Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1885-06-17
A Fearless Ferryman.

Secretary Manning has awarded a
gold medal to Cornelius Roach, boat
cleaner on the East Boston south ferry,
for bravery in rcscuing several persons
from drowning. Mr.. Roach was seen
recently, and consented to give Il brief
account of some of his lifc-saving ex-
ploits.
"At about 1890 o clock one evening"
he said, II went over on the Boston
side, for man named James Robinson.
That was in the winter of 1876, when
Capt. Gray ran the boat and Charles
Dccring was gatcman. Dccring gave
s go 81 me y Nj finakE kE46as4aa a9a
Dccring to give me the boat-hook, and
when he handed it to me hitched it on
to the collar of Robinson S coat. Then
Slated him in the face with both legs
and he let 90 of me, the gatcman keep
ing hold of him with the boat-hook and
landing him all right. l was caked all
over with ice when they pulled me
aboard. Mr.. Robinson had fallen in by
jumping for the boat. He said he was
an Englishman, and would make it all
right with me, but I've never heard
anything from him since.
''On the 18th of June, think it was,
some time in the afternoon, a man came
aboard the ferry-boat named Thomas
Gillett. He had escaped from the
Washingt0nian home, and when we
were between Boston and East Boston
he lifted the gates at the bow and
jumped overheard. ! was near the
stern at the time, and, hearing the cry
"Man over board!' rushed aft, and
jumped in, just as I was. There hap
pcned to be a boy near by in dory, and,
called to him for assistance, but he
said he was afraid / would capsize the
boat, said: No; slew the dory round
till get hold of the stern of her. At
this moment the ferry-boat came up
and one of the passengers jumped into
the dory, and, with the assistance of
the boy, dragged the drowning man in
to it. There wasn't room in it for me,
and had to take care of myself until
the tow-boat Vim came out from Lewis
wharf and picked me up. For that l
received medal and $40, from the
humane society, and $40 from Mr.. Gil
lctt's wife,
"Do you recall any other rcscucs?'
II will tell you one more. On tho
31st of July we left Boston at 6:15
think, and as we entered the East Bos-
ton side we got foul of small yawl-
boat with two men in her. The men
were so badly scared that they jumped
into the water. When l reached the
| bow of the fcrry-boat, one of the men
was out of sight, and a deck hand
named Husscy told me he had sunk be-
fore said to Hussey: That poor fellow
amt comming up any more. had no
sooner said it than up came the man $
head above the water. l jumped for
him, and before he had time to sink
again clapped the life preservcr over
| his head. The other one was taking
care of himself but 50 badly frightened
that when / went TO him he tried to
catch me three times. would not let
him touch me, of course and run him
against the middle pier, and told him
| to cling to the spiIcs. Then tried to
get into the yawl-boat, but could not
get over the side, having burst a vein
III Uue MusclS VI IL dl'A, eOIn0 'AAS ~
fore, which made it nearly powerless
when the excitement was over. showed
the boat from underneath the guard of
the ferry-boat, and deckman and
passenger jumped into it, and pulled
me out of the water. We then went
round and got the two men, the one
I secured to the spiles having mean
time been thrown life-preservcr by
the Waterman on the boat. The one
| that couldn't swim was much Drawer
| than the other. Their names were
Hugh Casey and Daniel Kennedy. 1
didn't get anything from them, but
received 1926 and silver medal from
the Humane society. Borne in Boston?
Yes, sir, was, and learned to swim at
Fosters wharf. I'm on the ferry ten
years next May. boston Globe.