Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1912-10-09
Capt. w. H. CheIton Held Record
as ReSCuer.
Took Many Desperate Risks, Drawing
Gales and IcefIows in Chesapeake
Bay to Get Perishlng Crews
Ashore.

Baltimore, Md.-Capt. William H.
Chelton, a Chesapeake bay command
err, died at his home in Lawsonia,
suburb of this city, the other dag,
tged siXty-nine years. Captain Chel-
to- had been a sailor from his youth
and = lmmanded a vessel when he was
fifteen years old.
Captain Chelton had record I'M
equaled in America for saving human
lives, the score to his credit being SO,
and his work in this direction begin
ming in August, 1859, when, as boy
Of fifteen years, he leaDed into the ba-
sin in Baltimore, at the foot of Cal
vert street and saved a girl who had
fallen overheard. An effort was made
to raise purse for tie lad but he re-
fused to accept anything and he never
for his subsequent rescues earned a
cent.
To his dying day, however, he was
proud of s United States medal
awarded by congress in 1902, follow
ing the publication in the Sun of an &C
count Of his Iifework of humane en-
deavor.
Captain CheIton, though great life
saver, has also taken a life. This
was when he was a deputy sheriff of
Somerset county. On Nay %, 1907,
he attempted to arrest Frederick
Long, who was wanted for larceny. He
ordered Long to surrender, but the
man fired twice at him and then Chel-
ton used his pistol The man shot
twice again and ran through a field,
where he was found dying with a bull
let in his lungs On that occasion,
too, he drove several miles with the
wounded man to get medical aid
Captain Chslton was born in North
cumberland county, Virginia, in 1874,
but lived ia Maryland during nearly
all of his life.
He wax of medium height, but had
the breadth of shoulders and depth of
chest which betoken great strength
and a pair of sturdy legs which stood
him IN good stead in many feats of
swimming by which he saved men on
the deep. He also made several res
cues on land and saved three women
from being killed by trains.
He is said to have had ample cause
for believing republics ungra teful, for
he joined the Union army at the out
break of the Civil war. expecting
bounty of $500 besides his pay for
long service. When his term of en-
listment was over and he settled up
with Uncle Sam he received a check
for Sc which, he was told, was all that
was coming to him. He never cashed
the check, but kept it as a souvenir.
During a greater part of his time in
the army he was plotting federal gun
boats in Maryland and Virginia wa
tiers on blockade duty. Ii this service
he piloted three gunboats in an attack
on Cherrystone, the fight lasting from
early afternoon until the next morn
ing.
Rescues by Capt. w. H. Chelton:
-August-Rescued girl at head
of basin.
1S6S-Fourteen United States sol
diers
1S63-Two men at Pungoteague,
swimming 100 yards to reach them.
1S71-Man clinging to North point
buoy
1S71--John w. Crisfeld at Crisfeld,
Nd.
1S72-Gfrl at Crisf1eld.
1S74-Girl, fifteen years old. Girls
field
1STS-Nine men from boat off
Sharpe island.
1S7S-Nine members of crew Of
schooner Northampton in Magothy
river
1SS7-Captain and crew of five from
sloop Samuel Bruster at Hog island in
the Potomac.
1sSS--Captatr and crew of three Of