New-York tribune., 1902-02-02
THREE HEROES.

The name of William TubbS may not, to the
superficial ear. seem equi-resOnant with that OF
Lancelot or of the Cid CampeadOr. 1t was I'M
known yesterday. and may be forgotten to-mor-
row. But for to-day IL should sound most
gracious and inspiring, as that of as true a hero
and martyr as the rolls Of Chivalry the sanity
calendar can boast. He plain, unpolished
man. unverSed in the lore Of chvalry, and in
stinct with the elemental love of life. But he
was the best mechanic on the job on which he
worked and was always noted for his faith
fulneSs. And when in the subway last week he
saw n fellow workman rush out Of the powder
house crying that the magazine was atire, he
rushed as quickly into the place and strove to
put out the flames. 1t was not his work to do
He was not in charge of the place He might
have run the other way and saved his life, with
out danger of being taken to task for neglect of
duty or for cowardice. Instead. he saw an Op-
pOrtunity to do a service TO his fellow men, and
he strove to do il, with more zeal and with more
disregard of danger than he would have shown
in a mere effort for selfish gain. His effort
failed, and his life was sacrificed But his act
heroic, and his death was heroic, and his
name is worthy to he enrolled among the i'm
mortals
Two other of last weeks heroes not even
TO be known by name. They were two young
women, trained nurses from the smallpox hoSpi-
tai on North Brother Island. They were sent to
care for a smallpox patient on Staten Island.
not there in hospital worthy of the name, but
in a wretched tent on a bleak hillside. in arctic
weather. And when at night a storm half
wrecked the tent and extngushed the fire in It,
and the patient was in danger of dying from the
cold, they lay down in the bed with her one on
each side and with their own bodies protected
her from the storm and kept her warm, ana
saved her life. 1t is no light thing to be small
poX nurse In the bes. of circumstances, when the
patient can be kept at arms length and disln-
fectants can be constantly employed. But what
is it TO lie down in the plague stricken bed, and
for hours clasp the patient, all loathsome with
contagion, close in your arms and 10 your
bosom, as n mother clasps her babe? 1t is not
easy to conceive an act of purer heroism than
that of those two nurses, who at It's end declined
10 give to the public their names. because that
would be contrary TO the rule of their calling!
No; Burke was wrong. The age OF chivalry
Is not gone, nor Will It pass until humanity
itself shall perish. These three were no rare
specimens unique and solitary. They were
people OF like passions with ourselves There
are thousands more IN this very city fust as
brave, just modest To say that Is not 70
depreciate their heroism. 1t is rather to honor
II, as typical Of that which is not merely acct
dental or sporadic. but is a large inheritance of
the race, and is one of the most precious pos
sessions of the race. The times are not mean
and the world is not base, but they are daily
lIumined with as pure and noble deeds of chiv-
airy as any in the storied past These three
have won, without seeking 1t, passing notice.
multitude passes on unnotlced. But the few
are q reminder and voucher of the many
and In that capacity render not the least OF
their service TO the world