The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-10-27
Royal Humane SOciety's
Noble Work Reward
ing the Brave
MEDALS RECENTLY AWARDED
Deeds of Daring in All Parts OF
the World by Which Life
Has Beel Risked
TO Save Life

The ROYAL Humane society OF England,
formed in IVA bv thirty-two persons, has
continued to grow and flourish until the
present day Its medals and hont rary
awards are as much priced in civil lie as
is the Victoria Cross in military annals
No less than 72O awards were made in
1898, viz. l gold medal. IL silver med
ais, 100 bronze medals, bronze clasps
335 testimonials on vellum, 125 testlmon'
ials on parchment and 81 pecuniafy re-
wards with certificates. In addition to
these 'in memoriam" testimonials were
forwarded to the relatives Of persons VINO
lost their lives in attempting to save 9th
ers. OF these 4s2 occurred in England
and Wales "a in Ireland, 81 in Scotland,
16 in India, 81 IN the British colonies and
IL in foreign countries.
Wherever the traveller penetrates
throughout the United Kingdom, all
along the coasts and river banks and in
land canals, and on the shores OF every
considerable lake. will be found station
and apparatus of the Royal Humane So
cietv, consisting of ladders, ropes, life
buoys, drags and graphing iorns, with
persons specially instructed in their use
and in the reviving of those apparently
drowned. There are over 300 such sta
tions in and around London alone.
Scarcely day passes without witness
ing some deed OF heroism IN life-savlng
in some quarter of the worldwide British
empire. Here are a few recent incidents
culled at ramon, the heroes aud heroines
of which were rewarded with medals.
The steamship Peshawur was on her
voyage from Alden to Suez, steaming
eleven and a half knots an hour, in
strong head wind and moderately high
sea, when Lascar fell overheard. Cap
tain S. W. Dickens, a passenger, at once
iumped over board to the rescue of .he
man. After securing a life buoy. suhse-
auently thrown, be swan with it to the
Lascar and with this help supported the
man above water for seventeen minutes
until picked up BY boat. They were
one and q half miles from the ship. The
silver medal was unanirn ously voted to
Cartain Dickens. to which was added
later the Stanhope gold medal. awarded
by the general court.
John r Patcbell was skating with
party of ladies on Simmons lake, Dun
cannon, Ireland. The ice gave way and
Mr., Patched became immersed in twenty
feet of water $50 yards from shore. lie
remained under the Ice for short time
and finally succeeded in breaking it
above him, but could only keep his head
above water, as in every effort he made
to assist himself by leaning on the ice it
gave way.
Miss Margaret Long courageously
skated up to the edge OF the hole, threw
herself down fiat on the ice, and. after
undoing her cloak, handed the edge of
it to Mr.. Petohell. She managed to re-
tain hold OF the other end OF the gar
ment, and thus kept him above water
until help arrived. The silver medal
was awarded to Miss Long and the bronze
medals to Messrs. Smith and Hart, who
rendered gallant assistance.
A soldier named Burton was bathing
in the River Raw al Shahpur, Bunab.
He appears to have got into whirlpool
and was being carried under by the
current when Private Charles Summer
field plunged in to his assistance and
seized hold of him. He. however, failed
to rescue him. as the current carried
them both under water, and to save his
own life he was obliged to rellnqulsh
his grasp and Burton was drowned. The
river at this place is ten feet deep close
to the banks and dangerous. Summer.
field risked his own life in the attempt,
for which he received the silver medal OF
the society.
Two of her maiesty's ships the Phllo-
mel and the Widgeon. were anchored off
Zanzibar. About $50 p. IN. n boat from
the latter came alongside the. Phllomel L,
having for its occupants two men, one
of whom, Patrick Kenny, when standing
up in the boat, lost his balance and fell
over the stern into the water. Charles
j. Perry, who was doing duty as corporal
of tho gangway, looked over the side and
saw something white drifting astern ana
was told that man had fallen overheard.
Without waiting to uivesJ himself of
any clothing he jumped overheard and
endeavored to reach the man, who was
sinking under the ships counter.
At the first attempt he was not success
full, but on diving q second time he
reached the man and brought him to the
surface, and then swan with him TO the
gangway, supporting him until a rope
was passed, which he fastened around
Kenny. who was then hoisted on board.
The danger incurred in this rescue was
great. owing to the presence of sharks.
The night was dark and there was a
strong tide running at the time, with a
choppy sea. Perry got the society's sill
yer medal.
During the Columbian celebration H.
M. s. Blake was moored IN the North
river, when boat capsized alongside the
shin and its occupants were thrown into
the water. There was strong tide run
ming, between four and five knots an
hour, and there were numerous small
steam bots about, all moving ahead in or.
der to keep abreast of the Blake. Seaman
Robert Halfyard. seeing boy drowning,
at once jum ned overload from the skiC
deck, height of thirty feet, swan tt
the lad and held him up for time, bu
some other person, who had also been ar
occupant Of the capsized boat, caueh
the seaman by the leg and pulled hin
under the surface, causing Halfyard tt
let go his hold on the boy. He, however
again swan to the boys assistance, diver
and succeeded in saving him. The sill
yer medal was voted.
Two boats were caught in a squat an.
capszsd in the sound OF Vatersay, Scot
land, bs tween Barra and Vatersey, anc
about thirty yards from the shore. The
occupants, three fishermen. were unable
to swim, but they managed to clam bel
on to the upturned boats. RodercK Nc
Dougall, a lad of 10, stripped. swan GU
to them. and attempted to tow the boat
and men to Shore failing to do this ht
attempted to get rope from the boat Il
his friends on the shore, but found il toe
short for lis purpose. He then returned
to the boat with knife, dived under i
end detached a sufficient length of lin,
which he brought to the shore, leaving
one end at the boat. BY his direction
each man seized hold of the rope, anC
supported by McDougall gained tn,
shore; thus all were successfully rescued
A silver medal was awarded.
Fat Kinnaird II sad, Frasersbdrgh, lac
OF 8 years of age fell over q perpendicu
lar cliff into the sea. Alexander Parks
attention was called to the accident. II,
4 Jal Ia 20 Of fbo