“ The lighthouse attendants, believing that it would be certain death to attempt to rescue men in such a furious surf, endeavored to dissuade Captain Kinner from the undertaking; but when a Yankee Captain and crew start on that sort of an errand, they generally “fetch” somehow. After a desperate struggle, in the course of which every man of the Nirvana’s crew risked his life a dozen times in the heavy surf, a life-line was stretched from the bark to the shore, and the first and second mate and eight seamen of the Bessie Parker were rescued from death. ”

“ Every effort on the part of the Captain of the bark to induce men to join him in an attempt to save his vessel, or at least his men’s lives, failed, while it was every moment becoming more evident that she must soon drift on the reef and go to pieces. Meanwhile, Captain Kinner, with the entire crew of the Nirvana, except one man left in charge, had put off in her boats and landed on the lee side of the island with ropes and such life-saving appliances as could be hastily obtained. ”

“ His Excellency is well assured that to men like you capable of such heroic conduct, the deed you have done is its own reward, and that you seek no other recompense. But the public owe it to themselves in cases like this to recognize the philanthropy and unselfishness that have been displayed and it is the Governor’s grateful duty to assure you of the high estimation with which the community regards the services you have rendered in the present case. ”