264 NORTH SEA FISHERS AND FIGHTERS 



nine survivors of the wreck who were almost perishing 

 amongst them a woman who had witnessed the 

 drowning of her two only children and heard their last 

 despairing cry for help above the howl of wind and roar 

 of ruthless breakers. 



After strenuous efforts Darling and his daughter 

 managed to help the survivors into the boat, and to row 

 them safely back to the lighthouse, where food and 

 drink and fire restored them, and whence, in a little 

 while, they were transferred to the mainland. 



The courage of the enterprise, and the youth and sex 

 of one of the rescuers, thrilled the country as it had not 

 been moved by any deed of recent years. Public praise 

 and money rewards were given to Grace Darling, who 

 lived just long enough to learn fully what the world had 

 to say and do. She died, a delicate girl, not long after 

 the rescue of the survivors of the Forfarshire. 



The loss of the Elbe, in itself one of the most terrible 

 of disasters to Atlantic liners, was relieved from total 

 horror by the skill and courage of North Sea 

 smacksmen who rescued the survivors. The accident 

 occurred in the winter of 1895, which was one of the 

 most severe of modern times. The Medway was frozen 

 over, and skaters swarmed on the ornamental waters of 

 the London parks. On the more exposed railway tracks 

 in England trains were snowed up, and there were many 

 calls on the east coast for the lifeboats. 



Wild weather raged on the North Sea, and such 

 fishing-craft as were out were covered with ice. There 

 were on the banks, of course, the fleeters, for there is no 

 running home on their part to escape bad weather ; and 

 there were also afloat a few adventurous single-boaters, 



