John Henry Rapp saved between 30 to 40 people from drowning in the East River. This heroic feat earned him no less than four awards pictured on the left.
Top: gold medal awarded by the New York Benevolent Association.
Left: U.S. Lifesaving Service gold medal awarded by Congress March 4, 1882.
Right: U.S. Lifesaving Service silver medal awarded by Congress July 2, 1879 for rescue of drowning in the East River, New York of two persons; one in August 1877, and the other in September 1878.
Bottom: gold medal from a private citizen whose child he saved.
The United Saving Life-Saving Service was formed in 1871.
The photos shown to the right were probably taken of the medals sometime in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MR. RAPP'S NEW GOLD MEDAL
The gold medal awarded by Congress to Mr. John H. Rapp, of 707 East Fifth street, for bravery in saving human life was presented to him last Wednesday night. Mr. Rapp is a dealer in kindling wood at the foot of Rivington street, and rescued from the East river nine persons who have fallen or jumped into the water from or near the pier adjoining his place of business. He has many medals, awarded by various societies, and his friends say that in the past eight years he has saved, on an average, three lives a year. He is a large, powerful man, and an expert swimmer. The medal given to him Wednesday night is of massive gold, beautifully engraved. On the face are the words, "In testimony of heroic deeds in saving life from the perils of the sea." On the reverse is the inscription, "Life Saving Medal of the First Class, United States, America."
The Hon. S. S. Cox made the presentation speech, which was very informal, and witnessed almost exclusively by Mr. Rapp's family, relatives and friends. Mr. Cox's speech was somewhat grave, but later in the evening he caused hearty laughter by his quaint remarks. "When he intimated that it was time for him to take his leave, and Mr. Rapp said it was still early, he drew from his pocket a very small silver watch, with the figures on the outer face, and a hole through which the hands were visible, and showed that it was past nine. "I have always been an exponent of the bi-metallic theory,'' he said, and as the father has been awarded a gold medal, I present his baby with a silver watch," and approaching Mrs. Rapp, who sat with an infant boy in her arms, he hung the watch around the child's neck.
The foregoing we clip from The New York Sun. Mr. Rapp, we are pleased to announce, who is the subject of so high a compliment, is a resident of Prospect street in this village. (New Rochelle, NY Pioneer, May 13, 1883)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Upon receiving the Congressional gold medal for life-saving, a sonnet was written:
TO JOHN H. RAPP
GREETING! thou heir of an immortal fame
Above the little clamors small men heed!
What though thy merits nor attain the meed
Of civic honors nor the loud acclaim
That hails with thundered cheers a conqueror's name -
The demi-god of battle whose grand deed
Of valor hazardous saved in its need
Disastrous this Republic from the shame
Of foul disunion - hero still wert thou,
Of bravest passion and of noblest mould,
Through palms nor crown thy deeds, nor paens laud;
And deathless amaranth shall wreathe thy brow,
They heaven-delighiting actions be extolled
And celebrated in the courts of God!
Source: "Erothanatos and Sonnets" by Leonard Wheeler (1882).
John H Rapp's medals are in the New York Historical Society collection.
Top: gold medal awarded by the New York Benevolent Association.
Left: U.S. Lifesaving Service gold medal awarded by Congress March 4, 1882.
Right: U.S. Lifesaving Service silver medal awarded by Congress July 2, 1879 for rescue of drowning in the East River, New York of two persons; one in August 1877, and the other in September 1878.
Bottom: gold medal from a private citizen whose child he saved.
The United Saving Life-Saving Service was formed in 1871.
The photos shown to the right were probably taken of the medals sometime in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MR. RAPP'S NEW GOLD MEDAL
The gold medal awarded by Congress to Mr. John H. Rapp, of 707 East Fifth street, for bravery in saving human life was presented to him last Wednesday night. Mr. Rapp is a dealer in kindling wood at the foot of Rivington street, and rescued from the East river nine persons who have fallen or jumped into the water from or near the pier adjoining his place of business. He has many medals, awarded by various societies, and his friends say that in the past eight years he has saved, on an average, three lives a year. He is a large, powerful man, and an expert swimmer. The medal given to him Wednesday night is of massive gold, beautifully engraved. On the face are the words, "In testimony of heroic deeds in saving life from the perils of the sea." On the reverse is the inscription, "Life Saving Medal of the First Class, United States, America."
