THE "EDWARD MEDAL."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13722, 11 April 1908, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE "EDWARD MEDAL."

:' .-„■■„. «•—;" —■ .. ~; ITS PRESENTATION TO TWO BRAVE MINERS. [PSOM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] :> , . Loswn, February ?<l. Ykstkroat, two working aged and hint, the other young and vi;;or- ;■ - - ous were summoned to Ruckingliaiik • Palace by Royal Command, and were toft-'.',."!''] I red by receiving, at this'hinds of ths ! I King, the Edward medal, in recognitor. '- ; of heroic conduct. / . Francis (/handler, the elder of the 'two, f is -a native of Lynn, m Norfolk, not it j from the King's Sandringham estate, hut ! the act tw which he was honoured Icofc place in ti* Hoy land Silkutono Collirry. at Barmdey, Yorkshire, one day last Nov . vcmber. After a fall of tons of earth I in the mine. Chandler, although badly i scalded by steam from a boiler and! in j terrible pain, crept down to where another ! workman v-aa lying, unable to move, and . j crawled with him on his" back to safety; i Th-n Char.dler crawled kick to the very i centre of the danger zone to help hi* o*3 j win and oilier* who were absolutely ha. ! prisoned by the fallen rock and earth, • finally making his way to the shaft and summoning a rescue party. The second -recipient of the meda't, " Henry Evcrson, is a native of Hengoed, Rhynimey Valley, Wales, and is employed in "the Penal lie Colliery as a mechanic The fall of a water barrel upset »«>©<» staging, and two men were precipitated to the bottom of the shaft. The barrel was then wedged in the pit, thus cutting off all means of reaching the men by machinery. Everson, without a moment's hesitation, climbed down a four-inch pipe, hand under hand, and succeeded in reach, ing the water at a depth of about 340 ft. One man war. -dinging to a small signal wire, and, at great personal risk, Everson" saved him. * ; \. Both men were equally modest about their deeds, and appeared quite sincerely desirous of avoiding anything in the nature I of public, demonstration, or even recognition—but considerable numbers of interested spectators .surrounded the en- :Jk trance to Buckingham "Palace yesterday morning to see the two miners arrive and depart, and, if possible, to take s>om<6 " snap-shot of them. ~, i : They were driven from the Home Of. '• fire to Buckingham .Palace. The Boms; Secretary had prepared for the King'i information a brief record of the heroic deed accredited to each. At the close of the | recital King Edward cordially shook i?s«-h, in turn, by the hand, and addressed them thus: '* I am very glad, indeed, to meet -■ two such bravo men. 1 have heard with - intense interest and appreciation the story '" of your heroic acts, and it affordit ms \i ( much satisfaction to have an opportunity of personally congratulating you ootfe and handing you these medals, as tokens of my feelings toward you. Sincerely do I . hope that you will both be spared for many years to enjoy the wearing of . them." :■:■■' ■ /;:.& The King again shook hands with the ."- recipients, and it was. noticeable that hi) . was particularly solicitous in Ids attention to tho older man, who has not yet en- : tirely recovered from his injuries. Shortly afterwards the miners and their escort drove away from the palace to (ha -, Home Oflice. So large was the crowd at the gules by this time that only with .the utmost difficulty could the cabman make his way. People waved hats, and.';.; Jieerod with enthusiasm, and had it not .- been for the friendly interposition of the palace police, there, is little doubt that they would have further embarrassed the diffident, but radiant, heroes, by taking the haulage into their own hands. At the Home Office, there was another vast crowd, and another demonstration took place. Both mum wore given some refreshment while at Buckingham Palace, where they remained for nearly an hour. This new and coveted decoration is £f|| silver modal, bearing on the obverse all excellent portrait of. the King, with W.I-; superscription, and on the reverse, a beau-, tifully-cxtouted design representing aj miner in a pit saving the life of a com- | rade. On the reverse there is also the one word. "Courage," while the name of the recipient is engraved on the rim.