The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-06-06
COOK PROVED HERO
His Deed of Bravery Deserves to
Be Recorded.
Joseph Marcio's Saving Of comrsde
Washed Overheard Proof That
Courage in Navy Is Not Con-
fined to the Fighters

Many brave things have been done
by the men of these hard-driven Amer
lean ships, and one OF them stands out
superbly, writes Ralph D. Paine in the
Saturday Evening Post It was the
rescue OF a man overheard in the
midst OF Il storm This vessel was
caught out in il while on convoy duty.
and her-Survival was little short OF a
miracle The French marines called
it the worst blow the Bay OF Biscay
had seen in eight years. Its violence
was that OF a hurricane, with q wind
velocity approaching a hundred miles
an hour, such a storm as would have
sorely pounded and damaged a great
Atlantic liner.
The ship was more or less knocked
into kindling wood, both masts broken
of and rolled out OF her, all three boats
smashed and carried away, decks gut
ted, life rails Splintered, compartments
flooded The ship was rolling % de-
grees, or almost fat on her side, and
when she plunged. more than half the
length OF her keel was in the air In
the midst OF 1t the steering gear jam
med and the ship was likely to breach
TO and founder unless ii could be clear
ed The chief Quartermaster, E H.
Robertson, volunteered for the job
and was presently washed overheard,
carried of to leeward on the back OF
roaring sea.
There was not one chance in 8 mill
lion OF saving him. He was as good as
dead. and vanished The ship was rum
ming before the storm and a quarter
OF an hour passed before she could be
brought TO, a very dangerous maBeu-i
yer. which again swept her clean The
quartermaster had not gone down, but
was visible on the lee bow, swimming
with the courage OF q man who re-
fuses TO surrender 10 the inevitable.
Lines were thrown to him, but he was
unable TO reach them Even If the
boats had not been smashed IT would
have been impossible TO launch one
A life raft was showed over, and IL
/ fOated toward Robertson so that he
/ could clutch it and hang on
This was merely TO prolong his ag-
! ony. however, for he could do nothing
more TO help himself. He had been in
the water II minutes, buffeted, strang-
! led, freezing. The month was Deem
I Der, the temperature OF the sea SO de-
grees- Among those who looked on
and pftied the exhausted man who had
made such a plucky fight OF il was the
ships cook, Joseph Marcio- His realm
OF pots and pans being wrecked and
/ awash- he turned his attention 10 this
I affair Of the drowning quaTtermaSter.
] KnOtting q line about his middle and
making no fuss about il he jumped in
| 70 the sea and swan TO Robertson. q
| veritable pOrpoiSe Of g sea cook with
q soul as big as all outdoors
The ship had some way on her and
! could not be wholly stopped It hap
/ pened, therefore, that when the cook
/ grabbed the quartermaster they were
slowly towed through the seas. The
strain was terrific and the rope nearly
cut the cook in two, but he chung TO his
man until they were fetched alongside
| and hauled aboard together.
| The QuaTtermaSter was unconscious,
and the cook also collapsed on deck.
but was thawed out with no serious
damage This Joseph Marcio was
promoted to the rating of chief COM
missary steward in recognition Of the
deed and was recommended for the
gold life-Saving medal of the navy de
partment-