Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1884-04-23
Life Saving Medals.

The Washington correspondent of the
Philadelphia Record says: If you jump
into the Delaware and at the imminent
risk of your own life save the life of all
other, the Secretary of the Treasury will
give you a medal. If your risk was
extra hazardous" or your services
particularly distinguished, you will get
u gold medal; if your risk was of
lower degree it will be of silver. When
the Life-Saving Service was reorganzed
under its present efficient chief, Sumner
j. Kimball, Congress established these
rewards. They were called the first
class and the second-class medals then,
and were given only for the actual saw
ing of life ut the actual risk of life.
People who had saved life at the risk of
life objected, however, to receiving q
second-cass medal for what they
deemed first-class service. One spirited
young lady returned the silver second
class medal sent to her. She wanted
the best or none, and it now reposes on
its velvet bed in Mr.. Kimbal's Office
safe. 1t was found, too, that men often
save life at risk of property or of limb
not tantamount to a risk of life, but de-
serving of some recognition. 1t was
thought, for example, that the master
of laden vessel who delayed his voy-
age to save wrecked crew at great
personal expense and inconvenience de-
served medal equally with the man
who simply moistened his clothes in the
surf. So Congress, TO meet these sug-
gestions, changed the names of the
medals to "gold meda'' and "silver
medal" and made the provisions of
award so comprehensive as to take
i'm all life-savers at risk. The
terms of award are, however, not loose.
This is evident from the fact that while
many applications are received (through
''my Congressman" of course), few
medals are issued in year; sometimes
rs few Us four or five, and never more
than q score. The applications, which
must be supported by aflidavits, 90 to q
committee composed of the Chief of the
Life-Saving Service, the Chief of the
Navigation Division of the Treasury
Department, and the Chief of the Steam
Vessels Inspecting Service. These gen.
tlemen have to lie convinced by evil
dence that would satisfy court of law.
They cannot be bulldozed by"your men,
ber." Once convinced, .showever, they
recommend you to the Secretary of the
Treasury, and he sends you your little
medal with handsome little letter.
The medals are very handsome in them
selves. A new series, somewhat differ
ent from the old, Is now being prepared
in the Philadelphia mint. These have
not seen, but the old ones were well
enough. The gold one had a life-boat
in the act of rescuing a drowning man
on the diverse and an angel or two on
the reverse, with the necessary inscrip-
TONS II is not strange, perhaps, that
a man or woman should deserve med
al of this sort several times in the
course of useful life. AS n matter of
fact, these medals have been earned
again and again by the same person.
They never get more than one medal
of each class, though; but for each sub
sequent achievement deserving of a
medal they are given bar of gold OF
silver, MS the case may be, TO be placed
on the ribbon of the decoration as the
clasps are on the European war medals.