When the boilers exploded, he assisted in getting the men out of the fire room and carrying them into the engine room, where there was air instead of steam to breathe. It was approximated that he carried up 106 men on his shoulders, saving countless lives.
In the aftermath of the boiler explosion, he took charge of guiding 106 men to safety by carrying them on his shoulders from the fire-damaged fire room to the relatively safe engine room, where they could breathe freely.