Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-10
BRAVERY OF ENLISTED men
GUNNER'S MATE WHITEHEAD
RISKS LIFE FOR A CoMRADE.
Highly Commended by the Depart
ment for His Heroism-Rescue
at Boston Praised.

The acting secretary OF the navy has in
structed the commandant of the naval sta
ton at Tutuila, Samoa, to express to Gun
ners Mate Whitehead the departments
heartiest commentator of his self-sacri-
ficing conduct and bravery in fearlessly
risking his own life to save that OF a COM
rade. The details of his act are set forth
in the following report by Passed Assistant
Surgeon \. NJ. Fauntleroy. U. S. N:
'On June 3, 1907 about 7:30 am, 1 was
summoned to the native guard barracks OF
this station on account of landslide which
had occurred few minutes bemore 1880
a. m, and it was thought that several men
were buried in the debric of the demolished
barracks. On reaching the barracks Few
minutes afterward l found a number OF the
enlisted men from the U.S.S. Adams ana
also members of the native guard digging
in the mass of earth and debris in search
of those vino were supposed to be Durleo.
Shortly after my arrival, Gunner Sergt.
John Francis Cox, Unfted states Marine
Corps was discovered almost completely
buried beneath masses of concrete ana
earth, which latter were also tanning MS
body against the front wall of the barracks.
These blocks of concrete were being slowly
pushed against the front wall OF the bar
racks by the large mass of earth which had
destroyed the rear wall, and it would nave
been only a question OF short time before
Sergt. Cox would have been killed outright
by the tanning Of his body against the
front wall. There was only room for one
man to work in the way of extricatlng MS
body, and Edward Wade Whitehead, gun
ners mate, first class, United States Navy,
attached to the C.S.S. Adams, was In ms
small space supporting the body of Sergt.
Cox and doing his utmost to extricate him.
The large masses Of concrete were slowly
coming down on these men, but Whnehead
did not for a moment desert his post, which
han inc
but continued to endeavor to eXtricate the
sergeant. A number of men were trying to
keep the concrete masses stationary, out
their efforts were Of little avail on account
OF the peculiar position Of the mass and
the cIoseness of the quarters. Graphing
hooks from the U.S.S. Adams were finally
secured to the concrete, which held IT IN
position and enabled the men, particularly
Whitehead who still had hold Of the SER
geant's body, to get him out by lifting him
straight up over their heads. There were
a number who contributed toward getting
the sergeant out. but none occupied the
position of peril which Whitehead did, and
it is a certainty that. If Sergt. Cox had
been killed by the oncoming concrete White
head would have gone, too. To my mind 1t
was clearly analogous to reScuing wound
ed comrade on the firing line under very
trying circumstances. and Whitehead's
courageous work is brought to the COM
mandant's notice for such action as he
deems best"
Three Persons Rescued.
The acting secretary has also instructed
the commanding officer of the receiving
ship Wabash at the navy yard. Boston, to
express to the following named enlisted
men of the navy. on board Of the U. 8. s.
Wabash the departments approval of the
promptness with which they manned the
boats of that vessel and went to the rescue
of a party of three people, who on the
evening of July %. had been thrown over
board from a power launch which had COL
.lided with a Chelsea ferryboat: NJ. w. Hol-
land, NJ. c. Sweazey, NJ. Sommer, P. ].
Brown, G. Hawkins, P. Quinn, J. B. Smith,
NJ. ]. Meyers A. J. Franey and H. Shan