The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-03-17
PAT KEARNEY'S
ACT OF HEROISM
An COSClIiSh Deed Performed to Save
a Human Life.
FLUNG SS0,000 OVERBO ARD
Mas a Passenger W the lll-Iatcd Golden
Gate. Buracd on the Coast VI South
era California ia iSo9.

\ recent article published In the ore,
gouiNn emphasizes the rtct that white a
good many people In this city are pcrson,
ally acquainted with Patrick y, Kcar.
ncy there are few who know that In the
mining days NJ California he was one ot
the lucky ones and through an act ~ he,
rolsm, probably unparauclcd In western
history voluntarily Hunc SNoN into the
Pacific ocean to save human litc,
An AstoriOn reporter visited MIR Krar
hey yesterday 0t his grocery store ON
Fourteenth street and asked him Tor the
circumstances " this act ot bravery ru
those who ar' acquainted with the old
gentleman best It is well known that hr
Is always reluctant. h,lug almost non.
communicative In making public any
thing that would tend to mpkr him out q
hero, ana Is especially backward IN rrllt.
INK the history connected with the loss ot
tho Golden Gate and tho htlr,tvrdug
scenes he witnessed ou that memorable
occasion. 1T waS ON the slst of July
l>ts said he. after inviting the reporter
into his office. "whrp I lrlt san Fran
cisco On ihe steamship Golden Gate. In
command ~ Captain Plorsou. bound lor
Panama. and We also had Pilot Hudson
ON board We had iN passengers. a ma.
lority of whom were miners returning
cast from the gold fields ot California.
The purser had s. ',0NU ln tho safe. aui
it IS difficult 90 say what sum of money
the miners ON board had on them. hut
nearly all ot them had several thousand
dollars. I was returning with Nusn and
had the money in PURSES On the srv.
rnth day out the vessel caught lire aud
out of the iN passengers glp w,r, los, Do .
Here Mr. Ecarnry hrsltlt,d rs 10 touched I
by tho recollection 0r the terrible hulo. 7.
c'ust and the death struggling scyuys Dee I
witnessed Contnuiug. hc said. I'VE wcro
about a quarter of % mlc from land and .
death stared us In the face Most of the .
p1Ss,ug,rs jumped overheard prrrrrrinr
to b" drowned rather than burned tn .
death The lire spread through the yes. /
sci with wonderful raplditv. and the rec.
ot the cries og the women and .
children az this moment Is simply indie. .
scrihahlr / had the money strappca ON .
me when a little girl approached and In .
the most pItltul tones asked ME On save
her. knew IL would be- Impossible tn /
save the child With the weight ot gold
attached TO my body There WAS no time
for reflection and in ID second / tore the
straps loose and hung the gold overheard. I
Then scizins the child I Jumped into the
water The surf WIS twenty feet hteh ana
! was half the time under water. but
being young man and l strong swimmer
! held on To the little girl but expected /
she would be- dead when reached shore
A huge breaker finally swept me on the .
beach and as % recedcd DrlWled ont NJ /
the water. As Jumped overheard ut .
least 20 persons were IN the water ahead .
N me and when next took % look I could
count but four struggling toward the
beach. ! saw the hurricane deck f,u to |
the hamcs below. taking with it 70 crowd 4
N men. women and children The stan
.hIons In the center burned away and N, .
vessel collapsed from both sldcs. boins
burned 10 the waters edge and burning
10 death the unfortunate passengers who .
were unabl" 10 move with frenzy. nearly .
an ~ whom were women and children .
The little girl was stronger than / cN.
pected and left her In charge " the
captain and hlv" never seen her since
A man was washed ashore entirely nude [
and ] gave him suit ~ Undertaking .
being all could spare My suit was com
7lrt". except that was hatlcss.
No said Mr. Kcarney. II never sighed /
for the loss. was strong young and am
bilious and was on my way home 10 81.
Johns y, 49, but I fclt the loss of II
nevertheless. and started out again IN
HE determined to succeed and make a
stake Nv travels aftcrward would not
Interest you Il is enough to say that
mined In Idaho Arizona. and other places
with various success Sickness overlook
me after going through many Of the hard.
ships to be met with In those early days.
and finally came to Portland nearly thlr-
" years ago and have since resided In
Oregon"
Mr.. kearncy Is the proprietor Of the Pa
clilc Grocery Store. and. although nd-
v7ncnd In years he s still strong and ro
bust ana shows the cool determination
and iron nerve capable or performing the /
heroic act Of which he told Although /
only his relatives and most intimate
friends In this city are acquainted with
his experience In that awful catastrophe, |
vet it is well known by those who have .
had dealings with Patrick n Kcarncy
that his word Is as good as his bond
without hope II reward I'm this life for .
hts Inseldsh act of bravery, he has lived .
IN this city for the past twelve years
among his relatives and friends. and II .
his deeds go unrecordcd on the tablets Of /.
human bravery here below. the Great .
Seal Of the Heavenly Recorder of hu- .
man acts "ill place the name Of Patrick /
Y. klnrncy -mong tho gnlnxY of hernoA.