Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 June 1890 — Noble Unselfishness. [ARTICLE]

Noble Unselfishness.

On the 27th of December, 1885, one <of the American line of steamers—the Lord Goueh —while on its way from Liverpool to Philadelphia, sighted a Gloucester ■ fishing schooner in distress. The wind was blowing a gale, and the schooner, almost disabled, and with three or four of her crew already washed into the ocean,' was flying the signal for help. Captain of the steamship saw the fearful peril which a rescuing party! must encounter, but his' call for velum-! teers was promptly answered by the. mate and a crew of brave men, and preparations were made for the desperate trip.! To the astonishment of all, while the' boat was being lowered, the flag of di«-j tress on the schooner’s mast was hauled, down. Perplexed at this movement, the hardy rescuers hesitated, but it was! •ifinally decided that the boat should go. With great difficulty the schooner was trenched, and upon her deck were found .twelve men utterly without hope except • from outside aid. It was necsssary to •make two trips, and the bold sailors of the Lor I Gough took half the suffering .men and toiled through the wild waters to their own ship, returning as soon as possible for the others. When all were safe onboard the steamer,. Captain Huges asked toe schooner’s master, Captain George W. Pendleton, why he bad lowered the distress flag. The reply was: “We saw th*t you were preparing to make an effort fco save us, but we saw, also, that it wat a sea in which it was ▼ery doubtful whether a boat would live. I said, then, to my men, ‘Shall we let those brave fellows risk their lives to save ours?’ .and they answered, ‘.No!’ Then I hauled down the flag.” The story is a noble.one on both sides. The men on the schooner were worth savin ', st all hazards,,and the men on the steamer were worthy to save them.