Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1880-11-11
Dead on the Field of Honor.

A few weeks ago, steamer with hun
dreds of men and helpless women and
children was on fire few miles from
New York. The captain, finding that
nothing could be done to save her, took
the wheel, ran her aground and kept her
steady there, with the decks burning be-
low him and the flames licking his face
and hands with which he held her, until
the last man had chance to save him.
self. twas the old story OF Jim Blud-
soc: "Pll hold her nozzel agen the bank
till the last galoot's ashoreP' This man
did it. A reporter found the captain in
hospital few days later, his burning
head swathed in bandages. 1t was sup
posed that he would lose both his eyes
'All the world is praising you," said the
visitor. 81 am glad they think l was
not lacking in duty, I did what seemed
the right thing to do at the time" said
the sailor, quietly
A short time agoa leak occurred in the
Hudson River tunnell. In an instant
twenty eight men found death facing
them, and death inIthe mos4hOlrible, hope
less form; they must be choked under
ground, like rats in hole,with water and
mud There was no time for preparation
or thought; the river was brushing in oE
them. One man, Peter Woodland,
Dane, came to the front, cool, intelligent
collected. There was chance that eight
of the men could be saved by breaking
the glass bullseye; but when it was brok
en- his own instant death must result. i
is probable that in that brief moment he
counted the cost. He was an educated
man, whom life had given much; he wa
young, stroog; he had wife and LITTLE
children. 81 saw his face" said one Of
the survivors. AS he looked through the
glass at us; it was CHASTITY pale. Hi
voice sounded strange, He gave the
order, 'break the bullseye.' We knew
there was no chance for him after thi'
was done, and hesitated. But he shout
ed again, knock out the bullseye, and
do what you can for the rest OF usr'
They obeyed and were saved. Wood
land and the others were drowned.
Our clergymen need not go back to
Bible teaching to find good word with
which to cheer their hearers. It is here
Two men, not ancient Greeks and Ro-
mans, but New Workers, belonging to
our streets ana everyday life, working
men, had souls strong and high enough
to enable them to face death without
flinching, at an instant's call, and calmly
to choose it that they might save the
lives of some of their fellowmen. The
world has always made much of its he
roes who die in battle or for great
cause. The dauntless three who held the
bridge; Nelson dying in Hardy's arms;
the maid burning at the stakethe
are possessions that belong to US all they
ennoble us; they stir the blood in the
boys veins from generation to genera
ton. The great Maker of US all sends
such men among us from time to time
in the great fraud and utter meanness
ana corruption of our everyday life, like
great, noble thoughts to refresh US. Do
not let us be blind to them because they
die in the mud of the Hudson River In
stead of at Rome or Thermopyl@. There
was no heroic rage of battle, no great
cause,to uphold Peter Woodland when he
chose to die In that tunnel the other
day. The men he saved were not his