The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-03-04
OUR LIFE SAVERS.
NumbIe Heroes Who Do Brave
Work Along Our Coast.
DARING DEEDS IN THE SURF.
Battle With the Giant corbers and
/; ICY Seas When . Storm Wrecked
Vessel Offers the Fearless Guards a
/ Chance TO Rescue o Human Being.


Chance to Rescue Human Being.
TkrOugh a bleak February night a
storm was raging up the Atlantic sea
board. All along the coast the life
guards were out. hunching into the
gale. patrolling the beaches. alert for
signs OF disaster. Just before mid
might ono OF them east of Bellport sta.
tion on Long Island. saw schooner
uoundering in the gray spindrift on
Shere. II was the Benjamin Cromwell.
and as the alarm swept down the
besch the crews Of three stations hur-
sied to the scene. Their work was to
take seven men from the rigging Of
che wrecked vessel.
An efforts through the night and the
forenoon following failed. The wind
wss too high. Then at noon the
Ochooner's masts. except the foremast,
ON which all Of the crew save one had
enkcn refuge, crashed overheard. This
nan went down In weller Of wreck
0Ee. and 20 those on shore It seemed
% if he must surely he battered to
death. but as the breakers raced In
they saw him clinging to plank that
Ind been swept away with him.
a furious surf was running. and tim
Der with which the Cromwell had been
laden was pitched up on the beach.
40 add to the danger thick Ice cakes.
heaved by the breakers, lifted their
Jagged ends high In the air and crashed
Down. spiintering ono upon the other,
an1 always the awful drive of snow
asd sleet. ripping the onrushing waves
cato tatters of foam and spindrift
Surely no man could live in that.
lnstinctively the life savers moved
aeanr the edge Of the surf and peered
sAead for some sign Of life. The beach
twas fringed with skim Ice, sharp and
Vainted. that cut through rubber boots
md clothing as II through parchment.
Helpless TO aid the man whom they
ksew must be pIunging somewhere out
u uAat Angry water, they huddled to-
Eether as men will when lifeless
body " about to be cast up before
chem. They heard Ice and wrecknge
grind harshly; scattered debris washed
up 10 their feet Brave men all, yet
they saw nothing to do. They knew
not % what lengths the ocean would 60
before giving up Its victim.
At this juncturc figure sprang from
AnAeug them and. whipping "A line about
AiS whist, ran to the edge OF the surf.
He was Frank Rayncr Of the Blue
ROlnt sntion. and he was nb0ut TO
commit what tho other surfmen IN
stinctively told themselves was suicide.
The service demands courage. not fool
hardness. For a moment Keeper
HOrke hesitated. undecided whether to
order Rayner back to the beach or not.
tut he couldn't find 1t In his heart to
20 Il. 1t was venture too heroic, too
Aploadid.
They watched Ilayncr ms he stood
- the wbirl Of Icy spray awaiting his
chance. He was half naked. His
clothes he hnd thrown on ms he ran.
The cold, biting into his flesh, tortured
Aim. Still the chance held or. Then
q csme--the bit Of wreckage, the cling.
ING soilOr. crashing into the boiling
'hseakers, and Rayner dashed forward.
Esot by foot through that roaring IN.
sinult OF water. of pIunging beams ana
Nmber. dodging the splintered spars
SaAat. teaping from giant cOmbers, made
- U 10 pin him. Rayner worked to.
'ward his man. 10 those on shore he
'wUs hidden the greater part Of the
eiane. Finally they saw his head bob
above IA biz biliow. Near him foated
$he wrcckagc bearing It's stifr. motion
sess bur,itr Tho next instant Rnyner
vanished. swept under by tremen-
Asus wave.
From the huddted group on shore
snen started forward. but Albert In.
sbnm, also OF the blue Point station.
was FIRST to plunge into the tumbling
Uses. Tearing through them, no
seached Rayner. who. just crestlng a
Aruaker, snatched at the sailor, now
0nc0usci0ns. And together these he.
rem 0f the coast hauled their man
sAssugh the rearing timbcrs and Ice to
shs beach and to safety.
Not ten minutes later tho Cromwell
Ar~Ke In pieces. From shore tho life
Snvecs saw men fall from the rigging
ase 1t them. who fell, one by one. like
saack piummets into the sen. One re-
snsauad aboard. Then he went. too
q dark form clinging to tho wrecked
sssst. now 2drift. And again Rayner
- Latham plunged into the surf.
etow. weakened by their efforts and
~ cold. they faced an even harder
tnsk The man torn from the mast
Ossssy drowned them with his fren-
~ struggling. For twenty minutes
80 uneven nght between the sailor
- the surf on one aide and the two
W~akaaed life savers on the other
Was waged. Then . great green
esnber lifted beneath them and bors
- three through the foaming sea to
- shore.
: Scr weeks Latham lay abed. ana
0ayucr never performed duty again.
subsequently commended by Wash.
1ngtoN, they considered that honor suf.
Gcksnt
SaszrSs a. tha tvuScal I(a snva. tha