Salt Lake Tribune | 1908-12-13 | Page 3 | Tells How Two Men Risked Lives at Their Posts of Duty

TELLS HOW FWO MEN RISKED LIVES AT THEiR POSTS OP DUTY , ."WASHINGTON, Dec. 12. Warm praise for heroic work on the part of Engineer Wotherspoon and a French-Canadian French-Canadian diver named Micnot. aboard tho cruiser Yankee while an effort was being made to tow the vessel to New Bedlord, after she had beeu cleared off Spindle Rock., is given in a report to the navy department bv Captain Charles C. rarsh of the vessel. Captain Marsh, after reciting that the air port was found open, says: "Some time in the early morning, perhaps about. 1 o 'clock, word came up that tho air compressors had stopped. Also the news came of the open air port. The latter information was given to the engineer. IIo went below and then sent for a diver. The behavior of tnese two men cannot go by unnoticed. Tho open air port was in tho stale room om berth deck, starboard side, next to the air compressors. Mr. Wotherspoon went into the stateroom and shut the door. He then tried to close the air port, got one dog partly in place, and I then hung up his lantern so as to use both Viands. The light was blown out and he was left in total darkness. "The prcssuro against tho port was too great for him and lio found himself ,in water up to his neck iu this closed stateroom. Fortunately tho pressuro eventually carried away the door and ho was thrown out and onto the berth deck. In the meantime a Frcnch-Canad-! ian diver named IMicnot put on his div- iug suit and in darkness went down into j a sinking ship to lend his hand at clos-! clos-! ing the air port. The diving pump was j tended by Mr. Wotherspoon and ono of the company, whose narao at this time I dou 't remember. For devotion to their work and for courage, I know nothing better than these actions. Again word was. brought to me that not only were tho air compressors stopped, but that water through tho air port had gouo into the lire room, extinguishing the fires in our boiler and hence all pumps were stopped." The ship later sank. She now rests upright iu fortv-fivo feet of water.