New-York tribune., 1869-04-12
IDA LEWIS.
THE GRACE DARLING OF AMERICA

TENANTs-THE HEROINE REWARDED.
Thirty wears ago. just at the dawn OF a
stormy september mOring, Grace Darling, the heroic
baugbter OF the Longstone lighthousekeeper on the
Jngsh coast launched boat upon the raging tide. and
rescued with reluctant fathers aid and at the imm
nent peril Of her life, nine persons from the disastrous
wreck Of the Forarshre steamer For this fearless and
noble act done in her 2d year. praises and rewards were
eapod upon her 10 unstnted measure, fund Of $500
was subscribed for her benefit the remaining four years
OF her life were crowned with every comfort and her
has passed into current usage synonym of an
unselfsh and heroic woman
Two weeks since toward the close OF stormy March
afternoon Ida Lewis intrepid daughter of the Lime
Rock lghtkeeper In Newport Or ~ harbor performed
deed places her side by sde in point OF self sacr
hcing courage with the Grace Darling OF England ana
Of greater usefulness In the saving
ofhunan life The rain day In binding torrents,
and the gale the across the harbOr with
fury that taxed the full strength and skill OF the most ex
ereneed bOatmen In the midst OF this storm, reckless
hoy. scarcely IA years DID, who had somehow obtained
OF Of the smallest aud most unsafe sail
boats the harbor, tsince chrstened the soldier
drowner,"j succeeded in persuadug two soldiers,
Sergt James Adams, and Private John McLaugh-
lin, TO let him earTy them from the city
whittier they had to make purchases, to Fort
Adams where they stationed Anxious escape
tho dreay threemie tramp by land. and believing the
lads assertion that he could manage the boat well as
any they trusted themselves It, and made half the
trip In safety but about midway In the harbor sudden
blast struck the SAIL the startled boy Jammed the helm
1 the wrong direction the boat capszed In an instant
and the rolled twice like the ver1est cookie
shell For long hafhodr uckiess occupants clung
60 the keel and wrestled against the binding rain ana
the fierce salt with all the energy OF despair; DuI
finally the boys strength was exhausted, his
hold rclaxed-one clutch at McIaughln's shoulder,
and with a fronzied laugh u7On his lip, he
was gone nor has any of him since been seem
Fast parayzng with cold and almost beret OF hope the
two soldiers choice left but to clasp each other In
last embrace and sink to mutual grave when sud-
denly out from the Limo Rock, half mile away shot
little boat driven by rapid strokes and straight over
the bounding waves toward the drowning men, Hope
Rndled their breasts again. but faded when they saw
In the boat only slender youth. and still senderer
woman plyns the On it swiftly came, however and
tho boy almost reaching over the side to grasp the
nearest soldier when his quiokwted sister,! crying
Stop Hosey! wesha be capsized that way turned the
Joat with welmed stroke, backed it up. one man was
drawn safely in over the stern, another
backward pull another lift, and the next |
moment the craft with its freight OF res
cued lives was scuddng swiftly through the spray back
TO Rock again. The Sergeant was able to stagger on
Shore but private Mclaughlin had to be carried into the
lighthouse where both Of them received the utmost |
care and kindness, and safely conveyed to Fort
Adams the next day.
The heroine of this daring exploit born Feb. IS,
1872 and is thus 2sh year but her first rescue Of
tmperied life dates September, 1859, when she
was only IT, -Four gay young fellows all about Is or 20
years of age, and all of wealthy gentlemen one
from Philadelphia the rest from Newport, went out
for an evening SAIL and one Of them more |
fun Of mischief than the Others climbed the |
snas and upset the boat half milo from the nearest
sbore None OF them could swim that distance night
was rapidly coming the capsized Iboat was too light
10 support than two three OF them at once ana
they were ruefuIy awaiting the bitter consequences OF
their mad froc when the keepers daughter spying
them through the dusk hastened to their relief and res
eued them all from their impending iate The one VINO
climbed the enlisted at the opening Of the war and
received mortal wound the disastrous battle OF Bull
Run but the others st living and doubtless cherish
gratefully the memory Of their youthful preserver
During tho intervening period Of ten years, this heroine
Of the harbor has FIVE other lives One cold and
windy February day, three intoxicated soldiers stole
sk and out for the fort. BY some drunken reckless
ness they hole in the bottom and the boat
rapidly filled Two Of the men succeeded in swimming
sshore again. and were so alarmed at their adventure
they away and never came back but the third
oung to the submerged sR and tried 70 paddle 10 with
his feet the harbOr When discovered ana picked
up with his hat in his teeth and bottle OF whisky In
each pocket he stiff with cOld and barely escaped
pershng in his desperate attempt The next rescue was
ip January 1867 valuable sheep escaped from those
who had 1t in charge, dved of one Of the wharves and
started to swim around tho harbor Three men, who
went In pursuit along the fort road found snH and put
ont to the animal But the fierce southeast gale
too for them, the boat began 10 swamp rapidly they
could not regain shore and staring death in the
face fearless Ida went 10 their relief carried
Them and the slf land ard then went out and saved
lbe sheepl In the remaining instance, 1t seems that
fine looking but reckless young fellow stole large san
boat from one OF wharves Winter evening aud put
TO sea with It, bur the gale drove the craft upon the
Little Limo Rock" abon mile from the light, where
at SUNK leaving the unueky thief engng to the hayards
from midnight till dawn when the heroine reached and
pcked him up There he was" Miss Lewis. In re-
latng the incident, shaking, and GodoesSing me- ana
begging to he set on shore and the last Of him he
vas crawling up the wharf on his hands and knees"
The herosm OF Grace Darling the result OF single
noble impulse; the bravery of Ida Lewis is part
of her daily hfe Sixteen years ago, tho
light on Limo Rock was established, and Hosea
Ievs g veteran ex-revenue pilot, familiar with the
coast from Halifax TO Norfolk became its keeper on the
eth OF December 1853 Tie southern line OF the harbor
snakes wide, Anged sweep, with the city on one
side Fort Adams miles of the opposite point and
Lime Rock midway between, about 500 yards from the
shore This rock commands the widest view Of the har
bor and upon It the keeper lived alone three years ana
half Then substantial, square, twostory brick house
built and in June 1857, his family joined him. -Four
months later stroke Of paralysis disabled him from all
work and ever since his eldest daughter Ida has been
the maln-say tho family. 1t she who cared for
her father and lghened her mothers toll. and watched
over her younger sister Harriet, and rowed |
her brothers Rudolph aud Hosea to school, and
eked out the lghtkeepers slender pttance with her
needle and other feminine abors and few to the rescue
OF impered life with instructive courage shat would
not enemy sink without her rskng her Life
70 save him.
In personal appearance this Newport heroine scarcely
AttaiDs average hight Of women s remarkably slen'
der and would be thought much 20 than a. Light
brown hair, blue eyes keen but kind, and cheeks pink
flushed though ronnd enough for beauty attract one
60 woman whose quick smile and frank and friendly