Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-07-19

cry or heroism, and the French cross Of
the Legion of Honor. The United States
government has no established type of
medal like those above mentioned, but
when the occasion requires the medal is
struck from a special design. In this
country. the awarding Of medals is not
confined to the government, but is gen
orally INDUCED in by universities. schools.
associations, and even individuals.
Few medals are more dearly earned, or
more worthily bestowed than those
which are awarded for saving human life
and we might add, are more valued
by the recipient. 1t is not the mere med
al itself, trfie of gold, silver, or bronze,
that Is of nestimable value. but the
memory of the cause through which it
was won, and the sentiment which
prompted its presentation.
The Journal was recently shown a med
al of rare beauty, and which is. prob
ably. the only one of the kind to be found
in the State, perhaps in New England
1t is property of Mrs. Mary b. Laphani
of Dresden avenue. Gardiner. and was
given to her husband. the late Capt.
Isaac Lapham of PittstOn, by the Brit
ish government. in the year 1856. for saw
ing 43 of the passengers and crew of the
wrecked English ship Boomerang.
The medal is of solid gold. nearly two
inches in diameter and weighs two
ounces. two pennyweights and one grain.
On the diverse is a large medal
lion of the queen, the head being sur
rounded bv the words Victoria d: G.:
Brittaniarum Regina F: d. On the re
verse IL a heavily embossed wreath of
oak leaves and acorns, surmounted b.
the royal crown. Inside the wreath is the
inscription: 1.-The British government to
Captain Isaac Lapham of the American
margin of the medal the inscription Is
completed, as follows: For saving 43 of
the crew and passengers of the British
with this article is given cut of the
tobyersc of the medal. but neither that
or the description can give an ADEQUATE
case lined with purple velvet and white
satin, and the cover bears in letters of
gold the same inscription as the medal.
There is an interesting story in connec-
ton with this medal. Capt. Lapham was
n representative American sailor of the
good old days when American commerce
was In its glory. and American ships car
ried the American flag to every quarter of
the globe.
The Helen r. Cooper sailed rom New
York for Harve in March. 1856, with
cargo of general merchandise. She en-
countered a succession of heavy gales and
on March q. when in latitude 40.35 n.
longitude 1910 W., she sighted a British
ship in distress. with masts gone, and
evidently In sinking condition. The gale
was so furious that a boat would not
have lived minute if launched, and the
only means of communication between
the two ships was by chalked boards In
this way it was learned that the disabled
ship was the Boomerang. Capt. G. 3.
Crow bound from Mobile to Liverpool,
with 40 souls on board. and that she was
sinking. Capt. Lapham signalled the peo-
pie on the wreck to be of good cheer, for
he would stay by them at all hazards,
and save them if he could.
The Cooper laid by the wreck all that
night. as well as the whole of the 18th.
and until the 18th. on which day the gale
moderated little, so that boats could be
sent to the wreck. During this time IS of
the people on the Boomerang were trans
ferred in safety to the American ship,
with but one ioss-that of a man who be-
came frightened and fell overheard and
was drowned. During the night of the
18th the Boomerang disappeared. and il
was supposed that she had gone down,
with five men who We're on board, but Il
was subsequently learned that they were
saved by another American ship. the
American Congress. Capt. Williams.
On the Sth of April. Capt. Lapham met
with an opportunity o: transferring
portion of the shipwrecked people to
fishing boat bound for Falmouth. Eng
land and the rest he conveyed to HaNrc
and delivered over to the British consul.
who at once reported 1.-The circumstances
TO his government
ne story Oh tHt WTtCh OF the i'poiIltl-
ang is as follows: She left Mobile. Ala
bama. early in March, bound for Liver
pool. but encountered heavy weather al
most from the start. The gales grew 81
violent that she lost not only her sails.
but also her masts and rudder, and final
ly. on the 18th, she sprang a leak, which.
Notwithstanding all the efforts of the
crew, gained rapidly upon them that
they had little hope of saving their lives.
While in this distress an English vessel
passed them, but kept on her course with
out offering any assistance and they had
given up all hope when the Cooper hove
in sight and soon after lay to.
August L. George Nj. Dallas. United
States consul a London, received a note
from Lord Clarendon, at that time Her
MajeSty'S principal secretary of state for
foreign affairs, thanking Captain Lap
ham and his men for their gallant con-
Ouct. aud accompanying the note was the