River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-04-11
AN ALARMING seine.
Four Men FAN from Fore-ToDsail
Yard-Gallant Conduct of Lieut
seth Ackiey, United States Navy.


Yard-Gallant Conduct of Lieut
seth Ackiey, United States Navy.
The following exciting and deeply inter-
esting narrative comes from the United
States ship Omaha, which arrived at Val
paraiso on the It'll of February last, after
a very rough passage, which was really
her trial trip:
On Tuesday afternoon, january 7th, when
the ship was in latitude 81 06 south, long
itude 50 west, the officers and men were
startled by yell, crash, and the cry,
A man overheard ~ All were at once
on the move for their stations. Tom Lee
hat the deck and was making prepare
tons TO heave TO, not an easy thing to do
with the wind aft and heavy sea, but he
did it well and quickly. Those on the
poop with the life buoys saw man float
ing astern; they tried hard first to get the
buoys away, but they hung foul from the
effect Of constant storms. Meanwhile
somebody jumped overheard aud caught
the man and they went astern together.
An officer got Il rope and grating over;
man caught the rope and by this time
the life buoys were down; he could not
hold the rope in the heavy tow and had
t. let go. The doctor of the ship and an
oihcer with six volunteers got away in the
whaleboat, and alter narrowly escaping
being swamped several tunes got off
some distance astern and came in sight of
the life buoys with somebody just grasp
ing them. This was Seth Ackley, lust
where those familiar with modesty and
pluak would expect to find him. The
crew pulled with will. Coming near
him he called that he was call right
and begged the men to pull ahead to
where the man ought to be if he rose
again. This they did, and searched for
him, but found nothing but his cap They
then went and picked up Ackley Tie
never once thought of himself during the
whole affair and was as cool as a cucum-
Der, or as when he, with others, were
laundering in the surf at Narragansett
Pier last August. The men hoisted him
in and returned to the ship, into which,
with some difficulty they were also hoisted.
as it was very rough for swimming or
boating either.
Again on board, they found what it was
all about. Four men had been at work
On the foretopsail yard the tye parted
near the fiyblock, and the yard had drop
ped by the run about thirty feet, shaking
off the men. The lookout caught in the
rigging, one seaman in the forerigging,
another on the foreyard, ali of whom
were slightly injured. The fourth man,
John Owens, a carpenter, who was al
work on the yard repairing cleat, fell
over on the ships rail, SCATTERING it and
then overheard. He must have received
fatal injuries, as Aekley says that after
he let go the rope he held the man up for
some time, but getting embarrassed by the
tow, and seeing the buoys floating towards
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
convulsive struggle and went down.
What will be Ackley's reward? Moth
ing but the esteem of his comrades and
the respect of his subordinates. Ours is
net a service where such gallant acts can
be substantially rewarded by the Govern
ment.
The ship was under full Roadway at the
time he jumped over. There was the
gravest doubt about as to where and when
he should land, but, that is a consideration,
say his comrades, which could not affect
such fellow as Ackley in the line of duty
or humanity.