The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1912-06-14

coast patrol that one obtains
glimmer OF what this branch o.
government service expects Of
It's servants, and OF the Unconditional heroism
that IL concealed In that casual phrase--"a
nights work
From Washington. II you go down into the life
saving stations along the Jersey shore, you will
md the same casual indifference to the story Of
one night which 10 now history--an indifference
that might lead to the belief that the occasion
was trihe were II not for the fact that In the
memories OF the old men of the service It's dc
tails are still vivid
1t was the third OF February, 1880 Two storms
We're rushing along the Atlantic coast. They met
on the Jersey Shore bowling, roaring conflict
OF wind and weather. snow.rent and sleet.riven
AS darkness settled the life-saving crews In the
stations along the windswept coast watched the
sea with foreboding in their hearts. At midnight
the storm was 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 were
nVe wrecks within the scope of four consecutive
stations, while another disaster engaged station
short distance beyond. The men of the stations
rescued forty-three persons. toiled hungry and
halIIrozen In darkness and tempest established
standard OF bravery and fortitude that Is unique
ana went through the ordeal with that offhand
carelessness of personal risk which characteriges
those OF their calling.
Al one In the morning Keeper Charles H. Val
entine of Station No. lay gravely Ill of pleurisy
At 80 Surfman Van Brunt, staggering into the
DRIFT OF the gale on the west patrol caught the
red CLEAN OF light in the breakers So fierce
was the wind, filled with driven sand and sleet,
that he could not look into Its teeth but by
shielding his eyes and looking across 1t he saw
the outline OF large schooner She was the
e. Q. Babcock OF Somers Point. and she was on
bar close to shore.
Van Brunt ran for the station and Raye the
alarm. Despite his illness, Keeper Valentine rose
from his bed and In person led his crew to the
rescue, Baffled by the snow which lay thick
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 line aboard the
stranded vessel, At length they succeeded and a
man came ashore in the breeches buoy He said
that the captain Of the Babcock had his wife
and two small children on board. The breeches
buoy was sent out again and the captain came
ashore In It, his slx-yearold daughter In his arms
His wife followed. Then came 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 were hastily
rearranging the apparatus when one of the men
saw large brig coming head on for the shore
Keeper Valentine had gone back to bed, but once
more he arose and insisted on leading his men
again to the scene of danger
Before the crew could get the half-prepared
beach apparatus to the surf, the brig running
furiously before the tremendous sea- her sails
split and tattered. struck with terrific impact
The tide was very high, and the brig, the Angus
tina from Havana. came up close to the station
and well inside the breakers. Just before she
struck the life could see a man at the
wheel. apparently steering composedly. his face
emotionless, a pipe in his teeth.
When the shock came a torrent of frothng
seas 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 fed forward to the bits
BY this time the life savers were on the beach
with their gun, while a crowd of some hundreds
OF persons watched from the shelter of the higher
dunes. The brig was so close to shore that Surf
man Garrett White, following a receding sea
down the beach, succeeded in throwing a heaving
stick and line on board her
This the crew secured and hauled the whip
line on board, but, getting the tailblock, did not
know what to do next, In vain the life savers
stgnaled and shouted to them. They were 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 filed with
horror. The crew OF the grounded brig, unable
to solve the mystery OF rigging the breaches buoy.
were preparing to take terrible risk One OF
them seized the line and started the attempt Of
coming in on IL hand over hand
Meantime the wreck OF the Babcock a quarter
of 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 Augustine. filling the surf with
tumbng debris which welnigh insured the
death of anyone who fell into It. In a moment
the whip line over which the sailors were pre-
pairing to come in, fouled in the wreckage Dis
regarding the shouts to watt the first sailor clad
only in a pair of trousers seized the line and be-
gan working his way in on II hand over hand
Rushing waist deep into the breakers, White
seized the man, and 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 torn from the line
to be hurled beneath the breakers. BY a ter
rifle effort White succeeded in regaining his foot.
ing and, still clutching 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 on straw in the deadly mass Of tumbling
timbers. He was carried down-shore hundred
yards, where a friendly wave shoudered him up
on the beach. At the moment Van Brunt's peril