Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1902-07-14
DEED OF WILSON M'FiELO.


aud Perseverance.
From the records Of the Royal HUI.
name Society writer In McClures
Magazine draws the story OF An OBJ
scure negro seaman whose brave deed
was discovered and hOnOred by two or
the great nations Of the earth. one
tropical night the schooner Dolphin
rested almost mOtiOnless of the Cay
man rocks in Nicaragua. Crew and
passengers. some twenty In all, were
asleep about the deck, for 1t was too
hot to 90 below. Then came such a
squall rs comes only in those southern
seas. The sails, all set, furnished am-
pie leverage. Within ten seconds the
Dolphin was bottom up. her passengers
and crew struggling in the water.
Wilson McField. n negro and u sub
ject Of Great Britain. was the first
to come to the surface. All his twenty
seven years Of life he had known these
waters, and he swan like q fish. He
soon succeeded in climbing upon the
bottom Of the vessel. Then he shouted
to the others. and one by one pulled
up five Of the crew.
Fortunately the squall was soon over,
although the sea was high. After they
had drtfted two hours the men heard
strange sounds. like pounding within
the vessel. Some thought they heard
voices. The more superstitious were
afraid. The night dragged on. and by
daylight the sounds had grown faint
er. The crew concluded that men were
imprisoned within the boat, but none
could devise n way to save them. Then
the negro proposed to dive under and
into the ship. They assured him he
would never get out again, but carry
ing between his teeth one end Of a rope
that had been dragging from the YES
sci. McTield dived. passed under the
gunwale and rose In the hatch.
1t was pitch dark, and the interior
Of the vessel was full Of the floating
cargo. but he kept on steadily. Finally.
concluding that he had reached the
cabin. he rose, and In an instant his
head was above water. Yet 80 foul
was the aid, and 80 narrow the space
between the water and the ships bot
tom. that he could hardly breathe. He
could see no one. but he heard the
knocking again. and called out. Then
came voices, faint but familiar.
Swimming In the direction Of the
sound, he found two men braced
against the cabin sides and holding
ia nj.
young rubber cutter, named Mallitz
the other native Spanish Nicaraguan.
called ObandO. Both We're panic
stricken, and McField was obliged to
threaten them with instant death if
they did not obey him. He fastened
the rope round Malltz. and gave The
signal to pull. McField dived into the
water along with his man. In his fright
Mallitz entangled himself in the hatch
way. and precious time was lost in free
Ing him. When they reached the sur
face MallitZ was unconscious and Me
Field more dead than alive.
They pulled Mallitz aboard. but Nc
Field would not follow. AS soon as the
rope was free he took it in his teeth
and went under, found the hatch ana
entered the cabin. Obando was almost
uncomfortable with fear AMI eXlLauS-
ton. but McField finally secured aim
with the rope. and gave the signal 20
pull up. This time the trip was made
without accident, and both men We're
drawn on board. All the men were
saved.
The United States government,
awarded McField a medal and tift,
dollars in gold. and the Royal Humane
Society Of Great Britain gave him d
silver medal.