Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-09-12

sachusettx coast. A tempest came
down from out the region of the north.
The wind in its fury made the bay
seethe. The night was black. Anofh-
er vessel had struck on one of the
outer rocks, whose heads in calm
weather show above the water beyond
the stony point that guards Mano-
| NETS beach. Lights were shown, and
the ife-savers knew that the stricken
ship was a government lighthouse ten
der, with supplies. for the beacon keep
ers of the coast. The vessel was fairly
hemmed in by rocks, over which the
great waves broke in fury. The life
savers knew that their boat could
| never reach the boats side, the rocks
and the surging sea about them max
/ ing destruction certain.
The crew of the Manomat Kfeboat
| went to the end of the stony point
They attempted to shoot a line by
| means of which to send aboard the
| breeches buoy. The gun failed, them.
They tried it again and again, but it
| refused to do the work for which it
was intended. Between the extremity
| of the point and the vessel lying at its
anchorage of stone there was a series
| of rocks, each one of which rose high
| enough above the water to be clear,
| save when the storm waves beat over
them. ''There is chance of getting
a line out" said one of the men, Shy
knotting the end to stout swimmers
waist and letting him go through the
sea, swimming from rock to rock, and
then to the ship
mo man of mine will be ordered
into that water" said Jim Sparr, the
| captain. mo man could live to take
three strokes" Then they stood by
helpless.
A moment more and man pushed
his way to the front, grasped the end
of the life line and made two turns
with its end about his waist. "I'll
CO." he said. It was Calvin Gordon.
''You!" said Jim Spar, and the
sound of his voice had something in
it of scorn, and then, as if regret
ting the tone, he added: mo, boy,
it's DEATH
"Death or not, I'll go. Look after
my little Jane, boys" and Gordon
plunged into the boiling sea.
How he did it he never knew, but
something bore him up and gave him
the strength to win a fight that night
from one of the worst tempests that
ever struck the shore of the old Bay
state. The lights that were being
burned constantly on the ship guided
| him. From the last rock he gagged
the strength and direction of the
| driving wind and water, and striking
out he was borne toward the vessel.
For moment one of the great rocks
of the reef on which the vessel was
grinding gave him shelter. It was
one chance in 10000, but he grasped
life-preserving buoy that was
thrown from the vessel and was
drawn on board.
The rope which he had brought
through the sea was pulled taut and
| the sailors who but moment before
had seen nothing but deaths face
now saw a glimmer of hope. In five
minutes they had other lines on
board, drawn from the shore above
| the vortex of waters. Then there
came the breches buoy, and as it
| reached the side Calvin Gordon saw
man rush through the gathered
sailors and heard him cry out in a
tone that had naught in it but alb
| ject fear: "Ego first. I am a pas
senger, and this is my right. Isn't
| it my right, captain? The ship is
| breakitg up. We won't all have time
to get off,"
"Let the cur go first" said the voice
of the ships captain, and first he
went.
One by one they went ashore,
| though it seemed every moment were
the vessels last. Capt. Calvin went
| last. The captain of the ship would
not so have it, but Gordon said: eff
you owe me anything for coming out
here this night let me have my wish. y
The next day the rescued crew and
the men of the 1ifeboat stood out
side Calvin -Gordon's little home.
| Gordon saw standing in front of the
crew the terror-stricken passenger OF
the night before, and in him recog-
nized the life-saving service inspector
who four years before in an official
| report had called him a coward.
The inspector stepped forward
| like most of his kind, he knew how
| to make a brave showing when nc
| danger threatened. "You are hero.
Mr.. Gordon he said. "You shall
have recognition by the government
and the medal of the Massachusetts,
Humane society. 1t shall be inscribed
any way you like"
Some thing like a sheer came into
| the face of Gordon.
iMust the inscription necessarily
praise my deed of last night?" he
asked.
eyes," said the inspector.
ssThen let it read like this: In hon
or of Calvin Gordon, who saved the
life of a coward Chicago Record