Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-24
III.


Some people still talk about the November
storm of that year. It sent more than forty
boats ashore and for hours it kept many of the
1855 ife-saving stations along the Atlantic coast
in constsnt readiness and apprehension. Had
it not been for the work of the life savers more
than hundred souls would have perished but
In the face Of cold and death these brave fel-
lows risked everything aud played the roles of
heroes with as splendid a courage and as honest
purpose as ever the world saw. The great
public. with Its twelve-hour memory. read the
brief reports in the newspapers the next morn
Ing and then promptly forgot all about it by
dinner time.
On Robb's Island the day began Iueerly. A
yellowish sunshine disfigured the morning. By
o'clock thick, deep, dark clouds were rolling
along the horizon, and by noon n heavy wind,
uncertain in its direction, was beating the
waves into whiteness and piling up the black
ness Of the heavens. Rain poured down in big
drops and fell faster than the porous sand
could receive it. Then there was a hull and by
and by came deiuge from above, driven by
the wind into every crevice and forcing every
thing animate to a refuge. In the life-saving
station the men looked OFT Of the windows and
smoked-and smoked and looked out Of the
windows The first regular watch was at sun
set, but the sun was behind an ocean of ink,
and by the time it got below the horizon twi-
light changed to night and the rain turned into
bombardment of hail that ratified on the roof
like a fusilade OF infantry bullets.
just about that time the small man came into
the room in oilskins and rabbers.
Rough hight, Tom," said the captain.
"Yes, captain. 1 don't think it'll be very
dusty on the sands tonight. Perhaps some Of
you fellows would Hike to take the walk?''
Glad you think So" said the long man.
WELL never mind. I'm rather thinking
you'll all get baptized before morning. The
shoals look ugly, and il any boat gets in too
close may the good Lord help her! Good
night gentlemen"
Goodnight, Tom"
The patrol on Robb's Island was different
from that Of the ordinary coast station. The
stretch of beach being less than two miles, only
one patrolman was needed during q watch
Tom was the first man out. He carried his
lantern and the Coston signals. The hail hav-
ing turned to snow, the light of the lantern
reached but short distance. and beyond that
was utter darkness In ordinary weather the
walk was not bad. but that night it was a sorry
journey. The violence OF the wind increased
enormously. 1t was as il the storm god was
using the air as a herculean lash to
whip nature into chaos, and was welding
it right and left, backward and forward,
with gigantic recklessness. More than once
| the poor fellow fell, but he was soon up again,
fighting his way along the sands. You, my dear
sir, with your comfortable bank account,
wouldn't have stayed out there for $40 an hour.
Ihis surfman-thanks to the munifcence of the
y y
for $40 month.
In four hours he was back at the station and
another unfortunate was sent forth to make
he round After four hours he came back.
half drowned and exhausted. Then another
set out in the face Of the storm, and a weary
time he had OF 1t. bnt he stumbled along against
the tempest, going down frequently, but soon
| rising and all the time gazing seward. with
his Coston signal ready to warn any iu-starred
mariner.
As calculated afterward, il was sixty.fiye
minutes before the break of day when this
patrolman thought he saw the glimmer OF a
light y half mile beyond the shoals. He climbed
on bluff OF sand and looked again, but the
nothing. Suddenly he heard a cry. He was
sure OF it, and then, settling all doubt, came
the report Of q gun. Before its echo had
answered the sound he ignited the Coston
| signal.
For two minutes its brilliant red fame IL
Illuminated the storm. And then he struck
another, and for two minutes more the warn
ing glare burned forth and from the dark
water came second report of the gun.
The patrolman turned at once and ran as fast
Is he could toward the station.
somehow the captain had not slept that
night. His thoughts were on the sea. His
eyes were looking out toward the window. He
heard the mutied echo of the gun and thought
he saw the glare of the signal.
He jumped up and shouted in a voice louder
than the roar OF the angry SURF get out,
everybody
There was a stampede, rush down the steps,
. swinging open Of the big DOORS and in a
twinkling the surf boat, resting gracefully on
its fOur-wheeled carriage and drawn by the six
men, had rumbled down the incline and was on
its way toward the beach.
The snow was deep and the sand was deeper
and the work was hard, but the six men had
muscles of iron and wills OF STEEL and they
pulled the load of nearly thousand pounds as
If they were horses trained for the work. No
one spoke except the captain, and his vociferous
tones rose above the storm and urged the men
to their best endeavor.
The same tones reached the houses on the
island, and in short time the whole popula-
ton was aroused. No one thought of cold, or
OF the snow, or Of the pneumonia; there was a
wreck and wreck would call dying Robb's
Islander from the portals Of the grave. So out
the people came with united shoes and I'M
buttoned garments, running pell-mell across
sands, and trying to overtake the hfe-saving
crew.
The crew was several hundred yards ahead,
too, the patrolman had met his comrades and
was pulling with them at the ropes of the car
rage. They needed his assistance for the
sand dunes were getting larger, and the work
was growing heavier, and the captain was
| swearing harder. A hundred yards more and
the half-drcssed islanders caught up with the
crew and lent their willing aid to the men.
Day was just breaking when they reached
the point opposite the wreck. In the I'M
certain light they saw a schooner stuck fast on
the shoals. The heavy seas were pounding her
sides and throwing cataracts Of water across
her decks. No vessel could long endure such
violence, and already pieces Of wrecksge we're
reaching the shore, showing that she was
breaking up. She was too far out for the guns
and the breeches buoy. The only hope was
the surf boat, and between her and the crew
were the great shoals covered with prodigious
breakers. whipped into wilderness by the fury
Of the wind and full of uncertain currents and
death-sweeping undertowa
'Ths boat can't live in that sea," said voics
in the crowd
Liver" roarsd the captain. "she's got to
ive!'
Tho half-dressed islanders shivered. Soma
Of the women whose husbands and whose sons
we're surfmen sobbed aloud The captain
turned his head second to look ct them and e
he did 90 his eyes fell ON Henry Dane, Who
pale, but calm, was standing with his wife.
watching the crew FIX the carriage for the
launching Of the boat Across the captains
face swept wave Of indignant disgust. Henry
saw IL and felt IL.
But minutes were hours then. and there vas
no time for anything bnt the work Of rescue.
Ready. captain, nid Tom.
The captain leaped into the stern and
grabbed the long Steering oar The six surf.
mon, obedient and watchful waited for the
sign. A great wave rolled in, and on it, re-
cession tho boat glidsd into the turbulent surf
Down abe dropped and mp abe came, again shs
fell and Amin che hut - Ia rosted Ia