El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-01-12

I blowing and the seas were mountain
Gus. Finally a big comber overturned
the boat, splitting the men out. Five
OF them got back to her. including
Mckinley. and held on, as she floated
bottom up.
The remaining three came to the
surface so far away that the best
they could do was to swim ashore.
Mckinley and his four companions
chung to the bilge strips and propeller
blades. but they could not right the
boat. Constantly they we're buried
under water Two of them. friends
and comrades from boyhood, were
John Mathis and Adelbert Robins.
When It seemed that all must perish.
Robins said: IF one Of US has to die.
I'd rather II should be me than John
He has a wife and children
At last Mckinley. his senses be-
numbed, was torn away from the
boat and struck out for land: the 9TH
ers soon followed BY a miracle all
reached shallow water, and were
dragged out by the men from Avalon.
to be dried and warmed at rousing
fire.
All OF this happened early in the
morning By 2 D. m the wind had
moderated. and the surf ran less high
The surfboat was fetched from Ava
len, and all the men of both crews
wanted to make another try. It was
decided chat the two keepers and three
men from each station should 20. one
OF the fine fellows from Tathams. who
already had escaped drowning so mar
rowly. broke down and cried when
told that he could not take part in the
expedition
This time they got to the tug. on
which were ten despairing men. look
ing out OF the windows Of the pilot
house. Just when a line had been
made fast the lifeboat was struck
broadside by a succession of seas and
five of the eight oars were carried
away and lost. Nevertheless. the ten
shlpwrecked mariners tumbled aboard.
and the boat. with the three remain
ing oars, backed away, reaching the
shore safely with all IS men
on getting to land. the tugs cook,
a huge negro, dropped to his knees
on the sand and offered thanks TO the
Lord for his deliverance. while the
little darky mess boy expressed his
feelings by executing a barefoot dou-
ble-shuffle on the cold beach
A hero OF many noteworthy ex-
ploits IS Capt. Jack Clark, keeper of
the Fort Point station. just outside OF
the Golden Gate. Though still a young
man, his record as a life saver is I'M
beaten by any other member Of the
corps.
The HanaIeI Incident.
When the steamer Hanalei broke up
on Point Bolinas reef. Is miles north
OF san Francisco. on a chilly Novem-
Der day in 1914, % OF her Sc passen-
gers and crew were drowned. Clark
and his men. in a power lifeboat. re-
sponded to a wireless IS. o. s" and
found waves 80 feet high breaking
over the wreck.
While the boat was making for the
lee OF the vessel, a huge wave caught
and threw her end over end Clark
Tin the stern with the steering oar)
was hurled so feet through the air,
like a stone from a sling. Three of
his men were also thrown out. Two
Of them managed to regain the boat.
while the third found temporary
safety on the wreck
Clark was swept into the inshore
breakers where his half drowned
crew dare not venture. Calling TO his
men to seek safety for themselves by
beach. If he could get there. he
thought he could phone to san Fran I
cisco for reinforcements-
Twice. swept shoreward or beyond
the wreck he came so close TO the !
Hanalei that he could have reached !
the ladder. But he had made up his /
mind to gain the rocky beach. and. /
after keeping up the struggle for /
three hours, he was finally dragged I
ashore By friendly hands.
before long nelp from san iran !
cisco was at hand, and the people re-
on the wreck were saved. /
The government gave Clark a gold |
medal, with a written document prais- |
ing him for extreme and heroic dar-
ing
At7p. m. on a day late in October,
the three-masted schooner Sophia
lIinch arrived off the harbOr Of Cleve- (
land with a cargo OF iron ore. Her
rudder being disabled. she anchored ]
and signaled for help. Two tugs came /
out with a life saving crew. who /
gained the vessels deck at great risk, !
the wind blowing a fearful gale.
The tugs were obliged 10 run for i
safety behind the breakwater. while /
the schooner was dragging toward the 4
rocky shore. heavy seas breaking I
clear over her. It was decided TO scut- !
tie her and let her sink to the sandy /
bottom. the water being OF no great 1
depth, in order that she might not be /
smashed TO pieces on the rocks This I
was accomplished by boring auger /
holes in her as she lay with her deck 1
just awash, the men taking to the rig |
ging-
Two OF the station crew. on shore /
called for volunteers. The beach gear /
was dragged to a point abreast OF the I
sunl1en craft; line was shot over her I
and the breaches buoy was rugged. BY 4
this means all the men were taken I
off. except surfman Hatch Cin the /
fore rigging and two others. the
mate Of the schooner and another
surfman, in the mizzen rigging. Inas-
much as the line that carried the