New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-21
they hung until ladder was raised ana D.
were saved.
MODEST AS WELL AS BRAVE.

L
I asked him what had happened during the day
He told me that there had been only small hre
and no person hurt. He made no mention OF the
rescue, yet when received the report OF the Dat
TALON chief found that the man who spoke Oh a
small fro had made tho rescue have just related
AT fire at No. lo2 Pel-st. in April. 1884, nre
man was buried under tho ruins in the rear or the
building Deputy-Chief 1icquel. who was tnen
Chief OF the Fifth Battalion ordered HOOK ana
Ladder Company No to that part OF the W 1uI,u
Ing for the purpose OF ressung the d nan 1, was
f found that iremsn Of Engine Company No II
lying S9e to t the os nSe t rsa had fallen
the upper part Of tho building ae r Was pain
conscious, but In dangerous ana go large tfoor
i'm aook 9e' "nd Company
moved the rubbish which was plIed on eTp WITHOUT
cutting beams above and below bin Under er
man Of Hook and Ladder oompamyi 20 under the
ruins cutting his way through Win III ,hen
cut the tmbers that held him fast. While he was
performing this dangerous work the runs ~
him partly held by ropes when were a''ao"e'
10 the beams.
PERILOUS SITUATION.
"He was Informed Of he great danger he was IN
while under the ruins. and his answer was; J
know IT, but II is the only way to get the poor
fellow out. and I am willing to chance IT He
performed tho work well and fearless'y the
PROMPT manner In which he rsked his life to save
that OF q comradc proved him to be a thorough
fireman and brave man. KnO%inS the dnnser
ingy. and for one hour and forty-hve minutes he
worked under the greatest difficulty. speaklnS
words Of encoHraSement 10 ms hna taken
from the ruins his collarbone. leg and rios were
There are many other incidents of bravery on
the ra Of our men that e9Tn TSaf Tor 70 others
n9w hf eY hdy knew It wsa ccan death to attempt
a rescue. I have never known them 70 ne caileo
on for service when they were not ready meyer
knew a coward TO wear the uniform or our De-
partment. Heroes are not All dead YET We h,e
them in every hrehouse In the city, men VINO nave
no equal for their bravery.
~ nm glad 10 be able TO say tnese thlnES 10,
our Department as hive learned 10 love H. ard
I rnsnect every man connected with II as only
waiting FOR the opportunity to show MS sternne
qualities"
LIVES AND PROPERTY BOTH
Major Plrer spoke on the progress made In the
life-saving service and the herolsm displayed by
tho men as follows: with tho close Of the fiscal
year 1875 the United States Life-Savng Service
rounded out quarter OF a century under the pres
ent system. established in ISL. Twenty-Five years
ago II comprised handful OF rude lighthouses on
crews and with wormeatcn boats and rusty.
primitive and often incomplete appliances
To-day II has two hundred ana nfty stations.
spendidy equipped with every known saving
device. manned by two thousand sturdy storm.
warriors. who dwell In the stations patrol every
inch Of the coast within their scope during the
night time and by day in thick weather: rsspnn nd
10 every cry OF distress. and ride the unbrlnlel
waves with dauntless hearts and consummate
skill quest o. ifnperllcd lives.
During tho twenty-five years mentioned these
men attended at s9'2 disasters involving the hves
whom the loss averaged lesa than one IN one nun
dred. aggregating about the same number on us
Lakes ne were lost during tho preceding twenty
five year, on tho coasts OF Long Island ana New
Jersey alone Next to the rescue Of lives Is The
say to you that Of more than $4,000 oO worth OF
19Rrr 6 nSo iSo W. nsy NnG without one
cent Of salvage. what other nation does anything
like this?
FIGHT WITH POLITICIANS
I'm 1906 cut OF 595 lives impcrled only twenty
were lost and Of a little less than 100000 OF
property In danger. 81 .+s"oo was saved VIII you
doubt me when declare tha, our llfe-saying ser
vice stands at the head OF all rs kindred Oh the
globcr II began its real career twenty-five years
ago; under the present Chief Win Two or mr.
10 few who have lvcd-hc has built his own inohu-
e7 and ms g' s3ys SsS1 h bS Ia S r aHd
precious tributes % ali mankind. Scores OF bat
vigorous and heathful. cannot recount them
must speak II was the battle with the politicians;
Brave indeed Wa he twenty years ago who dafsd
10 tackle the ancient doctrine The spols 20 w ~,
victor" our superintendent did. lie sent alott
over the Life saving Service a new nag on when
service The politicians attempted TO tear !,
down. The general superini@nd'ni was req.esIgI
refused am roon war summoned into the presence
81 the seereaT where , ns met ~ yhs s mann navs
nothing 10 do he said 10 the Secretary. When a
good ship comes ashore In nc enrh niget nsr c T
clnrinG to the rccling masts, tn" situation calIs
the Unfortunate shipwreckcd men have been added
TO the long rs, OF those whose vcs have gone out
! do rot want It to be said that II Josh Edwards
had been there they might have been saved nu,
that Josh Edwards was there. and II ne couIo
not save them nobody could.
THE STORY OF CAPTAIN ATKINS.
~ trust that need not add that Josh Edwards
STAYED until many years later when he felt that he
had done his share and resigned. and Is now pass
ing tho las. days OF his respected HE down al
Araganseti close to the surf ne loves do no,
hesitate 10 declare that this act Of Mr. kimoal
was the means. the 1rst cause. 4 you please OF OF
saving hundreds Of lives, and when we besih 70
k % nf ba % s Sf n not have nd place
our general superintendent. Among the surfmaen
nober shan that OF captain David Atkins. OF Cape
Cod captain Atkins was man tor'y h
world IL rarely charitable OF non success ana cap
tain Atkins found this so when IN manv hours Of
unsuccessful effort he had the Illumination OF see
rnscme lie bore all In silence. resolved on the next
occasion he would do or die ~ -, No,,o,,
scr Tsc GS5oTi n ny n s !ms Nhc"
discovered in distress OF the Peaked I'M Bars sta
soul soul in arms Tor the fray His His Wife bh se ms
MN f tI 70 his comrades no said that he would
roach that wreck II It cost him mis- ne heach IN.
| ,,,r.ck he did but almost I'm the crisis or success
| he and two OF his daring comrades were seized ana
| s,rangled by the greedy waters. ,..
30 1892 there were discovered by me ara OF str3mf
| ,iase~s from the gallery OF the Sankaty Light
| Rnnse on Nantucket Island tho topmasts OF 4
vessel Just above the horizon In the direction OF
| the Rose and Crown shoals. Word was sent 10 inS
| can,nIn Of the life-saving station near ny lou
! r,,st know that the Rose and Crown shoals Is on,
~ 'hc most dangerous PLACES on the globe. ana
| ovor nftccn miles from land. twenty-thr"e 700,
| snrfboat was run out and manned by crew OF
! 80, mon The partings were short between the
rocn and their families Away few the little boat
| ~ couId not see the ship. They must ma II
III III hornomeer registered % degrees below frcez
INK point After long hours OF search th iS ioanS
49,. ,igcing rhcy had been there for htteen hours
in the peIng rain and seet There were aeyen n
~. hoat Could she carry seven more There wac
w Wv doha;c IN the mind OF Walter Chase on that
| nolnt She must carry them
po..M. bo,, IVA made fast to the wreck, and then
| ,a,in arose among the shipwreckcd men They
| ~. ropo tbot held tho lifpbOat alongside