Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-19
Gold Medal to Be Given Surfman
Rasmus S. Midget.
THRILLING STORY OF A HERDS FEAT
Dashed Through the Surf and Bore
Men From a Wreck.
LIEUT.. JOHNSON'S REPORT

! Inc secretary OF the treasury, acting
upon the recommendation of a board OF
| awards, has granted medals TO a number
| of persons who distinguished themselves il
| the rescue of lives during recent great
storms at sea. The medals are granted I'm.
| der act of Congress of June 20. 1874, ant
are given to those who display heroism
| in the rescue of human beings
| Only gold medal awarded. Gold
medals are given for extreme and heroic
| daring" and Superintendent Kimball OF
| the life-saving service says this case was
| one of the most heroic ever known in
| the history of life saving. The medal is
| row being made and goes to Rasmus S.
| Midget surfman No. l of the Gull Shoal
| life-Saving station, coast of North Carolina.
| The heroism was during the great West
| Indian storm which swept up the coast of
| this country on August Il and Is, and the
| occasion was the rescue of ten lives from
| the wreck of the barkentine Priscilla. SD
| perintendent kimball, a veteran Of the life
saving service, says that the man has no
peer for daring and bravery.
In a report made upon the case of Surf
man Midget. Lieut.. c. +. Johnson of the
revenue cutter service. acting as inspector,
tells the following thrilling story:
Lieut.. Johnson's story.
The hull broke in two and all hands
on drifting and pounding and being swept
by the seas up to about 4 a. Friday, the
18TH. when it ceased to lift. and the cast
Always knew that they We're then close TO
the shore. The weather was 50 thick and the
seas daShing over them in such volume
that they could see nothing, but they began
to shout for help. in the hope of bringing
assistance of some sort.
AT ; am. Rasmus S. Midget, surfman
No. / of the Gull Shoal lfe-saving station,
coast of North Carolina, started out on his
horse and began to patrol to the southwark
of the station, making the best of his way
through the furious storm, which drove the
seas clear across the narrow strip of bank
that separates Pamlico sound from the At
lantic. AT times the water was up to the
horses belly, and the darkness was so in
tense that he scarcely knew whittier he
went, but the patrol had to be made, and
he pushed on. When about three-quarters
of a mile south CT the station Midget saw
several cans of lard which had been cast
up by the sea, and as he proceeded he
found boxes, barrels and such other wreck
age as left no doubt in his mind that there
was a wreck in the vicinity.
Discovered the Wreck.
He urged his morse ahead, and at about
4 80 a m. when some three miles from the
station, he heard voices calling for help.
Dismounting at once. he made his way in
the direction of the sounds, and soon made
out piece of the snip close to the bank
and several persons crouchlng upon II.
Realizing that there was no time 10 roe 10
the station and report the disaster, Mldg-
EFT approached close as the surf would
allow, ana shouted 10 the men 10 stdlo ny
to jump into the sea. He then watched ms
chance and as a big would recede he
would run down the bank, calling for one
man to leap. His instructions pelng car
ried out be would dash into the SURF selze
the man and drag him up the bank before
the next sea could preak over theih' III
this manner he rescued seven OF the ten
survivors. The other three We're so bruised
and exhausted that they were unaple 10
help themselves, and Midget mad 10 make
his way right down to the wreck, draS
them off and carry them bodlly up the
bank az the imminent risk OF their hVes
and his own. 1t was hazardous piece OF
work, but he was an old mana at MS DuS-
mess and he finally succeeded in getting
them all ashore. Seven Of them We're able
to walk 70 the station, but Midget had to
take the other three to place of compare
tive safety and leave them Whlle ne rode
to the station for help"
Uat,. Exertio,s
In speclal report Lieut. Jollli@'ll "'''''
Inc HfSI seven men "99'SN ''1-
WRECK were 'ole ~ tt.'p ,,-i, .o 49,,
~ ' 49,, ,,:,a.+t - 900. ,,o+
80. g ,,, or,-i,o-
sen ~ M - .i,o,,t,o,, o+bar no,
Wv, - 80 1' ,,non his SUBSEQUENT action
The wreck Law some twenty-five or thirty
feet from the ton of a steep sand bank
over which every sea was dashing with
tremendous force and the back-wash of
the receding water was such as no man
could have withstood. In rescuing these
se,-en mon Nidgett was necessarily much
of the time in the water. and the work of
dra Uoinp tbam nm the steen hank TO
nIace Of safety was enough TO san the
strangtb Of the sturdiest. hut if was well
and nTIiclsIv done
.rrha raecua Of tho other, three was how
e,er ontte a diffarent matter They were
utterly nnahIe to helm themselves. and in
ordnr to reach them Nidgett had 10 dash
ito tho +bnndarine, surf ana foI1oving the
racedinf, waves rieht down 70 the ragged
adse nf the u1raci5 sai1a tbem ONE at a
ti,oa ana corrv tboro Inv, main ctraugtb I'm
70 tha ION of +ba banly Any arror in i,,dm-
noan+ DC 70 tba ti,no Of ctarting any haci
tatinn from tho lime he left the hani. until
bo ratnrnad a cingla slim Of tho font e1-an
nirbt bave cost him his life. for the inter,
I.af batwean waves Wa scarceIv iong
era,,ob 70 ai1ou hin, 70 r,ai,o tba +r;r, -
~ - 81 boi I,,itbo,,+ h(;,[ a,1triIfeJ