The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-03-29

states snip Ombna ~ Sao-fOuk
Men Fall from tho Fore TOpsaiI
Yard--One into the Decentralization
Conduct Of Lieutenant Seth Ack'
ley, Uutted States Navy.
The following exciting aud deeply
interesting narrative has reached US
from on board the United States ship
omaha, which arrived at Valparaiso
on the 7th OF February last, after q
very roIgh passage, which was really
her trial trip:
On Tuesday afternoon, January 7,
when the ship was in the latitude
81 06 south, longitude 50 west, the Of.
icers and men were startled by yell
a crash, and the cry, "a man over
boar All were at once on the move
tor their stations. Tom Lee had the
deck and was making preparations to
heave to, not an easy thing to do with
the wind att and heavy Sea, but be
did il well and quickly. Those on the
poop with the lite buoys saw man
fl Dtting a.tern; thev tried first to get
the buors away. but they hung foul
from the effect OF constant storms
Meanwhile some one jumped overheard
and caught the man and they went as
tern together An officer got rope and
a grating over; man caught the rope
aud by this~time the life buovs were
DIVA; he could not hold the rope in the
heavy tow and had to let 90. The
d,c,or o. the ship and an officer with
six volunteers got away in the whale-
boat and after narrowly escaping being
swamped several times got off some dis
tsnCe astern and came in sight o. the
lite buoys with somebody just grasping
TEEN. This was Seth Ackley, just where
those familiar with modesty and pluck
would expect to find him. TIE crew
pulled with a will. Coming near him
he called that he was "all right" and
begged the men to pull-ahead to where
the man ought to be il he rose again.
This they did, and searched TOR MIN,
but 'ouni nothing but his cap. They
then went and picked up AckIey. He
never thought of himself once during
the whole affair, AMI was as cool as
cucumber, or "a when he, with Others,
WAS fl laundering in the surf at Nara
gtnsett Pier last August. The men
noisted him in and returned to the ship,
into which with some difficulty they
were also holsted, "a il was very rough
Tor swimming or boating either.
Agarn on board, they found what 1t
was all about. Four men had been
At work on the tortopssil yard; the
I've parted near the tiyblock, and the
yard had dropped by the run about
thirty feet shaking off the men. The
lookout caugnt 10 the rigging, one
seaman in the tore rigging, another on
the foreysrd, all Of whom were slightly
Injured. The fourth man, John
Ovens, q carpenter, who was at work
on the yard repairing a clear fell over
on the ships rail, shatterlng 1t, and
then overb Dard He must have received
'atal Injuries, "a Ackley says that after
ne let 90 of the rope he held the man
up for some time, but getting embar-
rtssed hy the tow and seeing the buoys
tioating toward him he tried to get hold
OF them. At this time he thinks the
man died from his injuries, as he threw
his arm up in conyulSive struggle,
and went down.
What will be Ackleys reward Z
Nothing but the estee of his comrades
and the resoect of his subordlnates.
Ours is not service where such gall
lant ac;s can be substantially rewarded
bv the government.
The ship WAS under full headway at
the time when he jumped over. There
was the gravest doubts a. to where and
wnen he would land, but that is con-
sjderation; say his comrades, which
could not effect such fellow as Ackley
IN tie line OF duty or humanity.