A HUMAN LIFEBOAT

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 22, 26 January 1924, Page 16

A HUMAN LIFEBOAT

STORY OF A HEROIC NEGRO.

! Sines the year 1897 > seamen and travellers'entering the roadstead of Arecibo, Puerto Rico, have all gazed in admiration- at a monument erected in the Paseo'de las Damas, which runs along the shore. Its massive atone base supports the: bronze bust of a negro in the garb of a fisherman, and below the bust we find the.words Victor Rojas. He was an extraordinary man and fisherman, born in the year 1832, Don Pedro de Novo y'Colson writes in' the "Lifeboat." He: was of medium' height, but his physical strength seemed to be boundJess when he was fighting the waves. His only clothing consisted of a pair of shorts and a coarse calico shirt. He was never known to indulge in vice of any kind. He did not drink, or even smoke. For many years the inhabitants of that town were the spectators of a moving and terrible sight, whenever the storms from the north or the north-west caused a disaster. From their houses the inhabitants could see the negro, Victor Rojas, sitting on a rock watching the vessels in danger, despite the fury of the hurricane and the torrential rain. As soon asa vessel broke its chains and was swept away to its grave Victor Rojas used to run to the nearest part of the shore andy having driven a long ■iron bar into the sand, would fasten one end of a cord or rope to the bar and the other end to his belt. Thus equipped he used to jump into the sea and swim outwards in the teeth of wind and wave. He always succeeded, however, in reaching and climbing on board the ship, although panting and bleeding from his buffeting by the waves. He would then unfasten the rope from his belt and order'the astonished sailors to make it fast _ on' deck, thus establishing pommuhieation with the shore. There would be, however, none bold enough to avail himself of so perilous a means. Rojas would then suddenly seize one of the crew in his arms of steel arid slide down, with him into the water. Prompted by the instinct of preservation, the man would Ming to the sturdy shoulders ot the negro, who, proceeding hand over hand along the rope, would thus easily convey the .first person taken from tha wrecked vessel to the shore and safety. As soon as he had placed him on dry land the rescuer would go out agate, this tima more quickly and with less risk. Incredible though it may sound, we have to place on record that, according to official returns, Victor Rojas saved more than 200 lives during the course of more than 30. years. ,