Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-12-29
Heroes without Heroios.

A steamship In midocean Is suddenly
turned adrift and left at the mercy of the
waves in the stormiest month of the year
The machinery has broken down at several
points, and can only be repaired after ten
days of continuous hammering and read
1ustment During that anxious interval
the ship has rolled and wallowed in the
trough of the sea, without steerage-way
and absolutely helpless, save as himsv
trysail was of some avail in steadying her
Every passing steamer is storm tossed and
cautiously navigated, but this good ship is
without resource while her engines are
motionless and shattered, and is carried
long way out of her course, but mercifully
outside the track of the tempest. At last
the labors OF the engineers are rewarded
The machinery is patched and pieced until
the engines can work Ht low pressure. The
captain. who has been on the bridge almost
continuously for ten days, readjusts his
course, and the ship makes her way slowly
and laboriously into port. Unusual as
was this experience in the mId-Atlantlc,
Captain Heely, of the England, was better
prepared Tor it than he was for his recep-
tion when he landed. Everything had
been matter of course, and he was
surprised that anybody should have any
questions to ask or any compliments to
oestow. STORY" he exclaimed "Why,
there is none. The engines broke down
and had to be repaired. That's all When
we got her going again we brought her in
To port the best way we could. There's
nothing more to tell" So the brave
captain. who had been faithful to his trust
and saved his ship with the aid of his
skilled engineers, turned away with flush
OF modesty on his face at the thought of
being family and remotely suspected of
being hero. 1t was his business TO stand
by his ship and to take her Into port with
out the costs of salvage by any outside
vessel. He had done what any faithful
seaman intrusttd with responsibility for
ship would have done In his place There
was Lothng for him TO tell, because the
engineers, pounding and hammeriug in the
hold OF the lurchlng ship, had the worst
OF IT, There was no story in IL for gossip
Ing landlubbers anyway!
But Captain Heely may not have been
altogether right about it. There was
story TO tell, but not new one 1t was
the story of loyalty to duty, ard to the
credit of this prosaic age 1t may be sait
that it has become Commonplace and
familiar on land and sea The same news
papers which bear record daily OF the crimes
OF evll-doers, the malign passions Of law
breakers. and the ignoble and demOraliZ-
lug deeds done in the name of politics, are
Illuminated with acts of hrrOIsm and self
sacrlnce. Scarcely day passes without
CLEANS OF what is best IN human nature
SHINING out among the shadows of what l.
worst. Sometimes II Is the captain OF a
sIuhluS snip steady ing the rope Dy which
MS comrades are transferred in safety to
the iiebOat and then leaplDg into the sea
"lthOut haDd 10 guide OF suCCOr hIn; or
IL Is the railway engineer with death and
obstruction confronting him, who refuses
10 itHEe MS post when the lives Of Others
are dependent upon his cons t4nty and lies
pairing courage; or II is the sturdy police
man dying In a grapple with desperate.
out without relaxing, while his heart con
tlnues TO beat, his hold upon the murderer'-
throat. The conditions are always chang
Ing, but the loyal habit of living A. though
uuly were sacred trust remains He
must De gloomy pesslm,t, indeed, who
cannot ma in his morning newspaper
something to convince him that there l.
good mingled with the eva a. the merry
world spins round
Story there may be none. Faithful men
recognize their responsibilities, and In A.
do their full duty in method
lcal way as matter ot business. They
make no system Of herUicS Of IL. They
are surprised that what they du should
cause any stir, or that ANYBODY should
want to talk about il. The engines when
they break down must be repaired, and the
snip be carried into port IN .he best way
possible. They say That Is ALL" But
There Is something more. and it i wuat
makes HE worth lIylng.-N !. Ir,lpHe.