The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-11-24
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Keeper moved silently toward the
boat, which lay ON its carriage at the
head of the slide. They would take
the awful risk With the help of the
soldiers the boat was eased down the
slide without accident, but ON reaching
! the beach it was found necessary to
drag it along a narrow shelf to a
point directly abreast of the wreck for
| launching. This could only be done by
watching the breakers and avoiding
their force. AS it was the surfn1en
were often waist-deep in the water,
and several narrowly escaped being
carried away by the powerful surf.
Three times the boat filled and had to
be cleared Of water. Again the boat
would be snatched from the control of
! the men and hurled against the cliff,
and was only saved from disaster by
finding a buffer in the bodies of the
surfmen ranged along the inshore gum
vale. These sustained several bruises,
and, like their mates ON the opposite
side of the boat, were drenched with
the icy water. Finally the boat was
brought to suitable point for launch
! ing, a depression in the beach where
the surf was lightest. The crew sprang
to their seats and fixed their oars
while the soldiers held the boat steady
for a favorable sea. Calamity the
| life-boa't rode the breakers until she
]
waves broke with tremendous power
An immense breaker lifted the boat
upon her stern and almost tlAew
Keeper Lawson, who was at the steer
ing ore overheard. Before he could re-
cover and head the boat to the sea, a
second wave struck her broadside and
filled her to the thwarts The stroke
oarsman dropped his paddle for the
bailing bucket, and his five mates, by
pulling for their lives, struggled
through the breakers. During these
Interruptions the powerful current had
swept the boat far to the leeward,
compelling the gallant surfmen to
row in the teeth of the gale. It was
then that the anxious watchers on the
bluff lost all hope and wished that
their warning had not been in vain.
1t seemed an impossibility for the life
boat either to reach the wreck or re-
turn to shore. Every wave left
coating of ice wherever it struck upon
the gunwales, the oars and the cloth
ing of the men. The rowlocks gradu-
ally filled with ice and the oars were
constantly slipping from them, dissi-
pating half their force. But the diff
culties of their task only served to
nerve the men to greater effort. True
enthusiasm is Intensified by opposi-
ton. 1t wants its way and will risk
all to get it. The life-savers were there
to do or TO die; heroes of the battle
field may take off their hats to the
storm warriors of the lake and sea
coasts and hail them as comrades. The
faithful annals of the life-saving SER
vice, from which these facts are taken
have on record a thousand instances of
forlorn hope rescues, or attempts at
rescue, carried through to the bitter
end, for every one case of Sinking
peril Not a murmur or a regret
passed the lips of these boy heroes, al
though every one who watched their
struggles with the elements believed
that frightful double disaster was
imminent; that the life-boat would go
down with it's noble crew and the
wrecked sailors freeze to death be-
fore other aid could reach them. The
men on the wreck, with every incen-
tive to hope against hope, gave them
selves up for lost when they saw what
a plaything the waves made of the
gallant life-boat
By almost superhuman efforts the
oarsmen recovered the ground lost in
the breakers and drew UP under the
stern of the sunken Calumet. That
portion of the vessel was wholly under
water SO that the sailors could not go
aft and take a line from the boat. The |
seas broke in awful turmoil around the
bow of the steamer but after many eff
forts Keeper Lawson tossed a line into
the hands of the captain. Then came
the difficulty, attended with extreme
peril for all, of getting the half frozen
fellows into the life boat. AT last six
of them were on board and supplied
with life preservers. Then a start was
made for shore. With its heavy freight
the boat was allowed to go with the
current, which landed it without acct
dent quarter of a mile from the point
of starting. After beating the icy ar
NOR from their clothing the crew
warmed themselves with hot coffee
and again started for the boat, which
the soldiers had dragged along the
beach to the windward of the wreck
1t is needless to recount the details
of the second and third trips to and
from the steamer. The same fearful
difficulties were met and overcome;
again and again the life craft seemed |
to be doomed as she stood almost up
right when mounting the huge crest of
a breaker or sank out of sight in the
hollows between the angry waves. |
With the accumulations of ice upon her
sides she looked like a monster canoe |
hewn from an iceberg. But the pluck
of the brave boys never relaxed until
the last of the eighteen shipwrecked
men were safe ashore. On the third
and final trip, however, when the boat
struck the beach, the danger being
over and the stimulus of action re-
moved, their young and slender frames
gave way. Dropping their oars they
fell helpless across the seats. When
aroused by the soldiers and lifted from
the boat their limbs were so weak and
benumbed that they could not stand
without support. Hot coffee and the
warmth of the beach fire soon restored
animation, but they reached the fort in
worse condition by far than the men
whose lives they had saved. A few
hours later, the excitement on shore
having died out, eyes were turned to-
ward the abandoned wreck. 1t had dis
appeared, all excepting the stem and
stern posts having been completely
broken UP by the pounding of the sea-
But for the heroic students every man
on board must have persisted. And
their gallantry did not go unnoticed. !
The gold medal of the service, the high
est award of the government, and one
given with great discrimination, was
granted to each of the Surfmen and to
their captain. This was the second
case in the history of the service where
an entire crew of volunteer life savers
received the gold medal Up to that
date only two or three regular crews
had been so highly honored.
When the tables were spread in the !
warm barrack kitchen Of Fort Sheri- |
dan that afternoon, there were eigh- |
teen grateful strangers reclining upon |
hospital cots around the Thanksgiving |
board-eighteen unexpected but for all |
that thrice welcome Thanksgiving |
guests.