Aug. 16.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1529

Awards of the Royal Humane Society of New Zealand.

Colonial Secretary’s Office,
Wellington, 8th August, 1900.

THE following list of awards of the Royal Humane Society of New Zealand for the period ended 30th June, 1900, is published for general information.

J. G. WARD.

ACTS OF GALLANTRY FOR WHICH MEDALS, CERTIFICATES OF MERIT, AND LETTERS OF COMMENDATION HAVE BEEN AWARDED BY THE SOCIETY UP TO 30TH JUNE, 1900.

1/2.—DOUGLAS STEWART and J. PAVITT, aged respectively twenty-three and twenty-two, both of Christchurch, on the 5th March, 1899, rescued Frederick Hall (twenty-two) and Leonard Spencer (twenty-one) from a capsized boat in Governor’s Bay. Messrs. Stewart and Pavitt acted with commendable pluck and promptitude. Letter of commendation.

3.—COLIN HERBERT FLAVELL, aged twenty-eight years, mercantile clerk, of Christchurch, on the 7th November, 1899, rescued Alan Schott, umbrella-maker, from drowning at Sumner. Schott went beyond the breakers in a flat-bottomed boat; the boat capsized. Mr. Flavell waded out into the breakers and recovered Schott, who was unconscious. Letter of commendation.

4.—CHARLES JACOBSEN, aged twelve years, schoolboy, residing at Takawau, Nelson, at personal risk gallantly attempted to rescue Edward Moulder, aged eight years, from drowning in the Takaka River, on the 6th February, 1899. Moulder was snaring wood during a flood in the river, and, having secured a log as it was passing, the rope he was using got round his leg, and he was swept off into the strong current. Jacobsen immediately jumped into the water, and, after a vain but gallant attempt to save him, his own life was, with difficulty, saved by means of a rope from the shore. Certificate on vellum.

5.—WILLIAM SINCLAIR, labourer, aged thirty-two years, residing at Lyttelton, rescued Cyril Owen, aged nine years, from drowning in the harbour on the 12th February, 1899. Seeing the boy in deep water in the vicinity of the yacht jetty, and hearing the cries of bystanders, he ran along the shore and took the water close to the jetty, swam out to the boy, but before he could reach him the lad had sunk in about 10 ft. of water. Sinclair dove and secured Owen and brought him ashore. Sinclair on several previous occasions was instrumental in saving lives, having on one occasion received the bronze medal of the Royal Humane Society of Australasia. Letter of commendation.

6.—DAVID JOSEPH REARDON, aged twenty-three years, storekeeper, residing at Ballance, at very great personal risk rescued Joseph Sararu from drowning in the Mangahao River on the 26th June, 1899. The facts are briefly that on the date above named a settler named Heard, driving a horse with an empty dray, accompanied by his servant Sararu, was crossing the Mangahao River, when one of those phenomenal rises in the river occurred, upsetting the dray and drowning Mr. Heard. Sararu was washed a few chains down the river and got on some logs of drift-wood; with the river rising his position was one of extreme danger. Mr. Reardon at once took in the position and plunged into the water, breasted the raging flood, and succeeded in swimming out to Sararu with a rope, by means of which, after some trouble, the man was dragged ashore. Mr. Reardon was then carried down the stream some 4 chains, when a rope was thrown to him, which he secured, and he was dragged ashore in a very exhausted state. Silver medal.

7.—THOMAS FREDERICK LOGAN, aged fifteen years, schoolboy, residing at Pahiatua, rescued at great personal risk, on the 13th June, 1899, Augustus Goodwin, aged three years and a half. The child Goodwin fell down a well about 40 ft. in depth, in which was 4 ft. 6 in. of water. Logan, without hesitation, slid down a rope and found the child in the water under the lid of the well and quite unconscious. Logan kept the boy out of the water, holding the rope with one hand and child with the other until help arrived, when, with his burden, he was drawn to the surface in a very exhausted state. Bronze medal.

8.—Constable SAMUEL THOMPSON, stationed at Auckland, aged twenty-eight years, at great personal risk rescued from drowning David Kennedy, aged fifty-nine years, in Auckland Harbour, on the 5th May, 1899. Divesting himself of his coat only and jumping off the Queen Street Wharf, he swam about 22 yards and picked up the struggling man, keeping his head above water until a young man named Bradury procured a boat. The morning was dark (5 a.m.). Bronze medal.

9.—Constable WILLIAM DUNCAN LUKE, aged twenty-nine years, stationed at Wellington, on 7th October, 1899, at personal risk, rescued James Cashman, aged seventeen years, from drowning at the wharf, Wellington. Cashman, whilst in a fit, fell over the edge of the wharf; Constable Luke, who was on duty near by, at once sprang into the water without waiting to divest himself of any clothing, took hold of the lad (now unconscious) and brought him to the surface, holding him up till the arrival of a boat, when both were landed in safety. Certificate on vellum.

