Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1913-05-31

force OF loyalty to his snlt which the
government and sixty dollars a month
and the wonderful personality of SUI
perintendent Kimball has bred in
these men-somehow they gained the
bank
And without waiting even for a
breath. Midget plunged back again to
the wreck. Twice he lost his footing
and was swept head over heels. Twice
he came up splutterlng and choking
with sand and water. but he struggled
on until near enough to catch and
hold the second man who took what
was left of his life and with 1t jumped
into the smother OF dirty water And
once more the fight was taken up and
once more Midget and his prize won
through to victory. Once more? Aye,
once more, and again once more. and
again and again and again. until sew
en- men were taken from the jaws OF
death, from the wry pit and rim Of
He'll, and clustered. huddled. exhaust
ed in mind and body, in the shadows
on the spit.
nTee wore trips.
But there were still three left And
these three could not do as had their
mates-they could neither jump to
Midgstt's arms nor hep fsm with
even feeble strength IN - Sight for
life. For these were the ~yEnded
three-the captain with jagged hos
in his chest where a splintered spar
had struck, two others so bruised, cut
and exhausted they could but wave
shivering hands to him, as II begging
that they be not forgotten.
But Midget had no intention OF for
getting them. He. was blind with I'M
reasoning rage now. furious with the
sea and wind. His blood was up, and
not the worst sea that ever broke, nor
all the winds that ever blew. could
have kept him from doing the utterly
foolhardy, crafty daring thing he did,
not once. but three times.
Down he went right to the vessel,
caught a rope and swung himself
aboard what was left, grasped figure
in his arms, then plunged himself
overheard on the back OF a breaker
and took his chance of glory or the
grave as many another man has done.
But never another man in the an
nails of the service did it three times
and won out! For that is what Mid
Gus waves, crippled by boards and
boxes and spars which beat and tore
at him in both the water and the
driving air, harried by wind that
was like a wall against him. and en-
hausted by his seven previous trips.
Midget nevertheless won through,
and when he finished, saw ten wrecks
OF what once were men, standing and
lying In the semi-darkness on the
wind and wave-swept beach.
Even as he turned, perhaps in numb
wonder at what he had done, the half
of the Priscilla groaned. crashed once
or twice and-was gone.
"For Extraordinary Heroism."
The keeper of the station would
hardly believe his tale when Midget
rode his horse back 10 the station for
help. 1t did not seem believable. But
there were the rescued to tell the
amazing story over again. when, after
a day and night of tender nursing al
the station. once more clothed, fed
and warmed, they were able TO speak.
The life-saving service report OF the
following year contains this succinct
mention in the Medals Awarded"
columns:
ITO Rasmus s. Midget. Surfman,
Gull Shoal Station. For extraordi-
nary heroism in resculng, single-hand.
ed. ten men from the wreck OF the
barkentine Priscilla. three miles
south of Gull Shoal station, August
Is. 1899, Cold Medal The rescue was
effected at night and during the
height of n disastrous storm which
inundated the whole coast in that vi
cinity."
The records of the lifesaving serv.
ice will parallel the records OF any
army or navy with deeds OF daring
and heroism, of bravery and courage
and willingness to die for the sake of
the duty that lies before its crews.
But in all its annals Of forty-one years
of existence, during which time 1872.
OBS persons have been saved from
22,711 wrecks, it has nothing TO com.
pare with this rescue. It has plenty
of deeds as daring and as courageous
to keep alive in its reports, but no
other instance where one man, single
handed and alone. defied such storm
as this, and rescued ten men without
other means than the strength of his
body and the fine courage Of his
heart.
Copyright. by Eidgwav Coz