Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-10-24

which was so leaky that II Could
hardly be kept afioat. he managed
with much difficulty to reach the poor
Teller. and getting him aboard at ut
most peril of his own life. succeeded
in fetching him to land.
Another army officer. Capt. Godfrey
II. Macdonald, was a first lieutenant
OF cavalry In 1892. when, on the night
OF August Is, he learned from mfw
Of August Il. he leaped from the
ferryboat Atlantic in New York har-
Dor to rescue man who had fallen
overheard The night was very dark
and the current exceedingly swift SO
that the deed Ito quote the official
language of the letter accompanying
the gold medal afterward bestowed)
was OF extraordinary heroism and
daring Happily. it was successful.
Macdonald keeping the man afloat I'M
til life line could be thrown.
On the evening of January Is, 1898,
n man and his wife were crossing the
ice between Jersey City and Bedloes
Island. in New York harbor. 1t was
nearly dark, and the performance
was more than ordinarily foolish. After
bit they came TO an airhole. and
promptly fell through 1t into the water.
Neither could swim. or course, they
cried for help. and luckily. young
army lieutenant tnow captain,) F.
ID. Webster, heard them. With the
utmost difficulty and at great risk OF
ris own life, he managed to pull them
out, the let bending and almost CIV
ing way as he crawled over it to-
ward them. One might think that he
deserved a gold medal, but the one he
got was of silver
Capt. p. J. Lowe. it,. was a second
lieutenant in 1890. when, on May IA.
he earned a silver medal by helping
to rescue a scout with whom his COM
mand was crossing the swiftly flow
ing Pecos river. in Texas. The man
fell overheard, and reached him by
swimming, the rescue being accom-
pIished ito quote the official language)
with extraordinary exertion and
much danger"
On January 5, 1900, the government
tug Resoute was sunk in Boston har-
Dor by collision with another tug clled
the Swartara. Two Of the passen-
gers on the Resolute were very
stout lady, weighing over 200 pounds,
and Capt. (now coloneD K. II. Brown.
u. S. A. She promptly proceeded to
drown, but was rescued with extraordi-
nary dicfficulty, Dy Capt. Brown, who
mbanaged to hold her up until another
moat came along and. took them
aboard A gold medal was beloved
10 recognition OF his heroism.
The Last Gold Medal Awarded.
One of the most popular young lieu
tenants in the navy is ]. X Tuassig.
In 1892 he was an ensign on board
one of our waarships IN the harbor
of Yokohoma. II was the month OF
April. A shipmate fell overheard,
and he went after him. saving his life.
and thereby earning a silver medal.
On August 2, in the same year. a
gold medal-the last granted by the
government up TO that date-was won
by Lieut.. Samuel T. Mackall, of the
Eleventh u S. infantry. 1t was on
the island Of Mindanao. in the Philip
pines, and two soldiers in MackalPs
command were attempting TO cross the
Maiabang river. One got the cramp;
the other tried to help him. and both
were on the point of drowning. Mack
all jumped in and saved them.
following the example OF other
nations. our government occasionally
bestows such medals for iife-saying
upon foreigners. But up to date the
only ones who have received them are
Lieut.. Frederick Won Abendoth and
Midshipman Heinrich Ancker. OF the
imperial German navy. who. in the har
Dor Of Ne wOrIeans. January 10. 1901.
~brsvely leaped from the German
steamship Stein and swan to the res
cue OF an apprentice seaman who had
fallen overheard"
So far as officers OF our own army
andnavy are concerned. the ten above
mentioned are the only ones to whom
such medals have been given.
Irene Bsche in the Washington POST
II WA,A~rfssf