The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-01-30
,RMS $500 PER ANNUM IN ADVANCE.
From the Brooklyn Union, Jan. 2s,l.
A Long Island Heroine.

ON Friday afternoon John Mason who is
connected with the gravel pit at the hamlet ot
Easton's Neck, on Huntington's bay, l.. l.,
went with friend to Claire's store, which is
near Huntington harbor, to lay in his weekly
supply of provisions. Having made his pur-
chases, he and his friend re embarked In
their frail skiil and started for home. To pass
from the harbor into the bay they had to- go
,,h.oush marrow strait, known in Long Is
Ianu ,crnacular as the gut and then row
% close 10 tue shore of the bav for several miles.
iney passed tne gut in safety and had rowed
Neck light and the bay. wbe,, thc Loot he
came entangled in a flow of ice
The skin being heavily loaded actor, %,
heavily in TACT that her bow was nearl, o'+ -,
water, the frantic efforts of the me,, 70 mi
out Of the foe only made matters worse. AMI AMI
| instead of getting into clear water. tho
! showed more than half of the boat ON ton of
large cake of ice. They both dropped their
cars and made All effort to push the boat of
| the ice, but in their hurry and excitement
! they capsized her, and in a second both of
| them were hounderiDg in the water. Mr..
| Mason's companion, being able to swim lit
! tie, gained the boat, which was floating bot
| tom upwards, and got astride of her keel.
yelling lusiily for help. Meanwhile Mason.
who could net swim stroke, was clinging 10
cake OF ice. which was barely buoyant
enough 6 Sustain his weight. and was rapid,
ly becoming exhausted.
Directly opposite the place al which the
boat was capsized is the residence of Mr.. Conk-
lin, farmer. When the cries for help were
heard, Mr.. Conklin was away from home, and
there were only three women and little 10y
in the honse. All rushed to the beach and
saw the struggles of the drowning man, but
for moment they were so paralyzed that
neither of them had presence of mind enough
10 make movement to aid him. Then Miss
LUCINDA Conklin, without stopping to consult
1er mother or sister, waded out into the bay,
determined to make at least one effort to save
MASON. But as she moved forward clearing
lne Ice from her path with her hands, the
water deepened little by little, until at
last, when she was only eight or ten feet
from the man she sought to save onlv nor
head was above water. BY this time Mason
showed positive signs of exhaustion. Tie had
clung to the ice for so long a time that his
hands had become numb and almost poweI
less, and Miss Conklin saw, from his efforts ia
relieve his hands by placing one of his elbows
on the cakes of ice, that his chances of life.
were not worth a minutes purchase
With heroisu seldom or ever paralleled
she plunged into the deep water, ard with a
few vigorous strokes reached the drowning
man. Although exhausted he was still sem
sible, and faithfully obeyed the instruction
given by the brave woman. She had warned
him against seizng hold OF her in such q
manner as to impede her motions, so when
she reache him he placed his hands oil her
shoulders, and in few seconds, thanks 10
her good swimming, both stood neck deep in
the ice-cold water, and began wadrng shore
ward.
As Miss Ccnklin reached the shore she
tainted away, and was carried to the house
by her relatives, Mason, nearly frozen 10
death, following slowly in their wake. Miss
Conkin was thoroughly exhausted by her ex-
ertions, as well as by the tremendous excite
ment under which she had labored, and did
not recover for two or three days. Mason's
companion stuck manfully to the keel of the
boat, and in due course of time was hauled
ashore.
Miss Conklin is lady OF about the average
size. but her country training has impaired to
her much more than the average strength of
her sex. Although not beautiful, she is spok-
en- OF as interesting and piquant in style, and
is very popular in the neighborhood In which
she resides. ff