The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1909-10-13
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 ls Exempt.
Heroisrn In FACE Of Certain Death.

Mano4te no NAPSAln ~ GAemPS'
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 iii
fated Republic refused to leave his ship
till every man, woman. child and mem
Der of his crew had been saved.
1.-THE last to ieayey' 1t is, the law.
universally acknowledged at sea by.
officers and men alike as the basis OF
self respect and honor. From it
captain is exempt.
One of the brayest Of these heroes
was Chief Officer Paterson Of the
British King. One day some winters
ago he sailed from New York under
Captain O'EIagan. Great storms Inn
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 hurtling this way and that, and
one of them. driving the captain back
against the wall. crushed. his leg so
severely that he had to be carried to
the lifeboat.
For a brief space there was no cap
tain. Then Paterson took command.
At 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
1 the new commander stood In silence
!. on the bridge. Lower and lower sank
| the i'll starred ship. and as she heaved
and took her final plunge Paterson
| blew 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 it
was scarcely darker than twilight. he
| had run his vessel on the rocks near
the Needles in October. 1898, and il
was rapidly sinking. The last glimpse
of Captain Griffith showed him stand
ilfg on the bridge ordering the boats
! to be lowered in order to save. his crew
!, Heroic in death. too. was the capita u
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
by the flames till at last he hung over
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
~ ON he was dashed into the angry
seas beneath.
But still more dramatic was the dealt
! Of Captain Deloncle of the French
liner La Bourgogne. sunk in the sum
mer Of 1898. AS he stood one night
upon the bridge tall bark suddenly
loomed out of the darkness and, deal
ing La Bourgogne a fatal blow. steam
ed hurriedly away. The men on board
went frantic. In a scramble for safety
firemen and crew lost their wits, ani
a people ran up and down the deck ii
Wild despair.
Deloncle stood calm amid the tn
mutt Suddenly he abandoned hi,nsel
to the dramatic horror of the scene
and. Selling the whistle rope. sent int,
the skies one long. wild. wailing gr0an
1t was Deloncle's last salute