The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-07-15
GALLANTRY AT SEA.

Presentations were made on Tuesday
last, on board the screw steamer Indiana,
then lying in the Huskisson Dock, to Blk
seamen of that vessel, in recognition OF
their heroic conduct in the saving OF life
at sea under circumstances Of great peril
to themselves. Medals have been sent
by the Shipwrecked Mariners Society
for presentation to the men whose names
were John Finn, John Keefe, John Will
liams, Charles Hendrickson, Matthew
Power and Mike Corif. The society was
represented by Mr.. Thomas Hammer OF
the Sailors Home, and the interesting
ceremony took place in the presence o.
Gen. Lucius Fairchild, the United States
Consul at Liverpool; Professor ]. b.
Nourse, of the United States Navy, on
his way to the International Geographic
cal Convention to be held in Paris on the
9Th of next month; Captain Clarke, Mr..
Symons, Mr.. Tenant and other gentle
men.
The circumstances under which the
men displayed their gallantry occurred
ON the night of the Sd of last December,
when led by Mr.. B. w. Sergeant, then
first officer of the Indiana, now Captain
of the steamship Abbottsford, of the
American line), they manned the life
boat in a heavy sea, the ship rolling vio-
lently, and proceeded to the rescue OF
ten of the crew of the Avena, of Sligo,
which was dismasted, and had seven
feet of water in the hold. They succeed
ed in saving the lives of all the men,
though the sea was SO heavy that the life
boat was swamped alongside the ship
It appeared that the Avena was passed
about three hours before the Indiana
hove in sight by large steamship, the
sea then running SO high that 1t was i'm
possible to render assistance, A framed
and glazed testimonial from the Ship
wrecked Mariners Society had also been
sent for Captain James T. Morse, the
Marine Superintendent of the American
Steamship Company and Red Star Lines,
who temporarily commanded the ship
for that voyage, but that gentleman was
not present TO receive it, and Capt. Sar-
geant was also absent, being on his ship.
Mr.. Hammer, however, said that Captain
Clarke, the present commander, who on
the eventful night in December was a
passenger on the ship and kindly repre-
sented the circumstances to General Fair
child, through whom they were laid be-
fore the Shipwrecked Mariners Board in
London, had offered to take the testimo-
nial across the Atlantic, and hand it to
Captain Morse, as well as the silver
medal of the society to Mr.. Sergeant
After some observations to the men, com
mending them for the courage they had
shown, Mr.. Hammer handed the silver
medals to General Fairchild for presenta-
ton to them. The General, in deliver
ing them to the men, remarked that
what they had done was an act of bravery
and humanity, andhe was sure that, un-
der similar circumstances, they would
perform the same heroic service. Inter-
national recognitions of this kind tended
to bind two great nations in an indisso
luble bond Of brotherhood, and also to
promote good feeling and emulation in
the best sense between the sailors of the
United States and England. The pre-
sentation was cordially acknowledged by
the men, liverpool Courier, June u.