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Into the depths out of which he came to be the mascot of the U.S. S. Hyacinth, the body of Sport, a mongrel, sewed in canvas, was de livered to the sea two miles off Ludington. A real sea dog and as brave of heart as his canine prototype of the movies. Sport came to the crew of the lighthouse tender Hyacinth out of the Kinnickinic river in the waldat of a susamer thunderstorm pach Pin ‘1914. When he died of old aka he was “4m gidest in potato of service on the ship Hyacinth, moth er vessel to all the lightships and supply boat to all the lighthouses and aides in navigation on the wa ters of Lake Michigan and Green Bay. Sport has been given a suitable epitaph after a useful life as com panion and pet to the men who spend their time,and take, the rdke that navigation of the waters of United States, may be safe for oth ers. A Friend to Everybody His elegy and appreciation was written by Capt. H. W. Maynard, master of the Hyacinth, and has been spread upon the records of the department of commerce at Wash ington 48 part of the September issue of the Lighthouse Service Bulletin. Here it is: “Tender ‘Hyacinth’. ‘Manitowoc, Wis., Aug. 13, 1926, “Superintendent of Lighthouses, Milwaukee, Wis. “Sir. It has been suggested that I address a letter to your office giving some of the facts about Sport our ship's dog, and some of the incidents of his life on board this vessel with an idea that perhaps herates just a line or two in the Lighthouse Service Bulletin. “Sport was just a dog, but he was always a good dog and a good ship mate, a friend-to—everybody--and everybody's friend. I do not think he had an enemy and I am cer tain that, he had more friends, or perhaps_I.should. say. acquaintances around the shores of Lake Michi gan than any man on ship today. Lost..Once.Mn. Chicago . “Sport came on board this vessel back in 1914 when eagineer, Albert Collins and Machinist Clifford Per ry pulled him out of Milwaukee Tiger during a thunderstorm, he was in a pitiful condition and prac tically, skin and bones. —.He was rescued and fed, and, apparently from that minute on, never had a notion to leave the ship. “Many things have happened to Sport and he has figured in many of the happenings of the ship in the 12 years he spent on board, which is longer than any officer or mem ber of the crew has been here. It “will-not-do-to-go—into all the de tails of his life, for they are many. ‘It is enough to say that when he was in his prime there was no place on the vessel he did not visit and nothing going on that ‘he did not have a hand (or paw) in. He swam and played baseball with the boys, no boat could go ashore without Sport; on many occasions he has carried a heaving line to shore.in the breakers when land ing on the beach at some light sta tion with our scow, “He was lost in Chicago on one occasion and could not be found and..we. were.a sad lot when. we left Chicago without him and a hap py lot when, on the second day in Milwaukee, the captain of the pas senger steamer Indiana called me on the telephone to tell me he had Sport on board and to come over and get him. wit wag. lagsned afterwards that ‘someone had tied him up in a barn in Chicago and it just so happened that a man who had been a fireman on board was driving an ite. wagon at this time and found Sport?in the barn and brought him back to our Chicago pier keeper, who in turn gave him to Capt. Redner on the Indiana to deliver to us at Milwau kee.—All_of-which -goes . to-show. that,he had friends everywhere. _.. Dies of Old Age. “Sport died of old age on July 19, 1926. He was sewed in canvas and buried at sea on the afternoon of the following day, two miles off Ludington, Mich. All hands were mustered on the spar deck where, with a few words for Sport to the effect that he had been taken from the waters,and was now being re turned to them, he was slid off the fangplank by a bunch of solemn looking boys. He was given a ga lute and thus ended Sport, the best dog I have ever known, “Respectfully, “H. W. MAYNARD, Master.” During his life, Sport's favorite Place was the pilot house of the Hyacinth.His perch..was.a.cushion ed bench ,and he'd never leave it save at meal times which always found him begging -the-cook at the galley door. Sport seemed to know the. different bell. signals aboard ship and when the signal to slow down..on_ approach. too. destination sounded Sport would jump up off his bench and run to the gangway ready. to-be-the. first. ashore, or, if the case required, into the surf, Sport was a survivor of one of the Hyacinth's small power boats which broke in two in the surf off South Fox Island, Oct..24, 1922. At that time the dog’s best friend and companion, George A. Brown, first officer of the ship, was drowned and J. R. McCauley-the engineer was rescued with difficulty.
Newspaper Details
Manitowoc Herald News
Manitowoc, Wisconsin, US
Thu, Oct 07, 1926
Page 10
Full Page
Clipped by
Carol G.
USA 12 May 2026
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