The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-25
GALLANTRY WELL REWARDED.
LEWIS NEssELQUIsT GETS MONEY
AND PRAISE FOR A BRAVE DEED.

the Court Accompani I'd the Award
of saIvage-Other Claimants of the
Fund Get Their PrOpOrtiOnate
Rescue From the Waves and
sands.
Thirteen hundred dollars for
night spent in a successful at
tempt 10 rescue the Por-
tuguese bark Oliveira, aground off the
north breakers at the entrance to the
/ harbor of Brunswick. and for daring and
! heroic conduct in the wild storm that
was raging on that night, is the reward
that Judge Speer granted to Lewis Mes
selquist in the United States District
| Court yesterday-that amount of money
and the praise of the court.
Testimony in the libel cases of Lewis
Ncsselquist and the South Atlantic Tow
ing Company against the Portuguese bark
oliyeira and the interventIons of the mas
ter and crew of the vessel and of those
who had furnished her with supplies was
begun when the court convened. A num-
Der Of witnesses were examined and the
testimony showed a story of the rescue
OF The Olivera practically identical with
that that has been previously told by Mes
selquist and the crews of the wrecking
tugs of the towing company.
The vessel was first discovered by the
master of the tug Dart, aground on the
north breakers off St Simon's bar and
abandoned by her crew, on the night of
Jan. ?, 1889 There was a strong sea and
the bark was IN imminent danger Of being
driven farther aground and forced into
the sand by the waves.
The Dart returned into brunswick and
reported the condition of the Oliveira 10
ehc master of the tug Inca, and the lat
Ter boat Immediately set out 10 effect a
rescue OF the crew and of the vessel her
ser. The tug came UP with the stranded
Nessel about 10 O'Clock at night and eff
lorts were mnde to get a man aboard and
attach hawser to her capstan, 50 that she
might be pulled off her then dangerous no.
slllon by the tug. The captain ordered the
mate OF the Inca 10 undertake this dan
sefous daty, which the mate, with APP
parently fun realization of the danger
and Of the slight chance that he had of
reaching the pmnging vessel and coming
OH with his life, refused 10 do.
NeSselquist was fireman on board the
inca ana at once offered his services The
captain refused to grant his permission
tor the lad to make the attempt and Nos
se'qulst jumped from the side of the tug
10 the chains of the bark without further
parley. When he managed TO reach the
deck OF the Oliveira, he was thrown a
heaving line attached to a hawser and he
pulled the hawser aboard and atten,Dte1
10 wrap 1t around the capstan. In the hur-
~ ana excitement and the attendant dark
ness he was unable to fasten the baWser
securely and the Dart steamed away.
leaVlnS MN TO face alone the wrath of the
breakers and the terrors Of the night.
lie remained all that night on board the
Ohveira, with nothing to eat and nothine
TO drlnk anu with no one to assist in the
work that was necessary 10 prevent the
Dark being driven further aground and
laundering in the treacherous sand of HE
Atlantic coast. After spending some time
aboard he discovered that The vessel was
drliunS INTO the breakers, and unaided
and with much exertion lei go one Of the
anchors. He found that this did NOT ston
her and he let so the other anchor. Civ
ing II about forty-tive fathoms of chain
and holding the vessel securely in posi-
ton. Soon afterwards the tide reireated
but with The high tide that came in the
morning, she was again floated and in
position to be drawn off the breakers by
tie tugs Inca, Dart and Angie and Nellie
of the South Atlantic Towing Company's
fleet
The Oliveira was towed into the mort of
Brunswick, almost without perceptibIe in
jury, and tied up TO the dock. The tow
ing company offered Nesselquist $50 for
the part that he had played in the res
cue of the bark, which insignificant sum
he refused, and which Judge Speer has
no" deereed to have been woefully made
quate. He liDeled the Oliveira for salvage
and shortly afterwards she was also ii.
beled by the South Atlantic Towing Com
pany. These Hbels, with the interventions
that the officers and crew OF the bark and
those who had supplied and repaired her
and the answer of the owners. made m
the issue that was tried before Judge
Speer.
After the introduction of part of the ev-
idence, bringing out the facts that have
been stated, judge Speer called the attor-
neys who We're trying the case to the
bench, and told them that he had made
up his mind as to the amount that each
of the parties should receive. explaining
what that amount was. He tod the at
torneys that If they could agree among
themselves upon this basis, it would be
unnecessary to proceed further with the
trial OF the case
Il was found that the fund arising from
The sale Of the OHyeira, S6.525, would not
pay the costs of court and the full amount
Judge Speer had thought due each of the
parties. SO that all of the payments. ex-
cept the costs, were proportionately re-
duced by The attorneys and a decree drawn |
UP embodying the IDEAS of the court. The |
costs Of court amounted to $3.50 50. Nessel- |
gust was given Sl.SiS. the South Atlant, |
Towing Company, $2195.60, the intervenors
$2,V12O ana the owners of The OHveira. |
$40 The owners were represented by Gro |
watt q Whitfield, of Brunswick the South |
Atlantic Towing Company by Garrard |
Meldrim d Newman. The intervenors bv |
charlton Mackail q Anderson, and Mes |
selquist by Lester & Ravenel.
In passing the decree Judge Speer high |
ly compEmented Nesselquist on his CON
duct on The night of the abandonment ana |
subsequent rescue of the Oliveira. saving |
that he was awarded his proportion of th. |
salvage on account of the gallantry ana /
daring by which it had been then distin- |
gushed.
Resumed His Work.
81 suffered from ,pdIoastiO, a,.1