The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-18

fort. True enthusiasm is intensified
by opposition. It wants its way and
will risk all to get it. Tho life savers
were there to do or die. Heroes of
the battlefield 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
service, from which these facts are
taken, have on record thousand in.
stances of forlorn hope rescues, or at
tempts 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 hoy
heroes, although every one who
watched their struggles with the ele-
ments believed that frightful double
disaster was imminent; that the life.
boat would 90 down with its noble
crew and the wrecked sailors freeze to
death before other aid could reach
them. The men on the wreck, with
every incentive to hope against hope,
gave themselves up for lost when they
saw what 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 Calumet. That portion
of the vessel was wholly under water
so that the sailors could not 60 aft
and take O line from the boat. The
seas broke in awful turmoil around
the bow of the steamer but after many
efforts Keeper Lawson tossed line
into the hands of the captain. Then
came the difficulty, attended with ex-
treme 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 accident quarter of mile
from the point of starting. After
beating the icy armor 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 wind
ward 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 breaker or sank out OF sight in
the hollows between the angry waves.
With the accumulations of ice on her
sides she looked like monster canoe
hewn from an iceberg. But the pluck
of the brave boys never relaxed until
the last of the eighteen shipwrecked
men was safe ashore. On the third
and final trip, however, when the boat
struck the beach, the danger being
over and the stimulus to 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 thai 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 those
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
disappeared, all excepting the stem
and stern posts, having been complete
ly broken up by the pounding OF the
sea. But for the heroic students
every man on board must have per.
lshed. And their gallantry did not go
unnoticed. The gold medal of the
service, the highest award of the Gov.
ernment and one given with great
discrimination, was granted 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