The evening times., 1900-07-18

BALTIMORE, July 1S-Friends OF Hunt
f. Mayo Thom, of Baltimore. are interest
ing themselves in a movement To- secure for
him a hfe-s2ving medal Of the first class.
as authorized by Congress through the Sec
retary of the Treasury. for his humane
work at the risk Of his own life. The move
meEt is without Mr. Thom's cooperation,
for he takes no credit fer his work.
However. his friends are pressing their
claim 10 have him officially recognized by
the Government. They have secured the CO.
operation Of a number Of influential Gov
eTnrcnt officials United States Senators
end Representatives TO aid in properly pre-
senting the claim to the Secretary of the
Treasury. Once the papers receive eonsid-
Grafton il is recognized that the weight of
testimony VIII need no influential backing
to secure the desired reward. Certificates
are being secured from witnesses in order
to make the record authentic and complete
preparatory 10 putting the claim before the
proper officials.
The case upon which the claim for a
medal viii be based is the latest exploit
OF Mr.. Thorn in the life-saying line. 1t has
three distinguishing features-the person in
and the rescue was made at the risk OF tns
rescuer's life in water coated with ice.
In January last Mr.. Thorn started on a
hunting trip in Virginia. He went up the
RappahannoclS River on the Weems Line
steamer Richmond. and was watching the
landing operations at Urbana wharf on
/ Thursday. January IL. As the boat Jared
against the v harf Mary King, a blind col
ored woman who was standing on the deck.
lost her balance and fell into the water.
The steamers wheels had churned up the
A, icy coating Of the river into small blocks.
amid which the woman struggled. Calling
for rope Mr. Thorn discarded his heavy
oycrcoat, undereoat and hat, and without
hesitation sprang into the water. Hold
1 ing the rope to her. he told her to grasp il,
I but in the excitement she was unable TO do
so. Mr.. Thom seized her. but she strug-
gled and fought, and even bit him in her
wild excitement and both went under the
/ water When they came up he managed to
| get the line secured about her waist and
ordered those at the other end to pull
away. Among the spectators on the wharf
were two sons OF the woman.
The removal of the rope left Mr. Thorn
without means OF support in his exhausted
condition, and he sank into the icy water.
/ He came up under the keel Of the steamer.
uut managed to fight his way to the sur
I face. where he grasped a boathook that
was held cut 10 him and managed to hold
on until he was pulled ouc on the wharf
( The whole struggle took place between the
steamboat and the wharf
Mr.. Thom was none the worse for his
/ ducking except that he had an attack OF
/ rheumatism for few days. He -cturUed
/ to Baltimore ard mOGestly refraiEed from
/ saying anything about his brave action NJ
I til the story leaked out and he was ques-
| toned about il. Mr.. Thom suffered mate
/ rial loss. however. a pistol he carried N
/ his rocket for hunting purposes had tie
/ hammer spring snapped by the inteEsa
! cold. The springs in a valuable gC,d
! watch were also snapped and he lost a
/ gold cuff button.
Mr.. Thom was evidently not born for a
/ wateTy grave. as not only has he figured
I in number of cases Of rescuiUg from
/ drowning. but was himself once pulled out
| Cf the water when about to sucCumb. This
I was twenty years ago al Old Point Comfort.
and the late Charles d. LownGes was the
| rescuer. Mr. Thorn then about thirteen
years Old was being carried out by the
/ undertCw when Mr. Lowndes swan after
/ HIM and brought him safely TO shore.
| Another time he fell overheard from his
| yacht in the mouth OF the Chester River
| and was rescued.
Soon after this Mr.. Thom began life saw
/ ing on his own account. Old Point was
| again the scene. His first rescue was OF
EcclestOu Shoemaker. a boy about his Cwn
/ age Then came the helping cut OF Camp
| bell Groner. Virginia boy who had fallen
oil pier
At Ocean City six years agO on 4 Sunday
morning Nr Thom went into the surf o
the rescue OF q young miss. a school taaco-
er VINO was overcome. He pulled her out
revived her. and then left the place 20 avoid
receiving the thanks Of her family without
even learning the name OF the young lady.