Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 73, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 March 1917 — ME MADE RICH BY SEA EXPLOIT [ARTICLE]

ME MADE RICH BY SEA EXPLOIT

Three American Heroes Get $25,000 and Thanks of British Salvage Court. THEY SAVE DESERTED VESSEL Deed Is Hailed as One of the Most Courageous in British Maritime History—Stick to Seagoing Tug After Tug Quits. London. —Three American sea he'*roes sailed for home recently with $25,UOO and the formal thanks of a British salvage court as their reward for one of the most courageous exploits in British maritime history. They are Bob Fergusson of San Francisco and (Tom Welch and John Smith “of the BFT sudden lmpulse~TTTey pledged" themselves to stand by one another and the seagoing tug Vigilant of New Y'ork. Battling one of the fiercest gales "lire Atlantic werhns -known, the triorefused all aid and .brought tlmlr doughty but sadly punished cruft safe into Cardiff. Had Rough Trip at Sea. Fergusson told his story to a’United Press reporter as he. left the salvage court hearing, a man of independbnt means. “We ran into a rough patch of weather soon after leaving New York 'October 13.” he «aid.—“it made us dodge into Halifax for a day, but we reached St. John’s on the 17th. That very afternoon we sailed again, with was second otiicer. “We had dirtj’ weather from the start. But as the days passed our coal

grew lighter and we. rolled more and more. Four days this lasted. Then, 800 miles off the Irish coast, Captain Ince Wirelessed for frelp. Queenstown replied that a patrol boat was coming, but she never did find us. Meanwhile niit Aitf UH fl si-i 111ed a vessel about two miles off. She never even hesitated. “On Sunday, the 28th, we ran into the fiercest gale I have ever experienced in all my years of seafaring. Captain Ince was afraid we Would turn turtle, sfl he signaled the HollandAmerican liner Ryndam for help and gave the order to abandon ship. Gave Him the Big Laugh. “I didn’t want to quit, so I below to get volunteers to save the tug. There I found the crew dressed in their shore clothes, with life-preserv-ers under their coats. “They gave me the big laughthought I was kidding. I passed them up and went Into the engine "room. Tla ; re was Welch. getting ready to leave. "I looked him straight In the eye. ‘Welch,’ I said, ‘you told me yesterday '"WWV your chance to prove it.’ He didn’t say anything, just stuck out his hand, and we shook. Then we got Smith and the three of us told the captain we were going to stick. “The Ryndam came tumbling along. Captain Ince and the rest went off in a boat, still calling us fools, and the last we saw of the liner passengers were at her rails giving us a last cheer. _-“Welch-went down to- the engines. Smith took care of the fires and I took the bridge. We had no food; I just chewed tobacco. At last we sighted the Scotch vessel, Flying Fox, which sent us sixmen to repair a breakdown in our steering gear. After that it was comparatively easy to reach Cardiff.”

Fergusson made just a» hard a fight for his salvage. The ship’s owners wanted to give him SI,OOO and an inscribed gold watch and SSOO to each of the seamen. Fergusson replied, “nothing doing,” and fought his case in court. He received $12,500 and Welch and Smith $6,500 each.