Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-11-28
BRAVE WORK.
A Railroad President and Life Saving
Crew Rescue Twenty-FOur Men.


Crew Rescue Twenty-FOur Men.
| WASHINGTON, November 27.-A story
of daring and skill has come to the Wash
ingtOn Office of the Life Saving Service.
The story is in meagre scraps of the ariest
kind, but in these routine statements there
is basis for thrilling story. 1t is tale
of shipwreck and saving of life under pc
culiar difficult circumstances, one OF the
greatest feats ever performed by the life
saving crew of the Government Several
days ago two prOpellers were wrecked off
the port of Marquette, in Lake Superior.
In savage storm they were driven on the
rocks, over which the breakers pounded
furiously. There were no passengers on
board, but they were manned by a crew
of twelve men each. They were making
their last trips for the season. The vessels
were wrecked early in the day. There Is
no life saving station at Marquette, the
nearest being Portage City, 10 miles
away.
The storm was one of the bleakest and
coldest, equalling in lowness of tempera-
ture some of the most bitter in midwinter.
The water of this lake is extremely cold,
even in midsummer. The people Of Mar
quette turned out in great excite
ment when they saw these vessels driven
upon the rocks within three miles of the
town. The propellers did not break up at
once after they had become lodged, but
from the fury of the waves and the
storm it was evident that they could last
but short time. The citizens made
frantic endeavors to go to the rescue of the
two crews, who appealed to them through
signals of distress, but there was no boat
ut Marquette which could live in the
waves then beating on the shore. After
a number of efforts to communicate with
the wrecked vessels, the people despaired
of reaching them and stood watching eX-
pecting every moment that they would
give way.
The President of the Marquette, Onto
nagon and Portage City railroad, which
runs between Marquette ond Portage City,
came to the rescue ut the last moment,
dashed to the telegraph Office and notified
Portage City tOclear the track Ofall trains.
Then he called for the Superintendent of
the Life Saving Station at that point. He
said TO him: II place ut your disposal
locomotive and car for your life boat.
The track is clear ahead of you. Come on
rs soon rs you can get your men and boat
ready. Twenty-tour lives are hanging
upon the promptneSs OF your action
The Superintendent was as energetic
and plucky man rs is known in the ser
vice. The pair of fhorSeS belonging to the
station were quickly harneSSed to the
wagon and the litebOat placed thereon.
The crew then entered the boat and it was
desperately driven to the railroad station
In the brieieSt possible time box car was
run down to the station and the lifcbOat
and crew were placed upon it. The en-
gineer, who had received another dispatch
from the PrcsidentO of the road by this time
to hurry to the full top of his speed, pulled
the throttle of the engine wide open and
the special train dashed away on its crrand
of mercy at frightful speed. There is no
record in the office of the time made by
this fast flying train beyond the fact that
it was the swiieSt ever made by 4 life saw
ing crew from any station tOadistant
point 1t is also the longest distance ever
travelled by such crew for such pur-
pose.
The story ends abruptly in brief chap
ter which tells that the crew arrived at
Marquette before the wrecked vessel had
given way, and that the captain and his
crew saved every one of the "a men who
mad given up absolutely all hope, and
would have been drowned within the next
hour if it had not been for the action Of
the railroad president and the skill and
courage of the crew.