The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1869-04-30
IDA LEWIS.
The Guardian Angel of Newport Har-
Dor, in Her Homt-The Lives She
Has Sased--Tre Grace Darling of
From the New York Tribune

stormy September morning, Grace Darling,
the heroic daughter of the L1ngstona
lighthouse keeper, on the Engfi>A coast.
launched boat upon the raging tide, and
rescued with her reluctant fathers aid. and
at the Imminent peril OF her HE, nne per-
sons from the disastrous wreck of the
/ Forfars ire steamer! P5rtiis fearless and
noble act, done IN her % / year, praises and
! rewards were heaped up ON her in unstin>
ted merSure, a fund of SO, 500 was >ubscri-
bed tor her benefit. the ren.oining four
years OF her life were crowued with every
comfort, and her name has passed into cur
rent usage as a SYNONYM tor an unseIfi,h
! and heroic woman. e. Il 4rs
1.-Two weeks 'Since, toward the close of a
stormy March afternoon. Ida Lewis, the
| intrepid daughter Of the lem. r ,ck light
4 keeper, in Newport { Il I.I harbor, per
formed deed thar places her side 10y side,
1 in point of self-eacrihciug courage, with
the Grace Darling OF England, ami round,
| a career OF even greater usefulness in the
saving OF haman lite. The rain fell that
/ day In binding torrents, and the gale drove
the waves across the harbor with fury
| that taxed the full strength and skill of the
most experienced hoatnen.a La the mid It
! o. this Storm, reckless boy scarcely IA
! years old, WHO had omehow obtained pos
session OF one OF the sua Hes and most un
sale saii>hoatS- IN the farhor (Since chris
1 tened the soldier d)ownef'f ], succeeded in
t perSuading two soldiers, Sargt. james
Adams, and Private John McLaughlip, to
let him carry the III across from the city.
| whittier they had gone TO make SoHIc pur-
| chases, tn Fort adams, whore they were
! stationed Anxious to escape the dreary
/ three-nIile tramp 10y land and betie> ing
The lads assertion that he could manage
the Loaf As any one thry riu>teI them
selves IN II, and tnaaes-hait the trip in SAT
I ETY., but about midway in the hari'or sud-
den blast struck the SALE the startled boy
j4mmed tie helm In the wrong direction,
The boa tcap>lz d in an in ,tant, and the
| waves oiled IL twice Over, like the verlest
cookie shell. For long halt hour IT.
/ luck esS occupants chung &C the keel a, and
wre,,et. against the binding rain anu the
Tree salt waves with all the energy Of dis
PAIR but finally the boy $ strength was tx
hausted, his hotd relaxed One cuch at
Nc Laughlm shoulder, aud, with a tren
zIed laugh upon his lip, he was gone nor
has my trace since been seen. Fast
lparlnzed with cpld and almost herett of
| hope tue two soldiers saw no choice lett
but To clasp each other III u last embrace,
and slnk To a mutual grave-when sdideu
| ~, out nom tie Lime rock, haif mile
away, shot hue boat driven Dy rapid
strokes aud sure, straight.over Oh. bound
my waves toward &c drowning men.
Hope kIndied III their Lfeasts again but
! they sa" III the boat only slender ouib,
aud still slender woman plying tbe oars.
On 1t swiftly came, however, and the Dos
WAS almost reaching over the side to grasp
| I h.l [, 4
s.ster, Crying stop Stop, lo,cy we
shall be cap-izsd that way - Turned the
boat with well timed stroke, back ed II ~,
one n,an was drawn safely IN over the
stern, another backward pull another hit,
aud the next moment the craft with is
| irtish, OF rescued lives, Was scuddiug
swiftly through the spray back 10 the rock
again. HE >erSent " IL able 10 Std.ger on
shore, bun Private Mclaughlin had TO be
carried into The light house, where both
| OF them received the utmost care and kind
ness, aud we're safely conveyed 10 Fort
! ADKINS the next day. #-.i'.
The heroine of thus daring exploit was
bora Feb. %. 1912, and Is thus IN her
! 18th year, but her first rescue of lmperili>
ed life dates back to September 1859
! when she WAS only seventeen. our gay
young fellows, all about Is or 20 years of
age, and all sous of wealthy eeutietueu,
one from Philadelphia and the rest from
Newport, Went out Tor all evening sail, aud
and enc OF them, more full of mischief than
the others climbed the mast aud up,e
the boat half u mile from the nearest shore
| None of them could SWIM that distance
night was rapidly approaching, the cap
sized boat was two light to support more
than three OF them at once, and they were
ruefuily awaiting the bitter consequences
OF their mad frolic, when the keepers dau-
| ghser, spying them through the dusk, hast.
eued 10 thclr relief, aud rescued them ali
from their Impending fate The one who
ciiuied the u,ast enlisted al the ope ming If
the war, and received d mortal wound at
The disastrous tartle Of Bull Run, but the
Others are still living, and doubtless cher-
isn gratefully the memory of ,helr young
| pre- server. .a5. ',.,.Vgrt
lDur,g the Intervening period Of ten
years this heroine OF the harbor has saved
i've other lives. One cold aud windy Fch-
fuafy day, three lntoxlca,ed soldier. stole
a sLiif aud set ont for the iolt BY some
drunken itcGle,snrs, they soon stove hole
IN the bottouI, aud the boat rspIuiy filled
I"Oo OF the men succeeded IN swimming
ashore again, and we're so alarmed az then
tHdl tncS IdU away anu never
came b ok but the third cung 90 the
suIuiersed akltf AMI tried to paddle IL with
Ills feet across the harbor W hen di>cov-
cred aud picked up, with his hat IN his
teeth aud betlIe of whi>kt.y in each pock
ct, he wa, stiff; and cold, and barely escape d
+, ftristlng in his desperate at,empt. The
next rescue was in January, 1867 Avail
liable sheep escaped from those who had
IT IN charge, Owed off enc Of the wharecs,
aud started o swim around the barber.
Three nIen, who went IN pursuit along The
Tort ROAD, tound'a skitf ami put out to res
cue the animal But the fierce southeast
gale was ZOO much tor them the boat be-
gan to swamp rapidly. they could nor re
gam the shore, and were staring death 10
the face when the fearless ida went Ia
Their relief, carried them aud their skiff
10 land, and then went out and saved the
sheep In TIE remaining In>tance, il
seems that fine look ng, hut reckless
/ young fellow, stole large sail boat from
|one ofthe wharvrs one winter evening. and
put to sea with il, but The gale drove , he
1 craft up the Little l. me Lock, about a
nile from the hight, where it sunk, leaving