Year: 1873

From the Boston Advertiser, April T. .fI j.


To look at William Hoys one would


not think him hero. But the truth is


that but for his courage and endurance


the death list ofthe Atlantic would have


been greater by scores. The writer, in


conversation with the survivors, heard


"the sailor passenger repeatedly spoken


Of as having saved many lives, and


thought it worth while TO seek him out.


A gathering of three or four intelligent


looking fellows was approached with the


fenark:1''I i am trying to find the man


they call the sailor passenger " Quick


as thought two of the men started up,


and their eyes glistened and their voices


shook as they exclaimed together, /" He


saved my life \" He saved my lifel "


The sailor passenger was soon found


BY tho assistance of these men who, in


their gratitude, were eager that his brave


deeds should be recorded. His name is
William Hoys, and he is a native of


county Antrim, ireland, although he has


been in America several years. being


employed as sailor upon our lakes. He


is about thirty-fvey years old, well built, but


not otappearing to be remarkably strong. In


conversation he shows himself to be
an uneducated but good-natured fel-


low, having strong sympathies for


bis fellow-men, but entirely unassum-
ing, and not disposed to talk of
what he had done. Why" said he, " |


saw them drowning, and thought / would


save some if | could Hoys crossed


BY the rope from the ship to the rock,


and had great difficulty in clambering


up its treacherous, slippery sides. He


saw others attempt it only to fall back


into the water and drown. The men


we're hurried on to the rope by the cap


tain, who was on the ship, and many


had not the strength to reach the rock


and were drowned on the way; others
reached it only to meet death with safety
at their fingers ends. Hoys saw all
this, and realized how much man


might do in assisting those who got
across and. although suffering greatly
with cold-he had been for hours ex
posed on the ship and had no clothes
but his shirt and pantaloons-he under
took the work himself. He lay down
upon the top of the rock and reached
over its precipitous side, and as the men
came across he caught them by their up
raised arms, their clothing, their hair
wherever he could get a hold-and
pulled them up to place where they
could stand. II was hard work, and
every time he pulled man up he took
the risk of being himself pulled down.
Thus he worked until his hands be-
came so cold and numb that they re-
fused to do further service, and then, in
stead Of aban doning his self.chosen post
ke Just reached his body further over
the dangerous side of that rock, and set
his teeth into the coats of the men and
drew himself back until they could hold
on for themselves. More than one hun
dred men did brave Bill Hoys, the sailor
passenger" lift from the death below
over that perilous way to the safety
above, and it is enough to set ones
heart a-throbbing to hear some of these
men express in their odd ways the graf.
itude they feel to their preserver. 1t
made no difference who the men were,
whether from the cabin, the steerage or
the crew, Hoys lent his strength to ell
who came, and never stopped in his
work until utterly exhausted. Hoys
thinks that more might have been saved
if the captain had not hurried the men
over the rope so fast, but believes he
acted according to his best judgment
In common with the rest of the steerage |
passengers, he complains of the fare
during the voyage. Condensed water,
be says, was almost invariably used in
cooking, and the coffee, the bread and |
the pudding (the one time it was served) |
we're SO salted that they were for the
most part thrown overheard to make the
sea salter,


JOE. KELLY AND ANNIE BELL.


Another brave fellow is Joseph Kelly, |
also an Irishman, who, like Hoys, pulled
many up from the rope to the rock. He,
too, used his teeth, when his hands be-
came useless from cold, and succeeded
in saving good many. When / saw
them drowning" said he, Il thought of
the devil, and felt as though must save
some if l could" And he did, and
showed himself, too, to be of the stuff
that heroes are made Of Kelly says
there was one girl, though, whom he
wishes be could have saved. She was an
Irish girl. and he was to care for her
when she arrived in New York. Her
father was very poor, and after her pas.
aage had been paid, in order that she
might have a little money, her father
sold his pig and gave her the proceeds,
1 paltry eight shillings. Ny GodF |
said Kelly, "if l could have saved her
/ could have got money in New York
ind Maid her beard until she could have
rot 4 situation. But she is drowned IN
her bed and l shall never see herl And
he brave, simple-hearted fellow fairly
Droke down while talking Of her. Kelly
ioins in the general complaint of bad