The Hon. S. S. Cox made the presentation speech, which was very informal, and witnessed almost exclusively by Mr. Rapp's family, relatives and friends. Mr. Cox's speech was somewhat grave, but later in the evening he caused hearty laughter by his quaint remarks. "When he intimated that it was time for him to take his leave, and Mr. Rapp said it was still early, he drew from his pocket a very small silver watch, with the figures on the outer face, and a hole through which the hands were visible, and showed that it was past nine. "I have always been an exponent of the bi-metallic theory,'' he said, and as the father has been awarded a gold medal, I present his baby with a silver watch," and approaching Mrs. Rapp, who sat with an infant boy in her arms, he hung the watch around the child's neck.
The foregoing we clip from The New York Sun. Mr. Rapp, we are pleased to announce, who is the subject of so high a compliment, is a resident of Prospect street in this village. (New Rochelle, NY Pioneer, May 13, 1883)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Upon receiving the Congressional gold medal for life-saving, a sonnet was written:
TO JOHN H. RAPP
GREETING! thou heir of an immortal fame
Above the little clamors small men heed!
What though thy merits nor attain the meed
Of civic honors nor the loud acclaim
That hails with thundered cheers a conqueror's name -
The demi-god of battle whose grand deed
Of valor hazardous saved in its need
Disastrous this Republic from the shame
Of foul disunion - hero still wert thou,
Of bravest passion and of noblest mould,
Through palms nor crown thy deeds, nor paens laud;
And deathless amaranth shall wreathe thy brow,
They heaven-delighiting actions be extolled
And celebrated in the courts of God!
Source: "Erothanatos and Sonnets" by Leonard Wheeler (1882).
John H Rapp's medals are in the New York Historical Society collection.
John Henry Rapp saved between 30 to 40 people from drowning in the East River. This heroic feat earned him no less than four awards pictured on the left.
Top: gold medal awarded by the New York Benevolent Association.
Left: U.S. Lifesaving Service gold medal awarded by Congress March 4, 1882.
Right: U.S. Lifesaving Service silver medal awarded by Congress July 2, 1879 for rescue of drowning in the East River, New York of two persons; one in August 1877, and the other in September 1878.
Bottom: gold medal from a private citizen whose child he saved.
The United Saving Life-Saving Service was formed in 1871.
The photos shown to the right were probably taken of the medals sometime in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MR. RAPP'S NEW GOLD MEDAL
The gold medal awarded by Congress to Mr. John H. Rapp, of 707 East Fifth street, for bravery in saving human life was presented to him last Wednesday night. Mr. Rapp is a dealer in kindling wood at the foot of Rivington street, and rescued from the East river nine persons who have fallen or jumped into the water from or near the pier adjoining his place of business. He has many medals, awarded by various societies, and his friends say that in the past eight years he has saved, on an average, three lives a year. He is a large, powerful man, and an expert swimmer. The medal given to him Wednesday night is of massive gold, beautifully engraved. On the face are the words, "In testimony of heroic deeds in saving life from the perils of the sea." On the reverse is the inscription, "Life Saving Medal of the First Class, United States, America."
The Hon. S. S. Cox made the presentation speech, which was very informal, and witnessed almost exclusively by Mr. Rapp's family, relatives and friends. Mr. Cox's speech was somewhat grave, but later in the evening he caused hearty laughter by his quaint remarks. "When he intimated that it was time for him to take his leave, and Mr. Rapp said it was still early, he drew from his pocket a very small silver watch, with the figures on the outer face, and a hole through which the hands were visible, and showed that it was past nine. "I have always been an exponent of the bi-metallic theory,'' he said, and as the father has been awarded a gold medal, I present his baby with a silver watch," and approaching Mrs. Rapp, who sat with an infant boy in her arms, he hung the watch around the child's neck.
