The morning news., 1898-11-13
AMERICAS LEGION OF HONOR.
A SOCIETY OF LIFE SAVERS HOLD
ING THE GOVERNMENT MEDAL.

Peril of Their own In Waters of
the United States Entitled to Mem
bership-Dr. st. Joseph B. Graham
of savannah Vice President of the
society Capt. w. G. Lee Also
Member-President Mckinley and
the Crowned Heads of Europe
Among the Honorary Members.
Savannah has the honor of having two
members of the American Legion of Hon
or. not the insurance association, but a
! society recently organized and composed
of a special class 1t might be called a
| life savers association. but Its members
are not specifically engaged in life saw
ing. They are, however, men who have
already saved life, and whose bravery In
doing so has been recognized by the gov
ernment.
The new Legion of Honor consists of
the wearers of the medal awarded by the
| United States government for bravery In
saving life upon the sea coast and rivers
of the United States. This medal is pro-
vided for by act of Congress, and is award
ed by the Secretary of the Treasury after
a careful investigation of each case of
rescue on the seas and rivers of the Uni
ted States brought to his attention.
Savannah has the honor of having the
vice president of the new society. DR.. ST.
Joseph B. Graham. DR. Graham was one
of the organizers of the society, but was
rendered the vice presidency without any
previous knowledge on his part of any such
intention on the part of his associates.
The society is intended to be exactly
what its name implies an association of
men who have been honored by the gov
ernment for bravery In particular line.
1t will be somewhat upon the order of the
French Legion of Honor, which is so well
known, but will be much more exclusive.
The Legion of Honor of France has about
$1,000 members. The holders of the United
States medal tor life saving from drown
ing number only about 400. The majority
of these have agreed to go into the new
/ society.
Savannah has three holders of these
medals. They are DIR. Graham, Capt. w.
| G. Lee, United States inspector of steam
vessels, and Mr. Luther Sykes, engineer
| of the pilot boat ]. H. Estill.
| Each participated IN a notable rescue
| in which a number of lives were saved
DR.. Graham earned his medal on Feb.
%, 1894, when serving as quarantine Off
| Ger at the Savannah quarantine station,
when assisted only by a negro boy he res
| cued three persons from the wreck Of the
| British bark Mary E. Chapman, which
| had gone ashore on Stone Horse shoal,
several miles from the station. The storm
| was raging at the time and the rescue was
| made under circumstances of great danger
| and difficulty. 1t was directly due to DR..
! Graham's efforts that the ten remaining
| persons on the wreck were saved, but as
he only Immediately participated in the
| rescue of three the inscription on the
medal only specifies that number. An
attempt had already been made to reacn
the wreck and had failed and no one
was willing to undertake a further effort.
Accompanied only by his negro boatman,
| Peter Dodge, DR.. Graham rowed to the
wreck in a little pilots dory.
The waves were running so high that
! at times the occupants of the port could
not see either the tug which they had left
or the wreck for which they were bound.
DR.. Graham reminded Dodge that
he was not bound TO accom-
pany him if he did not so desire,
| but Dodge replied that he would go. "By
the help of God, we will get there" he
| said 'and we win save those people"
The little dory successfully reached the
wreck, where thirteen people were found
clinging to it, half dead from cold and
exposure. Three of these men
were taken back to the tug,
where Dr. Graham applied med
icines and restoratives. Inspired by
DR.. Grahams example, others then took
up the work and the entire party was
landed safely on the tug.
The facts were brought to the attention
| of the then Secretary of the Treasury,
John G. Carlisle, by Collector Beckwith,
and, after a thorough investigation, the
medal was awarded DR.. Graham, being
| accompanied by a letter from the secre-
I tary, setting forth the circumstances of
the rescue for which the medal was grant
ed.
| The medal is plain, but of solid gold,
| and somewhat heavy. Around the edge of
the face is the inscription "In memory
of heroic deeds in saving life from the
perils of the deep"
Within a scroll are the words: ITO Dr.
Joseph B. Graham for heroic daring in
| rescuing three of the crew of the bark
Mary E. Chapman, Feb. 25, 1884," On the
reverse side are figures of sirens and Ulys-
| ses.
The Chapman being a Canadian bark,
| DR.. Graham was also honored with a
medal by the government of Canada
! This medal contains on the face the Cana
dian coast of arms inclosed In q wreath
with an outer wreath of gold partly encir-
cling the body of the medal. On the re-
verse is the inscription Presented by the
! Canadian government to Or. j. b. Gra-
ham in recognition of gallant services in
saving life" The medal is very hand
| some one.
The negro, Peter Dodge, also received
medals from both the United States and
the Canadian government, DR.. Graham de-
clining to accept of the honor unless his
! faithful assistant was also recognized
| Dodge's medals are of silver
Capt. Lee was the first Savannahian TO
receive a first-class government medal 1t
was awarded by Secretary Carlisle under
President Cleveland's administration. II
commentaries the bravery Of Capt. Lee
In saving fourteen lives. His first rescue
was that of Frank Tyler, steward of the
steamer Centennial, lying at the foot of
Bull street, Ia December 1875 Capt Lee