Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-08-23


In the history of this century there
has, perhaps. never been known an in
stance Of greater courage, endurance
and pluck than that shown by Emily
Lacy, Young girl under sixteen years
Of age, at the time OF the wreck Of the
Qnetts. As Miss Lacy is related to
some personal friends of my own, /
have asked permission to publish few
mere particulars about her. She and
her younger sister, aged l3. we're COM
ing TO England to compile their edu-
cation. When the era>h came Emily
Immediately rushed to the cabin to try
and rescue her younger sister. and the
two succeeded in reaching the deck,
where, however. they were at once
separate d and they never met after
ward. Miss Lucy SAYS that as the yes
sci was going down q gentleman il
whose care the girls were said 10 her.
You look after yourself, and / viii
take care of May" Both this gentle
man, however, and the little sister were
drowned.
when we got aft" she writes. ''the
ship suddenly went down, and as wa
drinkingin the salt water | thought
was going to be drowned. But came
again and was surrounded by Cingale>,
and sheep. / : I myself being pressed
down by them; it WAS terrible. The
saw a raft a short distance ont, an,
was dragged on to i. by the purser, VIII
was very kind TO me. We We're at
tached to bigger raft, crowded viii
Cingalese. When we got away some
distance, as the CIngale became yef'
noisy, we cut our raft adrift. and | ne
NAMED on her with the purser for
long time, till we we're, as / thought
two miles from the shore; and, es &
told me that he could not swim, l le
him and swan for the shore, but d
not reach it, as it was so far away.
went on swimming toward the land, au'
saw another raft, on which were tv
Cingalese, to which / made my wa,
and got to it; but, as they were ver.
rude and excited, and l thought the.
might be drunk, | left it, aud took
swimming again.
When lifted out of tho water sh
could not have kept up for another hal
hour. She was quite without clothe
and burned nearly black with the sun
Before lifting her out CT the water
sailor threw his jacket over her, anc
then laid her tenderly in the bottom
tho boat. For twenty consecutive hour
she had been swimming and floating
sometimes on her back, sometimes o.
her side. She spoke of the heat Gs 5
intense that she had continually TO kec
her head under water to escape su
stroke. She says that she had neve
any conscious fear Of death, either fron
drowning, or from worse or more tel
rible enemy, sharks, but she often fe
her powers of endurance giving wal
and it was only the thought of the agon
her death would have caused her pai
ents which enabled the heroic gif
to continue her exertions. The wrec
took place at Up. m. on Friday, Feb
rJiary %, and Miss Lacy was NJ
rescued until o'clock on Sunday morn
ing. Twelve hours out of that time sh'
spent with the chief officer, Grey, VII
had got on a raft. As no could no
swim, the brave girl swan by tho d
of the raft and tried TO tow it towel
land. Finding, however, that she vi
making no progress, she left him, hol
ing to reach land, which did not seen
far away, and to get food and water fo
herself aud him. She soon, howeye
got into cross-curronts, and when tn.
iAlbatross rescued Ter she was drifiiu
ont to sea- Miss Lacy is now recove
ing from the fearful shock she has III
dergone. and has before now returne
to her nome. She expressed q gren
dread of going again on the water, az
it is scarcely likely that the intrep'
girl will ever visit Eng aud. L. +,
Meade, IN "Homan."