The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-01-28

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sAszv SessA vs--x=sz MAsa asxAs eans
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- snas rks Azsssr1xz esuld ks~r A~r
ssa-szgA IS eFezo<x fAs IsrAs dis@1-
pesrs1- TAs sseaushsr. xsser M hozr's
g-opanx IN .he sts-z 20 En1 fhs ssxAs
swaan, s1oo1 60 her eos-<- Capt. stesrr
iAizxs fhs seho15er sesa6ess1-
Here we hsTs ssx hesasc nes loss czs 81
ssvsn. rso CALAMITY es1esvs-sd 70 ss.~1s
at frser6s ret even eggssrymen. bzs
tetsl strsngsrs; . nosss an1 xaszorxhss
exArssas e tess<soa unto 1sssA- Bzs 80
OR zaad The nzass sensxxssss r-oss ef
tbs h<roSs temper 81 tAs srsr 81 tbs
batca ssesnsssp 10 shs faet that. afser
seesE The first ofse<r. the gzasssrmas.er.
tbs bssfsssin. sss earpenser. tss sssersgs
steward and % sbss-5e1sed sssnxr drovn
bsfors tbsiy syss In sks FIRST sttsmrs st
sss-7s, tbs sseon6 oazoer offered 70 maks .
ssesnd ss.snps ss1 sssliy 90. crss %
M for his boat when he called for vsssn-
tsssA Nothing but the perempsory ~
fusai ~ tbs eapfssn Of ths Dut<h steam
ship 70 sstov . second sssesacs unsu tbs
vesthsS hs1 abstsd prsssnssd . second
sa<rtGos u kumbss heroes takfng thsis
lives in shssr hands 70 ssvs the ersv IL .
Yankee fishing boat
Chisf ofsees Meyer Vas bat - yesrs old;
had wife and tvo ehsiersn, snd the r,sn
Who perishsd nth hin vsrs all Young
men from 70 TO B. THESES humbss zsen,
With wives and chlidrsa - home. dssd do
ing deed Of voluntary hesossn snd self
saerfAes. They $40 . disabisd fishing
SCHOONER with fonrtssn sssiors iashsd 20
the rigging. snd the wares breaking ever
thsn- The captain Of the steamer could
only call for volunteers 70 man the life
boat. ~ hs bsd no right 70 ordss any one
70 20 10 the rescue in such Q sea Three
times ~ many men ~ were wsntsd yosnn-
teered sir out Of ssyen were drowned ia
the boiling sea and yet another boar's
crew volunteered for . second attempt.
OF Whist heroic, nnssIhsh stad thess
humble seamsn vsrs nsdsi They did not
save the crew Of the foundering schooner.
bat thsy died in o vain effort 70 save them.
and they mounted 10 higher height Of
seiEsscriaes than the old ideal that the
nobisss man 10 he who 10 willing TO give
his life for lis friend. These humble
Dutch sailors gave their lives for stran-
gers. and their comrades vho ssw them die
were ready 70 make . second attempt
IL 10 . noteworthy fact that your modern
heroes, who are really heroic. like Bayard
and Sidney. In deeds rather than in verse
or speech, are - . rule men Of humble
rather than high-born station. Their un-
selfish impulse ard heroic force IL not the
result Of education, or reading. OF vanity,
or striving for glory or applause; IL 10 -
irrspressiDls and inexpiicabls ~ tbs deeds
and words Of men Of genius; real heroes
are ~ unconscious Of their heroisrn ~ men
OF genius are in . sense unconscious Of
their supreme, exceptional powers, and do
great things apparently without great
effort. because they cannot help IT. It IL
this frequent spectacle Of irrepressible. in
siinesive heroism among humble men that
keeps the world from growing mean and
lean and seravny with seIishness, and
saves IN from the cznker, the nildev, the
blight Of that so-cailed voice OF culture
the drsary. whining psssimism OF 20 many
modern pulpits. % many modern writer's
Of poetry and fiction
The world does grow better, snd the
frequency OF such deeds Of unseInsh I'm
pulse and heroic force among the plain
people a. that recorded Of the gallant
crew Of the Dutch steamship does much
70 reassurs those who are naturally dis
gusted with the worship Of brute force
and tho Mammon Of successful unrigLt-
sousness. These humble Dutch sailors
successfully initiated Christ; they obeyed
his Golden Rule" they reasoned that
they we're bound to 90 a. they would be
done by under like circumstances, and
they rushed TO the rescue of these drown
ing men because they could not help It
These men they sought to save were not
comrades. countrymen or friends, they
were strangers; these Dutch sailors risked
their lives and lost them TO ssvs the
wrecked Yankee fishermen from . broad
spirit Of Christian sympathy for their
feIIowmen.
We find little or nothing OF this broad,
unselfish impulse married to heroic force
in the annals of antiquity; We do not find
much of 1. back Of the nineteenth GEN.
fury. Heroism there was. Of course, but
10 Was OF the clannish sort as Q rule. and
II is within our century that We find the
most frequent imitation OF the self
sacrifice of Sidney and the humans
chivalry of Bayard. In shelley's "Pro-
me,heus Unbound" one Of the spirits
comes flying in and announces to her
sister spirits:
~ III on great ship; lightning SPLIT,
Borne hfthsr on the sigh
OF one who gave his enemy his plank
And plunged aside 70 diel"
These gallant Dutch sailors rose almost
10 the level Of this romantic herossm; If
they did not ''give their enemy their plank
and plunge aside to die. they lost their
hold on their plank and died in offering to
share its fral support with men who were
strangers.
The most comforting reflection OF all IN
that this realistic heroism which dares TO
do noble things, which is difficult, instead
OF saying noble things, which 10 no. q, all
difficult, Is found most frequently among
the plain people; the rank ana fle Of
rugged intelligence. courage and capacity,
who never cultivate heroism, never talk
about II. never read about 10 in prose or
poetry, bat Instantly rise to the level Of