Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-07-29

What is this, grandpaF asked
Kent
He had picked up from the floor @
large silver medal that baby sister
had been biting with her teethless lit
tie gums.
"That? Why, it's the medal that
the United States government gave
me in 1851--before your mother was
born" answered grandpa, as he stud
led the inscription absently.
'Did the government give you
thatp" cries Kent, surprised that his
grandfather had been on such familiar
terms with the government Of the
United States. "Why, what for?"
$50 never told you that story, did
~" says grandpa, with some pride in
his voice. "That was for helping to res
cue the crew Of the brig Zilica, bound
for Bay of Fundy and shipwrecked of
this coast. And IL astonishes me to
this day to remember that we did not
every ono of US lose our lives trying
to save them"
ooh, tell it! tell it! Please tell itw
urged Kent, now fred with interest to
hear about real adventure by his
own grandpa.
THAT happened in the days before
the United States life-saving service
was Organized. That .branch OF the
marine service was not established
until the year 1871. Some time before
you leave the Cape I will take You to
the back shore to visit the lfe-saving
station and show you some of the Won
derfu appliances they have nowadays
for saving life--lifeboats, Life buoys,
petticoat brooches, mortars for throw
ing the lines, red fire to burn and oil
the numerous traps besides. / think
you will find these more interesting
than the story, my boy"
''But the story, grandpa; the storyl
Tell that now, grandpa" insisted
Kent, impatient for grandpa to begin.
''How many men were there with you
when you rescued the sailorsP"
''Let me think! There was Steve,
my brother; Jesse Freeman. Robert
Judson-well I think there were six
of us all told"
"And did they all have medals like
this?"
eyes, every one OF u.s.
''Do tell the story, grandpa"
swell, it was about dark When we
took the last ones off the brig" says
grandpa, beginning at the end of the
narrative. "Poor fellows, they had
dashed themselves to the rigging, where
they hal remained all day, hungry
and wet and chilled to the bone, They
couldn't have stood it much longer
night a.coming on and the vessel fast
going to pieces.
"Half the men in Wellheet had
been up to the back shore that day to
see the wreck and the men They
would just go and look at the grew
some sight for little while and then
turn about and 90 home"
"Why did you wait all day before
you tried to get them OFF,"
Because the wind was blowing a
terrific hurricane all day, my boy.
The sea was.raging like fury, seeth-
ing with foam and dashing over the
wreck every moment. The breakers
we're booming and crashing on the
beach, and nobody wanted to brave
their fury. The most experienced OF
them thought it was foolhardy TO ri SIX
their lives with the certainty OF being
drowned or dashed to death by the
waves.
at was the first day OF December,
and a smotherng snowstorm ragged all
day. My, how the wind blew that
day
81 was ont of town in the morning
and did not hear of the disaster to the
Zilica until / came home about. 8 in
the afternoon" went on grandpa, now
fairly back at the opening Of his
story and beginning to stir with awak.
ened memories.
Have you heard the news?" your
grandma asked, as / came into the
house. There's ship ashore up the
back side. Eight men, they say, dashed
to her rigging and no hope Of saving
them
'rhunderv said I, and rushed out
again into the gale and started to walk
mp to the beach,"
''How far?" asked Kent.
"Three or four miles. l was young
then and didn't mind little walk rs /
do now ran half the way, I guess.