The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-01-17
EMMA HAM1LTOE's BRAVERY.
The Villagers Of NOrthpOrt Present
Her With a Watch.

A FIFTEEN YRAR-oLD GIRL DIVES sEy-
ERAL TIMES TO RESCUE A DROWNING
BOY AND THEN SETS ABOUT SKILL
FULLY TO RECOVER HIS BODY.
New York SUM-
Capt. William Hamilton, who owns a
produce boat running to this city, lives
in neat hillside cottage in the village
of Northport, Long Island. From his
front stoop one may get glimpse of
the blue Connecticut hills across the
Sound. In front of his house is road,
and from the road to the ground slopes
suddenly about forty feet to a narrow
beach. On the afternoon of July z, the
Captains daughter, Emma, was sitting
under the trees that shade the slope.
She was not Is until last Thursday, and
she does not appear to be even SO old as
that. William Beebe, the 10 year old
son of Captain Henry Beebe, Sandy
Hook pilot, was in town visiting an
uncle. He came along and invited Miss
Emma to go up the beach to the bath
ing-houses, and join a number of women
and children who were in the water. She
declined to 90 and the boy went on.
Pretty soon she heard the children
There's boy drowningl" As that was
common among the children when play
ing in the water, she paid no attention
to it. Soon, however, she heard woman
cry:
'For Gods sake, is there no one on
this beach that can swimY
| She knew then that somebody was
indeed drowning. 1t was nearly 10G
rods to the sand point whore the bathers
were, but she reached the place in time
to see young Beebe rise to the surface
for the last time. He was about three
rods from the beach Hastily throwing
off her shoes, she plunged in, and swim
ming to the place, as nearly as she could
| Judge, she dived several times to the bot
tom, but she failed to find him. BY this
time John Murray had reached the
beach. A boat was launched, Mis-
Hamilton got into it, and with Murray
went to the place where Beebe had gont
down, being able to judge more accurate
ly where it was than when she wa
swimming. Leaning over the stern O.
the boat, she put her face under waite
so that a clear view of the bottom
should not be cut off by the surfac,
waves and ripples.
When she discovered the boy lyins
motionless on the sand and undoubtedll
quite dead, owing to the time that hat
elapsed, she made Murray hold the boa
over it with an oar while she went ashor
and got heavy oyster rake This sh
carried to the boat and with it the bod,
was brought to the surface. Effort
were made on the shore to revive him
but he had probably died before tn
boat was launched
The courage and energy Miss Hamil
ton had displayed were the talk of tn
country around. Captain J. L. Knight
!, of this city, relative of the boy, AM
Captain Jesse CARL, a shipbuilder Of tn
village, started the project Of making
present to the girl for her bravery. 4
subscription paper was quietly circula
: ted
Christmas night was selected to max
the annual presents to the Sunday-schoo
, pupils. There was union gathering a
! the Methodist Church. The buildin
was crowded. After Santa Claus ha,
, climbed out of the window of hous
made for the purpose and given ava
many beautiful things to the children
Lawyer n. S. Ackerly stepped up i
front of the pulpit. He said giving @
! presents was fitting service in memoir
of the life that had been given that al
! might live. Nothing was more preciou
than life; nothing more noble than sell
sacrifice to save it. The village ha
been called last summer to mourn til
death of lad known and loved q
, all. But, great as was the grief, ther
+, was a light shed upon it by the heroi
! efforts of young girl to save the boy q
he struggled with death. The whole vi
lage had felt that it was deed worth
OF something more than praise. The
! had procured a gift for her, but the
knew that it could not add to the sati
I, faction which follows an act like her
: 1t would show to her, however, the est
: nation in which she was held by he
: neighbors. The heroine, he said. {
: whom he spoke, was Miss Emma Hami
ton.
Amid great roar of applause Mis-
! Hamilton, then stepped forward.
! gold hunting case watch, with a chat
and seal was given to her. She bowe
: her thanks amid profound silence, anC
. as theapplause again burst forth, she +,
. turned modestly to her seat. The waite
is very handsome, and is worth owe
500 Inside the case are engraved til
following words: