Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-05-23

Kiah, with headquarters at Sand
Beach, Michigan, is one of the heroes
of the Life Saving Service. He holds
the gold medal, the highest award the
United States Government can bestow
for heroism in saving life. His name
IS associated with what was both one
of the most daring attempts at rescue
and one of the greatest tragedies of
the service-a tragedy which wiped
out an entire crew with the exception
of this sole survivor.
Mr.. Kiah was at the time keeper of
the Point aux Barques Life Saving
Station on Lake Huron. "a vessel
struck too far out to be reached with
the shot and line. The peril of at
tempting rescue with the surf boat
was only too apparent; but Keeper
Kiah mustered his men, and made the
launch. For while their strength
and skill enabled them to surmountor
push through the tumultuous seas;
but, once in the open lake beyond the
shoals, where the storm was free to
riot at will, the real danger began. Il
was test beyond human powers. The
keeper remembers that twice the boat
capsized and was righted. After tina.
he has vague recollection of the boat
capsizing and righting herself several
times, and of the crew clinging to il
until, one by one, the surfmen, per-
ishing of cold, let go their hold, and
vanished beneath the waves. He has
dim remembrance of the boat, with
himself clinging to it, grating over the
shoal, and then being flung up on
shore.
He was found by two men, stand
ing, with one hand on the root of
fallen tree, steadying himself with
lath in the other, and swaying as if
walking, but not stirring his feet-a
dazed, tottering wreck of his former
self, murmuring in an incoherent way:
'Poor boys! Poor boysl They are
all gone-all gonel" Temporarily
shattered in mind and body, he was
obliged to resign from the service. He
was long in recovering, but finally it
was possible practically to reward his
bravery with the appointment to his
present position.
Woman's Thrilling Escape From Death,
A few evenings ago, while Mrs. Will.
lam Young, aged about seventy, was
returning to her home at High Bridge,
n. j., she lost her way in the dark.
ness, and fell down the slope to the
mouth of mine shaft, distance of
about thirty feet.
The ground around the deserted
mine has been giving away for years,
until now the mouth is huge crater
of about fifty feet in diameter, sloping
to shaft opening about thirty below,
with the mouth extending near the
road. Mrs. Young lost her way in the
darkness and stepped into the slope,
and was precipitated to the bottom,
where she was caught by some brushes
that had been thrown into it. She
landed Immediately over the shaft
proper, which is about ninety feet and
partly filed with water. The fears
she had of the brush giving way and
precipitating her into the deep mine,
where escape would be impossible, and
the mental agony she endured until
assistance came, can only be imagined.
To move meant death beyond doubt,
so she remained in that position for
more than an hour, during which
time she braved the situation and re.
peatedly called for help.
Residents in that vicinity heard her
cries for help, but owing to her posi-
ton could not locate her. After some
time Robert Nagle and James Mead
happened by. The woman's cries for
assistance attracted their attention.
They succeeded in rescuing her from
her perilous position after great diff
Guilty.