Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-26

hh are usually SlIteo WITH an VII.
IVv usual amount of 'fortttude.
1 u and the annual report OF Rear
Admiral F. &. Billiard, COM
mandant of the United States Coast
Guard. to the Secretary of the Treas
ury shows that the men Of the service
possess real courage.
Within recent years many persons
have come to regard the Coast GuaIos-
rlen as prohibition agents OF the sea
with all the alleged vices OF the lano
forces of dry America and none OF the
virtues of seagoing men 10 thoSe tne
report will no doubt be revelation.
In it's concisely worded pages it unfolds
many stories of bravery and Self-Sacri-
fice on the part of Coast GuardSmen.
Early in December. 1927, terrific
storm swept the Atlantic coast. The
storm made Cape Hatteras. known as
the graveyard of the sea-" more
treaeherous than ever. Into the boil
ing rushing. storm-swept waters off the
cape drifted the Greek steamer Para
quay. The Greek merchantmen was
leaking badly fore and aft. her fires
had been put out by the niigc water
and she was helpless in the trough Of
the sea. She finally beaclled 3 miles
north Of Kill Devil Hills station of the
Coast Guard. and 70 the men of that
station and to the men from the Mays
Head and Kitty Hawk stations fell the
task of getting the crew Of "a men
from the wrecked vessel.
While the Coast GuardSmen were
getting to the wreck the Paraguay
broke in half and the crew huddled on
the forepeak. resigned to their fate and
unaware that the Coast GUardSnen
were making almost superhurlan efforts
TO save them.
To get the necessary live-Saving zap
paratus TO a point on the shore nearest
the wrecked Paraguay required every
ounce Of strength and endurance the
men could summon. They were forced
to drag their equipment over the sea-
swept beaches in binding snowstorm,
never knowing when an unusually large
''conlber" would catch them and carry
them all to their deaths in the raging
sea. After the hardest kind OF work
the equipment was in place and a line
shot to the wrecked steamer.
The rope fell across the huddled fig
ures on the forward deck Of the Para
quay 1T was like a hand from
Heaven" according to Capt. Kantanlos.
commander OF the Paraguay.
Despite the terrific wind and snow
storm. one of the steamers crew
climbed aloft on the still erect mast and
made fast the line that was to carry
them ashore in the breeches buoy. One
by one the men Of the Paraguay's crew
were brought ashore and given succor
By the Coast Guardsmen. An idea of
the intensity Of the storm may be had
when it is learned that 80 men were
required to pull the breeches buoy. con-
tanning one man. from the wrecked ship
to the shore, distance OF about 800
yards.
The last man had just been brought
from the Paraguay and was being given
when the forward part Of the steamer
sank out o! sight. Capt. Kantanlos
slowly and reverently crossed himself
and. turning to the Coast Guardsmen.
said: 1T was only by a miracle that
you saved U.S.
The captain later forwarded a letter
70 the Greek government in which he
outlined the rescue and asked that thu
men Of the Coast Guard be fittingly
rewarded.
DURING that same storm and on the
same day, December 4. the Nor
wegian steamer Cibao stranded on Hat
teras Inlet Bar, placing her crew of "a
II imminent peril Of death To the
Coast Guard stations at Ocracoke, Cape
Hatteras and Greek Hill fel: the task OF
rescuing the steamers crew.
AT $50 am. 20 minutes after the
steamer grounded the crew OF the
Ocracoke station had manned their
power boat and we're On the way TO
tr. wrecked vessel When that little
hand Of Coast Guardsmen arrived at
the scene Of the wreck they found that
their ship would not live long in the
big seas that were sweeping over the
Cibao and they we're forced 70 put back
70 the station. They picked up their
self-baling surfboat and started again
FOR the wreck
Men from the other stations had ar
rived in the meantime and the COM
b:.ed forces began the work Of rescuing
the Caibo's crew. Part OF the Coast
Guard crews manned the surfboat.
which was towed to the shoals by the
power boat. From that point on, the
work Of rescuins was done by the men
In The surfboat. They worked the little
beat as close TO the wrecked steamer as
possible saouting across the intervening
space Of angry water for the imported
fr1en IT. don life belts and Jump over