The Green Forest tribune., 1912-06-07

-, glimmer of what this branch of
 government service expects of its servants, and of the unemotional heroism that is concealed in that casual phrase-"a nights work
 From Washington, If you go down into the life saving stations along the Jersey shore you will find the same casual indifference to the story of one night which Is now history-an indifference that might lead to the belief that the occasion was a trifle, 1t not for the fact that in the memories of the old men of the service its de- tails are still vivid
 It the third of February, 1880. Two storms were rushing along the Atlantic coast They met off the Jersey shore bowling roaring conflict Of wind and weather, snow-rent and sleet-riven.
 As darkness settled the life-saving in the stations along the wind-swept coast watched the Sea with foreboding in their hearts At midnight the storm at it's height.
 In the next twelve hours during its continuance the apprehensions of the Jersey patrol found realization. Within those twelve hours there five wrecks within the scope of four consecutive stations, while another disaster engaged station a short distance beyond The of the stations rescued forty-three persons, toiled hungry and half-frozen in darkness and tempest, established standard of bravery and fortitude that is unique and went through the oSdeal with that ofhand carelessness of personal risk which characterizes those of their calling.
 At one in the morning Keeper Charles H. Val entine of Station Mo- lay gravely i'll of pleurisy At 1:30 Surfman Van Brunt, staggering into the drift of the gale on the west patrol caught the red gleam of a light in the breakers So fierce the wind, filled with driven sand and seet, that he could not look into its teeth but by shielding his eyes and looking across it he the outline of large schooner She the E. c. Babcock of Somers Point, and she bar close to shore
 Van Brunt ran for the station and gave the alarm. Despite his illness, Keeper Valentine from his bed and in person led his to the Hnd hyy thn urlnja low nk along the beach, by the gale that tore seams in their faces and by the intense cold which froze shot line and beach apparatus, the life savers fought for two hours to get a line aboard the stranded vessel. At length they succeeded, and ashore in the brooches buoy. He said that the captain of the Babcock had his wife and two small children on board The brooches buoy was sent out again and the captain came ashore in it. his sixyear-od daughter in his His wife followed. Then the mate with the other child Last came the rest of the crew. The life savers went back to the station, and in the early hours Of the stormy dawn hastily rearranging the apparatus when one of the men large brig coming head on for the shore Keeper Valentine had gone back to bed, but moie he arose and insisted on leading his again to the scene of danger.
 Before the crew could get the halfprepared beach apparatus to the surf, the brig, running furously before the tremendous sea, her sails split and tattered, struck with terrific impact. l lie tue WdS very ulSu anu tie DtlSJ tue AuSUS- tina from Havana, came up close i3 the station and well inside the breakers. Just before she struck the life savers could see a man at the wheel, apparently steering composedly, his face emotonless, a pipe in his teeth.
 When the shock torrent of frothing broke over the vessels stern covering the helmsan; but moment later he could be seen standing at the wheel unmoved Then the brig swung broadside to the fusillade of laundering surf, and her crew fled forward to the pitts.
 By this time the life the beach with their gun, while crowd of some hundreds of persons watched from the shelter of the higher dunes. The brig was close to shore that Surf man Garrett White, following receding down the beach, succeeded in throwing heaving stick and line on board her.
 This the secured and hauled the whip line on board, but getting the tailblock, did not know what to do next. In vain the life savers signaled and shouted to them. They Span ish, and the directions on the billet attached to the lines were in Italian and English only
 At this moment the life savers were filled with horror The crew of the grounded brig, unable to solve the mystery of rigging the brooches buoy, were preparing to take terrible risk One of them seized the line and started the attempt of coming in it hand over hand
 Meantime the wreck of the Babcock, quarter of a mile up the beach, had broken up, and the fragments of the vessel. together with her cargo of cordwood, were being swept by the current down about the Augustina, filling the surf with tumbl1ng deDrS Wnlch WelnlSn insured the death of anyone who fell into it. In moment the whip line, which the sailors were pre- pairing to come in fouled in the wreckage Dis regarding the shouts to wait, the first sailor clad only in pair of trousers seized the line and be- gan working his way ill it hand over hand
 Rushing waist deep into the breakers, White seized the man, and as the brig rolled inshore and the line slackened he slipped the blight from the sailors neck.
 The next second both were caught in the in rush of wood and water and from the line to be hurled beneath the breakers. By a ter rife effort White succeeded in regaining his foot ing and, still clutchng the sailor, dragged him out of the surf
 While this struggle was taking place two more sailors had started down the line from the brig. Surfman Van Brunt sprang into the water to aid them, but was swept from his feet his life hang Ing straw in the deadly mass of tumbng timbers. He was carried down-shore hundred yards where a friendly shouldered him up on the beach, At the moment Van Brunts peril