In the dark night of September 7, 1860, on Lake Michigan, the steamship Lady Elgin began to sink in the gale-force winds. The desperate captain ordered cattle and cargo to be thrown overboard but the Lady Elgin broke apart and rapidly sank. Over 300 people would perish that night. The survivors were rescued by brave volunteers who risked their lives by entering the lake during the storm.
One such person was a young seminary student by the name of Edward Spencer. Spencer noticed a woman clinging to some wreckage far out in the waters. He took off his coat and swam out through the heavy waves, saving her life. Though exhausted after the effort, he returned to the lake to rescue another, after which he returned yet again. A total of seventeen times he swam into the raging waters, each time saving a life. The heroic effort that day took a permanent toll on his health, preventing him from going into the ministry.
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