Gilpin observer., 1912-05-09

when the after masts fell, and caught and cung
to a piece of wreckage that was swept away
simultaneously with himself.
At the best the chance of the wretched sailor
who had been washed away on the floating wreck
age was almost hopeless. The life-savers clus-
tered on the shore, powerless to aid, watching
with eyes Of horror for the moment his lifeless
body should be crushed the beach or ground
to pulp in the grinding wreckage. At this crit
icsl moment when the hearts of strong men
stood STILL a figure sprang from the huddle OF
men the beach. wrapped line about its waist
and to the edge of the surf Surfman Frank
Raynor of the Blue Point station was about to do
what no keeper in the fesaving service would
have been authorized to ask him to risk. The
service demands courage, but 1t does not demand
suicide. Keeper Rorke of the Blue Point station
might have ordered Raynor back to the beach. but
the venture too heroic too splendid: the
keeper could not find 1t in his heart
For moment Raynor stood in the edge OF the
foaming whrl of Icy spray, waiting his chance,
half naked. for he had thrown Off his outer cloth
ing. Then 1t came. AS the bit OF wreckage to
which the sailor clung plunged into the mass Of
crashing debris in the breakers, Raynor dashed
forward. fighting his way inch by inch through
the roaring maestrom of water and timbers,
lodging plunging beams, diving beneath shat
tered spars that, rising on giant combers. threat
ened to crush him. At times he was hidden from
view for minutes.
At last he was almost within reach of the
drowning sailor and in that instant he swept
beneath the wreckage by a ponderous It
looked as though he were lost, but at the crucial
moment Albert Latham. also of the Blue Point
station went to the aid Of his comrade. Before
Latham could reach him. Raynor came to the sur.
face just in time to seize the now unconscious
man. The next second Latham. tearing wildly
through the surf, was at his side and rendering
assistance. Together the two hauled the ex.
hausted man to the beach. while cheer went up
from their comrades on shore.
In the brief ten minutes consumed in this res.
cue the Inflated Cromwell had broken to pieces
her foremast falling into the with the six
remaining men upon It. The lifesavers few to
their gun and tried to shoot a line across the
wreck of the mast, but failed. and one by one the
men. save one fell exhausted from It and were
drowned before their eyes
The lone survivor held his place In miraculous
fashion while the gale and current swept him
down the shore at the edge OF the breakers Hope
for him was given up, when again Raynor and
Latham dashed to the front. Though exhausted
and numbed. they plunged into the once more
in time to reach the man Just as he was torn
from his grasp on the mast
Two Of the most tragic wrecks that ever oc.
Cured on the Long Island coast took place within
four years of each other, one at the extreme
outward end Of the island the other far to the
westward
The loss OF the Italian bark A1ace on Rockaway
Shoals. March T. 1881. with all her ships company
save one. cost thirteen lives, and brought to light
the story of despair 30 terrible that II had
driven hardened sailors to suicide. The other
wreck. that OF the fullrigged ship Circassian
which took place December 20 1876 involved a
loss Of twenty-eight lives and was one of the sad
dest In the history OF the service.
Long Island is but a tiny .speck on the vast
ribbon OF sea and lake coast patrolled by the
lifesavng service and Its wrecks compose cor
respondingly small proportion of those that the
fesaving crews are called upon to face each
year. Some OF the most tragic struggles that the
service has won and lost have occurred along the
Jersey and Massachusetts coasts, and the lives
that went out on the storm-winds in these bat.
ties have not always been those of the ship
wrecked. In Washington there Is a long list of
the watchers OF the beaches who died with their
hp-boots on in the performance of duty