Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-08-10
The heroine OF Lime Rocks.

her own. She and her sister live al
the lighthouse. on Lime Rocks, in
this harbor, aud they kindly care
for their aged mother, who lives
with them. Miss Ida attends TO the
light. and we have yet to hear of d
single complaint being made against
it by anyo of the numerous mariners
who visit these parts, and it is hoped
no politician will ever find it in his
heart to have the light placed in
other hands. Miss Ida is fair losk-
ing, about thirty years of age, but
it is not likely that she will ever get
married again. It will be remem-
bered hal she was married a few
years ago, and that she soon after
ward returned to the scenes of her
childhood, being thoroughly dis
gusted with married life as she
found it, and with the determine.
ton to remain at the lighthouse
and care for her.mother, as long as
the latter should live at least. She
appears to be happy.
Briefly, her first exploit in saving
life was the rescue Of four young
men whose boat capsized in the
harbor during the winter of 1858,
she being nothing but a school girl
ut the time. In the winter of 1865
she saved the life Of a soldier from
Fort Adams, who was attempting to
reach the fort in q small boat. In
January of the same year she
saved the lives Of three men
who had recklessly pushed off from
the shore to head off a flock of
sheep which they had been driving
along the "Fort Road" and which
had taken to the water. Their boat
was swamped, and Ida, seeing their
perilous position, put off from the
lighthouse and saved them, and she
subsequently, was instrumental in
getting the sheep to the shore. The
same winter she rescued a man
from a rock near the lighthouse, to
which he was clinging, with the
cold, icy water washing his body,
and when saved by this heroic lady
he had let go his hold and the tide
was taking him out to sea. His
boat, it appeared, had struck on one
of the rocks and had become a COM
plete wreck. During the winter OF
1869 she saved the lives of two SOL
diers from Fort Adams, a very
hazardous undertaking ana fraHght
with extreme peril. On the day of
the rescue, late in the afternoon,
Ida's mother saw two men clinging
to their boat, which had been cap
sized and which VS. drifting rapid
" to sea. The wind was blowing
a gale and the water was unusually
rough, and, with a mothers bless
ing, she lowered her boat and star
ted for the drowning men. The
angry waves at each stroke of the
oar dashed over the fair occupant
of the boat, who expected that she
would be swamped. She finally
reached the scene of the disaster,
and with the aid of her brother, a
mere lad, who had accompanied her,
she hauled the almost lifeless bodies
of the soldiers into her boat, took
them to her humble home and adj
ministered to their wants. This
last act brought iIer pc manently
before the world, and she received
many tokens OF reward. A hand
some purse Of money was sent hel
by the officers and soldiers ut Fort
Adams; Newport caused an elegant
boat to be made for her, and nc
other than the late James Fisk, jr.,
built a house on the Lime Rocks
for the use of the boat. The Gen
eral Assembly took notice of hel
heroism and the Life Saving Ben.
eyolent Association of New York
presented her with a medal anC
800 in money. There are Other
incidents of her bravery, but the
above are the principal ones ant
are sufficient for the public to al
ways remember the lighthous,
keeper of Lime Rocks with feeling
Of gratitude, and it is safe to sa,
that Miss Ida Lewis will never sui
fer from want should misfortun
oyertake her.