The medals of the first class were awarded to Colonel J. Schuyler Crosby, of New York, at this date the American consul at Florence, and Carl Fosberg, a seaman belonging to the yacht Mohawk, in recognition of their extraordinary gallantry upon the occasion of the sudden sinking of that vessel in New York Harbor on the afternoon of the 20th of July, 1876. The horror which this dreadful catastrophe diffused for days through New York and its environs was only relieved by their action, which revealed some of the noblest traits of the human soul. The Mohawk was the largest and costliest of the fleet of pleasure vessels belonging to the New York Yacht Club. She was the property of Mr. William T. Garner, a wealthy merchant of New York, residing near New Brighton, Staten Island, and was sumptuously furnished and appointed. On Thursday afternoon (July 20, 1876) she lay at her anchorage in New York Bay, off Stapleton, Staten Island. At about half past three o'clock Mr. Garner arrived on board with a party of friends, consisting of Mr. Gardiner G. Howland, Mr. Louis B. Montant, Colonel J. Schuyler Crosby, Mr. Frost Thorne, together with Mrs. Garner, Miss Adele Hunter, and Miss Edith May, arrangements having been made for a sail down the bay. The day had been somewhat dark and cloudy, with occasional squalls and showers, and at the time of the company coming on board a thunder-storm was rising in the southwest, of which no other notice was taken by the guests than to retreat into the cabin from the already dropping rain. The order had been given by Mr. Garner to get under way, and under the direction of the sailing-master, Rowland, the anchor had been lifted from the bottom, but was still in the water, and all the working sails were set except the flying-jib. The neighboring craft, of which there was a number, had all taken in sail, and the men upon the decks waited to see how the Mohawk would behave in the coming squall. At that moment although there was hardly a breath on deck, a wind smote the upper sails, and the sailing-master gave orders to let go the fore-sheet, the jib-sheets, and the fore-topsail. The order had only been obeyed in respect to the fore-topsail, when the squall struck the yacht with such fury that she careened, and lurched violently to port.
There was an instant tumult of cries, and the gentlemen rushed up on deck from the cabin. In a moment the vessel was on her side with the water pouring over the rail. While she was going over, Mr. Garner and Colonel Crosby hurried back into the cabin to save the ladies. Miss May was far over on the port side as they entered, and Colonel Crosby, calling to her to get out as quickly as possible, met her half way as she came across, got her to the companion-way, where he pushed her up to Mr. Howland and Mr. Montant, and sprang back into the cabin. The bravery of this action will be realized when it is stated that the water was then pouring down the companion-way in a steady stream. To enter the filling cabin down this narrow way, in a vessel keeled over on her side and rapidly sinking, seemed certain death. This Colonel Crosby did, and with equal courage, the seaman Fosberg rushed in with him. The scene in the cabin was frightful. The rich and heavy furniture had shifted, and Mrs. Garner and Miss Hunter were caught and pinioned by it against the sideboard. Mrs. Garner was screaming and her husband was making frantic efforts to release her and her companion, by throwing off the heavy articles which held them down. In these endeavors Colonel Crosby and Carl Fosberg desperately joined, pulling away the furniture and handing it up to Mr. Montant and Mr. Howland, who threw it out on deck. The water, meanwhile, continued to pour in and the cabin rapidly filled. Although nearly submerged, the three men never stopped their perilous work while it could be continued. Their labors were, however, ineffectual, and were ended by the sinking of the vessel. It was only four minutes from the moment she capsized till she went down. Mr. Garner was drowned, clinging to his wife, whom he would not leave. Colonel Crosby and Carl Fosberg, toiling to the last second, were engulfed, and nearly lost their lives. Swallowed by the flood in the cabin, they only escaped by swimming upward, guided by the faint light shed through the water from the broken skylight. The aperture was fortunately large enough to enable them to pass through, and they reached the surface, and were picked up by one of the many boats which at once began to gather around the sunken vessel.
