Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1909-07-09
HEROES OF THE DEEP
Brave Captains Who Have Per-
iShed With Their Ships.
A STERN RULE OF THE SEA.
1.-THE Captain Of the Vessel Shall Be
the Last to Leave" and From This
Mandate No Captain Is Exempt.
Heroism In Face of Certain Death.

Mandate No Captain Is Exempt
Heroism In Face of Certain Death.
"The captain of the vessel shall be
the last to leave"
This heroic sentiment has been ex-
emplified time and again by the brave
men who go down to the sea in ships,
and to their everlasting honor there
| is no attempt or desire to shirk the
fearful duty and responsibility. SO it
was that Captain Sealby of the Ill
fated Republic refused to leave his ship
till every man, woman. child and men,
Der of his crew had been saved.
"The last to leavew 1t is the law,
universally acknowledged at sea by
officers and men alike as the basis of
self respect and honor. From it no
captain is exempt.
One of the bravest of these heroes
was Chief Officer Paterson of the
British King. One day some winters
ago he sailed from New York under
Captain O'Hagan. Great storms i'm
peded the passage of the ship and so
stupendous was the violence of the
waves that they stove in the bow
! plates, and before the leakage was
discovered tons of water rushed into
the hold.
Captain O'Hagan told his men to
shift the cargo, but barrels and cases
were hurting this way and that, and
one of them, driving the captain back
against the wall, crushed his leg so
/ h.,
the lifeboat
For a brief space there was no cap
tain. Then Paterson took command.
At a critical moment his strong per-
sonality and calm assurance saved
the crew from panic. Three boats
| filled with sailors from the British
King were launched in safety, while
the new commander stood in silence
on the bridge. Lower and lower sank
the Ill starred ship, and as she heaved
and took her final plunge Paterson
blew a farewell blast upon his whistle
to the fast departing crew.
Quite different but no less heroic, was
the manner in which Captain Griffith
of the Atlantic Transport line steam
ship Mohegan faced death. Though 1t
was scarcely darker than twilight, he
had run his vessel on the rocks near
the Needles in October, 1898, and it
was rapidly sinking. The last glimpse
of Captain Griffith showed him stand
ing on the bridge ordering the boats
to be lowered in order to save his crew.
Heroic in death, too. was the captain
of the oil ship Loodiana, which several
years ago was burned at sea. Before
thinking of his own safety he saw ev-
cry man of his crew clear of the DOOM
ed vessel, and then it was too late.
Foot by foot he was driven forward
the bow. A tramp steamship came up.
but the waters were too rough for the
lowering of the boats. Finally the
flames compelled him to loosen his
hold, and while his ship burned fierce
ly on he was dashed into the angry
seas beneath.
But still more dramatic was the death
of Captain Deloncle of the French
liner La BoUrgogne, sunk in the sum-
mer of 1898. AS he stood one night
upon the bridge a tall bark suddenly
doomed out of the darkness and, deal
ing La Bourgogne a fatal blow, steam
ed hurriedly away. The men on board
went frantic. In scramble for safety
firemen and crew lost their wits. and
people ran up and down the deck in
wild despair.
Deloncle stood calm amid the tu-
multi. Suddenly he abandoned himself
to the dramatic horror of the scene
and, Selling the whistle rope, sent into
the skies one long, wild. wailing groan.
1t was Deloncle's last salute.
Perhaps the noblest death Of all was
that Of Captain Craven of the monitor
Tecumseh at the attack in August,
1864, on Mobile. The ship was fast
sinking. There was not a moment to
be lost. At the foot Of the ladder lead
ing to the manhole above, the turret
of safety, two men met, Captain Cra-
ven and his pilot. There would be
time for but one to mount The cap
tain knew it; the pilot knew it. But
there was no hesitation. With smile
Captain Craven stepped to one side.
after you, pilot" he said.
The man sprang up the ladder, and
his life was saved, but the brave cap
tain was swept under and carried to
destruction BY the cruel sea.-London
Answers.