Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-02-08
JIM LANE, HERO.

nearly under the shadow of the tall tower
from which the light of Montauk point
nightly affords the voyagers of the sea a
beacon by which they may steer into a safe
haven, with the Atlantic's mighty pillows
rolling up almost to It's door, stands the
home which has sheltered four generations
Of the Lane family. IL is q modest struc-
ture of wood, and the paint which has been
placed upon it annually in the springtime
Ia now almost worn of by the fierce easterly
gales that have beat upon it since Septem-
Der brought In the season Of storm.
But there has been great rejoicing in that
little homestead since Jim Lane came back
to the father, brothers and sisters from
whom he had been separated for fifteen
years. 1t was a story worth the telling
that Jim had to give them, and in testi-
mony of the truth of which he displayed
his medals and his papers. A reporter was
introduced to him by mutual friend, and
while Jim was modestly loath to speak
about himself, the friend supplied the mis-
dng links in the narrative of his heroism
and his honors.
The scene and the time shift from New
York in the closing days of 1892 to Apia,
the chief town of the Samoan islands, in
March, 1889, a week after the fierce Pacific
and three German warships upon the coral
reefs. Toward the end Of the week Jim
Lane, captain Of the foretop and coxswain
Of the captains gig of the United States
sloop-of-war Nipsic, sat a-straddle OF the
low fence surrounding the traders store at
Apia, waved his hand defiantly at the bull
let's Of the fIarine guard of his ship, then
sprang over to the outer side of the palings
and was soon swimming off to his vessel
with a necklace of bottles Of gin hanging
upon his sturdy shoulders.
During the hurricane a gigantic wave had
swept the Nipsc upon the beach, and its
recession had floated her free again, and she
was the only vessel Of the international
neet there assembled, except the British
corvette Callope, that ever plowed the seas
again. Lane and 4 squad of his shipmates
had been granted a days shore leave by
Captain Mullen, the commander of the
Nipsic, and when they did not return at the
appointed hour detachment of the marine
guard, with lieutenant in charge, was
sent ashore to look them up. They were
found in the traders bar, all carrying heavy
cargoes of liquor To the summons Of ar
rest every man except Lane surrendered.
He ran for the fence, jumped astride of it,
ooolly sat there for several moments, while
the marines, under instructions from the
lieutenant, were firing at him, safely es-
capped all their shots and in the quick gath
ering darkness of the tropics made his way
70 the ship.
The lieutenant followed with his prison
ers. He was furious at the contempt which
Lane had manifested, and demanded that
Captain Mullin should report the fractions
sailor man for court martial to Admiral
u n
In command of the Pacific squadron. But
Mullen refused TO do so, He had vivid and
lasting remembrance Of Lanes services on
the day Of the fateful hurricane when Lane
had stood at the wheel of the Nipsic for eight
long hours, he having been selected for that
important duty by the captain because he
was the strongest seaman and the best
belmsman in the ships company. Through
that tremendous storm, when vessel after
vessel was pounding upon the reefs or sink
ing, Lane had remained steadfast at his
post, and Captain Mullen decided that his
faithfulness then should condone his later
dereliction.
But the lieutenant was firmly resolved
upon indicating his outraged dignity and
the discipline of the naval service. He
caused to be conveyed to Admiral Kimber-
", without Captain Mullins knowledge,
information Of the affair on shore, and the
admiral summoned a court martial. That
Judicial body promptly found Lane guilty,
and their sentence was that he be deprived
of all the medals that he had won by gal
liant service in the past; that he should for
felt the pay due him, and that he be con-
veyed to the nearest port In the United
States and there be dishonorably dismissed
from the ranks of the navy. This harsh SEN
tepce was promptly carried into effect. The
convicted man was sent to San Francisco,
and at the Mare island navy yard his med
ais were stripped from his breast and his
uniform from his body, and in suit OF
civilians clothes he was drummed out to
the gate of the yard, the drummers and
ffers playing the "Rogues' March, and he
was turned loose upon the world without a
dollar in his pockets.
But the disgraced sailor was too plucky
to fear to face fortunes bullets. Strolling
up the streets of San Francisco, he entered
the office of the California Navigation com
pany, which runs a line of steamships down
the Pacific coast to Mexican and South
American ports. He was at once accepted
"a an able seaman, and when the next Of
the company's ships left port he stood upon
her deck. Another opportunity Of distin-
gushing himself CALAMITY was not long In
coming The next day the vessel was pitch
ing and rolling In a stormy sea. A woman
passenger was standing at the rail near the
stern when an unusually heavy lurch Of the
steamer into the trough of the sea sent her
overheard. Lane was over after her In a
second, without waiting even to grasp a
life preserver.
The ship was running at the speed of fif-
teen knots an hour, and before boat could
be lowered she was Eve miles away from
the scene Of disaster. IL was nearly night,
and in the gloom the boats crew could see
nothing of Lane and the woman. Still they
rowed steadily in their supposed direction,
sending up rockets and burning signal
lights In the hope that they might be guiC ed
by them. Meanwhile the steamer lay to
and also burned signals.
Two hours had passed and the men In
the boat were about to give up the search
and head for the ship, when a feeble voice
came out Of the night and waves and on
a ~ -