Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-12-23
A HERO.

The recent courageous and even des-
perate act Of Capt. Brooks, Keeper Of the
F~aulkner's Island Light House, in rescn-
ing the captain, his wife, and crew, from
a wreck, in Long Island Sound, deserves
more than a passing notice, Ii will be
remembered that Faulkner's Island itself
is more than two miles from the main
land. and that its only inhabitants are
the keeper Of the lighthouse and his fam.
lily, Capt. Oliver N. Brooks. The wreck
lay upon Goose Island, some two miles
from this ; but Captain Brooks could see
with his glass, the p 0 in the rigging,
and the sea dashed into unusual fury,
making a breach high over its decks, and
threatening instant destruction. 1t WIS
too sad a sight for tae brave man to Ell
.dure; and provided as he was by the
Government with nothing but a small
sailboat, to go between the island and
the mainland, he would have been fully
justified in leaving them to a fate horri
bic to think Of. His wife was on shore
and he was alone with his family oflittle
children but telling them Of the peril he
was about to assume-a fearful peril,
from which he might never return-he
kissed them, and calling upon God to
protect them and bless his endeayor, he
jumped into his frail skiff, and steered
boldly into the storm and the pillows
Those on board saw the attempt, and
even in their agony wondered at his bold.
ness, predicted its failure, and grieved at
what they considered an unnecessary sac
rifce. But still the brave man, relying
upon Providence, kept up his heart and
hopes, and although every wave threat
ened him with destruction, he reached at
last the wreck, and hailed the responding
crew with words of cheer. By the most
skillful management of his boat, now
shooting past, and once over the very
wreck itself, he at last managed to pick
them off, one at a time and then turned
for the shore. But it was only by con-
slant bailing and tremendous efforts that
the boat was kept above water, and at
last reached the island, with it's inmates
exhausted, and nearly dead with hunger
and exposure. On the shore, waiting for
their father, were the little children oil
Capt. Brooks, who with tears and screams
of JOY, saw the boat tossed violently upon
the land by the angry waves, with an
overtasked load Of rescued mariners, who
were Immediately transferred to the light
house in silence, and made welcome and
comfortable. For gentlemen familiar
with the circumstances, and also with the
dangers of the sea, this was the mosi
daring feat they ever heard of; and thai
the boat was entirely unfit for such a ser
vice, and that nothing but unrivaled cool
ness, great skill as a boatman, and the
hand Of Providence over all, made the
effort successful. Capt. Brooks thought
it at least an equal chance that he should
be lost although, with a proper life OF
surf boat, he wouldn't have hesitated a
moment about going to the wreck when
he first discovered the danger, and might
have saved the life of the little girl-the
captains child of three years-who fell
from his exhausted arms into the sea, hall
an hour before Capt. B. reached the
wreck. We have known Captain Brooks
for several years as one of the most faith
full men in the lighthouse service, and
means will be taken to call the attention
of the Government to his merits, and hope
that he may be provided with a boat suit,
able for the kind of service he is so fire.
quently called upon to enter. There
should be also, at such an exposed point
an assistant keeper, for had Mr.. Brooks
been lost in his efforts to save the crew
Of this vessel, there would have been mis-
sing to the mariner in Long Island Sound
on that night, the ever steady beacon
light of Faulkner's Island. If ever hero
deserved. the public reward Of bravery
that man is Oliver N. Brooks, the soil
tary watcher on a sea grit island.-Neu
Hauen Register.