The Jennings daily record., 1902-07-24
A Hero in the Lise-s.vtne Service.

Lake Erie and his successful
rescue OF a man given up for lost.
deed that won him gold medal, stands
first in the records OF the United States
Life-Saving Service of brave deeds
done last year. =
Tale after tale of courage and hard
ship. as dramatic as anything in fiction
are told in this report. but Glessers
splendid achievement stands as the
greatest.
The hero is the keeper of the Buffalo
station. A gale was sweeping across
the harbor of Buffalo one afternoon.
Two large scows with several men
aboard broke from their moorings un-
der the tremendous strain OF laShing
seas and We're drifting steadily toward
the breakers.
A life-boat was launched with Giles
ser in command. Nearing the point Of
danger. the boat was driven before the
wind just outside the line of surf.
Anchor was dropped and it was in
tended to slack away fill the scows.
which We're now in the breakers. could
be given assistance. But the anchor
dragged, big wave snapped the haw
ser and another upset the boat. All the
occupants We're thrown out and had a
hard swim in the pounding seas for
quarter of a mile to reach the land.
There they heard that man who
had been on one of the scows was in
perlous position among some old piles
standing nearly third of mile from
which GleSser then was
h ! Il;
crew, rode to I spot opposite. The
haf-drowned man was clinging to the
slippery piles 400 or 800 feet from
shore. the seas constantly breaking
over him.
The use of the boat was impractical
bic. and the situation of the unfortu-
nate man was snch that he must perish
unless aid should reach him. There
was little time for deliberation. and
Glesser. in spite of all protests quickly
resolved to try to swim out with a
line, He called upon Surfman Green
land to accompany him. They We're
warned by experienced men that they
could not live TO accomplish it. but
with solemn resolve IleSser replied:
Wait until we try; the man cannot
come 10 us: We will Try 70 get to him"
Then. making one end of the line
fast about his arm he dashed into the
S1ligHg waters, accompanied by Green
land The two had not proceeded far
when they We're thrown back upon the
beach. Again they SET out. but when
about fifty yards on the way particu-
larly heavy sea hurled Greenland
i,,s-I u I,l> y
back to land, considerably injured, so
chat he had to give up the attempt.
But Glesser was unlaunted by the
loss OF his companion aud bravely per-
sisted. He was repeatedly driven
ashore. but gradually gained ground
until he reached pile standing about
sixty yards from shore.
There he rested for Il few moments
This was the only pause he made dur
ing the entire operation of rescue,
which consumed three-quarters of an
hour
After recovering his breath Glesser
renewed the battle. and although Sc
yerely buffeted about and driven back
sometimes 100 feet or more. he kept UP
stout heart. diving under the worst
breakers
A length. getting sufficiently near,
tleSSer threw TO the man the end of
rhe line, instructinG him TO make it fast
about his body and then 10 LEI 90 his
hold of the piling and drop into the
water. He had only sufficient strength.
however, to secure the line about his
wrist, and before lie could leap the
among the piling.
Glesser was thrown nearly 100 feet
away. To the people on the shore it
seemed as though both must certainly
perish. Glesser still persisted. regain
ing his lost ground. and at the end of
hfteen minutes OF dangerous work
cleared the snarl. Then upon his sig
nal the man let go of the piles. while
scores of persons at the other end Of
the line pulled him with a rush to the
beach. where he was picked up uncon-
sci0uS.
Then Glesser struck out for the land.
which he reached without aid, but so
exhausted that he could not stand Not
till then was it found that he was con-
siderably injured by floating tele-
graph pole, which had passed over
him two or three times. iuflicting heavy
blows upon his back. New York
World
The Deed of Wilson McField.
From the records of the Royal HUI
name Society writer in McClure's
Magazine draws the story of an OBJ
scure negro seaman whose hraya deed
was discovered and honored by two of
the great nations of the earth. One
tropical night the schooner Dolphin