The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-04-22
IDA LEWIS.
The Guardian Angel of Newport Harb0r
eleven Lives Saved-.Lime Rock and
Its Tenants--The Heroine Rewarded.
from the New York Tribune

It's TenantS--Tne heroine REWARDED.
from the New York Tribunel
Thirty years ago, just at the dawn of a
stormy September morning, Grace OAR
ling, the heroic daughter of the Long
stone Hghthouse-keeper, on the English
coast, launched boat upon the raging
tide, and rescued, with her reluctant
fathers aid, and at the eminent peril of
her life, nine persons from the disastrous
wreck of the Forfarshire steamer. For
this fearless and noble act, done in her
23d year. praises and rewards were heap
ed upon her in unstinted measure, a
fund of $500 was subscribed for her
benefit, the remaining four years of her
life were crowned with every comfort, land
her name has passed into current usage
as a synonym for an unselhsh and heroic
woman.
Two weeks since, toward the close of a
stormy March afternoon, Ida Lewis, the
intrepid daughter of the Lime Rock light
keeper, in Newport r. l. harbor per-
formed deed that places her side by side
in point of se,fsacrifcing courage, with
the Grace Darling of England, and rounds
a career of even greater usefulness in the
saving of human life. The rain fell that
day in binding torrents, and the gale
drove the waves across the harbor with a
fury that taxed the full strength and skill
of the most experienced boatmen. In
the midst of this storm, reckless boy,
scarcely IA years old, who had somehow
obtained possession of one Of the smallest
and most unsafe sailboats in the harbor,
(since christened the soldier drowner, "
succeeded In persuading two soldiers,
Sergt. James Adams, and Private John
Mclaughlin, to let him carry them across
from the city, whittier they had gone to
make some 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 manage the boat as well as
any one, they trusted themselves in 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 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 chung 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 lip, he
was gonel-nor has any trace of him
since been seen. Fast paralyzing with
cold and almost bereft of hope the two
soldiers saw no choice lett but to clasp
each other 10 last embrace, and sink to
a NATURAL grave-when suddenly, out
from the Lime Rock, half mile away,
shot little boat, driven by rapid sprokes
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 a slender
youth, and still slenderer woman plying
the oars. On it swiftly came, however,
and the boy was almost reaching over the
side to grasp the nearest soldier, when
his quick-witted sister, crying, Stop,
Hosey! we shall be capsized that way -
turning the boat with we'll 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 scudding 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
light house, where both of them received
the utmost care and kindness, and were
safely conveyed to Fort Adams the next
day.
The heroine of this daring exploit was
born February 25, 1912, and is thus in
her. 2Sth year; but her first rescue Of
imperiled life dates back to September,
1859, when she was only II. Four gay
young fellows, all about is or 20 years of
age, and all sons of wealthy gentlemen,
one from Philadelphia and the rest from
Newport, went out for an evening sail,
and one of them, more full of mischief
than the others, climbed the mast and
upset the boat half mile from the near
est shore. None of them could swim
on, the capsized boat was too light to
support more than two or three of them
AZ once, and they were ruefully awaiting
the bitter consequences of their mad frolic
when the keeper daughter, spying them
through the dusk, FASTENED to their re-
lief, and rescued them all from their i'm
pending fate. The one who climbed the
mast enlisted at the opening Of the war,
and received a mortal wound at the dis
astrous battle of Bull Run, but the others
are still living, and doubtless cherish
gratefully the memory of their youthful
preserver.
During the intervening period of ten
years, this heroine of the harbor has
saved Eve other lives One cold and
windy February day, three intoxicated
soldiers stole a skiff and set out for the
fort. By some drunken recklessEess they
soon stove a hold in the bottom, and the
boat rapidly filed. Two of the men sue
ceeded in swimming ashore again, and
were SO alarmed at their adventure that
they ran away and never came back bat
the third chung to the submerged skiff
and tried to paddle it with his feet across
the harbor. When discovered and pick
ed UP, with his hat in his teeth and
hottie of whisky In each nacket be was