Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-10-29
Acts of Courage. Devotion and HU-
manffy.

manity.
Writing from Brussels, September 30th,
in relation to some recent local festivi-
ties, the London Times correspondent
says; "One of the most interesting
ceremonies of the fetes was the distribu
tion of State rewards for acts of cour
age, devotion, and humanity, at which
the King, the Queen and the Princess
Louise were present. In Belgium there
is no trusting to private benevolence and
private societies to reward or recognize
the saving of life from drowning, from
fire, or from calamity in the streets.
This duty is undertaken by the State,
and is under State department. The
ceremony was held in the Temple des
Augustines a fine old church which
stands in the middle of the roadway in
the new boulevards, for the building was
claimed by priests ct the time when the
city authorities were clearing away the
old buildings for the new and grand i'm
provements in the old quarter, so the
authorities made broad road on each
side of it. The law has now decided
that the ownership of the building is
vested in the city authorities, and it is
believed that it will, like Temple Bar in
London, block the way but for few
months longer. The body of the build
ing which is of great size, was crowded
in every part, and the Minister of the
Interior presided. The seats on the
platform were filled by officers of the
State in uniform, by officers of high
rank, and by members of the court
When the royal family came, the
whole audience arose with the
greatest enthusiasm and cheered
their Majesties the King and Queen and
her Royal Highness the Princess most
warmly. The first to be honored was a
little fellow twelve years of age, whose
achievement brought tears into the eyes
Of the Queen and Princess, 1t seemed,
from the account read to the audience,
that three children, of whom the boy
was the eldest, were playing in their
room by themselves when the little sis
ter pulled over paraffin lamp and set
herself on fire. The brave little fellow,
fearless of burns, did the best he could
to extinguish the flames, and was so hor-
ribly burnt himself that he was three
months i'll, and will bear the marks of
his achievement to the grave. The sis
ter died, but the boys act was recog
nized by his being awarded medal Of
the first class--a large gold medal sur
mounted with the royal crown. The
second was boy who rescued child
from the broken ice in a canal last win
ter and the gold medal was also given
to this little hero. The third was nun
who had rescued, at the risk of her life,
an infant from burning house, After
the boys and the nun came two members
of the Chamber of Representatives-M.
D'Andrimont, the deputy of Liege, well
known to the English volunteers who
visited that city in 1869. and to the
members of the iron and steel institute,
who were there short time ago, and the
Comte de Borchgrave d'Altena, Deputy
of Tongres and Burgomsster of Mar
lime. M. D'Andrimont saved the lives Of
two bathers on two different occasions.
The Comte exposed his life on two occa
sions in preventing public calamities at
two fires The two deputies were re-
warded, amid the cheers of the assem-
blage, by the Civil Cross of the second
Cldbb. ub bWO VI buO DCiSthh
Parliament were followed by twoswork
men, one Of whom, a slater, Wagemans,
had rushed into burning house to res
cue sick woman, and was assisted by
printer named Dacus. Both men we're
much burnt, and the slater had the first
class medal awarded, the other the sec
ond. Then came Colonel Poitiers, of
the Garde Civique. of Molenbeck St.
Jean who plunged into the water in his
clothes to save man who had fallen
into canal. The Colonel was awarded
the first class medal. Among the other
heroes in civil life decorated for saving
life we're a student, aged sixteen, who re-
ceived the 6rst-class medal for saving a
man from dFoWning the Abbott Thoman,
of Ostend who received the same for a
like act of devotion, a religleuse named
Justine Morelle, for saving child car
ried away by the current; and officers
and pilots of Antwerp were rewarded,
their acts of devotion being in connec-
ton with the fire of the parafin loaded
American ship Westmoreland: On one
of the brave fellows being called, it was
onnounced that he had met his death by