Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-08-13
L1FE-sAvING HEROES.
XhriI1ing Rescuen by yoIuntcersw
AIens Women and Children who
Have Won Medals.

For many years before the United
States llfc-saving service was estab-
hshcd, the Massachusetts, Humane So
cicty maintained, along the coast of'1hc
state, houses of refuge for shipwrcclled
saiors and stations equipped with life
saving apparatus, i'll charge of keep
crs, who. when the emergency arose,
| summoned volunteer crews This VOL
| untcer lifc-saving service is still kept
| up, and is able not only often to render
effective assistance to the regular gov
| eminent crews, but occasionally, also,
to save life when the nearest United
| States e-s;ving station is too far
! from the scene of disaster for its crew
| to arrive in time. The rivalry between
these two corps has been most gcncr-
GUS There have been no chickering's, no
attempts OF one to outwit the other,
but singlcness of impulse to serve in
the cause Of humanity. Naturally the
| gold and silver medals awarded bv the
United States government for hero
ism, displayed in saving life have been
more frequently bestowed upon mem
hcrs Of the regular service, as this cx-
tends along our entire scaboarl and
lake coast, but the volunteer corps has
had its share of honor.
But by far the greater number Of
medals for heroism displayed in saw
| ing life from drowning have been
awarded to individuals-pcoplc from
the most varied walks Of life; men of
high social position, western Indians,
southern negro, plcasurc-scckcrs
along the coast, {; Japanese cabin stew
ard, steamboat men, md officers and
men Of the United States army, navy,
and revenue cutter service. Every sec
ton OF the country seems to have con
trlbutcd its hero or heroes to the roll
OF honor. There arc also heroines on
that roll. A number Of women hold sill
yer medals, and two women the gold
medal. Silver medals have also been
awarded to mere boys and girls for dis
plays Of daring Ear beyond their years.
Frederic Kernochan was lad when
he received q silver medal for saving q
woman from drowning in the Navcsinll
river, near Highlands. N. j.; and Marie
| D. Parsons, girl of only ten wears
when she rescued child Mt Tircplace.
l.. ]. Nor was Edith Morgan. OF liam
lin, Mich, much beyond girlhood when
she tried, with her father and brother,
to row to vessel capsizcd three miles
out. Beaten back by the heavy waves,
she aided in clearing away the logs and
driftwood from the beach SO as to make
q track for the surf boat. at previous
rescue she had stood for six hours in the
snow, hauling at the lifeline, in land
ing sailors from wreck
Would could add to this record those
unknown heroes greater than these
who are known whose herois1n lacks
u human reward because they not only
risked but lost their lives in the en-
dcavor to save others. Would there were
a roll Of the unhonored and unsung!
The medal list is long one, but the roll
OF the persisted longer. Occasionally a
memorial like the Brokaw Field, at
Princeton, which commentaries the
hcroism Of Frederick Brokaw, the
| Princeton student, who gave his life
| to save two servants from drowning. re-
| minds us Of one or another of these sac
rifccs. But far more frequently Il
grave in an unfrequcnted churchyard,
or proud pang in Il woman's heart, is
| the only memorial Of tho unknown
hero. Gustav Kobbe, In Century.