Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-08-07
SAVED SEVENTEEN LIVES
RERoIsM OF A FRAn YOUNG COL
LRGE NAN.
A Devotion to Duty and a Wrecked
Life-An Incident of a Disaster on
an Inland Lake.

had learned IN It's waters TO SWlm
and dive until he seemed almost as
much at home in the water as on land.
One of his first accomplishments ac-
quired at Evtnstown was not In Greek
or Latin, but in swimming in the lake
in time of storm. He would dive
through the breakers or toss upon
their tops, or play with them as a
giant might With a tiny fountain. He
was q wonderful swimmer.
One day there came trickling down
through the village news of a great
steamship wrecked at l o'clock in the
morning, ten miles out in the lake,
whose 400 passengers were struggling
with the waves or were already
drowned. Myroommate hearda bugle
blast in his soul that morning. He
said he seemed to hear these words:
"Who knoweth but thou art come in
to the kingdom for such n time as
this?" Two hundred others volun-
teered for service, one of whom isnow
a bishop in the Methodist Church,
and afterwards became President OF
the university.
They gut a rope around my o
mates waist that they might
his frail body if he should be killed by
the floating pieces of wreckage. Back
ward and forward he went for six
hours, helping to ave human life.
Through his great familiarity with the
surf he was enabled to do much more
than all the rest put together. Some
were saved by a tug far out in the
lake, but of nearly 400 passengers
only thirty came through the break
ers alive, and of these my roommate
saved seventeen.
He put into that one day the
struggle of three-score years and
ten. He was compelled to give
up his studies. He was COM
PEELED to give up the Christian
ministry, for which he was preparing.
To-day he is the wreck OF a man, liv-
ing among the hills of Southern Cali
fornia, far away from a railroad line,
struggling on a fruit ranch for a live
lihood. The price paid for that days
work was the health and strength of o
lifetime but he saved seventeen hui
man lives.
Between his journeys into the waves
he stood before a blazing fire, was
covered with blankets, and drank
strong stimulants in order to keep his
limbs from cramping. But each time
an unfortunate one came nea the
breakers, if he was able to so, he threw
off his membranes and plunged
again into the water.
At first he wore the rope upon his
arm, but coming to a piece of debris
to which drowning person wascllng-
ing, the wreckage struck him in the
face and he commenced to bleed pro-
fusely. The crowd on shore, alarmed
for his safety, commenced pulling in
the line prematurely before he had
hold of the drowning person. He
threw off the rope, clutched the man
and brought him safely ashore without
the help of the rope.
Walking up on the beach he saw a
gentleman sitting in an elegant car
rage who had evidently come to the
lake with the coachman from his
suburban home. He said to this
gentleman: "These people have al
most killed me, and another accident
may take my life without my having
done my work. Will you consent to
manage my rope for me, not allowing
the people to pull until L give the
signal. If you do this you shall have
half the credit for anything l may be
able to do" The gentleman con
sented, and for five hours managed the
rope. He was thus largely instru-
mental in the successful work my
roommate did.
The last person saved that day was
a man who was coming ashore in a
difficult part of the surf, where the
bank was high and precipitous. Any
one reaching shore there would be
pounded to death on the steep bank.
Those who came to this part of the
surf were absolutely lost, as it seemed
more than a mans life was worth to
save them. My roommate saw this
man with one arm clinging to a piece
of wreck, while he held in the other a
bundle, supposed to contain silver
plate or some other precious thing
wrapped up in a bit of clothing.
~ IL -
the man and the raft into full view,
and there streamed out from the
bundle a tress of hair eighteen inches
long. Then my friend knew that the
man was trying to saw his wife, and
said to those about him: 'Cost what
it may, 1 will save that mai or die in
the attempt"
He ran down the beach, following
the ~retreating wave, knelt down as
closely as possible to the sand and let
the return wave pound him. When
next seen he was far into the water.
He swan to the piece of raft to
which the two were clinging. When
within six or eight feet of them the
man cried out: Save my wifel Save
my wifel !" The brave swimmer said:
'Yes, I'll save your wife and you,
too" Fastening his hands in their
clothing at the back Of their necks, he
said: II can sustain you IN the water,
but you must swim for your lives and
mine. We must push up northward
and get beyond this dangerous surf, If
we are to be saved at all" To the Joy
Of the unlocking spectators he came
safely to shore with both un~fortunates,
for whom he had so bravely imperiled
his life.
The daily papers were full of
praises. The illustrated papers of New
York and London contained his pic
ture, but when we were alone in u
- vac ost;f,1 70 SOC him His