Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-05-31
COOK PROVED HERO
His Deed of Bravery Deserves to
Be Recorded.
Joseph Marcio's Saving of Comrade
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 a storm. This vessel was
caught out in it 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 a 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
off and rolled out of her, all three boats
smashed and carried away, decks gut
ted, life rails splintered, compartments
flooded. The ship was rolling 80 de-
grees, or almost fiat on her side, and
when she plunged, more than half the
length of her keel was in the air. In
the midst Of it the steering gear JAM
med and the ship was likely to broach
to and founder unless it could be clear
ed. The chief quartermaster, E. 81.
Robertson, volunteered for the job
and was presently washed overheard,
carried off to leeward on the back OF
q roaring sea.
There was not one chance in a mil
lion of saving him. He was as good as
dead. and vanished. The ship was run
ming before the storm and a quarter
of an hour passed before she could be
brought to, very dangerous maneu-
yer, which again swept her clean. The
quartermaster had not gone down, but
was visible on the lee bow, swimming
with the courage of man who re.
fuses to surrender to 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
f1oated toward Robertson so that HI
could Glitch 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 il
the water II minutes, buffeted, strang
| led, freezing. The month was Decem
| Der, the temperature of the sea SO de
| grees. Among those who looked OF
and pitied the exhausted man who hat
made such plucky fight of it was tn
ships cook, Joseph Marcio. His realn
of pots and pans being wrecked an
awash, he turned his attention to thi
affair of the drowning quartermastel
| Knotting a line about his middle an
making no fuss about it he jumped in
to the sea and swan to Robertson,
veritable porpoise of a sea cook wit
soul as big as all outdoors.
The ship had some way on her an
could not be wholly stopped. 1t haI
pened, therefore, that when the coo
grabbed the quartermaster they wer
slowly towed through the seas. TIL
strain was terrific and the rope nearl
cut the cook in two, but he clung to hi
man until they were fetched alongsid
and hauled aboard together.
The quartermaster was unconsciou
and the cook also collapsed on decl
but was thawed out with no seriou
damage. This Joseph Marcio wa
promoted to the rating of chief con
missary steward in recognition Of tn
deed and was recommended for til
gold life-saving medal of the navy d.
partment.
What Every Dramatic Critic Knows
No matter how strong the assurano
of his editor that he may go as far 6