New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-14
4 BISHOP or HEROIC MOULD.
THE GALLANT RESCUE OF FOUR SAILORS
BY THE REV. JOSEPH c. HARTZELL
WHEN A STUDENT AT EVANSTON.


The Rev. Joseph C. IIartzell who is to go out
into the Dark Continent TO succeed Bishop Tay-
lor is made of heroic mould. as the following story
of his early manhood will clearly demonstrate.
DR. HartZe born OF Pennsylvania German
parents who had splendid constitutions physically.
He was brought up farm until ne was seven
teen years of In 1861 he went to school I'm
Evanston. of the suburbs Of Chicago.
Young Hartzel had good, strong body. and
OF fine athletic proportions. During the eleven
years that he was working his way through the
University and the theological seminary he took
good OF his physical health. Swimming was
one of the young students diversions. 1t was his
practice Evanston to go out and swim In the
breakers after storm. There was no lifesavng
station at Evanston at that time. On the morning
of May 10. 1854 just the crowd OF theological
students was coming ont of the dormitory building
on the lake shore. dark object was seen several
miles from shore riding the rough waters.
There had been storm the night before.
and the waves rolling in from the northeast.
while the wind had shifted that 1t was blowing
n strong breeze directly from the north. cold as
from the North Pole. With the aid Of "A field glass
1t that the dark object the hull OF
a wrecked vessel. and that it being driven
southwesterly by the and the wind and
must strike the sandbars somewhere south of
the town Evanston is twelve miles north OF Chi
cago. along the lake shore and Is the seat OF
Northwestern University and Garrett Biblical In
stitute Or. Hartzell then student in the
latter institution.
Soon all the students and large company OF
the townspeople the shore watching the
disabled vessel 1t drifted southwark and nearer
the shore. As the vessel came those
shore discovered five standing close together
the bow 1t a lumber vessel. and during the
storm the night before the lumber had shifted, the
vessel capslzed and the masts were all swept away.
The five sailors. however. chung TO the wreck.
After the masts swept off the hull righted
BY great efforts. clinging TO the cOrdage the half
frozen sailors able get up OF the vessel,
where they could only wait to drift whithersoever
the winds and the waves listed. In this condition
the vessel stranded sandbar, something less
than quarter Of mile from the shore. The
water very cold. cold. indeed. that an old
sea captain said that no man could live in II five
minutes Every wave that struck the vessel
dashed it, drenching the men with icy water
There were no lifeboats No ordinary skiff could
possibly live. The men held up their hands in mute
appeal to the large crowd on the shore-the safe
shore. that they had little hope of ever reach
ing alive. The crowd utterly helpless. By
and-by OF the exhausted men the wreck
fell down and they his comrades carry him
back and as they afterward learned. drop him
into the hold OF the vessel so that he would not
be swept away He had persisted from the cold
The four returned and stood with their arms ex-
tended in silent appeal
The experience Hartzell had i'm swimming in the
midst of the breakers made him think that ne
could reach them. so. with few OF the students
he went up the shore a couple of hundred yards
DOTTED his shoes and heavier garments and tied the
end of a small rope arond his waist The vessel
lying with the bow a little to the northwest,
and Hartzell coul along its side. and
parallel with the shore. long mast. one end Of
which held by the ropes to the deck. and the
other several feet from the hull. BY every
wave that passed the student could see its end
thrown up. His plan was 10 reach the end of the
spar mast climb along II. and then up the side
started at Least two hundred yards above point
opposite the wreck. calculating that the wind and
ps Yomgg HartzeIf had on SeaV1 u.oo@G Socks
and the first undeitow that caught his feet swept
While the brave swimmer could touch bottom
high he could. When that could no longer be
done he would then dive through them and make
next The rope was not played out fast enough.
and that. together with the wind and waves, drove
rim rapidly southwark. and ne began 10 fear that
he could make the lower end Of the mast but he
clasRng his arms and legs around the mast he
come. he would clasp the mast tightly ana let II
pass. be buried many feet in the icy water. and
then shuttle along many feet as possible before
the next breaker came. AT last he reached me
vessel where the ropes hung over. and succeeded IN
The captain of the vessel stepped forward to
meet the heroic student. he gained the deck.
white a snow and locked II II was frozen He
laid his icy cold hand on the Young mans shoulder
Hartzel pulled at the end OF a small rope which
had been tied TO the end of larger one, and
fastened the larger one to the ship. Willing hands
came out along the line to meet the men. The
captain said TO their young savior: You 60 first
only 10 get the answer: NO. ! shall be the very
last" The young student helped the half-dead
crew and captain one by one over the size OF the
vessel and with their remaining strength they
chung to the rope. making their way through the
breakers until they were within the reach of help
ers on the shore until at last they were all safe.
but scarcely more than half alive. The citizens of
Evanston rad a largely attended public meeting
and presented 10 the young student an encyclo-
pedia.