He was a young gentleman returning from a musical festival, at York. He fell into New Holland harbour; some said he was in a state of intoxication. I swam to his assistance and soon saved him. He was very ill, and I believe a doctor was fetched from Barrow. When I returned, next morning, he had gone, but had left me sixpence with which to get a glass of rum, which I hastily swallowed. My captain was provoked by (what he thought) this man's niggardly gift, and said, 'John, why did you drink it? I would have given you a glass of rum without your being indebted to him.' I am told that this gentleman is often in Hull; if he is, I am sorry he has never had gratitude enough to give me a call. I saved his life and he must know it. I may add that a man who could not swim, jumped overboard to rescue this gentleman, and I had almost as much trouble in saving him as I had in saving Leeson. Witnesses—James Oswald, James Sorry.
Sixteenth.—JOSEPH CRABTREE. (1834.)
At this time I belonged to the 'Magna Charter' steamer, and was watchman for the night. When I went on board I was not quite sober, and I lay down on the forecastle. After a while I thought I heard something fall overboard, when I ran on to the deck, but could not see anything. I listened with bated breath, but not a sound could I hear; at length I shouted, but there was no answer. A plank had been put from the 'Ann Scarborough,' into our 'Taffelrail,' and as this plank had fallen down, I thought it was its fall I had heard and nothing else. I got a boat hook and pulled the plank on board our vessel. But after a few moments I thought I heard something stir, and on taking a light I saw Crabtree, who was engineer of the 'Ann Scarborough,' stuck in the mud, for the vessels were dry. I put down a ladder and went to help him, but he was so fast in the mud that I could do nothing with him. So I ran to Lawson's tap-room and got, I think, Robert Hollowman and two other men, to help to get C. out of the mud. He was dead drunk, but we soon got him ashore, gave him some brandy, and he was very little worse. The case was kept a profound secret at the time, and for this reason—Crabtree was afraid that if his master should get to know of the affair, he would lose his situation, and as we all thought the same, we promised not to tell any one of it.
Seventeenth.—WILSON.* (1835.)
This boy fell into the Humber Dock basin, and sank between the 'Calder' steamer and the wall. It was about three o'clock one Sabbath afternoon, and hundreds of people were passing to and fro in search of pleasure. I was one hundred yards from the boy when the alarm was given, but I ran as fast as I could, and when I got to the spot, I found great difficulty in getting near because of the press of the people who were anxious to see the drowning youth. Some one said, 'He went down just here,' and in I went, but I had a task to find him because of the thickness of the water. At last I saw him, and brought him up on one side of the packet, and caught hold of the paddle-wheels, when the people, who crowded the deck, rushed to see us, and gave the packet such a 'lurch over' that we were again dipped overhead in the water. I was never nearer being drowned than at this moment; but 'mercy to my rescue flew,' for the captain, who had been asleep in the cabin, rushed on deck, and seeing our peril, called out, 'You are drowning them,' and got them to stand on the other side of the vessel, which lifted us right out of the water. A man then came into the paddle-wheel and took us both out. I was then completely exhausted and quite insensible. When I came to myself I was in the watch-house of the Humber Dock Company, and a doctor was watching over me and administering suitable medical treatment. I cannot tell how long I was in this state, but I had all my clothes pulled or cut off, and I was dangerously ill for several days. The boy was thought to be worse than I was, and in his case they used the Royal Humane Society's apparatus for restoring animation to drowning persons. He soon recovered, but who he was or where he came from I never knew. I remember the doctor told me his name was Wilson. This was regarded by the public as an act of great skill and bravery, and was much talked of at the time. Mrs. Daniel Sykes sent me, through the medium of the editor of the Rockingham newspaper, £1 10s., and I think one of the clubs subscribed threepence. Witnesses—Isaac Johnson, S. Bromley.
Eighteenth.—SARAH HARLAND.* (1835.)
