The Potteries Examiner : — 1872-07-27 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

ROLL OF THE BRAVE.  At the last meeting of the Royal Humane Society, many cases in which persons were in imminent risk of losing their livee by drowning, but were saved by the gallantry of others, were brought under the notice of the society and rewarded. The silver medallion was unanimously voted to James Dowdney for saving Arthur Steele, who fell overboard at sea in lat. 1 lON., long. 219 15W. It was known at the time that the man could not swim, and though the vessel from which he fell was proceeding at the rate of seven knots an hour, Dowdney immediately jumped into the sea to his rescue. Previously to that some lifebuoys had been thrown overboard to the drowning man, but he had been swept past them, and had sunk more than once, when Dowdney succeeded in reaching him, pushing one of the life-buoys before him, with which he managed to support Steele for about a quarter of an hour, until the ship's way could be stopped, and a boat put off to their assistance. Both men were much exhausted, and had hardly been taken on board when two sharks were observed swimming round the vessel. The silver medallion was also given to Mr. A. R. Margery, of her Britannic Majesty's Consular Service, and Mr. J Dodd, for saving the lives of several men who were wrecked during the raging of a typhoon which burst upon the coast of the island of Formosa on the night of the 9th of August, 1871, causing frightful havoc among the shipping, three vessels being totally destroyed—the Westward Ho, British barque manned by 12 Malays ; the Fmneh htsrqe Adele, with a crew of 15 Europeans; and the British schooner Anne, with a crew of seven Englishmen. The whole of the crews were saved by Mr. Margery and Mr. Dodd, aided by a few Europeans, all of whom were more or less injured by the washing of the wreckage ashore during several hours of incessant labour. The silver medallion was also given to John Nevin for saving George Peck, a lad who fell overboard at sea off the Cape of Good Hope on the Ist of May last. At the time of the occurrenoe the ship was under all studding sails, and a life.bouy having been thrown overboard to the drowning lad, whit* he failed to catch, Nevin, hearing the cry "A boy overboard ! " got out of bed, rushed to the stern of the ship, and plunged Cu to the assistance. He succeeded in getting him, though much exhausted, to the life-buoy, but had great difficulty, owing to the boy having sea boots on and being also heavily dressed, in keeping his head above water. Before the ship could be ronnded.to and a boat sent to their assistanee about half an hour had elapsed, and they were about a mile distant. The bronze medallion was awarded to George Smithers, and a testimonal inscribed on vellum to John Hastings for saving Charles Sharham, who wee carried out to sea while bathing at Brighton; the Bronx° medal to Charles E. Fry for saving William Howell, who fell overboard at sea; to Peter Lambert for saving Henry Enrstmann, who fell overboard into 16ft, of water in Port Adelaide in March last; to John Crowley for trying, but without success, to save three boys, who fell through the ice in a claypit, with 12f I. of water, at Polesworth, Warwickshire, in November last; to Thomas Bowling for rescuing a woman who fell into the river Thames, off Blackwell; to H. J. S. da Quintanhils, for saving Alice Wilson, who fell into the Lymington Creek, Hants, on the 18th ult.; to Henry Emanuel, for saving Joseph Bull, who sank while bathing in the river Thames, at Surbiton, on the 19th ult.; to Richard Hayden, for saving Thomas Waldron, who sank while bathing in the Grand Canal, Dublin, on the 20th ult.; and to John Rogers, for saving John Slattery, who attempted suicide by jumping into the river Suir, Clonmel. Testimonials inscribed on parchment were also given to Thomas Joice for saving F. J. Martin, who sank while bathing at Great Yarmouth; to Elise Rogers, for saving John Gibbon, who fell into the water at Dublin; to Robert Watts, for saving George Woodbridge, who was capsized from a beat in Ipswich Dock; to Albert G. Baker, for saving H. E. Schulkins, who fell into the water at Portsmouth; to F. W. Smith, for saving Amy Mayo, who fell into 15ft. of water at Falmouth; and to Thomas; Holdeworth, a boy 12 years of age, for saving a child who fell into the canal at Chesterfield. Several pecuniary rewards were also awarded, and the proceedings closed with a vote of thanks to the chairman (Mr. J. M. Case) for presiding.