The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-28
WILL HE GER A MoNuMENrr

]
of the death of ex-Gov. William A
Newell of New Jersey, which tool
place a few days ago. for the reason
that he died in great poverty, and also
because it was claimed that he was
the founder of the United States Life
Saving Service. 1t is now proposed
! by some of his admirers that a monu-
ment be erected to his memory.
! But as a matter of fact, was he the
founder of the life saving service OF
this country? In an interesting and
carefully prepared Washington dis
patch. published in the New York
Evening Post, IT is said that he was
| not. 1t is true that he was given to
referring to himself as the Father of
the United States Life Saving Service"
and wrote a pamphlet in which Re
stated what led him to turn his atten-
ton to this important matter and gave
an interesting account OF the steps he
took to inaugurate and build up the
service. He stated that in 1889 an
Austrian vessel was wrecked near his
home on the coast of New Jersey, and
and cargo, together with the vessel,
were lost. II occurred to him then.
he says, and many times afterwards
as he viewed the thirteen graves of the
Austrian seamen who were buried in
the little graveyard close to his home,
that all of the seamen could have been
saved If a life line had been thrown
shore IN ha he
came to him. he said, that il would be
an easy matter to shoot a life line to
a wreck from the shore by means of a
mortar. This is the method in use to-
day. He further stated how he had
called the attention of Congress to the
need of life saving service on the
New Jersey coast and secured an APP
preparation for that purpose.
Many things were stated in the PAM
phlet which tended to show that Mr.
Newell was shining light among the
great men of his time and a credit TO
his country. According to the dispatch
in question there was an Austrian bark
wrecked on the Jersey coast at the
place indicated by Mr.. Newell, but
crew, and no one of them was lost.
Therefore there could not have been
thirteen graves of sailors in the little
cemetery near Mr.. NewelPs house at the
date indicated. It is also stated that
the life line idea was brought to the
attention of the English Parliament in
1871. by Lieutenant Bell, and again in
1926 by Captain Maby. 1t was there
fore very old idea long before it pre-
sented itself to the mind of Mr.. New
ELL
The statement is also made that sew
eral times the matter relating to a life
saving service was brought to the at
tention of Congress before Mr.. Newell
introduced his resolution on the sub
ject.
Without going deeper into the cues
tons at issue 1t is sufficient to say that
ex-Gov. Newell's claim to being the
Father of the United States Life
Saving Service" rests mostly on state
ments made by him in his pamphlet,
but which cannot be substantiated by
the records of the Treasury Depart
ment or by those of Congress. That
he helped along the good work is adj
mitted, but that he is entitled to the
credit of suggesting it. or any consid-
cradle part of it, is denied. If what.
is stated by this dispatch IS true, it is
hardly probable that those who are en-
cheering the Newell monuments move
ment will meet with much success.
Judging from what ex-Gov. Newell ac-
complished it is not difficult matter
for a man, who has done very little
to entitle him to fame. to get himself
regarded as one of the great men of his
day and generation.