Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-08-25
Dead on the Fielk OF Honor,

A few weeks ago a steamer with hun
dreds of men and helpless women and
children was on fire within few miles of
New York. The captain, finding that no.
/ thing 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 be held her, until
the last man had chance to save himself.
1t was the old story of Jim Bludsoe: "I'll
hold her nozzle agen the bank till the last
galoot's ashore This man did it. A re-
porter found the captain few days later
in IA hospital. his burning head swathed in
bandages. 1t was supposed that he would
lose both his eyes. "All the world is
praising you," said the visitor. IL am
glad they think | was not lacking in duty.
| did what seemed the right thing to do at
the time" said the sailor quietly.
Last Wednesday leak occurred in the
Hudson River Tunnel In an instant
twenty-eight men found death facing
them, and death in the most horrible hope
less form; they must be choked under
ground, like rats in hole, with water
and mud. There was no time for prepa-
ration or thought; the river was bursting
in on them. One man. Peter Woodland, a
Dane, came to the front. cool. intelligent,
collected. There was chance that eight
OF the men could be saved by breaking the
ghss bullseye; but when it was broken
his own instant death must result. 1t is
plobable that in that brief moment he
cmnted the cost. He was an educated
mn, to whom life had given much; he
was young, strong; he had a wife and
little children. al saw his face says one
of the survivors, "as he looked through
ths glass at u.s. it was ghastly pale His
voice sounded strange. He gave the order
'bieak the bulseye' We knew there was
no chance for him after that was done, and
he.itated. But he shouted again, knock
out the bullseye, and do what you Can for
the rest of usr" They obeyed and were
saved. Woodland and the others were
drowned.
Our clergymen need not 60 back 10
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, workmen, had souls
strong and high enough to enable them to
face death without flinching, at an instant S
call, and calmly choose it that they might
save the lives of some of their fellowmen.
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
possessions that belong tC us all, ennoble
us all; they stir the blood in the boy s
veins from generation to generation. The
great Maker of us all sends such men
among US from time to time in the fraud
and meannesses and corruption of every
day 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 at Rome or Thermopyle. There was
no heroic rage of battle, no great cause, to
uphold Peter Woodland when he choose to
die in that tunnel the other day. The men
he saved were not his kinsfold, nor even
his friends; they were strangers-the la
borers whom he superintended. There
was no applause to gain, no enemy in
sight to kindle his courage, nothing bul
the foul muddy flood coming in on him
No man. in such case, could so nobly die
who had not nobly lived. No man, in tn,
imminent moment of death, could coolly
choose the best and manifest action, anC
do it., who had not, in every hour of hi.
ordinary daily life, habitually struggled
for the highest ground and the best anC
manifest part open to them.-New York
Tribune.