Evening journal., 1899-06-27
LIFE-sAvING HEROES.
Th-st1.ng Rescues BY Nolunteers-
Men, Women and Children VINO
Have Won Medals.

For many years before the United
States life-saving service was estab-
kshed, the Massachusetts, Humane So
ciety maintained, along the coast ofthe
state, houses of refuge for shipwreclxed
sailors, and stations equipped with life
saving apparatus, in charge of keep
ers, who, when the emergency arose,
summoned volunteer crews. This vol
unteer life-saying service is still kept
up, and is able not only often to render
effective assistance to the regular gov
ernment crews, but occasionally, also.
to save life when the nearest United
States life-saying station is too far
froms the scene of disaster for its crew
TO arrive in time. The rivalry between
these two corps has been most gener-
Gus. There have been no chickering's, no
attempts of one to outwit the other,
but singleness of impulse TO serve in
the cause Of humanity. Naturally the
gold and silver medals awarded by the
United States government for hero
ism, displayed in saving life have been
more frequently bestowed upon mem
bers of the regular service, as this eX-
tends along our entire seaboard 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 udiyiduals-people from
the most varied walks of life; men of
high social position, western Indians,
southern negro, pleasure-seekers
along the coast, a japanese cabin stew
ard, steamboat men, and officers and
men of the United States army, navy,
and revenue cutter service. Every Sec
tion of the country seems to have con-
tributed its hero or heroes to the roll
of honor. There are also heroines on
Il 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 far beyond their years
Frederic Kernochan was lad wher
he received a silver medal for saving {
I woman from drowning in the Navesinl
river, near Highlands, N. j.; and Marie
| ~ dlooAnf a EAAA VI Nhil A~h 9NNA'
, when she rescued child at Fireplace
=, l.. /. Nor was Edith Morgan, of Ham
lin, Mich, much beyond girlhood wheI
!, she tried, with her father and brother
, to row to "a vessel capsized three mile
out. Beaten back by the heavy waves
she aided in clearing away the logs an'
! driftwOod from the beach so as to max
n track for the surf boat. At a previou
I rescue she had stood for six hours in tn
. snow hauling at the lifeline, in land
ing sailors from a wreck.
Would could add to this record thos
unknown heroes-"greater than thos
q who are lnown'-whose heroism lack
4 human reward because they not onl
: risled but lost their lives in the en-
= deavor to save others. Would there wer
: a roll of the unhonored and unsung
T The medal list is long one, but the TO
j. of the perished longer. Occasionally
d memorial like the Brokaw Field, q
Princeton, which commentaries tl
heroism of Frederick Brokaw, th
| Princeton student, who gave his lii
n to save two servants from drowning, r'
d minds us of one or another Of these sax
2, rifces. But far more frequently
u grave in an unfrequented churchyar'
or a proud pang in a woman's heart,
It the only memorial Of the "unknow
hero" o."-Gustav Kobbe, in Century.