The Worthington advance., 1882-02-16
A ROMANCE FROM TIRE SEA.
The Story OF "PersonaI"-A Mystery
Cleared Up Through an Advertisement


Cleared Up Through, an Advertisement
New York Herald, 27th.-The following
appeared in the personal column of the
Herald few weeks since:
F1RBANK-lNFoRMAT1oNW WANTED OF RALPH
tRBANK, native OF Newport, Monmoutshire
England; last heard Of in Chicago, June, 1880;
age 26, height about feet inches, square
and stout built complexion fair, face full and
and pale, hair light and lot much on face. Re-
ward Cor information. Address F, care OF
Aessrs. G. 81. K: l. G. A. Fisher, Solicitors, "a
Il saw this Personal" said Mr.. I. C.
Whitehouse, the narrator Of the following
touching story, to the aldreporter, yes
terday, "and I had seen that name before.
had seen that young man in the flush and
pride of vigorous health, and had also
seen his dead body th1own overheard and
the waves close over it as it sank to it's last
resting place. Painful as it was I felt it
my duty to send reply to the adverti*e-
ment, and I did SO at once. received
reply from Messrs G. 81. K. & G.. A. Fisher,
of No. "a Essex street, Strand, London
dated January IL, 1882, saying had en-
abled them to trace the poor young man I
alluded to to the person they were in
search of. They said it was some hat
singular that although his name and address
were in his luggage, not the slightest effort
was made to communicate the sad intell;-
gence to his friends, and probably the acci-
dent of my seeing the advertisement had
led to the discovery of his death, which
might otherwise have remained perpetual
mystery. Early in July, 1880, crossed
the Atlantic on the steamer Egypt, OF the
previous to sailing young man was talk
ing with the captain and asking that he
might be employed in some capacity so as
to work his passage home. His frank de-
claration of his Strengthened circumstances
md his manly bearing impressed me most
favorably. He had an athletic figure, fine
ly chiseled features, and clear, express, lie
eye, but his face was pale, and he had
certain look OF care and anxiety which it
was impossible to conceal. He was fash
ionably dressed and had ain expensive
travelling satchel, but his hands were ex-
ceedingly delicate, and his conversation
showed that he had been we'll educated,
while his general manners were those Of
polished young gentleman who had
enjoyed the advantages of refined
society. real as I thought
history of long concealed struggling and
disappointment in that handsome face.
could not forget that face, but our ways
ooo"Su WAuS4y ulVoES0, AuU L ulu uCC tD1Qh
he would ever CROSS my path again. But he
did, and in way was hardly prepared to
anticipate.
"On the second day out whom should
SEQ coming up from the hole leading to the
furnaces of the engine but this young man.
He came up from that cavernous region Of
fiery heat for breath of fresh air. His
hands were bla<kened and his face be.
grimed, and bis luxuriant brown hair un-
kempt. BE wore only his pantaloons and
shirt, and they also were soiled with ashes
and dirt. I knew that form and face. I
could hardly believe my eyes. but yet ad-
mired the young mans pluck and indepen-
deace. He went back to his post of duty.
Only once he faltered. He offered to
fellow fireman his watch to give him IT,
spitee The weather was intensely hot, and
it was like going down to the
caverns OF death to work before those
hot furnaces. Two nights later
was awakened bg the cry, airing ice; a
man is dying" The nett morning saw
that face again. The face was cold, now
cold with the pallor Of death. / shuddered
as gazed upon the inanimate form and
thought of the strange life history that
those lips, now closed forever, might have
told. The body had been laid on one of
the forward matches and was wrapped up in
q British flag. A few hours later the body
was cast into the sea, and this was the last
of young Ralph Firbank. A touching ro-
nance may be at the bottom of this story
and there may be many sad hearts who are
still bewailing their irreparable loss"