The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-31
How Its Importance Is Emphasized by
the Howling Of the Wintry Winds.
AVeteran Of the Service Tells the Story of q
Desperate and Successful Fight for Life
with the Waters of Lake Huron.
Unique Requests for Head-StOnes To Be
Placed Over Graves of Soldiers.
The Embarrassing Position in Which Civil.
Service Commissioner Oberly Finds Him.
Miscellaneous Capital News.
A pEgTLoUs SERVICE.

a PE61LOUS SERtlCEs
Zife Saving on the Lakes--The story of a
Gallant Deed ThrillingIy Told.
Special to the Indianapolis journal.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30.-As the winds on Mich
Igan's lakes and the Atlantic coast begin to howl
and the white caps plunge high, and the biting
air warns the little ships to hug closer to the
shore even though larger ones may venture more,
the scenes of activity in the Office of the Life
saving Bureau here grow interesting and the
Importance of this branch of the governments
work is made impressive. The equinoxial
storms which usually come during the last days
If September, give an impetus to the life-saving
Sun Of spring comes again.
At this season the loss of life and property is
,ften very great Already wrecks are being re-
ported and caution is being issued. REPORTS are
coming in to the effect that the lake and coast
Vesssss are preparing for winter quarters. Soon
the sections subjected most TO danger from
rough water will be cleared of fragile vessels
snd the danger will proportionately be lessened.
Some terrible adventures are being made al
most constantly in the life-saving service which
the world knows nothing Of Nowhere in the
annals of war can there be found more thrilling
tales Of daring to save life or escape death than
are in the unwritten history of the life-saving
service. Here is one, told by an old life-saver
who has long worked in the surf of Lake Huron:
s'In November, 1879, rough winters storms
were inaugurated the shores of Michigan by
4 fierce gale which drove a binding sheet of
snow as keen carpenters saw. On the even
ing Of the 18th the schooner W. B. Phelps was
driven ashore a mile east of Glen Harbor. Her
stern came foremost, her center board being
down and the rigging mass of shreds. Cling
ing to some of the fragments were the mate and
sailor. All night they had kept one position
IN sheet of ice The vessel had keeled over
with her lee rail under water, while the rail On
aer weather side was gone. The sea poured
over in a perfect cataract torrent. Five of the
crew persisted, and is was not till daybreak that
The two poor fellows were discovered in the
wreck The weather could not have been worse
The alarm brought out large number of towns
people, but they had nothing better than a mis-
srable, leaky fsh-boat This they launched,
md brave men started out to the wreck. Soon
the plunging sea filled the boat, and the crew
barely got back alive. The cries of the two
almost dying sailors came ashore with the
whistling, cutting winds lending agony to the
scene and commanding the most courageous &C
tion.
Finally, the ish-bcat was dragged to wind
ward and a strong current obtained. Then an
other effort was made to rescue the perishing
sailors. still ciinging to the wreck. Hours were
spent III IHo ptuuEfuR SuEL DSlOES ILc ScSooL was
reached. The waves ran mountain high, shoot
ing like great guns clear over the shattered ship
The half-frozen, almost drowned men chung like
rats to the spars, and actually swooned away
when the Yescuing party finally reached them
They were covered with ice, one of them being
y perfect glove. When the rescuing boat reached
the wreck the two sailors were away in the
bows, inaccessible on the windward side of the
hull by reason of the terrible sea, and naceessi-
BILE on the leeward side account of great
mass Of spars, timhers, sails, rigging and deck
plank. which hung over the whole length OF the
bulwarks and thrashed and bounded in the
water constantly men&cing approach with de-
structiop. The prospect OF rescue was extreme
Iv gloomy and as the boat was fast filling, it
was concluded that what could possibly be done
must be decided shore, to which the crew
then returned, with their boat stern foremost,
not daring to turn it for fear of the heavy seas.
'fThink of being almost within arms length of
The men who swoon from exposure. and then
having to turn away for an indefinite hour to
return to the shore for further preparations!
Probably the sailors will be found dead when
The rescuers return. Indeed the chances ten
10 one that they will expire before the rescuers
reach the shore. Perilous moment! But the re-
turn trip must be made. So nearly frozen the
sailors are compelled to change clothing upon
reaching the shore. But soon they are on the
erests of the white CAPS, plunging an hundred
feet at time, going back to the wreck, which is
shedding it's substances like chaf frocc thresh-
fng-machine. 1t was resolved to wedge the boat
into the mass of the wreckage which crashed up
and down alongside of the vessel. Once beyond
the dangerous debris the sailors could be taken
OF. At last the boat plowed through till within
sixty feet of the two men. The danger was In
tense. All strength AMI skill is brought into
play to prevent the boat from being crushed
ty the spars and timbers every hand.
more hazardous vet the work of getting the al
most dying men across the ruins. AT last line
was made fast and the mate was hauled to with
in fifteen feet of the boat He was drawn along
the deck hy inches there being no way of lifting
him. When he could be reached he was landed
in the life-boat His companion, however, was
SO nearly dead that ne could not be handled ex-
cept with great difficulty, and came near being
drowned. AS he crept along over the constantly
mixing spars and timbers some of them caught
his leg and held him fast that he had not suf
hcient strength to eXtricate it. Feebly he was
struggling in this terrible predicament, on the
verge or being drowned, when two men sprang
upon the floating debris, leaped forward at ex-
treme risk, and relieved him. The rescue lasted
nearly ten hours, but it was worth fortune to
all who participated in that rescue to feel the
gratitude earned"
OF all the weird. hazardous service under the
government, not excepting the navy, war, or
any of the special agencies where there is detect
i've work. none produce much that is thrilling
as the life saving. The coming winter is expect
ed TO be severe and stormy one, and vessels
will early go into winter quarters where naviga-
ten closes on account of ice, but along the New
Jersey, North and South Carolina coasts and
the Keys of Florida, there will be the binding
hurricanes at midnight, the rushing of the waters
high in the air, and on the roar of the scenes of
disaster will come the cries of men, women and
children in the wrecks of vessels Amid these
the ife-saving crews, with their modern appli
ances for rescuing lives, work.
Around the Office of the chief of the Lifesav-
ing Bureau, while orders are being issued now
and everything made in readiness for emergen-
eies. "reminiscences are recited which would
make chapters Of adventure and heroism worthy
Of permanent history did they not read like
stories of fiction.
MARKING soLDTERs' GRAVES.