The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-13
THE HEROIC CLERGYMAN.
A Talk WITH FATHER THOMAS n
AD1MS or BROOkLYN.
Ne SAYS he Merely Did his Duty to Save n
Poor Creature from Snicide-A Narrsv
Earnpe-Oiher Aeta Of lrenI HrnNsrr.

Ne SAYS he Merely Did his Duty to Save n
Poor Creature from suicide-A Narr.v
Escnpe-Othsr Acts of Great Bravery.
Father Thomas N. Adams, who saved
woman from drowning on Friday afternoon. N
tte assistant pastor Of the Church Of st. Vincent
de Paul, North Sixth street, williameburgh. He
Is man Of great strength and, as ls betokeDsd
by his Grmly set mouth and rather prominsns
chin, OF indomitable resolution and boundIess
pluck md endurance But, like most men whose
personal bravery raises them above their fei-
lows, he ia averse TO talking about himself or hin
deeds. IL was with the utmost difficulty that .
SUN reporter cleaned from tho guarded MARKS
OF the athletic priest, Last night, tho particulars
OF the East river casualty, and when he began -
Inquire about former exploits in the same line
OF tho reverend gentleman, he met with an TN
passnble barrier Of reserve.
1T was an act OF charity" said Father Ad-
ans. "to save the woman. Nay, more than
that. II was an act Of duty to save or, for our
church teaches that one who dies by suicids
may never reach heaven. I saw this poor ere !.
ture In her effort to take the life God had given
her, aud felt that, as there WIS proba6ilIty u
my saving her, ] ought TO Try to do It. saw,
too, that tho men on the boat were paralvzod,
aud that the woman's he her very soul in-
deed-were forfeited should she drown. did
only what was right--what was nay plain duty.
and am sorry thnt SO simple deed should
have brought ne 70 prominently before the
pqoHbc.,"
prominence YOU have attalued IA nm honur.bis
one and dues NOT slvor Of that notoriety which
| has recently been gained by certain BROOKLYN
Gletaymen. For tnat reason there Is general
interest," 70 learn the particulars of this event. ~
Won as Of ether lfe-sayinR exploits Of yours In
| former times"
pie. Wien | reached be-, after few strokes,
she threw her GTr.. around by neck convYislys-
" y, and 10. short time beid ny Head 70 an uI>
! t:sasant position. waited for her to catch hey
preath, and then, unclaspine her hands, forced
her over upon hea back, knowing BY experience
waited for help from the ferry boat, but nons
| came, The woman's struggles threw her out of
her proper position, and 1 rlghtsd her. Then
ting numb, and 1 felt that / should
have TO desert hor before many minutes.
| The psople on tho ferry boat threw Va q line,
but II did not reach us, and on my call passina
ferry boat throw out cork jacket, which was
| tom before l could reach IL. Finally we wers
| tekep aboard the tug boat but not until my
| hands were so nutnbed that In another minute
l would have been forced to abandon the
! woman"
Father Adams was horn In the north Of Ira
,and aud wos taught to swim by his father be-
| lore he was eigh years Of age. Up to tho tins
OF his quitting Ireland for Salamanca, Spain,
where he was educated for the priest6ood, he
| were noted far and ner 40 bold and expcrt
swimmers. On one occasion they had swan fss
| out 10 sea, aud Oh their return were oyertaken
| by sqn9ll OF shore. Father Ada'ns made the
bay IN safety, but his brother was cnst upon the
| his lifo.
I'm, In me early boyhood he saved the life Of mora
I nah one VI his pl liymates and at fourteen ysarr
of ace "a nfiriiinental In saving vessel frorn
| wreck He ssll delights In buGeting the waves.
| and spends II uch Oh bis ,"iaure time 1t the Sea
side. Last suntnsr he visited it.-HkaWsy several
times, ana after making close inspsction de-
| cided that the loss Of life there was duS DOT 80
much to a neturol undercurront as to an uncsr-
| current formed BY the moving Of multitude of
| Feet along the buoy lines Very few, eyon
OF good swimmers, understood the ma
ture OF tides and currents, and hencs
those who lost their hold on tho linas and wers
thrown out beyond the buoy, knew not how 70
strike out for safety, most Of thom trying 70
make bee line for shore, Instead OF cuttina
across tie current traBtvet5ely.
Al SLecpshead Bay a year or two ago Father
Auams was carried 4 mile away from The beach
by an undercurient whose strength was 20 great
a. 10 strip his bathing clothes from him. but he
uhally conquered IL and cot IN safely, refusing
tbG AID Uf sailing boat.
rather Adams is about thiity years Of ago, Of
more than the average height, and h q large
muscular hands and broad chest and shouI
ders.