The foregoing we clip from The New York Sun. Mr. Rapp, we are pleased to announce, who is the subject of so high a compliment, is a resident of Prospect street in this village. (New Rochelle, NY Pioneer, May 13, 1883)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Upon receiving the Congressional gold medal for life-saving, a sonnet was written:
TO JOHN H. RAPP
GREETING! thou heir of an immortal fame
Above the little clamors small men heed!
What though thy merits nor attain the meed
Of civic honors nor the loud acclaim
That hails with thundered cheers a conqueror's name -
The demi-god of battle whose grand deed
Of valor hazardous saved in its need
Disastrous this Republic from the shame
Of foul disunion - hero still wert thou,
Of bravest passion and of noblest mould,
Through palms nor crown thy deeds, nor paens laud;
And deathless amaranth shall wreathe thy brow,
They heaven-delighiting actions be extolled
And celebrated in the courts of God!
Source: "Erothanatos and Sonnets" by Leonard Wheeler (1882).
John H Rapp's medals are in the New York Historical Society collection.
Top: gold medal awarded by the New York Benevolent Association.
Left: U.S. Lifesaving Service gold medal awarded by Congress March 4, 1882.
Right: U.S. Lifesaving Service silver medal awarded by Congress July 2, 1879 for rescue of drowning in the East River, New York of two persons; one in August 1877, and the other in September 1878.
Bottom: gold medal from a private citizen whose child he saved.
The United Saving Life-Saving Service was formed in 1871.
The photos shown to the right were probably taken of the medals sometime in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MR. RAPP'S NEW GOLD MEDAL
The gold medal awarded by Congress to Mr. John H. Rapp, of 707 East Fifth street, for bravery in saving human life was presented to him last Wednesday night. Mr. Rapp is a dealer in kindling wood at the foot of Rivington street, and rescued from the East river nine persons who have fallen or jumped into the water from or near the pier adjoining his place of business. He has many medals, awarded by various societies, and his friends say that in the past eight years he has saved, on an average, three lives a year. He is a large, powerful man, and an expert swimmer. The medal given to him Wednesday night is of massive gold, beautifully engraved. On the face are the words, "In testimony of heroic deeds in saving life from the perils of the sea." On the reverse is the inscription, "Life Saving Medal of the First Class, United States, America."
The Hon. S. S. Cox made the presentation speech, which was very informal, and witnessed almost exclusively by Mr. Rapp's family, relatives and friends. Mr. Cox's speech was somewhat grave, but later in the evening he caused hearty laughter by his quaint remarks. "When he intimated that it was time for him to take his leave, and Mr. Rapp said it was still early, he drew from his pocket a very small silver watch, with the figures on the outer face, and a hole through which the hands were visible, and showed that it was past nine. "I have always been an exponent of the bi-metallic theory,'' he said, and as the father has been awarded a gold medal, I present his baby with a silver watch," and approaching Mrs. Rapp, who sat with an infant boy in her arms, he hung the watch around the child's neck.
The foregoing we clip from The New York Sun. Mr. Rapp, we are pleased to announce, who is the subject of so high a compliment, is a resident of Prospect street in this village. (New Rochelle, NY Pioneer, May 13, 1883)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Upon receiving the Congressional gold medal for life-saving, a sonnet was written:
TO JOHN H. RAPP
GREETING! thou heir of an immortal fame
Above the little clamors small men heed!
What though thy merits nor attain the meed
Of civic honors nor the loud acclaim
That hails with thundered cheers a conqueror's name -
The demi-god of battle whose grand deed
Of valor hazardous saved in its need
Disastrous this Republic from the shame
Of foul disunion - hero still wert thou,
Of bravest passion and of noblest mould,
Through palms nor crown thy deeds, nor paens laud;
And deathless amaranth shall wreathe thy brow,
They heaven-delighiting actions be extolled
And celebrated in the courts of God!
Source: "Erothanatos and Sonnets" by Leonard Wheeler (1882).
John H Rapp's medals are in the New York Historical Society collection.
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