The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1907-07-12
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.StEtSAI 1N
A HUMBLE HERO.
story of the Man Who Did a Brave
Deed and Then Forgot 1t.

He Is the bravest man I ever
Knew" said Mr.. F. Hopkinson Smith
OF Capt. Thomas A. Scott, whose death
occurred a few weeks ago, and whom
the author has made famous in some
OF MS stories and novels. But no act
attributed by the pen of fiction to this
submarine engineer and diver can
equal the real facts of his courage and
self-sacrifice. The New York Tribune
quotes from Mr.. Smith the tale of one
OF Capt. SCOTS deeds which lifts the
man into the ranks of true heroes.
The captain was in the employ of the
o1-Shore Wrecking company, when
one morning in January an accident
happened to HOboken ferry boat.
The ice in the river was unusually
heaVy, and the boat slowly crunched
her way through the floating foes I'm.
I'll the pack chOked her paddles in
md-rlVer The weather was bitterly
cold and keen wind was blowing. It
was an early morning trip, and the
decks were crowded with laboring
men, the driVeways were full of teams.
ana women and children stood inside
the cabins, solid mass up to the
swinging doors.
While the boat struggled to gain
headWay, an ocean tug crashed into
her side, cutting a great V-shaped
cash below her water-Iine. Shrieks
went up from hundred threats. Men. |
women and children were crazed with |
Tear. The disabled boat careened and |
Tell over on its beam The water !.
poured in like a torrent Sinking
seemed only question of seconds.
Capt. Scott on the wrecking tug Re-
lance, saw the situation. Bringing
MS boat alongside, he sprang to the
deck of the ferry. Quickly he forced
the crowd to the starboard side, and
thus rtghted the boat, which regained
nearly even keel. With threat to
throw any man overheard who stirred
he dragged mattresses, blankets,
clothes, anything, and crammed them
into the hole. 1t was useless; even the
oil rags had been used, and still the
water poured in.
capt. Scott stood for a moment as
II undecided, then deliberately forced
MS own body into the gap with his
arm outside, level with the floating
ice.
An hour later the disabled ferry
boat, with every soul safe, was towed u,
into the Hoboken slip. When they lift
ed the captain. he was unconscious
and barely alive The water had !
frozen his blood, and the ice had torn 4,
much of the flesh from his arm from
shoulder to wrist. When he opened .
his eyes, he said feebly to the doctor:
Was any of them babies hurt?"
weeks passed before he regained
Ills strength. Then he went back to
lis work on the Reliance. In the
meantime the wrecking COMPANY had
presented a bill to the ferry company
or salVages, which had been refused.
captain, said the president of the
Vrecking company to Scott the first
ime the latter appeared at the office,
we're going to have some trouble b
letting our pay for that ferry lob W
ieres an affidavit for you to swear b
o." If
The captain took the paper, read it, tt
aid it down, and walked toward the Of
DOR. b]
Did you sign it?" b1
No, and l amt going to-" u
'Why?" l.
Cause amt so mean as you be, aol
ook at this arm! Do you think I'd ~ ~
ave got into that hole if it hadn't III
cen for them women and babies?
nd you want 'em to pay for it,"
Then he walked straight to the
asher, demanded his pay, resigned lie
Is position and walked out. eV
Some time after some one asked the le
aptain to tell the story of how he
topped the leak. jel
"oh, there amt nothing to tell" re. wi
aed the captain. "She got foul Of a M;
lg and listed some, and sorter Ming.
"a her up, Been so long l most for.
1t about it"