The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-09-25
GRACE DARLING.
The Story of a Girl Who Was Known All
Over the World.

The story of a Girl Who Was Known All
Over the World.
One of the most pleasing incidents in
humble life was the heroic achievements
of Grace Darling.
Grace Darling. born November "a,
1915, was the daughter of William Oar.
ling, keeper of the light house on the
Longstone. one of the Farne Islands, off
the coast of Northumberland.
Almost shut out from the world in
such SPOT. Grace Darling saw very
little society; yet her parents managed
to give her fair education for q girl
in her station.
1t was on the 5th OF September. 1886,
when Grace was about % years of age.
that the event took place which has
given her celebrity. The Forfarshire,
a steamer OF about 300 tons, John Hum
BILE. master. was on her way from Hull
to Dundee. She had a valuable cargo
and sixty-three persons on board-the
master and his wife, a crew of twenty
men and forty-one passengers. A slight
leak, patched up before her departure,
broke out afresh when off Marlborough
Head and rendered it difficult to main
tain the fires for the engines. She
passed between the Farue Islands and
the mainland about 6 on the evening of
the 18th, and then began to encounter a
high sea and strong north wind.
The leak increasing, the engine fires
gradually went out, and although the
sails were then used, they could not
prevent the vessel from being driven
southwark. Wind. rain, fog and a
heavy sea all beset the hapless vessel at
once.
About 4 o'clock on the morning OF
| the 9Th she struck. bows foremost, on
precipitous part OF one of the rocky ISL
ands. Some of the crew and one of the
passengers left the ship in one OF the
boats; two other passengers persisted in
the attempt to throw themselves into
the boat.
The females on board clustered round
the master, shrIeking and imploring aid
which he could not afford them.
A heavy wave striking the vessel on
the quarter, raised her from the rock
and then caused her to fall violently on
| it again; she encountered sharp ledge
which cut her in twain about midships;
the fore part remained on the rock,
while the hinder part was carried off by
rapid current through a channel
called the Pifa-gut. In this fearful po-
sition the remainder of the passengers
ard crew awaited the arrival of day
light, no one knowing how soon the
waves might destroy them altogether.
At daybreak William Darling des-
cried them from Longstone, about a
mile distant, and it soon became known
at scarborough that a ship had been
wrecked.
So fearfully did the waves beat against
the rock that the boatmen at Bambor-
ough refused to push off, and Darling,
accustomed as he was to danger, shrank
from the peril Of putting of to the
wreck in a boat Not so his gentle but
heroic daughter. She could see, by the
aid of glass, the sufferers clinging to
| the wreck, and, agOpiZed at the sight,
she entreated him to let her 60 with
him in boat to endeavor to rescue
them. At last he consented: the moth
er helped to launch the boat into the
4gater, and the father and daughter
each took an oar.
And so they rowed this fearful mile,
each instant in danger of being
swamped by the waves. They reached
| the wreck and found nine survivors.
\ One of them, a weaver's wife, was found
| in the fore-cabin. exposed to the intru-
/ sion of the sea, and two children lay
| stiffened corpses in her arms. The
whole nine went with Darling and his
daughter into the boat. and safely
reached the light house, where, owing
| to the severity of the weather. they
were forced to remain two days, kind
w attended to by the three inmates.
When the news of this exploit reached
the coast, all Northumberland was filled
| with admiration; and speedily the
whole kingdom was similarly affected.
Grace Darling's name became every
where known, and she herself received
attention from all quarters. Tourists
came from all quarters to see the Long
stone light house, and, still more, to see
Grace herself.
The Duke and Duchess of Northum-
] berland invited her aud her father to
| Aluwick castle, and gave her a gold
watch: the silver medal of the Ship
wreck institution was awarded to her:
and testimonials came from various
public bodies. A purse of e700 was
presented to her by public subscription.
| Portraits of her were eagerly sought
| for and purchased: and specializing
manager of London theatre even Of
fered q large sum to her if she would
merely sit in boat on the stage for a
few minutes during the performance Of
q piece written for the occasion. But
her modest and retiring disposition re-
VOTED from the last named notoriety;
she rejected the offer; and throughout
the whole of this novel and tempting
career she never once departed from