The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1874-07-09
A Hero OF the Sea.

\ despatch last night from Bath an
nonnced III" launching Of fine ship at
that place. which is TO he commanded by
Captain William II. Dunphy of Gardiner
This announcement recalls TO mind an in
stance ui the nohlest Kind Of hcroism per
formed hy Captain Dunphy. who is yet 4
young man. Like q majority Of New Eng
land boys he was AT an early ace thrown
upon his OWN resources. his father being
dead He shipped n Il boy in vessel be
longing to the McSsrs Bradstree1 the we'll
known ehipoWnei4 ol Gardiner, and by his
iaithlnlness and sramanship 50 impressed
his employers with his sterling worth that
they placed him in command Of vessel
a few Years after lie reached his ma aiOrity
In the summer Of 1867, while captain of
the BRIG Nellie Mitchell. lie left Aspinwall
for Swan Island. -Four days out from the
former port, the whole ships company.
with the exception Of the master and one
man, We're prostratrd with lsthmus fever
For days these two noble fellows cared for
the sufferers and guided the vessel on its
course. When within fifty miles Of their
destination. worn ont by their terrible
duties and bearing the seeds of this fear
tlll disease in their systems, they also were
stricken down. Captain Dunphv. fear
ing lest NO one might survive to tell
the fate OF the pest-ship, tackled letter to
the bulkhead, giving an account OF the
ravages Of the disease, providentially.
three days after, he recovered sufficiently
to head the brig for San Antonia In spite
Of the most intense agony he perseyered
in endeayoring to reach u port Of safety,
but often, while trying to retain the helm
in his hands or to perform the duties of
nurse to his unfortunate men, would fall
in a taintin@ lit to the deck with no one to
relieve him, or even to put Il drop of
water to his lips. During all this time he
could not walk, but dragged himself
around on his hands and knees.
At last 4 friendly sail appeared, and the
Lizzie Bell rescued this sclf-sacriticing
sailor from death through exhaustion. He
was brought TO an American port as soon
as possible and sent to hi, home, but the
terrible scenes through which he had
passed was too much even for his natural
ly strong constitution. and for whole
year it was considered a matter of great
doubt whether he would ever recover from
the effects of his eXertions and sutlcrings
At last. however, he recovered sufficiently
to assume command of vessel built eN-
pressly ior him mt Bowdoinham, though
doubtless he will never regain the phvSi-
cal STRENGTH he possessed before his sad
trip on the little Nellie Mitchell
Such heroiSm rs this Young Kennebcc
captain displayed deserves to be remcm-
bered for While on land with an tha aid
of s1mpatbizino assistants. il rnouires the
strongest nerves to pass THROUGH scenes
like these, on the pathless ocean undvino
energy and a seli-saerificc almost impossi-
bic Is demanded even IL one * in The hest
of health and how much more 1ro these
Qualities exhih,ted when the actor Is HIM
self proetrotad with disease rportland
Advertiser
,c,,,,,on aI-ont, so,.,-o a bol, ,n,n,,-a Dt
old timac Michael Anoelo tonl- H. noniae
from The norq0ns in the streets and
wrought them out on the walls Of the Vat
lean, chanoino herpar into a oiant, and
an ordinary woman who bore a basket of
flowers on her arm into an angel. and the
beooarond tho tlovar-nirl stand there now
in their lustrous beauty, speaking to ewes
that wander from every side Of the GREAT
world. The rocks slumbered in the
mountain. and he reached his bands ont
and took it. and gathered the stones from
the fields about h;m. and built them into
that awful pile. which. coyerino acres on
the rround reaches IN IFS MIGHTY dome
heaven constra;nino thp moh of
thr civ to how thoir foreheads ondto vow
GREAT PRAYERS il God So. my brothers