The evening times., 1899-03-24
MEDALS FOR THE BRAVE.
A Society Which VIII Honor MeI
Who Saye Life.

A Society Which VIII Honor Men
Who Save Life.
Baltimore, Md, March A.-The sugges-
tion made at the Chamber of Commerce
when the presentation OF watches and
purses was made to officers and members
of the crew of the Maria Rickmers. that a
national humane society be organized in
the United States, has developed a number
of favorable comments, both in this coun-
try and abroad. A number of papers in
Germany. France and Belgium have re.
viewed the proposition that the United
States have national body Of this charac-
ter and commend the idea.
Mr.. j. Colin Vincent, who originated the
idea in a speech made at the presentation,
has received a number of Endorsements OF
the scheme, but the plan to form such a
society has been changed from a national
one to State organization The mission
of the proposed organization is to take no.
tice of deeds of heroism in saving lives,
whether on land or sea, and to present TO
the person who figures in the deed medal
of recognition.
In England there are a number of cuch
organizations, and their testimonials are
treasured with pride by the holders. The
Royal Humane Society of England was
founded in 1774, and its testimonials are
gold, silver and bronze medals and certif-
Gates on vellum and parchment. The Liy-
erpool Shipwreck and Humane Society was
formed in 1899, and in fifty mine years its
records show that only forty Of its gold
medals have been awarded. The inscrip-
tion on these medals is Lord Save Us or
We Perish One of the gold medals was
recently presented to Captain Bartlett. Of
| the vedamore. which figured in the first
rescue from the Londonfan. This medal,
with silver medals presented TO First Off
Ger Doran, of the Vedamore, by the same
society, by the Mercantile Marine Services
Association of Liverpool and the corpora
tion of Lloyds will be displayed in the
window of Hennegen, Bates & Co. The
medals are handsome in design and bear
symbolical figures.
The medal of the Lloyds is for extraor-
| binary exertions contributed to the saw
| ing of life at sea. The subject of the
medal is taken from the Odyssey, where
| Ulysses, after various adventures during
| his return to his native Ithaca, subsequent
to the fall of Troy. is described as being
rescued from the perils of storm by
Leucothoe:
| "A mortal once,
| But now an azure sister of the MAIN
| The words addressed by Leucothoe TO
| the shipwrecked hero represent the action
of the diverse side:
| This heavenly scarf beneath my bosom bind
| And live; give all thy terrors 10 the wind. -
The reverse is taken from a medal of
| Augustus; crown of oak being the re-
ward given by the Romans to him who
| saved the life of citizen, and within is
inscribed the motto derived from the same
| authority:
"Ob Gives servatos.'
| Preliminaries are now being arranged
| for the organization of the Maryland So
| ciety to reward deeds of heroism that have
a direct relation to Baltimore and the
people of the State. 1t is the hope of the
| promoters that this organization will be-
| come the nucleus of a national body that
will have branches in every State. Among
the letters received by Mr.. j. Colin Vincent
| is one from Governor Roosevelt of New
York, who, in referring to the idea Of a
national society, said: Il approve Of the
general principles Of such scheme. l
| only wish | had time to look into the one
you particularly propose, but it is an abso-
| lutte impossibility now" Governor Lowndes
also wrote stating that he was favorably
| Impressed with the idea.