The morning call., 1891-10-21
GALLANT ACT OF COURAGE.
Life-Save Shamed by Sea-
sida Vfsitnrs

Professional Life-savers shamed by Sea-
side Visitors.
Dispat lies received from st. Ives, Corn
wall, near PenZance, and other places give
accounts of gallant act of heroism upon
the part of crew Of volunteer lfe-boat
men, chiefys seaside visitors, and of the
rank cowardice in comparison of eight pro-
fessional llfe-savers.
terrible storm swept over that part of
Cornwall known as Lands End, forming
the most western land of England and pro-
jectlng sharply into the Atlantic. During
the worst of the earlier part of the gale
when heavy sea was raging, the wind
bowling and black clouds sweeping over
mead, small schooner, apparently an
English coaster, was described off SeDner.
tossing and plunging as she sought to make
headWay for some port of refuge.
Pe0Dle who had been watching the little
schooner,s struggle ran to the nearest life
boat station, near Senner, wishing TO see the
Ilfe-bOat put out to the assistance of the dis
treSsed craft. They found the life-boatmen
standing about their station, but were as
tonished to see that they were making no
preparations to launch the boat. When
questioned the eight professional lfe-savers
said that no lifc-bOat could live in such
sea, and that 1t was useless to launch one.
In spite of the femonstrances of the sea-
side visitors the eight men again and again
positively refused to launch their boat, say
ing that 1t WAS simply an act of suicide for
them to do so. While this parleying had
been going on night had closed in. and the
late OF the little coaster seemed sealed.
This so enraged the visitors that they de-
clared that they would man the life-bOat
from among themselves. The places of
the eight regular ife-boat men were filled
by crew OF volunteers. chiefly visitors
from London, such as lawyers, lawyers
clerks, Welsh artist and a stock broker all
men but little versed in handling life-bOats.
While the eight professional lfe-savers
looked on, the others, with the volunteers,
gallantly ran their boat into the surf, hav-
ing huge life-b belts around their waists,
which greatly hamperei their movements,
and finally, at half-past 8 o'clock in the
evening they managed to get away from the
shore, drenched to the skin and their boat
half full OF water.
PIuckily they tugged at their oars and
soon disappeared in the darkness on their
way to the point where the schooner was
last seen. Hours passed, the brave men did
not return, and the people on shore began
to despair of ever seeing them alive again.
Morning broke, there was still 40 sign Of the
missing ife-boat, and the relatives of the
crew began To mourn them as dead. Finally,
the news was flashed from ST. Ives that the
lost lfe-bOat, It's crew ali sale, had managed
to reach that harbor alter dreadful ex-
perience, passing the whole night at sea,
their boat tossed about like cork by the
huge waves. In spite of their gallant
efforts, they were unable to rescue the
schooner's crew, and all trace of the latter
or their craft has been lost. and it is sup
posed that she foundered during the night.
The iife-boat men were greatly exhausted
when they reached ST. Ives aud as they
made their way TO their residences they re-
ccIved warm and wel-earned praise from
their friends. The professional life-savers
who refused to put to sea that night are
pointed at with scorn on al sides.-London
cablegram to n. Y. Times.