The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1904-07-21
kenOsha Life Saving Crew Sends Pro-
jectile Used in Rescue OF Twelve
Men TO St. Louis Exposition.
RECALLS A FAMOUS INCIDENT
Rescue of the Crew of the Scion III. johnson
in 1887 to be Noticed In the Govern
ment Exposition at st. Louis.

At the order of the United States
Government Capt. B. G. Cameron in
charge of the United States Life Saw
ing Station in Kenosha this morning
shipped to St. Louis the most famous
relic in the archives of the Kenosha
station. The relic was the projecti1e
fired from the Lys1e gun at the time
twelve men were rescued from the
steamer Scion H. Johnson which went
down off the beach just south of Ke-
nosha on Thanksgiving Day in 1887.
The relic will be one of the exhibits
Of the life saving crews of the nation
at the Louis ana Pur chase Exposition
and when it is exhibited to the great
crowds it will tell the story of the
bravery of the Kenosha crew and the
splendid rescues they have made
Before the relic was shipped TO the
Government exhibit it was plainly
marked with the names of the men
who belonged to the crew at the time
of the incident and with it the Cap
tain sent letter giving a history of
lAAN AoA1OAS CA POO1IAOAs
The story of the saving of the crew
of the Scion Fl. Johnson is one of the
most interesting in the history of the
Kenosha Life Saving crew. Captain
Cameron was in charge of the crew at
the time of the famous accident and
he told the following story this morn
ing. He said:
cit was about ten O'Clock on the
morning of November "a, 1887, that I
received telegram to the effect that
steam barge and her tow were ashore
off Benton station nearly ten miles
south of Kenosha. at once engaged
a team and loading che surf boat Oh a
truck took the crew and started for
the scene of the accident. There was
a binding blizzard blowing from the
northwest. Up Main street the team
dashed at full speed for the people of
the city had heard of the disaster and
hundreds of them followed the team
to Benton in hopes that they would be
able to aid in the saving of the crew
of the Inflated vessel. Churches
where services were being held were
deserted and everyone started through
the storm to Benton to aid in the work
The crew reached Benton in three
hours and found that the barge was
the Scion H. Johnson. She lay about
800 feet from the beach and the waves
were dashing over her and sweeping
beached early in the morning and her
cabin had been carried away, taking
with it food and clothing and every
thing belonging to the crew. The
crew were hudd1ed together in the
bow and had been drenched by the
dashing waves. The danger seemed
SO great that I decided not to attempt
to launch the surf boat but to use the
Lysle gun, which had lately been sent
to the station. The first shot from the
gun was fired by Gilbert NJ. Simmons
but he failed to land the projecti1e on
the decks. | fired the second shot and
did better. The line was made fast
and the work of rescuing the ten men
began. 1t took us more than two
hours to pull the men in to the beach
and all of them were exhausted when
rescued. Later we took out the surf
boat and carried two men off the scow.
All the men were taken to the station
where their clothing was thawed out
and later they were sent to their
homes. The barge sank to the wat
er's edge but was later raised and did
service for many years.
The Kenosha crew gained great
fame for the rescue of this crew and
some years ago the government took
notice of the work and presented Cap
tain Cameron with a splendid medal
for bravery on that occasion.