Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-18

awarded to her for heroisnn. Miss Nc
Cam was only fourteen years old when
the ill-fated excursion steamer, Gen.
Slocum. ablaze from stem to stern. was
beached on North Brother Island, N Y,
where she was patient in the city hos
pital. conyalescing from severe attack
of scarlet fever. Weak though she was.
the girl saved the lives of nine children.
who had jumped or had been thrown
from the burning deck of the Gen. Slo-
cum. continuing the work of rescue un-
til she tainted. and. in turn. was res
cued. The medal of honor she received
today would have been presented to her
long ago had her whereabouts been
known. AS soon as Representative
Goulden of New York found out where
she was-a student at the Crittenden
Training School--he took the nccesSdrw
steps to reward her bravery. ami the
federal government came right to the
front.
Today Mr. Goulden briefly and graph
ically told the story of the dsed for which
Miss McCann was honored. and then
Uncle Joe, after he had finished Il short
but touching little speech. took Miss Mc-
Canns right hand in both of his ard.
bending over her. touched her forehead
with his lips. The brave Irish girl
blushed clear up 20 her hair aud smiled
happily through her tears And every
body else in the room had to swallow
hard, and often handkerchefs were much
in evidence.
About three dozen people. most Of them
personal friends of Miss McCann, gath
cred in Speaker Cannon's room at Ii
o'clock to witness the presentation Of the
silver medal awarded to her by the life
saving service at Mr.. Goulden's request.
Mr.. Goulden explained that the delay in
the award was due to the fact that IT had
been impossible until recently TO locate
H., tnl1 h0r
story.
Story of Heroism.
The little girl. Mr.. Goulden said. had
come to New York from Ireland in 1903.
and on the 18th of June of 1904 she was
at the Contagious Disease Hospital. recov-
ering from severe attack of scarlet
fever From the window of her room on
the second story of the hospital she saw
ing for the island She heard the shrieks
Of the terror-stricken excursionists and
saw men and women and children leaping
into the water from the blazing decks OF
the doomed craft.
The girl ran downstairs and to the
shore. arriving there just as the General
Socun was beached She waded into
the water and grasped baby thrown
overheard from the upper deck of the
Slocum. She carried the poor little thing
ashore and rushed back to the work OF
rescue forgetful of self of her weakness.
of her recent illness and of the danger
she ran in exposing herself. In all she
rescued nine children, ranging in age
from three to fifteen years. And then
she tainted while in the water. and
would herself have drowned had II not
been that a fireman from the hospital
saw her collapse and carried her ashore.
AS q result of the exposure and of her
exertiOn Miss McCann had a relapse and
nearly died. AS soon as she recovered
and was able to leave the hospital she
came to Washington and left no trace OF
her whereabouts. Mr.. Goulden served on
the coroner's jury which investigated the
General Slocum disaster. He heard the
story of her herosm and Immediately be-
gan a search for her. But il was rot
until a month Or ago that he finally
located her as student in the Crttenden
School and applied 10 the government tor
a medal of honor. The application was
granted without delay.
Praised by Vice President.
1t had been the intention Of Vice Pres
ident Sherman Of New York to be present
at the ceremony today. but he was called