The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-05-07

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Eleven Lives Saved--E.ime Rsck ans
Hts Tenants--The Heroine Rewarded;
From the New York Tribune.
Thirty years ago, just at the dawr
OF stormy September morning,
Grace Darling, the heroic daughter
of the Longstone lighthouse keeper,
on the English coast, launched boat
upon the raging tide, and rescued
with her reluctant fathers aid, and
at the imminent peril of her life, nine
persons from the disastrous wreck OF
the Forfairshire steamer. For this
fearless and noble act, done in her
twenty-third year, praises and re-
wards were heaped upon her in un-
stinted measure, fund OF S3, 500 was
subscribed for her benefit, the re-
naming four years of her life were
crowned with every comfort, and her
name has passed into current usage
as synonym for an unsclifsh and
heroic woman.
Two weeks since, toward the close
of stormy March afternoon, Ida
Lewis, the intrepid daughter OF the
Line Rock light-keeper, in Newport
(Rhode Island) Harhor, performed
deed that places her side by side, in
point of self sacrificing courage, with
the Grace Darling of England, and
rounds career OF even greater use
fulness in the saving of human life.
The rain fell that day in binding
torrents, and the gale drove the waves
across the harbor with fury that tax
cd the full strength and skill of the
most experienced boatman. In the
midst of this storm, reckless boy,
scarcely fourteen years old, who had
somehow obtained possession OF one
of the smallest and most unsafe sail
boats in the harbor, (since christened
the "soldier drowner,') succeeded in
persuading two soldiers, Sergeant
James Adams, and Private John Nc
Laughlin, to let him carry them
across from the city, whittier they
had gone to make purchases, to Fort
Adams, where they were stationed.
Anxious to escape the dreary three
mile tramp by land, and believing
the lads assertion that he could man
age the boat as well as any one, they
trusted themselves in it, and made
half the trip IN safety, but about mid
way in the barbor a Sudden blast
struck the sail, the startled boy JAM
med the helm in the wrong direction,
the boat capsized In an instant, and
the waves rolled it twice over, like the
veriest cookie shell. For long half
hour its luckless occupants cluDg to
the keel, and wrestled against the
binding rain and the fierce salt
waves with all the energy of despair !;
but finally the boys strength was
exhausted, his hold relaXed-one
clutch at McLaughlin's shoulder, and,
with frenzied laugh upon his lips,
he was gone--nor has any trace of
him since been seen. Fast paralyZ-
ing with cold and almost bereft Of
hope, the two soldiers saw no choice
left but clasp each other in last
embrace, and sink to a mutual grave
when suddenly, out from the Lime
Rock, half q mile away, shot little
boat, driven by rapid strokes and
sure, straight over the bounding
waves toward the drowning men,
Hope kindled in their breasts again,
but faded when they saw in the boat
only slender youth, and still slen-
derer woman plying the oars. On it
swiftly came, however, and the boy
was almost reaching over the sides
to grasp the nearest soldier, when
his quick wiited sister crying, Stop,
Hosey! we shall be capsized that
way = turned the boat with well
timed 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 rescued lives, was scud-
ding swiftly through the spray back
to the 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 kind
ness, and were safely conveyed to
Fort Adams the next day.
The heroine of this daring txploi
was born February %, 1912. and is
thus in her twenty-eighth year, but
her first rescue of imperiled life dates
back to September, 1859, when she
was only seventeen. Four gay
young fellows, all about eighteen OF
twenty years of age, and all sons ot
wealthy gentlemen, one from Phila
delphia and the rest from Newport
went out for an evening sail, and ono
Of them, more full of mischief thar
the others, climbed the mast and
upset the boat half mile from the
nearest shore. None OF them could
swim that distanpe, night was rapidly
looming on, the capsized boat was toe
light to supper. more than two oil
three ofthem at a time, and they were
ruefully awaiting the bitter conse.
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