The Washington herald., 1913-11-16
MEDALS GIVEN
To Life SAVERS
Twelve Men. Rewarded for
Reseuing Crew Of Tug
In Storm.
FOUGHT GIANT WAVES
Daring Feats of Bravery by Eight
Other Persons Also Recognized
by Secretary McAdoo.
FOUGHT GIANT WAVES

Secretary of the Treasury McAdoo has
just awarded gold medals OF honor to
twelve members Of the United States
Life Saving Service. and thereby hangs
tale. The tale dates back to the morn
ing Of December 30 last. when a forty
Of New Jersey.
The big seagoing tug. Margaret. towing
three heavily laden bsrges, was lighting
her way In the teeth of the wind, when
she struck a submerged derelict on
Stone Harbor and began to sink. The tow
line was cut. the barges cast adrift, and
the Margaret. with her crew Of ten men,
started race for the beach.
The tug grounded In the breakers about
800 yards from the beach and soon was
discovered by a lookout OF the Avalon
Lie Saving Station. about three and q
half miles to the northeast. Tathams
Life Saving Station also was notified.
and the surfmen got ready for work.
Keeper Harry McGinley, OF Tathams
station. who has had twenty-nine years
service on the beach. said the surf was
the worst he had ever seen. but his words
did not lessen the speed OF preparation
for the rescue OF the tugs crew, The
surfmen launched their boat and fought
the combers until the little craft was
within twenty-five yards OF the tug
Tossed Into the Water,
Then. just as the men aboard the Mar
garet were about to cast a line to the
life savers, a tremendous wave capsized
the surfboat and the men were tossed
into the water. All succeeded in getting
back TO the beach. Then they launched
second boat and started for the Mar
garet.
Five oars were torn from the sides of
the second boat before II was alongside
OF the Margaret, and then a huge wave
cast the small boat against the side OF
the tug, staving in a part of the sides
OF the -surfooat and almost sinking her.
But the ten men of the crew Of the tug
were taken in the lifeboat and all gained
the beach.
The rescue was one of the most daring
in the history Of the service, and Secre-
tary McAdoo has rewarded the surfmep's
bravery by awarding them gold medals.
The men who will receive the medals
are: Harry Mckinley. William S. Eld-
ridge. John E. Treworgy, William A.
Eckersley, Charles Wright. .jr., Earl S.
Woolson, John X. Matthias. AdeIbert
Robbins, Frank Nichols, Samuel Morton.
{. Cobb, and Richard Cresse
Eight other men who have performed
daring feats OF bravery have been given
silver medals OF honor by Secretary Nc
Adoo.
Two Of these medals go to Erie II.
smith, machinists' mate. and Thomas J.
Glavin, quartermaster. of the u s s.
Jenkins, who saved the life Of Seaman
]. F. Eigo when he fell overheard about
l o'clock on the morning of August u
last when the Jenkins was on New
port, X. l. .--ss
Dives over Rail.
When the alarm "man overheard was
gwen. Smith was asleep in his bunk. He
ran up the ladder and dived over the
rail without waiting to locate the drown
ing man. Smith finally reached Eigo,
who fought so desperately that Smith
was compelled to knock him unconscious
with blow. Glavin dived over and
helped Smith drag Eigo back to the ship.
Engineer George c. Farr and Fire
man Joseph p. Mcdonald, OF the fire.
boat Gopher Mills, New York Fire De-
partment, also are to receive silver
medals. They saved the life of Charles
Anderson. a Norwegian seaman, on
June last, when he fell overheard
from pier at the foot of Beekman
Street.
Two other. heroes awarded silver
medals are Sergt James J. Skehan and
Harry Taylor. of the Twen-
ty-ninth precinct, New York City Po-
lASC DCpdE "hO TlehCu lnclT lives
in the daring rescue of two bargemen,
John Edstrom and Tony AIonzo, June
% of last year. The rescue was made
In the East River, at the foot OF 106th
Street.
Several scows had caught fire, and
AloRzo. an amateur swimmer. and Ed
strom. who could not swim at all, were
trapped on one of the burning barges. |
Alonzo jumped, and started swimming. |
but became exhausted. Sergt. Skehan |
Ind Patrolman Taylor went after Alon- |
10. They got him ashore, and. without |
resting. went back after Edstrom, who |
was clinging to the scow. Before the
policemen reached him Edstrom struck |
,ut in an attempt to swim. He almost |
1rowned but the rescuers got him and |
carried him to shore, after tying a rope |
around him TO prevent him from strug- |
Cling.
John j. Ward, of the New York City |
Fire Department was dong duty aboard |
ioating engine No. in the North River |
m the night of January q. 1909. when a |
.ry for help came from the water. 1t |
vas dark, cold and stil1, ana the water |
vas icy. Ward could not see the man,
,ut located the direction OF the cries and i
lived over.
John Cochran. numbed by the chill of |
he water, was struggling feebly and
bout to go under when Ward reached /
lin. Cochran fought his rescuer and |
Ward called for help, meanwhile working 1
lis way slowly toward a pier. Ward was
exhausted rapidly, when a line
vas cast to him, and when he and Coch-
an were dragged ashore both were in
uch condition 1t was necessary to re-
move them to a hospital For his gal
antry Ward has been awarded silver
medal.
The eighth silver medal given by Sec
etary McAdoo goes to Albert Deravin.
former member of the life station at
galveston, Tex, who on September 10,
sOs, saved the life of Arthur Sherwood.
sailor on the British steamer Belgian.
Norwood was in bathing and unable to
win, got beyond hissdepth. His cries
Yere heard by Deravin, who rescued him.
PARK POLICE TO PROTEST.