The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1900-12-20
Chicago Papers Tell Of the Splendid
Work and Bravery of Capt.
B. G.. Cameron.
RECORD OF OVER FORTY YEARS
In This Time Capt. Cameron Has Saved
Nearly Five Hundred Men and Women
From Watery Graves.

Chicago papers of Sunday have the
of Capt. B. G. Cameron of this city:
Capt. B. G. Cameron has closed his
twentyffth year in charge of the Ke-
nosha 1fe-saving station with record
of nearly 500 men and women rescued
from watery graves. 1t requires forty
years to cover the period of his daring
work on treacherous waters, for he be-
gan on the Chicago River as a boy of
10, and he is now past 60. AS a lad
padding about Chicago's water way,
as sailor for many years on the great
lakes, and as captain of the Kenosha
station, the life of this fine representa-
tive of Clan Cameron has been sprin-
killed. with deeds of derring-do. Never
storm too wild, never a sea too icy,
never chance too desperate to daunt
this gallant sea dog. Suffering untold
hardships and with his life imperi1ed a
hundred times, the canny Scott has
managed to cheat time as we'll as death
for he looks like man of so.
Captain Cameron began his life-sav-
ing with the rescue Of passengers from
the ferry boat Berry, which had cap
sized near his home. The boy put out
with his scOw to the stranded vessel,
being the first rescuer at hand, and a
number of passengers were saved by
his promptness and GOODNESS, He rem
dered assistance in several other cases,
and during his thirty years as sailor
he frequently plunged into the lakes to
rescue unfortunates.
| His work at Kenosha began in 1875,
| before the establishment Of the station
at this point. The Captain happened
to be in the city in December with
sailing vessel. It was learned that the
schooner William H. Hinsda1e was
stranded three miles away and was in
great danger. The bold Scotchman
mustered a volunteer crew, and for
want of a more suitable craft took an
unseaworthy metallic boat, which had
to be launched from an ice foe. The
schooner was reached after hard pull
and her men were found dashed to the
rigging and nearly frozen, The cour-
ageous leader of the rescuing party cut
them loose and passed them into the
improvised life boat, saving all of
them.
Among the most important of Cap
tain Cameron's feats was the rescue of
sixty-fve persons from the steamer
Amazon, wrecked off Grand Haven,
after they had given up ali hope of es-
cape. Six men and a woman we're
taken off the schooner E. P. Royce.
The schooner Rockaway and her crew
were saved from what seemed to be
certain disaster to both, and Captain
Cameron sent them to Chicago with
the loss of only 500 feet of lumber out
of cargo of $4,000 feet. The crew
had eaten nothing for forty-eight
hours, the fires were out and ship and
men were covered with ice, SO that they
were at the mercy of a tempest.
Teh men were rescued from the steam
er Scion H. Johnson just in time, for
she was Immediately afterward pound
ed to pieces by the wintry seas. One
of the hardest tests was in the saving
of the crew of the steamer A. c. Van
Raa1te, which was effected at night in
a driving snowstorm and a high sea.
These are but samples of the daring
deeds of this successful 1ife-saver.