Omaha daily bee., 1898-07-31

until all are saved. To effect this result in
a heavy sea is often difficult and the DIFF
fculty Is emphasized when the passengers
are too badly frozen TO help themselves, as
is occasionally the case. In these cases the
surfmen must go out to the wreck and bring
In the victims as a fireman rescues occu-
pants from a burning building, and this
feature of the work causes most OF the loss
Of life among the surfmen.
Some sample Rescues.
One OF the most terrible catastrophes that
ever befell the service occurred off Point
Aux Barques station on Lake Huron, OF
which Jerome c. Kirk was then the keeper.
A vessel was sighted that was too far out
to be reached with the shot and line and the
terrible surf threatened almost certain de-
struction to any boat. But the brave crew
made the attempt. Their boat was almost
instantly capslzed, but they succeeded in
Fighting It and went on. This was re-
peated twice more, but the surfmen had
become so nearly frozen that they we're in
capable Of further exertion. Finally the
boat went over and they were too far gone
to right 1t. They chung desperately while
they were buffeted about by the tremendous
waves and then one by one their frozen fin
gers relaxed and they dropped and sunk be-
meath the ice cold water. The next day one
sole survivor was found standing on the
beach, looking out across the still turbulent
water and moaning to himself: Poor boys,
poor boys; they are all gone, all gone" This
was Keeper Kirk and for days he raved over
the terrible fate OF his men. He did not
know how he escaped, and it was weeks be-
fore he was in his right mind. Then he
was presented with the gold medal that
the government confers as its highest award
for heroism and was transferred to another
station.
One of the most famous rescues of recent
years occurred on Lake Michigan, off Fort
Sheridan, one stormy Thanksgiving morn
ing some years ago. The life saving crew
at Evanston, Ill, Is composed of volunteer
students from the Northwestern university,
with the exception of the keeper, who is
provided by the government. On the morn
ing in question a message was received
that a steamer was aground at Fort Sheri-
dan, twelve miles away. They hurried to
the spot and found the vessel stranded fully
i 1000 yards from shore. The wind was blow
ing n gale and the air was full of frozen
sleet. The beach was a mere strip of sand,
July exposed to every assault of the wind
and wave, and to launch the boat seemed
like counting death. Three times they made
the attempt, but each time the boat filed
before they could launch 1t. BY this time
the craft was a mass of ice and the clothes
Of the men were frozen so stiff that they
could scarcely move. But out across the
swirling breakers they could see nearly a
score of people clinging desperately to the
steamer, which threatened every moment to
collapse and engulf them in a storm-tossed
grave. Over and over again the brave vol
unteers attempted to force their boat
~ rn,,~ III .,,.e .-l 49,. -,
They worked their way under the lee of
the steamer and succeeded in taking off
six men and landing them safely on the
beach. They made three trips in all and
saved every person on the vessel after
hours of unremitting effort. Some of them
did not recover for some time from the
effects of their exposure, but no fatalities
resulted.
Captain Knowles Experience.
Captain H. M. Knowles, VINO is in charge
of the crew on the exposition grounds, has
had fully his share of hazardous experiences
during his twenty-five years of service in
the department. He has been exclusively
connected with the Third district, which
comprises thirty-eight stations on the
coasts of Long Island and Rhode Island,
where some OF the most notable wrecks
have occurred. While he was in charge of
the Point Judith station he won the repu-
tation of being one of the most daring cap
tains on the coast and was famous through
out the service for the numerous gallant
rescues performed by the crew under his
direction. Since he was promoted to the
SUPPLEMENTARY of the Rhode Island dis
trict he has been equally successful as I'M
administrative official and is regarded as
one of the best officers in the service.
| n .vaa ,,vI,Ia r--4..- =
charge of the Point Judith that he and his
crew participated in one of the most
perilous and remarkable performances in
the history of the service. On Christmas
morning, 1885,, they launched their boat to
go to the rescue of the crews of two ships
that were stranded off their station and it
was four days later when they were able to
return. Just after daylight Captain Knowles
discovered n schooner capsized and appar-
emily water-logged about four miles off
shore. A mile further out the masts of a
sunken schooner were visible and ii was al
once concluded that the two vessels had
collided during the night. There was a
northeast storm with a dangerous sea, but
as the glass discovered people clinging ia
the rigging Of both vessels the boat was
ordered off. After a terrible struggle with
the tremendous sea they reached the first
vessel only to find that what they had taken
for people was portions of the rigging. They
had a similar experience when they reached
the second vessel, and then they turned
their boat toward shore. But to get bach
was a different proposition. They worked
steadily, but found that they were losing
ground. There was only one hope in Sigh
and that involved attempting the perilous
passage to Block island, ten miles to lee
ward. They reached the island after any
number of hairbreadth escapes and there
they found the crew they had attempted tc
rescue. Meanwhile the whole coast had
been aroused when they failed to return tc
the station and the assistant superintendent
Of the district chartered a small schooner
and put out to find them. They were
finally brought back three days later, hav,
ing gained nothing by their daring effort
but universal commentator for theil
courage.
where the Crew Comes From.
The records of the service during the 80!
contain the brief narratives OF numerou.
similar adventures in which Captain
Knowles participated. In 1889 he was pro,
NOTED to be assistant superintendent ant
has since been employed in an administra,
tive capacity. The remainder of the crew
at the exposition grounds Is composed O.
men selected from the various stations or
the Great Lakes, where desperate adyen.
turpe ara naarlv nc fro1,ant n, -. II A..