New-York tribune., 1878-03-19
4 PRESERVER or MANY LIVES.

BRILLIANT hECOhD Or n IOLiCI''ihA'
THIRTY PERSONS RESCUED FROM DROWNING IN
FOUR YEARs-sAvING LIFE UNDER THE
GREATEST NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. INTO THE
RIVER IN THE BITTEREsr COLD OF WINTER.
A law of the United States provides for the
award Of gold medal by Congress to persons VINO In
the saving Of life have exposed themselves to great
danger Recently IN award OF this kind was made in
this CITY, the presentation address being delivered by
Mayor Ely. movement Is now on foot TO press INC
claims of Officer Thomas Mcbride, OF the Fourth ire
cinct whose night duty for a long time was along
portion of the front OF the East River Whe on
duty in that precinct he often exhibited reckless dar
ing in plunging into the river to the rescue OF
persons who by accident or design were In peru
OF drowning. In this manner within the last
four years has saved the lives OF about thirty per-
sons At this time 1t has been impossible to secure the
afdayts OF all tho persons rescued among the number
being many seafarIng and others living In distant
cities In the majority OF cases, however the station
house blotors the exploits of Mcbride and the
andayts OF serceants Taft of Fourth Precinct;
Granger, Of the Tenth; Theron T. Thompson, OF the
Thirteenth Andrew j. Thompson, OF the Eignteeh'h;
Joseph f. Kelly, OF the Twentieth, and keatng OF the
Twentiehninth all formerly OF the Fourth testify az 10
the rescue OF nineteen lives. Upon this record petltoh
has been made the award OF the Congressional
10 Officer Mcbride and the papers have Deen for"aroeo
to Congressma Cox for presentation.
The history OF the many rescues, as taken from the
adavs OF the persons saved or OF Witnesses Is hot
without interest In many instances IL seemed aiuio''
certain that two lives would be- lost instead OF one
on the evening OF August o. 1874, Patrick Hurley,
crazed with rum jumped into the river from fler So
East River. The cry OF "man overheard" brought
Officer Mcbride To the spot and without watine 10 re-
move his Uniform. he plunged INTO the water Hurley
was bent upon suicide. and hard struggle followed III
tho water. spite of Hurley's resistance, McBilde
tied rope thrown 10 him aronnd the body OF the othe
and he WAS to the pier while Mcbride was pcked
up by passing boat.
In September OF the year John Dohrman, mate OF
the ship Maigaretts OF Rotterdam Holland, fell over
hoard from ;he came pier He intoxicated at the
time and his great weight-oyer 300 p0unds-made ah
attempt at douby dangerous. The accident oc-
cured about midnight, but Officer Mcbride. In spite OF
mo darkness md flc dliculncs with which he had TO
contend kept the man above water until boat was low
cred from the ship, by which both were picked up
don fell gDoard from per ~ East River On The night
OF February q. 1873. while endeavOring m diinkrn
NAV, to reach his ves,tl The river was full OF 1oang
icc and binding snowstorm raging The Intense
do,nf nicer 81 jiriJr VINO Kept the drowning man af0at
mini , rnp was thrown. by which both drawn 10
the pier. In This instlnc" The chil from me wafer h
In August. 1873. Mcbride rescued Thomas Tracy,
shorIratr oi NeWIayrn. Conn., who fell into the river
at the foot of Beekman-st.. while ntoI Gated. .,
III September OF the year, Patrick McCAfIey, OF
Irooklyn. while intoxicated, and on his way nome,
walked Into the water near the place where officer
Mcbride was on duty. His struggles 10 save himself
made his the difficult. nut he was kept anOat
uutl a boat was launched into which he put by The
officer For this act Oicer Mcbride presented win
"a medal by the ie-SaVing Benevolent society, OF thlS
city, ~ January 13 1876.
Daniel sullivan, child ~ seven years ieiI from fIer
- last Rivcg the evening of May 80. 1879 Though
there were many persons present, no attempt at rescue
WIS made until Officer Mcbride reached the place lie
was th, iu-t ~ plunge after The chIi as u was
sinking f6r the third time. The little boy had tho mar
rowe 4 possible escape from death. Only by prompt
thorough restorative action was his NE saved aiter
the pulrcinau had got him out Of tht water.
The examples gwen show that McBridcs WORK ID res-
cng the drowning often done under the most din-
cult circumstance and in the face Of peril an1 suffering
which Ii required great resolution TO meet The worst
tempest, the bttcrc.t cOld q greatest htEue, tne
o- serious danger TO bc encountered did not chil te
courl. or divert the purpose of this saver Of lives AZ
nh sons az tho wear hnd III behalf of persons of all
n,.a classes and conditions. he brayed DEATH Among
the pcrsoms not already mentioned who owe y To INN
that their lives preserved, tie following Ihe
hour IN the when the event occurred Is given III eac
case to tHat MCride's exploits covered almost All
hours of daylight and night well % all seasons:
Michael Joyce July 90 1874. Pier 81 East River $50
Patnck Carey september l. 1874, Pier 80, East River 5'-O
Petr j. vandcriunk May H. 1915 Pier "a East River.
p1t,rI Cllahan Tune 1873 Pier % East Piver. lOp
Joh Hane IL. 1873, Pier 70 East RIVER. p. M.
George Thompson. September ~ lS7J, les ~ East River
Anthony Bulgcr 1876 Pier 49, East River,
Margaret Mitchell. June L. 1877. Pier 2s East River.
John Iarine June 30 1877 2s River 1920
Henry Thompson July .. 1871 Pier ~ East River j. - am
Charles nelson July n 1871 Pier 3 East iver. i4J
An unknown man, July ~, 1874 Pier 33, Last EVeE,
l23O q. IA.