Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1914-02-13

means the life-Saving stations al Cane
Disappointment and Point Adams.
The operator at North Head was also
beseeched to notify the Cape Disap-
pointment people. The telephone
wires were out of order. The agent
of the tugboat company finally got
message to Point Adams, but could
offer no information as to the scene
of the wreck Since the ship had not
been able to see the beacon through
the storm the surfmen, of course.
could not hear a shout from the break
ers of Peacock split.
1t was nine O'Clock, nearly four
hours after the stranding of the
steamer, that the surfman keeping the
watch from Cape Disappointment
lookout tower telephoned his chief at
the main station, a quarter of mile
away, that there was a ship IN the
breakers off Mckenzie head.
A furious gale had risen. The crew,
rounding the cape, had to fight both
storm and rising tide, so they turned
back toward a cutoff on a nearby
island. Here, too, the tide met them
Then the keeper spied a tug being
towed over the bar and asked to be
taken to the wreck. There was
sharp refusal So the crew renewed
it's efforts singly. 1t was man and
mans humanity that gave them
strength to struggle to reach the
wreck 1t was useless. The crew
grew exhausted. And it was more fight
ing to get back to the station to wait
for low tide. Noon had come when
they arrived. disheartened only as
men who spend their lives in the bust
ness of saving other mems lives can
be when they fail.
Keeper Wicklund at Point Adams
after receiving the word early in the
morning, had commanded all his men
to get ready for sea. With the tug
Tatoosh q thorough search over the
bar was made, but the yesse! was hid
den from their view and not the trace
of mast could be seen.
Upon their return Fort Stevens tele-
phoned that the Rosecrans had ground
ed on Peacock spit. Keeper Wick
lund left for Cape disappointment
station, where he tried again to reach
the ship whose three survivors could
now be seen hanging to the rigging
but found il impossible.
Captain Rimer met him as he pulled
in shore Desperate now and deter
mined to save those three men cling
ing to the mast that swayed like
willow in the wind, the two chiefs
manned their boats and started back
the gale tearing like fury.
The Cape disappointment boat
Tenacious reached the wreck first.
but got herself into trouble by it, and
it was the Point Adams crew that sig
nailed to the half-dead men aloft TO
Jump. BY continued circling the boat
got pretty close to the ruined Rose
Grams. The men on the mast were
afraid to leave it. The rescuers kept
circling closer, when, without warning.
sea piled over their boat, It was
overturned and four of the crew aad
the keeper shot into the water, wheft
they chung to the wreckage until the
others. who had sat tight while tne
boat made the dive, managed to ger
all but one back.
The crews of the tugs which dio
so much to help in the disaster tha'
claimed the lives of SO men were deep.
ly appreciated by the department ana
letters of thanks we're written them y
the secretary of the treasury.
Every member of the two lie say
ing crews has been awarded the high'
est sign of praise within the province
of the service-a gold medal that -
only given in exceptional cases ~
heroism in saving life along ~
shore