(p. 451)
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
Am