The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-27
A LIVELY RESCUE ar SEA.
Smart Work By Lieut.. Cantws1 IN Pick
ing Up One OF the Corwin's Sailors.
rom the New York sun

smart HorA D. Lieut. CantW6ll IN Pick
ing Up One OF the COrwin's Sailors.
From the New York sun.
In the way OF a rescue at sea" said
Capt. c. a. Abbey. Inspector of the Uni
ted States ife-saving service. at his ONCE
IN the ChesebroGgh building. 7 never saw
anything smarter and heater than Lieut..
CdutWeL rescue Of q seaman overheard
IN the North Pacific in the summer OF
1880. / was commanding the L. 5. r. ~.
steamer CorWin. sent that year against
the seal pirates in BehTing sea. Cantweil.
the third officer. an active and very capa-
Ole young fellow. had already distinguish
ed himself by his venturesome explora-
lions on the Yukon river.
The course OF the Corwin after clearing
the mouth of the Columbia lay a little
north OF west across the Pacihc ocean.
toward the nearest entrance TO Behriug
sea. She sailed in the teeth Of a fresh
westerly gale. and was hufeted all the way
ny nigh head sea. The weather even at
this season was chilly, and the spray that
broke over the vessel was icy cold
The night Of June IS was tempestuous
and rainy. The aim light Of returning day
revealed the surrounding mlsts and fog
and the angry sea. The Corwih. a topsail-
schooner-rigged steamer was carrying
clOse-rcefed. steadving sails At seven
bells in the middle watch Lieut.. Rhodes.
who had the deck. thinking she could
stand little more canvas. gave the order.
Turn the second reef out OF the main
sail
The sailors came quickly aft and wers
soon strung along the boom shaking out
the reef. Charles Johnson. an athletic
young seaman. stood on the lee quarter
rail loosing points. The ship gave sud
den lurch and the boom yanked viciously
knocking him from his footing. He caught
wildly at the swaying spar. missed 1t, dis
appeared like a shadow from the sight of
his shpmates, and the next moment was
struggling In the white. seething wake OF
the steamer. The cry, ever so appalling
al sea. went up.
d" Man overheard Stop herr
Lieut. Rhodes sprang TO the bell pull
and rang the rapid four-beIl signal. stop
and back the ship. shouting as he did so;
Clear away the starboard surfboatr
- quarter master standing by the wheel
pulled the lanyard that detached from the
vessels stern a life preserveF. which
dropped into the sea- then selling a cork
jacket. he ran and flung II toward the
man, whose white. sea-washed face be-
meath his closely tied sou'wester was
turned piteously toward the ship as he
fast receded from sight amid the plunging
waves
When the first call sounded Third
Lieut.. Cantwell was enjoying the sound
slumber of his watch below. Five seconds
later he struck the deck. clad as he had
leaped from his berth and at once took
charge Of clearing away the boat, direct
ing and assisting at the same time. a
few seconds later First Lieut. Howison
appeared, and as first officer assumed
command The steamer. readily hove TO-
was now rising and falling nearly sta
tionary upon the waves. Al intervals
glimpses were caught of the man still
afioat an eighth of a mile astern.
1t was here that the tne discipline OF
the service showed TO best advantage. In
the high sea Johnson was wholly out of
Of
Howison stood on the Corwins bridge.
giving the proper commands for the
handling of the ship, but never removing
his eyes from the speck that appeared az
intervals among the waves asteru The
boat manned with six oars, was now on its
way TO the man. steered by Lieut. Can't
well, who, In light night clothes. with
bare head and feet and drenched with
spray, stood in the tossing stern holding
the steering oar with his back to the
men, and directing his course wholly BY
the motions Of Lieut.. Howison. From the
quarter rail and rigging the remainder OF
the officers and crew watched in breath
less suspense every movement Of the res
cuers
Two minutes from the time the boat
struck the water It was within hail of
Johnson, and In another minute was along
side him. He was found lying across the
cork Jacket, thoroughly chilled, but had
managed to strip off his oil clothes sea
boots and jacket, in readiness for swim
ming. should It be required. He was in
stantly taken into the boat. which was
headed by Lieut.. Cantwell for the ship
and sent through the water as rapidly as n
had come. II was promptly alongside the
vessel and successfully hoisted and Sc
cured. The man was taken out as the
boat came up the side, carried below and
stripped and rubbed and was none the
worse for his cold sea bath.
Once again on deck, Lieut.. Cantweli
suddenly realized that the wind. which
tapped his single soaked and dripping gar
ment, was Of the chilliest description. and
that his present appearance was uncon-
ventional, to say the least. Not waiting
for congratulations, he Owed down the
ward room hatchway to seek the seclusion
which a cabin grants. The engines were
started and the ship was on her course
again within fifteen minutes from the
time the man fell from the rail"
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