The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-06-22
GRACE DARLING,

the heroine of the Longstone Light
house, whose name. associated with the
wreck of the ''Forfarshire'' steamer, will
long be remembered among the annals
of those who, although holding hum
BILE stations in life, have yet exhibited
trails of natural greatness which would
grace the occupier of the loftiest posi-
ton in society?
Grace Darling was born in Novem-
Der, 1915, and was the daughter of Will
liam Darling, keeper of the lighthouse
on the Longstone, one of the group of
the Farne Island, in which solitary
abode she constantly resided with her
parents. She is described as having been
remarkable for q retiring and some
what reserved disposition, of fair COM
plexion and comely countenance, with
nothing masculine in her appearance,
but, on the contrary, gentle in aspect,
and with an expression of the greatest
mIldness and benevolence,n which lat
ter qualities, we need scarcely remark,
are not uncommonly found associated
with gallant bearing and the most reso-
lutte courage.
Previous to describing the distinguish
ed act OF Grace Darling, in proceeding
with her father to the rescue of the suf-
ferers on the wreck of the '.Forfarshire, .
it will be desirable that we should ex-
plain the nature of the dangerous To-
cality where it occurred.
The Farne Islands lie off the north
eastern coast of England. They are
group of barren ard desolate rocks, in
habited principally by sea-fowl: and
their sides ore in many nartS aytrpT1alv
precipitous.
Through the channels between the
smaller Farne Islands, the sea rushes
with great impetuosity; and doubtless
many a shipwreck of which there is no
record has occurred there in former
times, when no beacon existed to guide
the mariner in his path through the
deep. Rather more than a century ago,
a Dutch 40-gun frigate, with all her
crew, was lost among them; and nu-
merous other wrecks are recorded to
have happened between that time and
the present.
Living on this lone spot, in the midst
of the ocean, with the horrors of the
tempest familiarized to her mind, Grace
Darling was shut out. as it We're, from
the active scenes of life, and was prin-
cipally occupied in assisting her mother
in the management of their little house.
hold; and it is worthy of remark-in or
der to the better appreciation of the
magnaninity she exhibited on this oc-
casion-that she was not habituated to
the use of an oar or the management of
boat, those officers having been per-
formed by other members of the family.
She had received good education for
her station in life, and had reached her
twenty-second year, when the incident
occurred which has rendered her name
80 famous, and which we will now pro-
ceed to relate.
On the evening of the 5th of Septem-
Der, 1888, the ''Forfarshire, steamer
of about three hundred tons burden,
John Humble, master, sailed from Hull
for Dundee, having on board valua-
bic cargo; and, as nearly as could be
ascertained, sixty-three persons, name
ly,-the master and his wife, a crew of
twenty men, and forty one passengers.
She was new vessel, being only two
years old; but her boilers were, no
doubt, in a culpable state of disrepair,
Previous to her leaving Hull. small
leak had been discovered in them, and
for the moment closed up, but when off
Marlborough Head it broke out afresh
to such al extent as to put out two Of
the fires. The boilers were, however,
again partly repaired, and the. fires re-
lighted, and in this inefficient state she
proceeded on her voyage, passing the
"Fairway," between the Farne Islands
and the mainland, at about six p. m.
on the 9th. AT about 8, p. M, she en-
tered Berwick Bay. the sea running
high, with the wild storm from the
north. The leakage now increased to
such degree that the fireman could
not keep the fires burning, and at about
ten p. IN. she bore UP for st. Abb's
Head, the storm still raging with una
bated fury. The engines soon after be-
came useless and would not work,
when ths sails were hoisted fore and aft,
and the vessel tackled, in order to keep
her off the land. She, however, soon
became unmanageable, and, the tide
setting strong to the south, she was car
ried by it in that direction.
1t rained heavily during the whole
| time, and the fog was toe dense to ena-
bic the position of the vessel to be as
certained.
AT length, breakers were discovered
close to leeward, and the Farne lights
became visible, leaving no doubt as to
the imminent peril of all on board.
1t was in vain attempted to avert the
catastrophe by running between the
Islands and the mainland; she would
not answer her helm, and was impelled
to and fro by a furious sea- Between
three and four o'clock, she struck with
her bows foremost on the rock, which
was there so precipitous that person
could scarce stand erect on it.
A part of the crew lowered ore of the
quarter-boats and ;e1t the ship, having
one OF the passengers with them, who
had contrlved to throw himself into the
boat; put two others. making the same
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