A GIRL HEROINE.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 170, 5 November 1880, Page 1 (Supplement)

A GIRL HEROINE.

On tho second morning after the Sewanhaka disaster the ‘New York Herald’ told of the efforts of John Bush to save passengers with his row-boat, after landing his own family, who were out for a sail. He rescued about 20 passengers.. The ‘ Republican’ on the Ist told some of his experiences. Now the New York papers are waking up to the existence of this ‘neglected hero,’ who works for a dollar a day, and subscriptions are solicited to reward him. A story of more desperate heroism is told of a New Jersey girl. Two young men and three _ young women, names all given, were rowing the other night on the Passaic river and singing, when sudderly they were run into by another boat, both capsizing. Tho two men could swim, and one woman, Miss Godsill ; tho swimmers gathered the others around the boat, when they found that they had two more women in their charge from the other boat, whose partners, Col. Dcly of Boston, and a Spanish gentleman named ! errara, had disappeared. So there they were in the dark water, two men and one woman, who could swim, and four women who couldn’t, trying to cling to the bottom of a boat. 1 lie women who couldn’t swim kept up with difficulty, the boat being slippery. Here is the account of what happened, as told by one of the men:—‘lf you cannot swim, girls,’ Miss Godsill said, as calmly as though she were bathing in shallow water at Manhatten beach, ‘ you can tread water. Now keep cool and we will all get safe to shore.’ Then the heroic girl instructed the two men to take Mrs Olsell, who was the weakest of the party, between them, and to give two of their disengaged hands to two of the other ladies ; she took the other one in hand, and the whole party joined hands, letting the boats drift away, and trod tho water .as best they could in the direction of the shore. But again the terrilied woman cried that they were sinking, and yet again Miss Godsill was equal to the occasion. »She instructed the three well-nigh exhausted girls to place one hand on eacli of the gentlemen’s hip and the other on their shoulders , then encouraging both men and women by the assurance that they must speedily make the shore, she trod the water as did the two men, and slowly made their way towards the river’s bank. But Mrs. Olsell, one of tho strangers found in the water, soon declared • herself to be incapable of the little exertion needful to hold oil to Mr. \> lllmgham, and cried that she must let go her hold. ‘ Give her to me ;I am strong enough to swim ashore with her, an 4 then I wil come back to you,’ rang out Miss Godsill s voice; and notwithstanding that Messrs. Hemming and Willingham begged to undertake the perilous task, the lady would not listen to their entreaties. ‘Your P lace ls with the women,’ she cried, keep them alloat till I get back, and never fear but we will get safe ashore.’ Then placing one arm firmly round her almost lifeless chaige, she struck out boldly with tho disengaged hand for the river’s bank. Then across the dark water came the brave girl s voice, „‘ All s well !’ Again the monotonous splash, splash, announced that their Grace Darling was making her way back to them. Her return nerved the little hand to renewed efforts. A place was made in the ring for the dauntless girl, and the whole party soon reached the land in safety. They landed quite near the Oriental Cottage, whither they managed to drag themselves, and then fell utterly exhausted to the ground.