The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-01-26
EVERYDAY HEROES.

" w 4iot h>>Ni W So b'iNh W lliC
annals of chivalry, nor to war times
to find heroes. They may come to
view almost any day, when the crisis
forces them to the front, and they
are more likely than not to be fel-
lows in rough coats.
There was Michael Maloney, fore
man of the gas works IN Brooklyn
where the explosion took place the
other night. An immense tank hold
ing half million cubic feet of gas
had exploded, and there was a wild
scene Of wreck and confusion. Two
others, each containing half that
amount, were beside it. Maloney
determined to prevent another ex-
rlosion, if he could, and went up on
the second tank to open valve and
let the gas escape. He was in i'm
minent danger, but he saved the
tank, and soon after he had been
dragged away by the fireman the
third exploded. This was devo-
ton to duty as heroic as it was SIM
pie.
There was the case of Fireman
Snyder. in Pittsburg, who risked his
life to rescue a mesenger-boy, four
teen years old, from the ruins of
seven-story building blown down by
the tornado. The boy was pinned
down in the cellar by scantling that
lay across his breast. Above him
was mass of timbers and bricks
apparently kept in place by the
scantling. Snyder-not name, that,
which would ordinarily suggest her.
oism-came forward and offered to
cut the timber away, taking the risk
of being crushed to death by the
avalanche that might come down
upon him. Happily, there was no
collapse of the overhanging mass,
and the boy was taken home to die
in his parents arms. 1t is more than
likely that that poor father and mother
think a good deal of Snyder, and
think none the less of him because
his name is not what would be called
high-sounding. 1t may be that they
get little wet about the eyelids when
that very prosaic name is mentioned.
Let us hope they do.
Then there was Father Canevin,
who, with a man named Devlin, was
supplying the same poor boy with a
drink of water, at the peril of both
their lives, when he saw a wall TALL
ing upon them. He gave his COM
panion push so as to save him. and
then met the shock in such a way
that he might save as much breath
ing-space as possible for the impris-
oned lad. The priest was a hero,
and we need not lose sight of that
tact because there have been many
such priests, or because we take her
oism in such men very much as a
matter of course.
And why is not Abraham Lincoln
Pearsol-a good name, that-some-
thing of hero? He is the Pittsburg
steamboat mate who appeared on
the scene without any authority but
that given him by his pluck and
brains and took charge of the work
of rescue from the ruins. 1t was
Pearsol who scaled a tottering wall
and lassoed a ven-story chimney
which was threatening life every
moment that it remained standing,
and which could then be pulled
down. Up to his arrival that CHM
nev seemed to be a hopeless problem
but Pearsol solved it promptly by
the simple process ofputting his own
body in peril. Whenever we want
a seven-story chimney lassoed we
shall send for Pearsol. He is brave
and reade man, and we like him.
Then there was Jim Givens, the
Mississippi pilot, whose name is
known now through two continents,
because he gave himself up to the
flames to save his passengers. The
courage that will keep man at his
post while fire is consuming his flesh
must be of the highest kind. The
courage that carries a man into battle
is mere child's play alongside the
endurance that will hold him to one
spot while the flames are destroying
him. There are very few heroes SO
grand as this one. The elm Bludso'
of fiction must take off his hat to the
Jim Givens of reality.
There are many such heroes whom
we never hear of. Their names do
not get into the newspapers and they
sink into nameless graves. Or, more
often still, they don't die at all, and
may not even suffer any hurt, and it
does not occur to anybody that they
have done anything out Of the COM
mon, because their bravery has had
no tragic sequel. Probably there is
never a tenement-house fire without
some selt-sacrifcing act by fireman
which attracts little or no attention.
Our heroes are not always well
clothed, but they are heroes just the
same.-MeW York Tribune.
HOUSEHOLD SUGGESTIONS.