New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-25
DEAD ON THE FIELD OF HONOR"

A few weeks ago, a steamer with hundreds
of men and helpless women and children was on
fire within few miles of 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 deck burning
below him and the flames licking his face and
| the hands with which he held her, until the
| last man had chance to save himself. 1t was
the old story of Jim Bludsoe "Ill hold her
"nozzle agen the bank till the last galoot's
| sashore." This man did it. A reporter found
the captain a few days later in a hospital, his
| burned head swathed In bandages. 1t was
| supposed that he would lose both his eyes, All
II the world is praising you," said the visitor.
/ am glad they think was not lacking in duty
| = L did what seemed the right thing to do at
the time," said the sailor quietly.
Last Wednesday a leak occurred In the
Hudson River Tunnel. In an instant
twenty eight men found death facing
them, and death in the most horrible, hopeless
form they must be choked underground, like
rats in hole, with water and mud. There was
no time for preparation or thought the river
was bursting in on them. One man, Peter Wood
land, a 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 broken his own
instant death must result. 1t is probable that
In that brief moment he counted the cost He
was an educated man. to whom life had given
much he was young strong he had wife and
little children. IL saw his face" says one of
the survivors, @as he looked through the glass
"at us 1t was CHASTITY pale. His voice sounded
A. r. I'LL
@eye' We knew there was no chance for him
"after that was done. and hesitated. But he
shouted again, Knock out the Dullseye, and do
awhat you can for the rest Of us 7" They
obeyed and were saved. Woodland and the
others were drowned.
Our clergymen to-day need not go back to
Bible teachings to find good word with which
to cheer their hearers. 1t is here. Two men, not
ancient Greeks and Romans, but New Workers,
belonging to our streets and everyday life,
workingmen had souls strong and high enough
to enable them to face death without finching
at an iDstant's call, and calmly to choose it
that they might save the lives Of some of their
fellow men, The world has always made much
of its heroes 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 stake-these are posses
sions that belong to US all, ennoble us all they
stir the blood in the boys veins from generation
to generation. The great Maker of us all
sends such men among us from time to time, in
the fraud and WEAKNESSES and corruption of
everyday life, like great thoughts to refresh
us. Do not let us be blind to them because they
die in the mud of the Hudson River instead of ut
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
kinsfolk, nor even his friends they were
strangers-the laboreTs whom he superintendent.
There was no applause to gain, no enemy in
sight to kinde his courage, nothing but the
foul muddy flood coming In on him. No man,
in such case, could so nobly die who had not
of death, could coolly choose the best and manli-
est action. and do 1t, who had not, in every hour
of his ordinary daily life, habitually struggled
for the highest ground and the best and manifest
part open to bin.
What sermon can be preached to-day in any
pulpit like TO this In England little Cross
would be affixed to this poor Danes breast be-
fore burie a dull leaden thing. bearing only the
words "FOr Yalor" but it would signify that