful and desperate struggle
sboas bv tss .. %
length jolly boat with Captain Woods of the An
ME msude, of Port Hope. in command, put out to
lescue the freezing and surf beaten crew.
A cheer rose from every voice the boat gained
the deep water and was calamity cresting the waves
to reach the schooner. But after repeated and al
most superhuman efforts to bring the beat aloussid.
she was obliged to abandon the attempt. lest she
should be amped, dashed to pieces against the
vessel. Tears dimmed every eye when the brave
boat which had again and again. until shs was very
nearly filled with water, and was literally covered
with ice, endeavored to make fast" was seen ma.
king for land The poor sailors: who were motion
asan waved their hands from the boom, for ono last
effort to them. The feelings of the hundreds of
spectators At this time are wholly indescrib.ble
put out, amid cheers which strangely mingled
with the wild storm. GloriouslY did they mount
the swells which now threatened to sweep the poor
sailors OF the boom. Wave after wave they crested
as hearts beat high that the and hopes
sunk and rose a. they disappeared between and
rose above the swells. At length they reached the
schooner, and vast cheer was ard they made
fast to the davits The crow of the boat, with the
exception of two men, climbed into the schooner to
help the hslf frozen sailors of the boom. Ono was
handed dows; but orc q second could be lowered, q
fearful swell almost hid the boat; another came and
she disappeared and the poor sailor who had been
just handed down to what was his last hope of safety
xwaa fhA f,n1 onA Aofth fhatx An
rose shrugged with the breakers caught a rope, was
hsuled the deck of the schooner and was in few
minutes Afterwards frozen to death. A cry of des-
pair oame from every ono
The brave crew OF the boat were added to the
crew of the schooner, and wilder and wilder sill
RACED the storm From point OF land above the
schooner scow set adrift, in the slender hope
that 1t might float to her. 1t stranded In few sc.
conds afterwards. From tie Grand Trunk wharf,
which was to the their best boat was ost.
ed of, but its fate like their hopesit soon sur
At las. brave o. shpper-honor to his name and t.
his heart-said he would mako ono more effort to
save thsm or he would perish 10 the attempt. Oar.
ing, desperate was the resolve, his boat was man
ned BY sailors and fishermen in few seconds. and
literally amid cheers and prayers, they pushed her
into the boiling surf.
in the he schooner, this last was large and
heavy boat; and for long time 1t was ono dead
struggle to keep their own with her She rose 40
to the waves but she made little or no headway
Every nerve of the brave crew was strained bn,
they could only defy the storm; they ecud not ssr
upon it. At last, as the cries tho friends Of thos'
who were on heard the schooner were growing wild
or on the beach, and the pc sailors freez
lag to the boom, the,e appeared lull of few %
eonds and vast effort brought the boat under the
stern of the schooner.
cheering rose from her crew. Men, women and
children, they had all but one heart broke ou
into wild scream of ecstacy and hope on shore.-
Tho Door frost bitten safely handed dowr
into the boat and she crested tho and bore
them iumpbantly to ths shore, it seemed ss if al
human sympathies were absorbed in ono intense
fee 1v,,it IF vho
all the generosity Of sailors and more than tho no
blity Of men. Tho nsme Of the captain who com
msnded the last boat was Stephen Woods. Of the
Annie Maud.. He and his crew deserve far mere
than this trifling tribute to their hersism.