The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-07-28

and the killing heat Penn dashed into the room
and lifting the coal passer staggered 10 sa1ey
with him. the scaldng water above his ankles
ignoring the frightful pain of his scaded' s"o-
len feet this second-class fireman dashed back
info the hell from which he had just dragged one
victim and saved another life.
Keefer meanwhile busy saving the snip
from destruction, or at least from the ellecls "i
q terrific explosion, for the water escaping from
the boiler would soon leave so little there th'l IL
would be entirely converted into steam ana the
pressure would wreck It.
Dashing through the binding, torturins steam
Eeefer the coppersmith, hauled the fires from
under the two nbOard furnaces. Meah"ille'
Penn having gotten every one out Oh tHe me
room had turned on the extra feed pump III inc
after fire hold to keep water In the boilers anu
built a bridge to the furnaces out OF plankS Iad
on ton of ash buckets While Passed Assistant
Engineer Stockney held the plank in place Penn
houIod the two remaining fires before he was car
r1ed to the sick bay where his terribly scaded
feet treated.
Both Penn and Keefer received the Medal OF
Honor for their acts. That 1t Is only eAtraor-
binary bravery which merits the medal accounts
for the fact that Fireman Smith did not win the
bronze for the same days work. In helping
Keefer he had both legs badly burned, Dut ihe
opportunity did not offer itself to display the
same supercourage which Keefer and Penn e&-
hibited
some of the most stirring medal stories arc
those of the Indian campaigns For instance
there was Corporal Paul H. Weincrt, who eXpect-
cd TO be cOurt-martialed for what he did at the
battle of Wounded Knee, but instead had the
Medal of Honor pinned to his breast
Another Indian fighter to win the covered
bronze was Sergt. Bernard Taylor of the Fifth
cavalry engaged In hghtlng the Ai'acheS III an
IONA in 1874. 49,,
Some of the most distinguished men III the
army have worn the medal Lieut.. Gen. Nelson
A. Miles won 1t for continually exposing hinSel
TO the fire of the enemy as colonel OF the olA.S
first New York volunteers in the civil war lor
no other purpose than to encourage MS men ny
the example.
At Fair Oaks Gen. William R. Shafter was
wounded but when d surgeon was seen approach
ing he climbed tree in order not 10 De sent ~
the rear After the surgeon passed Smarter cui'e
down and continued to Tight until ne ieii unoon
sciOus from loss Of blood
Those who remember General Shafter only az
he was IN the Cuban campaign will wonder no"
he got into the tree, but a man can put on Il io
of weight in thirty-odd years
Cen Francis D. Baldwin the medal while
first lieutenant in the Fifth infantry. win t"'
companies under him he rescued two Wmte slrR
from Indians at McCennan's Creek. Tex. IN NO
vember 1874 ,
Although not so well-knOwn rs the Nlctori'
Cross. the Iron Cross the Medaille Mitalre
the Congressional Medal of Honor is much NOR
difficult to attain. 1t is distributed to very rev
persons and then only after sweeping lnvestlga
ton Of the circumstances surrounding tne "C' Az
which 1t Is recommended.
The Medal Of Honor authorized D! cor
gress by an act Of July II, 1862. Inc stf1kihg
1000 medals ordered, TO be conferred uPo
nriyates and non commissioned officers for acls
bravery surprising those usually demanded
soldiers One thousand of these medals Wer
ipOlo the
Maine regiment which volunteered to remain
service on the eve Of the Battle OF GettySour
although their terms had expired. This is tn
only case of a wholesale Distribution OIL u
medal and has been severely criticized
There are slight variations In the medals
dosicnod for tbe army the navy and the marine
The army's medal, as modified In 1900, IS nv
nointed star with the trefois on the ups II
star Is superimposed on wreath. In the ceht
of the star is the head of Minerva, surrounded
the words United States Of America. IL
,nada1 IS uspended from trophy representa-
an eaglp N q bar with the word "Nalor. Al
whole is suspended from ribbon
2. Tho ORIGINAL medal bore In the center OF q
star figure Of America clad as Minerva II
left hand rested upon the fasces and with d shie
i in her right she repealed Discord banu Oh sur
c,rcIed the figures The trophy was an eai
t rercbed on two crossed cannons and NUMBER
q cannon balls suspended from red "hlte d
j. blue ribbon.
e The medal as presented 10 the marines To-Day
practically like the original medal. except that
Is Joined to the ribbon by an anchor ana the I
|. bon is worn around the neck
4 The navy receives medal similar 10 II
- .vordad 70 marines but worn pinned to the bre
! susnended from metal bar by short ribbon
d The medal is worn only on special parade
st ceremonies with the dress uniforn.-New II
q Herald.