10.—Constable THOMAS RYAN, aged thirty-five years, stationed at Wellington, at personal risk rescued Alfred Midgley from drowning in the harbour, Wellington, on the 2nd August, 1899. Attempts to rescue Midgley with a pole were made by persons present, which were unsuccessful. Constable Ryan coming on the scene, and seeing the man was sinking, at once dived from the wharf into the water and supported the man; a rope was passed to him, which he fastened round the drowning man, and those on shore hauled him out. It was a cold frosty night, and very dark. Certificate on vellum.

11.—WILLIAM ORANGE, aged twenty-four years, railway bridgeman, residing at Dunedin, on the 21st August, 1899, rescued Robert Black from drowning. Black, while engaged shifting a stringer of the temporary bridge at Clutha River, slipped and fell from the scaffolding into the river. Before the boat, which is kept tied up, could reach Black, Mr. Orange swam to his assistance and took him ashore. Letter of commendation.

12/13.—GEORGE WILLIAM MASON and JOHN H. COLTHURST, railway employés, residing at Auckland, aged respectively twenty-four and twenty-five years, rescued Thomas Brown from being run over by a railway-train at Auckland on the 1st July, 1899. The rescue was performed at great personal risk. Thomas Brown, aged fifty years, deliberately walked on to the rails in front of an approaching train only some 12 yards distant. Messrs. Mason and Colthurst rushed forward and dragged the man on to the platform. In doing so they had a very narrow escape from serious injury or probable death. Bronze medal in each case.

14.—THOMAS E. DONNE, District Railway Traffic Manager, residing at Wellington, on the 21st October, 1899, rescued guard Gough, who had fallen between two carriages of a train leaving Wellington Station. Mr. Donne acted with commendable promptness and pluck. Letter of commendation.

15.—Miss ZAIDEE MABIN, aged nineteen, residing at Karaka Bay, Wellington, at great personal risk gallantly rescued Miss Dagmar Wimsett from drowning at Karaka Bay on the 24th November, 1899. Miss Mabin swam out into deep water with almost all her clothes on to where the girl was struggling, caught hold of her arm, whereupon both sank almost at once; on coming to the surface Miss Mabin was still holding the girl, who was partly unconscious; she succeeded in swimming to shallow water and then dragged her to land. The locality is a rocky shore with small strips of sandy beach. Bronze medal.

16.—JOHN HURLEY, a schoolboy, aged nine years, residing at Karanga, Palmerston North, at great personal risk rescued his sister Agnes, aged four years, from being burned to death on the 20th April, 1899. John Hurley, with a brother and sister, were playing in a paddock containing burning logs and stumps. His sister’s clothing caught fire. No assistance being at hand, the boy John promptly rolled the child in the grass, and when his hands were too much burned he used his elbows to roll her with until the burning clothing was extinguished; then, with the assistance of his younger brother, carried her home. Bronze medal.

17.—HERBERT ALEXANDER RHIND, aged eighteen, residing at Lyttelton, at personal risk rescued John Nixon from drowning in Lyttelton Harbour, on the 24th October, 1899. Not waiting to divest himself of any of his clothing, Rhind jumped from the net between the wharf and the steamship “Zealandia” into the water, into which Nixon had fallen, and held him up till a rope was passed round him. Certificate on vellum.

18.—WALTER McDONALD, schoolboy, aged twelve years, residing at Nelson, rescued Norman Rout, aged three years and a half, from drowning, on the 23rd January, 1900. Norman Rout was watching his brother fish in the River Maitai, and in his excitement fell off the river-bank into a hole some 7 ft. to 9 ft. deep; while in the act of sinking for the second time the lad McDonald plunged into the stream with all his clothes on, and with difficulty succeeded in bringing the child to the bank. Letter of commendation.

19.—GEORGE HENRY BRISTOW, aged twenty-two years, labourer, residing at Spit, Napier, on the 4th March, 1900, at personal risk rescued from drowning Andrew Riddell, aged eleven years. Riddell fell into the harbour at Napier. Bristow, who was standing on the wharf, immediately pulled off his coat and vest, dived into the water, seized hold of the lad, and swam with him ashore. But for Bristow’s prompt action no doubt the boy’s life would have been lost. Certificate on vellum.

20.—WILLIAM RUSSELL DIXON, cordial-manufacturer, aged twenty-two years, residing at Masterton, rescued Amy Cave Vaughan, of Upper Plain, aged four years, on the 19th February, 1900, from serious injury, if not death, by his prompt and plucky action in arresting the progress of a

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