Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1912-06-19


49, the mRtteroffaCt attitude Of the
* department officials or dig into
- the timeyellowed reports OF the
coast patrol that one obtains
- gllmmer of what this branch Of
government service expects Of
its servants, and OF the Unconditional herosm
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 trihe, were II not for the fact that in the
memories Of the old men Of the service its de-
tails still vivid
II was the third Of February, 1890 Two storms
were rushing along the Atlantic coast. They met
of the Jersey shore, a bowling. roaring conflict
Of wind and weather. snow-rent and seet-Tiven.
As darkness settled the hfesaving crews In the
stations along the wind-swept coast watched the
sea with foreboding in their hearts, At midnight
the storm was at its height.
In the next twelve hours during It's continuance
the apprehensions OF the Jersey patrol found
realization. Within those twelve hours there were
hve wrecks within the scope Of four consecutive
stations while another disaster engaged a station
short distance beyond. The men Of the stations
rescued forty-three persons, toiled hungry and
halffrozen in darkness and tempest, established
standard Of bravery and fortitude that is unique
and went through the ordeal 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 No lay grayely Ill Of pleurisy
At 1880 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 filed with driven sand and sleet,
that he could not look into its teeth but by
Chi ayEe 1opkfp ha
the outline Of large schooner. She was the
E. c. Babcock of Somers Point, and she was on
q bar close to shore.
Van Brunt ran for the station and gave the
alarm. Despite his illness, Keeper Valentine rose
from his bed and in person led his crew to the
rescue. Bafled by the 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
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 1t, his sixyearod 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
rearranglng the apparatus when one of the men
saw a large brig coming head on foT 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 hafprepared
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 we'll inside the breakers Just before she
ety, ,oIy tho 20 GOULD Of thA
wheel, apparently steering composedly, his face
emotioness, pipe in his teeth
When the shock came a torrent Of frothing
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 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 receding sea
down the beach, succeeded in throwing heaving
stick and line on board her.
This the crew secured, and hauled the whip
line on board, but, getAng the tailblock, did moi
know what to do next In vain the life savers
signaled and shouted to them They were Span
fish, and the directions on the billet attached tc
the lines were in Italian and English only.
At this moment the life savers were filed witt
horror, The crew or the grounded Orig, unaDt
to solve the mystery Of rigging the breeches buoy
were preparing to take terrible risk. One o
them seized the line and started the attempt o
coming in on 1t hand over hand.
Meantime the wreck of the Babcock quartz
of a mile up the beach, had broken up, and th'
fragments of the vessel, together with her carg
of cordwood, were being swept by the curren
down about the Augustine, filling the surf witt
tumblng debris which well-nigh insured tn
death Of anyone who fell into it. In a momen
the whip line, over which the sailors were pre-
pairing to come In, fouled in the wreckage Dis
regarding the shouts to wait, the first sailor, cla
only in pair of trousers seized the line and be
gan working his way in on 1t hand over hand
Rushing waist deep into the breakers Whit
seized the man. and as the brig rolled inshor
and the line slackened he slipped the blight fror
the sailors neck.
The next second both caught In the IL
rush Of wood and water and torn from the lin
to be hurled beneath the breakers. BY tel
rife effort White succeeded in regaining his foo
ing and still clutchng the sailor. dragged hiI
out of the surf
While this struggle taking place two NOR
sailors had started down the line from the bril-
Surfman Van Brunt sprang into the water to al
them, but was swept from his feet his life ham
ing on a straw in the deadly mass Of tumblin
timbers. He was carried down-shore a hundre
yards, where a friendly wave shouldered him u
on the beach. At the moment Van Brunts per