New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-01-08
TIE urRos OWN. STORY.


The Hon. Moses w. FIELD, House Of hepresen'dur'S.
DEAR SIR: have never desired Puo'lc STATE
- g tho service which under God, have been
allie to render in saving human te' Out as you nav
asked me 10 send you list of the men, women au
t;l1ren whom have rescued from drowning VIII
do 90 40 far rs can from memory. have never
Lo,t a record of the names, aid the nulnoer Is SO
ot that Won will excuse me if leave some unmell-
toned 500
think have altogether saved more than 100
human bengS but take no credit about tins mat
ter and have never regretted doing what nave
dome IN anv case although L have had at times TO
kaen nv bed for many weeks on account OF tine eA-
posnre i'm the cold weather. II is well for me that l
had good mother to take care OF me at such times
Of sickness. On the Dist of May. IS, saved Mt.
Manning of Windsor. On the 9TH OF July, looo'
saved Mr.. George TAYLOR of New-York State; he was
very near dead when | got him on the WhaIl'
October 10. 1865, saved child of Mr.. +. German
of Adrian: she was about years old. and was near
drowned when got her out Dec. -, 1868, saved
son of Mr. Yates, who kept clothing store on JET
ferson-ave The night was very cold, high wind
was blowing at the time and he was very near d, al
shen we reached the wharf.
NINE PERSONS SAVED IN ONE NIGHT.
April IL, 1866 was the worst night ever had.
II will be ever memorable as the night Of the great
confederation at the Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad
depot. when 16 poor fellows were drowned. res
eued @ and then became so exhausted that could
not SWIM and had to abandon them to their 1aie'
got a very bad cold and lay in bed two weeks, but
that was nothing in comparison 10 the go0d accom-
pished. July 25, 1866. saved Mr. Joseph NOBLE
of Windsor and believe you We're there at the time
He was once engineero the Great Western Railroad
You know he near drowning me by llls struggles
in the water at which time received severe internal
injuries. April Z, 1867, / saved the of Mr. c.
Myers. who lived in Mullet-st. He was a boy about
70 wears old. June H. 1867 saved the daughter
Of Mr. Andrew Morse of Cleveland She was going
ON hoard the ferry-boat with her mother and some
other ladies. when she fell off the plank. When
cot 70 the wharf she was going of sight for the
last time and plunged in and brought her to the
surface. Sept. 15 1867, l saved cOlOTed man,
who was deckhand on the propeller Meteor. lie
kicked lie about in the water terribly for drowning
men are always crazy. Nov. 2, 1851 l saved MI.
David Miller, the man who drove wagon for Hall
Bros storekeepers ON MOnroe-ave. May 10, 1SGS,
saved Mr.. Robert Sinton, known as g Frec Press
Bob" You know he used to be reporter for The
Free Press And in his haste to get news he fell ID,
and got him out
A few nights after that l saved Mr. Steele, who
used to keep a store on Michigan-ave. lie was on
horse. and was holding him by the head when the
boat struck the wharf. The horse jumped and
threw him into the river, when the current
swept him under the wharf. l jumped i'll
and got him out all right. Oct. 4, 1865, saved a
daughter of Mr. Mcdonald Of Windsor. May II,
1869, ] saved Mr.. Flattery, one of the Flattery
Brothers who keep furniture store on Woodward
ave. He heavy man; when got bold of him
he was near gone, and came near losing my own
life in getting him out. June 81, 1870. / saved a
man called Mr. George Broder. was eating dinner
at the time, when some person came running in
after me, saying, There is a man in the river"
ran out and jumped into the river and as soon as
cot near him he clutched Inc like a wise and took me
under the water twice. When | came to the top the
last time, my father handed me a long pole, which |
caught and that saved He powerful
man. and kicked and struggled hard that nc made
my legs black and blue for many months.
My mother goes to the edge of the wharf with me
very often, when / jump III but when she sees per.
SONS struggling in the water and drowning. she
never holds me back.
RISING HIS LIFE WHEN FIVE HUNDRED STOOL
IDLY BY.
August 2i, 1871, / saved the daughter of Mr.. A
Wilson of Milwaukee. March 4, 1872, | saved
colored man by the name of George Wilkes; he Eel
of the wharf while under the influence of liquor
but think he has been sober man ever since
July 4, 1873, saved the daughter of Mr. T. Barlow
abutcher, who keeps a stall in the market She
was going on board the feny-boat Detroit with hei
mother and some other ladies the crowd was very
great being the Fourth of July. and although her
mother held her by the hand the crowd surged and
she crowded off the plank and fell into the river
There were about SOC people on the wharf at the
time, and they all staring at the poor girl
struggling in the water, not one OF them daring tC
80 to her rescue. was in the house when some one
came to give the alarm. aud when got out there
could just see her dress she was going ont OF
sight four five feet below the surface
jumped in and caught her, and when
got out ON the top of the wharf with her the people
gave me three cheers. March 6, 1873, | saved a
young lady called Miss Louise Mckenzie. This was
the closest call ever had for my life. was in the
water ABOUT ~ minutes and the river being full OF
hoatng Ice at the time was nearer dead than alive
when i got out Four men carried Inc into the
house, and they rubbed me with hot whisky for
over four hours before circulation was restored TO
Its normal condition. This severe exposure made
me sick, and it was over three months before the
night feeling was in my hands,
You will remember this incident, for you came 10
lie when was unwell. | regret very much at this
uine lost the beautiful medal presented me by the
eis'Eens, and think You were one of the gentlemen
connected with its presentation. | have been in
iorhed that would receive medal from the British
parliament, but it has not come. don't ask any,
saved "a poor unfortunate individual" last
month, when took severe cold. and as was lying