The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-07-03

Vincent, an iron steamer, Of Eartlepool,
England. She was just at the end of a
voyage from Calcutta to New York. She
was we'll laden with merchandise, and
besides Il crew of thirty-two men she
carried five Hindoo passengers. The
latter naturally received the first at
tention of the life savers, and the more
especially because the captain of the
steamship believed that his vessel could
be worked off the sands before another
morning, and he therefore chose to re-
main on board with the crew.
After what seemed an age to the ex-
cursionists on shore, the surf boat was
seen returning The men gathered at
the waters edge and in it to assist in eff
fecting a landi1g, and the women
crowded down behind them. The boat
had been successfully beached, and four
of the passengers had been lifted out,
when great roller dashed some of the
men down and began to swing the boat
around. The fifth passenger, woman,
fell forward in her fright. One of the
crew ds"htd INTO the recedipg water,
seized ilr and struggled with her in his
arms to the shore Few noted the deed
In the general activity and excitement,
but Nellie saw it, for the man with the
living burden was Henry Martin. Not
stopping at the beach, he plunged off
through the fog and across the sands
toward the station, a half mile away.
Henry called Nellie, as he struggled
along, but his form was already dim in
fhn ln
reply. She would have followed but
that like others she was called upon to
help care for the rescued people, all of
whom were conveyed as speedily as pos
sible to the station. When Nellie
reached the station the woman saved by
Henry Martin was there, but Henry had
gone back to the surf boat. How he
contrived to carry his burden so far may
best be explained by the heroes of the
life saving service, who know not till the
strain is over that they have been endur-
ing and accomplishing miracles.
1t was then dark, and the volunteers
built great fire and lay down upon the
sand beside it to await signal from the
steamship should she begin to go to
pieces. No signal came, but how the
men by the fire waited all night, and
went out next morning through the
heavy surf to the ship again; how men
came from Blue Point and Point of
Woods stations; how life buoys were
rugged; how the captain refused to
abandon his ship; how other crews put
out in boats across the surf, and all were
driven back; how the captain had to
yield to the inevitable, and, after three
days of almost constant work, how he
and all his crew were saved-these things
and much more are all set down in Off
cial records of the government. For me
it only remains to tell of young man,
haggard, unkempt and weary, who left
the station at last with something almost
of regret in his heart that the sea had
not swallowed him, and yet something
also of manly pride in the struggle he
had endured; who crossed the sand bar
and went toward the bay, where his
companions had told him boat was
waiting to take him back to Babylon.
This young man plodded along heavily,
wholly unlike the giant who had battled
with wind and waves, and sands and
fog, and he did not look up until startled
by woman's voice close by. 1t was
Nellie, for when she had seen him com
ing she had ran from the Sawyers sloop
to meet him. And when they h,< ! had
gone aboard. Nellie bldahing IN / ex-
cited, ard Henry dazed, but strangely
happy, young jim showed OF from the
dock, and taking the tiller sail:
"I'm all the crew there is, Mart, and
guess in this breeze can get you home
.. K. If can't I'll tell you to help me
out. You and Nell sit down and say
what you please. | sha'n't see anything
but the wind and the peak of the mains1."
FREDERICK r. BURTON