New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-02
TILL TRAGEDY or CCTTYHCNh.

c,,.,,hrrk If tbe entrance of BuHzard's
Raw has recently witnessed most thrilllns
exhibition of the heroism OF everyday me-
The brig Aquatic ran ashore on 'ne reeiS oI
t,veen Sow and Pigs Lightship and the lsIahd'
II was stormy night. bitter coid VIII" S"o"
and sleet, and Il dangerous sea was pre'Ni"o
over the rocks. Signals OF distress were S.i'
ont from the wreck. There were Ii1c-sNlns
stations at opposite ends Of the lslahd. iho
Massachusetts, Humane S0cietys boathouse was
near the wreck. a lifcboat commaldcd pN
Captain Timothy Akin and manned by I'VE
volunteers who responded to his call. went
ont t, the brig. but not without remonStfanceS
rro, tho more cautious veterans of the cliffs.
It. seemed indeed foolhardy GRAND. Eveh II
tho Iifeboat could succeed in reaching the yes
sol a rescue in such sea and with the break
crs surcing around the wreck was hardly piac-
ticablc
The IcscuerS, in,piriied by their lion-hearted
commander. fought their way to tn" reefs.
For one moment the lfeboat was close under
the stern Hardly had Captain Akin time II
call on. for line before the boat was over
turned by the breakers Two of the oarsmcn
sank +, the bottom without a struggle. Two
II
boat and were then swept away. The blayc
captain sought to help with an oar the mia
man Joseph T!ltan who could not swim. W lth
the aid OF Il rope Triton was dawn 10 the
dc.k and wa the onIy man saved. captain
Akin made a desperate fight for life. but the
iDpe slipped just IA he was about TO be hanlcd
10 the doct and he fell hcadlong INTO tho
SURFING sea Some hours aitcrward boat
frcm the l'ncd states Lifc-Saving Station
crrpt ND from the eastern end Of the island, but
did not venture t. approach the wreck when
DAYLIGHT came lighter and tug were brought
into ,eryicr. and lines were fired b. rockets
into the rigging. whore nine men were dashed
20 the ma>tS Three were taken off by means
Of IA bGcechcS buoy and six subsequently by
doly the sea having gone down.
In this way six heroes Of the coast peise'
ycrod in gallant. if ill., Judged attempt to save
life Onlv one Of the SIN returned. and he was
the one who ought not to have vcntured out
At ALL since he could not SWIM The others
persisted. most of them leaving wives and chill
drcn to mourn them. II is a most pathetic
story. iumncd by that spirit Of heroic self
sacrifice which makes the common, everyday
life Of these times worth living. As brave
CAPTAIN Akin lost his HE AT the la>t ln0lncNi
IN noble effort 10 save the companion who
could not swim il would be little less than
hcar,eSs 10 argue the pint whether his Juds-
ment was not fatally AZ fault in attempting
the rescue under such adverse conditions.
Bat there j. one practical moral that can
he drawn from this marine episode. The
captain Of the brig has stated that when the
reefs were struck he considered it impossible
for any boat to live in such a sea. and that
also he felt confident thar his ship would hold
together for twcntyfour hours. He sgnaled
for help without the rcmoteSt idea that il would
be rendered during the night. He cannot be
blamed for signalling; that was his plain duty.
But if he could have communicated 10 the
shore a more accurate account of the situation
and his ability to hold ont till morning, the
lifcboat would not have gone out on SO des-
peratc chance Of saving life What is APP
parcntly needed is a revision Of tho ordinary
methods of signalling in distress SO that those
IN shore can know with moro precision what
lies before them and how urgent is tho neccS-
Sty for help.