The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-11-05
SAVED THREE LIVES.
The Heroine Of the Ferndale
Wreck in the City.
STORY OF HER BRAVE DEEDS.
How She Dragged Three Drowning Men
From the ses at Her LIES Perm
Two Beautiful Medals.

Mn. Martha White, Of North Bend the heyo.
ine Of the wreck Of the Ferndals, 10 in the eitv
with her husband. Edward White, on . visit 70
Nu. james 7. Kenworthy, Ut Fifth and Union
streets Her heath has been Door for several
months, largely - . consequence OF the terrible
sxertion and exposure Of the morning which
made her femoua
Mrs. White 10 Justly proud Of the medals
which were given her In recognition Of her
bravery BY the government and the Portland
Chamber OF Commerce The government medal
IL of massive gold and weighs i've ounces On
one side 10 shield surmountsd by an ea1le.
with . ship and anchor at one side and An alIe.
gorical female figure holding . wreath It the
other. On the shield il inscribed: .Prosented
to Mrs.. Martha White for heroic daring in res.
cuing three men from drowning" Around the
edge are the words: ain testimony o, heroic
deeds in saving life from the psrils OF the ssa.
On the other side Of the medal In engraved a
picture OF boat going out TO q wreck, encircled
By the inscription: "United states of America.
Act OF Congress, June %. 1874" The bar In an
deliberately carved eagles head.
The medal from the Portland Chamber OF
Commerce Is also OF gold and il OF handsome
design. On the front II q picture of q lifeboat
going out TO . wreck. surrounded By . wreath Of
laursls, and on the bar 10 inscribed, "Heroism
Lives in the Hearts Of Heroic People" On the
back In this inscription: "Presen;ed to Mra.
Edward White BY the Chamber OF Commerce of
Portland, Oregon. in recognition of her bravery
in rescuing drowning seamen Of the wrecked
ship Ferndale, January 70, 1892"
The story OF Mrs. Whites brave dead IN Wall
told BY her In simple, modest language, She
related Il to . Posr-INTxLLIoKNcrR reporter In
these words:
A high southwest gale was blowing and the
waves We're rolling mountains high when the
Fesndale stranded at North Beach, fifteen miles
north Of 0ray's Harbor. at 3 O'Clock In the
morning My husband and saw the vessel at
break OF DAY, about haif-past6 or o'clock, and
Cred signals. ! followed and climbed on a big
root about twenty feet high, which had been
thrown On the beach by the waves Tho sea was
30 We could do nothing then. After watching
for an hour We saw the masts go over, one after
another, aud then We realised that some of the
down on the naaen mast ana verne never sa went
again. but the others had ife-preservers NV
husband gave me the shotgun and told me to
ashore, a. there was such thick fog that we
could not zee any distance. He then went down
the beach about half mile to watch for any OF
the men who might come ashore.
After while ! saw q sailor thrown up on the
last breaker, which 10 always the biggest i
jumped into the water and helped him up to the
Then saw another man doat In unconscious,
aud waded In and lifted him up out o. the
water. He could not speak. but he tried to put
ashore and put him on the beach and went back
again saw sometntng away Oh in the water
which looked like man. ] took on my upper
garments, because the wet sand which chung to
them was very heavy, and Wadsd in after the
man. had just got hold OF him. 70 al appear.
ances dead, when We were struck by . big
breaker. which washed W in. I was un-
conscious ct nrst, but soon came 70, and dragged
the sailor up on the sand ridga Then my hus-
band came and found me lying on the sand, and
said to me:
"You have killed yourself to save these men,"
Then he helped them aud me up to the house
The last of the men was In mis- bunk when the
ship struck aud had no clothing except q coat
and vest and . lite preservsr. Another poor
fellow, who had broken his leg week before
BY falling from the mast, lay in his bunk, crying
for light. and the other sailors saw him washed
up from below by the waves. ! helped to bury
him
That IL terrible coast for southwest storms,
and we ought 10 have q itfe-saving station there
Ii we had had one, / could have fred the APP