The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1895-08-16

W 4<-sSDKy Will agree tnat
MAE - Mr. the brave princi-
SASA, H. pals merited the
highest reward
in the service That is what they re-
ceived-the gold medal The night of
Nov. 10, 1879, the schooner Phelps was
driven ashore by northeaster about one
mile from the dock at Glen Arbor,
Mich. Her decks were broken up and
swept away, leaving only fragment ON
the bow where the mate and one sailor
took refuge. The lee rail lay under wa
ter, the weather rail had gone piecemeal
with the decks, and all that remained
was coated with ice. At daybreak citi-
zen discovered the plight of the two men
and gave the alarm. Some of the towns
people sledded to the beach an old lealzy
fiat / - med fishboat, the only life craft
avail. g. Five volunteers manned the
boat ,~ld put off, but were quickly driven
back by the terrible sea and wind The
boat was half filled with water and the
crew drenched. A second attempt was
at once made by four of the first crew
with fresh volunteer.
Making a start from a point to the
windward of the wreck, they succeeded
in reaching it astern, where the boat
was made fast. The bow, where the i'm
periled sailors We're, could not be reach
ed owing to the heavy sea beating on
the windward side and the mass of
plank which hung the length of the hull
on the leeward side and thrashed the
water with every movement of the ship.
While the crew were surveying the stu
alton their boat half filled with water
and was with difficulty rowed ashore,
| sternforemost. By that time the orig
inal four of the crew were covered with
ice and chilled to the bone Leaving a
man ON the beach to cheer the forlorn
sailors by signals, they ran to their
homes for dry clothing and returned to
the task with a fresh volunteer and
new and daring plan. Meantime the
force of the winds and waves had in
creased, and in spite of their best efforts
the boat at times fell astern But at last
they drove their weak craft under the
shelter of the lee of the wreck and there
lay to until an opening was found in the
heaving mass of wreckage wide enough
to admit the bow of the boat. Into the
opening the boat was driven until 1t be-
came wedged fast. For time all the
strength and skill Of the brave crew were
required to prevent the boat getting
crushed by the spars and timbers which
almost inclosed it The sailors were 60
feet away, across that heaving, shifting
mass. A line thrown to them was caught
by the mate, who passed it round his
body and began to crawl toward the
boat. The seas at times threw him down,
but the line saved him from being wash
ed underneath the wreckage, and he
finally reached a piece Of the old deck
about 10 feet from the rescuers. A
chasm lay between, and there was
deadlock for moment. Not to be balk-
ed in the presence of the miserable men,
the brave life savers worked the boat
high up ON the very top of the tossing
mass of wreckage. In this way the mate
was safely taken on board. The sailor
attempted to follow his companion, but
being much weaker came near being
lost. When half way, the crossing spars
and timbers caught his limbs and held
him fast
Two of the rescuers quickly sprang
from the boat, and setting him free |
hauled him 20 feet along a spar to the !
piece of deck where the boat rested Get
ting him ON board, the crew watched a |
favorable chance to lower the boat when |
the wreckage was awash. Much water
was taken in in the operation. and they |
dare not turn In the terrible sea for fear
of capsizing, so backed the boat all the
way to the shore, where it was met in |
the surf by delirious crowd of specta-
tors who fairly lifted the boat, crew and
all to their shoulders and bore them up
the beach. No men better deserved tie
nation S highest token than William A.
Clark, Charles A. BOSNIAN, Welby G.
Ray, John Tobin and John Blanchfeld.
From situation fully as desperate as
that of the crew of the Phelps one hero.
almost unaided, saved two perishing
seamen at Cape Elizabeth, Me-, ON Jan.
28, 1885, Early in the morning, with
the weather 10 below Zero the schooner
Australia went upon the rocks The
crew had barely time to take to the rig
cling before the decks were dismantled,
and the powerful seas even leaped the
tall masts and swept the captain away
before he could climb beyond their reach.
Two men remained perched in the tops,
where they suffered terribly, being
drenched to the skin. Through the
binding snow the masts were seen from
the lighthouse, where Keeper Hanna lay
asleep after long nights tour at the
fog signal He was aroused and imme-
diately ran to the shore, followed by his
assistant. The rough water told him
that a boat was out of the question, and
be instantly thought of life line.
Weighing the end Of the rope with a
piece of metal, he clambered out ON the
ice coated rocks almost into the surf.
Hanna had Just got up from long ill
ness, and his night of vigil at the fog
signal had nearly frustrated him again.