The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-12
4 STUDENT LIFE SAYING CREW.
Northwestern University Boys who Have
Won Eenown by Rescues on LIKE Michigan.

southwestern VntvCrsity Boys Who Have
Won Renown by Rescues on Lake Michigan.
In Evanston, H.. where the campus OF North
western University rolls down to Lake Michi-
gan. is a little red brick building which shell
tiers the only student crew in the United States
Life Saving Service. Twenty years ago. when
the faculty OF the university were casting
| about to find employment for needy students.
it was learned that the Federal Government
had decided to establish n station at Evans
ton. The trustees promptly offered TO give
n site for the building on the condi-
tion that the crew should be made UP
entirely OF students. The offer was accepted.
ana for twenty years the college boys have
been building up n record second to those OF
but few lake coast crews. Through all the
changes Keeper Lawrence O. Lawson has held
his boys TO n strict discipline. for this is not
play or mere college athletics, it is business.
There are but seven mombers. picked from 600
available men. and they must so plan their
study and recitation hours that the drills and
the other station work will not he missed.
There are beach drills when the Lyle gun is
called into play TO shoot a line over the wreck
on the beach. and when a few small boys are
rescued with the breaches buoy. to the envy OF
less fortunate urchins. On Tuesdays and Fri
days. mild or stormy. the surfboat is taken
out and pulled for several miles at n stretch.
Then there are surf. boarding and capsize
drills. signal drills aud rcsuscitation drills.
Watches are stood in turn. two hours on. two
OF. all day and all night. and twice between
sunset and sunrise the beach is patrolled for
several miles.
A mile or so from shore. extending from n
point nearly opposite the station to one several
miles north. lies a rock reef. The number Of
vessels that have ~bcen,wrecked here during the
life OF the station runs past the hundred
mark in spite Of the precautions observed both
by the shin Cnptain and by the Government.
P" !" ID BIuT T"its IS a u iishtho S,se'S %hiS II t flashes RhsSI SS
alternate red Hnd white warning. and a steam
log whistle blows every minute in thick
weatllc-. hut the wrecks continue to occur.
Just 50 long will the Evanston life saving boys
hc called npon to lay aside books nj he sound
rescue Already they have been rewarded with
the Congressional medals. which wero given
to each OF the eight men. crew and Captain.
On one Thanksgiving eve. when the .Novem-
Der storms were ON. every man was held In the
after 10 o'clock the telephone bell rang. <
wreck was reported at Glencoe, eight miles up
sntio ,apS Sn tho &" ' r"il rSSGn Sfi FS%' hut cH isnrn l1T ,Snt
trains were delayed and that the chances Of get
tIns m 1ns t s@TI sI ES1i 1 TO Ga c estorG rhs 'GWI!H it y
hesitation he ordered horses from n livery
stable 1t would be necessary to drag
eight miles over ropds TINT were supposedly
impossible and straight into the teeth OF tho
about the Captain. all dressed in woollens and
oilskins. but though every man knew what il
nearly six hours in covering the eight miles.
i q th ne latter Part OF the distance the crew
III" sppkoS of the big wheels.
Al Glencoe the bluffs are nearly q hundred
ire5 GiGn AND are n"nrly nerpondicplar It
down through n ravine som" distance from the
wreck. Axes were used 70 cnt n path through
Fort Sheridan, From the boaeII, tho, wreck
stranded about 900 yards loyond the surf. The
boat WAS dragged up to a point above the
u was evident that the worl; had on'y begun.
Al intcrya's Of 10 to 200 yards short break.
down IRON he !" in"oTrtne@Ssst. Struck these " at Az
nngl" and were thrown back with such force
aa@medI Of 'PD po %rG1n a"is r",' 'WihTilSe I , a H" iaws oI t w,1
dnnuing his. "url: jacket one Of the army o.
ilrcIs begged him 10 give il III.
" It's SUR, death. man" he sad.
Cant. LIw,o molionrd his crow forward and
they worked the boat over the ice hupmocks.
holding Jack a. she slid down the. further side.
Then, taking advantage Of It brief hull. they
pushed torwar .pntLl each man stood waist
He"1 IN water ThS CAPTAIN gnyc 4 shout. the
aInd "a" tight Was on Inch ,hy incH
At last The worst So med 'o @vsT! T TH U"a a.
those IN shore drew their first long breath.
r r@4rIn 1.f tS Gstn1Ir rG@ E3,f 4 TTTSS s g. G ntS " wi Slm me-
effort 10 meet it, threw his weight on the long
steering oar nnt ne strain was TO- great, the
oar snapped. the Captain went h"iliOng over
the gunwa'c. and the boat capsi2"d and was
thrown back on the ice, Fortunately no onr
was, injured aud, they got back. 10 shore. The
trial was r"unltrl. this Time with success
The wrecked steamer was lying ON tho reef
with stem ,ublnerG"d. but with bow high and
irm. .Hudltoi on The. furcrast!o or Iashca 10
III" r%iE%inG, were ihlrty-lvc men and one
woman. ~ o. whom were spent with cold aud
WITH watching through the long night Tor aid.
They had dashed over he bow q ladder which
was now coated with ice, Capt. Lawson feared
that 10 carry more than six a. q trip might rem
der the boat uumanagnabir IN such a SEA, 20
that number wrr" lowered, and rlC return trip
was made without accident. After that Ave
more lnluChlngS wcru successfully made, and
not only the thirty-SiN People, but the greater
part OF their belongings. we're brought safely
10 shore, The crew boys VINO had worked CON
tinuuuslY for ffteen hours returned 10 Evans
ton late in the afternoon and resumed the GUS
tumary routine OF watches.