Mrs. H. was a person of great strength and bulk of frame, weighing fourteen stones; she fell from the pier into the water. Our packet had just arrived from New Holland, and I was forward making the ... rope fast, when our engineer called out 'Jack, Jack, there is a woman overboard.' He ran aft as fast as he could, and when he got there, he saw me overboard. He often used to say, 'I don't know how that little fellow got past me, for I ran as fast as I could, and yet when I got there he was overboard.' I seized this woman with a firm grip, and bore her to the pier, amid the applause of crowds of people who witnessed the whole occurrence. Some of them said I swam as fast with this big woman in my arms as I did when I went towards her; this I think was impossible, seeing I was but a little man, and that she was such a big heavy woman. Isaac Whittaker, Esq., who saw me rescue her, gave me half-a-crown to get some grog with. But what pleased me far better was, the gratitude of Mrs. H. She resided, if I remember rightly, in Blanket Row, and on going to see her, next morning, I found her ill in bed. She seemed full of gratitude, and that gave me great pleasure. I have often seen her since, and she always acknowledges me as saving her life. Witness—Robert Todd.
Nineteenth.—ROBERT BROWN.* (1835.)
He was a sailor, from North Shields, and fell overboard, near the Victoria Hotel, Hull, while on watch. It was the first night of Dacrow's Circus appearing in Hull, and Brown's mates had gone ashore, either to see the performance inside, or to hear the music in the streets. I was watchman that night on board the 'Magna Charter' steamer. A heavy gale was blowing from the north, accompanied with sleet storms. While closing the cabin door for the night, I heard a splash, and running aft, I called out, 'Is anyone overboard?' But there was no answer, for the pier was deserted, the people having thronged to the circus. I could not see anything; but at last I thought I heard a voice, and plunging into the water, I soon found poor Brown; indeed he seized me before I was aware of him, and got upon me in such a way that I could not swim, and, I must confess, I was in a great passion. At length I got one arm at liberty, and made for the shore. I turned round and round a great many times, and, at last, after a desperate struggle, which I shall never forget, we reached the steps at the end of the pier. Brown took hold of the rail, walked up the steps, and seemed as if he didn't care about me; I was quite exhausted, and had to hold by the railings for several minutes before I could recover my breath. I then sat down on one of the steps and felt very ill, and I thought I should have died on the spot. I remember seeing the lights, and hearing the music from the shore, but there was no one near to render me any help. Bye-and-bye I recovered a little and crept to the top of the steps, where I found poor Brown, crying most piteously. Two men, Joseph Crabtree and John Young, came from Lawson's tap-room, and I asked them to get some drink for the youth, who was in a distressing state, and I would pay for it. They then took him to Mr. Lawson's, while I tried to make my way home; but scarcely had I started, when a great trouble stared me in the face, it was this: Around the circus were thousands of people, and I thought,—what shall I do? I cannot get through that crowd, and if I once fall, I shall never get up again, and I felt that I had not strength to walk round the other way, and I didn't know what to do. However, I had not gone far when, who should I meet, but Joseph Spyby, our engineer. I said, 'O Joe, do help me home, do; I have been overboard saving a young man, and I can scarcely stand. I feel very bad.' He replied, 'Yes, thou has to be drowned, and the sooner the better. There never was such a fool as thou art. Does thou think anybody but theeself would jump overboard a night like this? No! there is not another such a fool in England!' Now, Joe was a kind-hearted, humane man, and the first to help a poor fellow in distress; but such was the way in which he expressed himself as he helped me along the street that terrible night. He took hold of me and got me through the crowd as well as he could. We went to the Humber Tavern, where I got a glass of brandy, and then Spyby took me home. I got a change of raiment and a little rest, and strange to say, I soon felt well again. For this case I received the Royal Humane Society's silver medal, with their thanks on vellum. The case created considerable excitement in Hull, and the late Mr. Loft (father of our late mayor), offered to become one of twelve persons to allow me £2 per week to walk round the pier and docks, so as to be ready to rescue any who might fall into the water. Witness—Robert Todd.