Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1895-01-04
HEROES OF q SURF
GONE OF THEIR DEEDS RELATED IN
A SOUVENIR VOLUME

GONE OF THEIR DEEDS RELATED IN
A SOUVENIR VOLUME.
Heroic Death q the 1lsn q peaked I'm
Bas" stasioa-A Gallant Rescue on IAhs
Ontario-voluntser Member u the serv.
Ice on the south Carolina Coast.
From . souvenir volume prepared to
sell for the benefit fund Of the life saw
ing service the New York Herald makes
extracts
While no effort has been made to
I'LL the volume with narratives Of the
life savers heroic exploits, the book
contains several stories simply told
which are interesting and may we'll be
quoted as illustrations Of the self sacri-
acing heroism Of these coast guardians.
One Of the most touching is the mar
rative Of the death Of Keeper Atkins
and Surfmen Taylor and Mayo Of the
Peaked Hill Bar station:
ION the morning Of Nov. 30, 1890,
the sloop Trumbull was discovered by
the patrol on the inner bar. The life
boat was quickly manned by Keeper
Atkins and Surfmen Taylor, Mayo,
Kelly, Young and Fisher and rowed to
the helpless craft The crew, excepting
two. who positively refused assistance
and remained on board the vessel, were
safely landed on shore.
1.-The gale continued to increase in
fury. The sea was running high. and
Keeper Atkins. realizing the danger
that threatened those who had refused
assistance. again started out with his
brave band to save them from what
seemed certain death.
1.-THE darkness wa intense, and in
their attempt to get nearer the sloop
the lifeboat was caught by q swinging
boom and capsized. The sarne sea that
caused this calamity struck the vessel.
and she doated from the bar and sailed
away. The surfmen chung for awhile to
their overturned boat, but finally at
tempted to swim to the shore as their
only chance for life. Surfmen Young,
Kelly and Fisher, apparently more
dead than alive, were rescued by Surf
man Cole. who had remained on the
beach, and they were cared for by him,
while n of the sloop's crew was sent
to the town for medical aid.
"The remainder Of the capsized
boats crow, including Keeper Atkins
and Surfmen Taylor and Mayo, though
excellent swimmers. were fighting for
life against fearful odds. Their dying
cries. mingling with the shrieking
winds, We're soon silenced, and they
were swept by the waves beyond the
reach Of help and swallowed by tho an
CRY sea.
"Eager, watchful ones patrolled the
shore, hoping, praying that though dead
their comrades bodies might be recov-
cred. After many weary hours Of
watching, as if to make amends for its
cruel work, old ocean gave back each
lifeless form and laid it gently on the
frozen beach. Tho whole village turned
out to do these brave men honor, and
when they were carried from the church
to their last resting places few eyes
were dry. Small mounds of earth and
marble slabs now mark the places
where they Sleep"
There are many appliances auxiliary
to the principal means employed in the
operations Of the service. The life saw
ing dress, which has been made familiar
to the public through the exploits of
Paul Boyton, has been used with great
advantage. At the stranding Of a
schooner in the night on Lake Ontario
last year in a sea which would not adj
NIT of the use Of the boat a shot line
was fired over her with the intention
of setting up the lines for the use of the
breaches buoy. The sailors hauled the
whip line On board. and when the tally
board, on which the directions for the
method Of procedure are printed in Eng
lish on one side and in French on the
other, was received the captain attempt
ed by the light of a lantern to read
them. Pulling over them for some time,
he at length co~ntemptuously threw the
board down on the deck, finding it i'm
possible to make anything Of it, having
seer only the French side. Not know
ing what else to do. therefore, he simply
made the line fast, but in such a man.
ner that it, could not be worked from
the shore. The surfmen vainly endeav.
ored to convey the instruction by signs.
In the meantime the destruction Of
the vessel and the loss Of all board seem.
ed imminent. In this dilemma one Of
the surfmen put on the life saving dress.
and after a gallant struggle succeeded in
hauling himself along the line through
the breakers to the vessel, where he re.
manned and took charge. Of the opera
tions until all were safely landed.
Here is o bright little extract which,
as the souvenir volume says, will recall
Sir Edwin Landseer's celebrated pic
ture. IA Distinguished Member Of thu
Humane Society,""
"At the sad disaster to the steamshiY
Metropolis on the coast Of North Caro-.
lima, while the life saving men were en-
gagged in rescuing the crowd Of passen'
gers thrown into the sea by the break
ing up Of the vessel. q large Newfound'
land dog belonging to a gentleman re,
siding in the vicinity seemed suddenly
to compreheud the situation. and join,