The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-07-12
TALES OF PLUCK
REEfTYByANP AbVENTUREA
asfkIzz.lAezAtl 81
The Daring Of sailor Rhodes.

Treasury Department, the life-say-
Ing and the revenue cutter sery-
- Ices have short memories. With
In the week there has been published
IN the reports Of a branch OF the Treas
ury office the statement that the ex-
ploits OF Captain Charles Samuels. OF
the British steamship Virginia, In
swimming in a terrific sea from one
section OF his submerged vessel 10 an
other 10 secure oil for signal pur-
poses was perhaps the brayest feat
that the department has had the pleas
ure OF recording. II may be that the
fact that the deed was that Of an allen
prompted the American observers
from "A sheer spirit Of poilteness TO ig-
more certain deeds Of their own men
when passing judgment and making
comparisons. Comparisons OF that
kind cannot be odious 10 the brave
British tar who risked his life for his
men, but when the combined life-say-
Ing and revenue marine services sim
ply out OF courtesy keep their own
acts in the background layman may
be excused for speaking out. Surely
the men of the cutter service have not
forgotten the deed Of the Connecticut
Yankee boy. John u. Rhodes. whose
periling his life for others "lit up the
prosaic record Of the revenue marine
as with the CLEAN of battle"
On n bitter night in January the
cOastwise sailing steamship City OF
Columbus rounded Thoreau's bare
and bended arm Of Massachusetts,"
Cape Cod, and headed southwest
through Vineyard Sound. There was
q high wind and heavy sea, but the
moon was bright and the course was
clear. Gay Head light showed dis
tinctly, and TO this day no one has been
able TO explain how happened the aw-
full thing which followed. At o'clock
In the morning the City Of Columbus
struck the hump on the Devils Back
ledge off Gay Head. and 100 Of her
passengers and crew were dead in
cabin and fOcastel- drowned before
they could reach the deck In the rig
gng were the score of survivors. The
cold was intense; the waves washed
over the little band clinging TO the
ropes. and now and again claimed
victim who dropped into the seething
sea TO his death. At noon the Gay
Head Indians, the remnant OF tribe
that had survived nearly three centu-
ries OF persecution launched lifeboat
and put out to the rescue. After
heroic efforts the red men succeeded
i'm getting all but six of the storm
beaten ones into their boat. They put
back to shore and then started on a
return trip. The wind rose to a gale
and the sea was lashing. Approach
TO that single standing spar with It's
burden of bcnumbcd humanity was inn
possible. The Indians hove their life
boat to. and at that instant the rev.
enue cutter Dexter, Captain Eric Ca
brielson commanding, rounded the
head.
The Dexter launched n boat, frail
coclileshell Of thing, and its crew.
working with the Indians of the life
boat, succeeded in getting from the
mast of the Columbus the four men
who were still able in some degree to
helm themselves. The wind and sea
were constantly rising. The two mon
left on the mast were frozen there,
and in order that they be rescued 1t
was necessary that they be cut away.
No boat could find lodgment against
the spar The others of the rescued
had dropped into the sea and had been
drawn therefrom. For the two there
seemed nothing left but death. On
the deck of the revenue cutter Second
Lieutenant John u. Rhodes, mere
| boy. was begging with Captain Ga
briclson for the privilege of taking n
! single stecrsman and making one final
| attempt at rescue.
ITS certain death Rhodes" said
| the captain. Choose for yourself
In an instant the boy was over the
! side and in "A small boat with volun-
teer from the crew When at = point
! between the Indians lifeboat and the
/ mast a wave crushed the cockleshell,
| and II was only by great effort that the
two occupants We're saved 10y the life.
/ boat men.
Then Rhodes stood in the bow of the
! craft anu blutitu ~ INV 'l'N N''''
him. In another instant he was over
/ the side in the icy water and was
swimming for the spar of the Colum
bus \ floating plank struck him in
the head He was drawn back into
/ the llfchoat half unconscious and will
the blood streaming over his brow and
face. In a moment he recovered, and
before he could be stayed he was once
| more over the side. He reached the
rigging of the Columbus ana cut away
one of the men. Then taking the res
cucd one in his arms he plunged int
the water ana was drawn back to tn,
| boat
once more the boy went into the
/ rioting sea: once more he reached tn,
rigging. and once more in his arms
he bore to the lifeboat a human bur
den.
As they were drawn over the side
the rescued one opened his eyes, and
looking at Rhodes. said: Thank YOU
boy" and died-Edward Il. Clark. il
the Chicago Record. Herald.
The Nicaraguans Fled.
Only SiNty-twO men went with tn
first Walker expedition to Nicaragua
one OF these was Kentuckian nance
Anderson. who was elected n captail
a -