The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-08-15
a Heroic American student.


At the gala regatta of the Suoth
German Boating Association, at
Mannheim, in Baden, on the 18th of
June, there took place an event
which shed considerable lustre on
American gallantry, and which end
ed in way most romantic. On The
above mentioned day the banks ofthe
Rhine were lined with spectators,
among which the South German ar
istocracy was fully represented. Just
US the crews of the four boating So
cieties were speeding past the last
pillar of the new bridge a thrilling
spectacle attracted all eyes. A
handsome young lady, most elegant
| ly dressed, who had been leaning
over the low railing of the bridge,
suddenly lost her balance and fell
into the water, a distance of at least
seventy-fve feet underneath. Two
or three heartrending shrieks burst
from the lips of those standing near
and then the thousands of specta-
tors, losing all interest in the race,
looked with breathless suspense for
the result of this terrible accident.
The poor young lady struck the wa
ter heavily and disappeared at once.
The Rhine is at that place deep and
rapid; and when the aged father of
the unfortunate young lady in voice
of agonizing grief offered prineeIy
reward to whosoeyer would save his
daughter, there was no response.
All at once a tall young man in
the costume of German student,
and wearing the gold embroidered
cap ofthe Vandal Society, of Heidel-
berg, rushed to the left bank of the
river and plunged boldly into the
rivera leap of thirty feet. There
was a loud shout Of applause, and
then a pause of breathless silence.
All eyes were riveted on ihe brave
swimmer as he struggled against the
rapid current at the very spot where
the young lady had disappeared. He
dived down. What minute of sus-
pense! But all at once a heavy bur
den fell from all those oppressed
hearts. The swimmer emerged from
the depth, and on his left arm held
the senseless body ofthe young lady.
Another shout of applause rang the
Welkiu. Now two boats rowed rap
idly toward the pair, and they did
not come any too soon, for the
young swimmer was visibIy growing
faint, and when he, and his fair bur-
den was drawn into one of the boats
he san down in utter exhaustion.
When the boat reached the left bank.
the young hero was at once the OBJ
iect of feTvent ovation, while the
Young Woman's father took the lat.
ter in his arms and carried her, still
in an unconscious condition, into a
carriage.
The young hero was a Kentuckian
named Clarence Goodwin, law stu
dent of the University of Heidel,
berg. The oldest and most eK-
perienced fishermen on the Rhine
pronounced his exploit q truly heroic
deed, and already on the following
morning the Grand Duke of Baden
conferred on young Goodwin, who
is only 10 years old, the large gold /
en- medal for deeds of conspicuous
courage and devotion. But a still
sweeter reward awaited him. The
young lady whose life he had saved,
and who, Notwithstanding the terri
bic shock she had suffered, had soon
revived, was the only daughter of
the Count of Reigern, one of the
wealthiest South German noblemen.
Her father went himself to the saw
ior of his daughter, and, after thank
ing him in the most touching man
ner, brought him to the young
Countess. The latter thankedyoung
Goodwin, with tears in her eyes, and
said that her lifelong gratitude be-
longed to him. During the next few
days the two were seen frequently
together on the public promenade,
and everybody in Mannheim be-
lieves they are to be married. 7sa
The Fourth Industrial Exposition
at Cincinnati opens on Wednesday,