The yacht sank so rapidly that Miss May, after being saved by Colonel Crosby from the cabin, was again placed in the greatest danger. She had not instantly quitted the vessel, being advised to remain by Mr. Montant, who, with Mr. Howland, was engaged in throwing the cabin furniture out on deck from the companion-way. Consequently, when the vessel went down, they were all three caught between the companion-way and the furniture, which was now washed back into the cabin, and were completely covered by the rushing flood. Fortunately, Miss May had her arm outside the companion-way, which prevented her from being swept back into the cabin, and Mr. Montant, in his struggles, losing hold of her, she was enabled to swim, and with a few strokes gained the surface of the water, coming up near Mr. Howland, who supported her till they were picked up by a boat from a neighboring yacht. Mr. Montant also escaped, though unhappily he did not long survive the shock of the disaster.
The gold medals of the life-saving service have never been awarded more deservedly than in this instance. It was no common courage and humanity that impelled these two brave men to plunge within the sinking vessel, where in the half darkness, amidst the confusion of huddled furniture and rushing water, they strove for the lives of the unfortunate victims. The perfect behavior of the one in his manful efforts for his friends is matched by the action of the other in imperilling his life for strangers. Writing of him to the department, Colonel Crosby expresses a true feeling, the utterance of which adds new honor to his own conduct, in these words: "Too much cannot be said in favor of this man, who was governed simply by his own brave instincts rather than the hope of any reward. Nor did he have friendly or loyal considerations to prompt him to risk his own life, which he did by remaining to the last moment on board."
It deserves to be stated in this connection that Mr. Carl Fosberg completed his gallantry by his modesty. After the affair in which he behaved so well, he kept out of the way. When reporters sought him he hid. It was with difficulty, and after some time, that he could be found to give him the medal to which his conduct had entitled him.
The life-saving medals of the second class were bestowed upon six men who, at the risk of their own lives, saved a crew of nine persons from the wreck of the bark Tanner. This vessel, bound for Buffalo with a cargo of wheat, stranded about ten o'clock on the night of September 9, 1875, on the beach south of the harbor of Milwaukee. A severe northeast gale was prevailing, and the vessel being submerged in about 20 feet of water, her captain and crew were forced to take to the rigging, where they remained all night, with the heavy sea breaking over them. At daylight the captain jumped into the sea, and in the effort to gain the shore was drowned. The unfortunate crew remained in the utmost peril, one of the masts of the sunken vessel having fallen, and the vessel herself fast going to pieces. Their rescue was ineffectually attempted by the revenue-steamer Johnson, aided by the tug F. C. Maxon. It was finally accomplished toward noon of that day (September 10, 1875) by the following contrivance: A scow held by a long line from a steam-tug was allowed to drift down near the wreck, and a yawl-boat, similarly held to the scow, was let down still nearer. The men in the rigging then dropped one by one into the water and were picked up by those in the yawl, which was then drawn up with its burden to the scow, which in turn was drawn to shore. The six men referred to manned the yawl and scow, volunteering for this difficult and hazardous duty. Their names were Henry M. Lee, N. A. Petersen, Barnt Oleson, Anton Oleson, Henry Spark, and John McKenna. The skill and daring they displayed in the task of deliverance won hearty applause from many spectators, and fully entitled them to the recognition expressed by the medals awarded them.
The twenty-seven gold medals, mentioned in the last report as having been awarded to the crew of the life-boat of the Royal National Institution, and the twelve survivors of the crew of the Mersey Docks and Harbor Board life-boat, in recognition of their efforts to rescue the persons on board of the American ship Ellen Southard, wrecked at the mouth of the river Mersey, near Liverpool, on September 26, 1875, efforts which cost three of the life-boatmen their lives, have since been struck, and delivered to the members of the respective crews. The presentation took place on the 16th of April, 1877, at the Town Hall, in Liverpool, the proceedings being attended by a large number of corporation officials, officers of mercantile associations, the principal American merchants in Liverpool, and most of the masters of American ships in port. The deputy mayor of Liverpool presided, and the affair assumed the gratifying character of an ovation to the brave recipients of the medals, and was also the occasion for cordial and enthusiastic references, on the part of the distinguished gentlemen at the meeting, to the action of our government in the matter, which met with a suitable response from General Fairchild, the American consul at Liverpool, who was also present. The same cordial spirit appeared in the comments which the occasion elicited from the English press.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
S. I. Kimball,
General Superintendent.