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When they neared the overturned sail-

boat, Ida maneuvered the skiff so that the

back, or stern, faced the men. While Hosea

held the boat steady with the oars, Ida

extended a pole to one man and pulled him

over the stern. While he flopped on the floor,

gasping for air, she reached for the second

man. Once he also was safely on board, she

struck out for the lighthouse.

Ida had rescued two soldiers, Sergeant

James Adams and Private John McLaughlin.

She and Hosea helped them into their home,

where Zoradia had a roaring fire waiting.

The soldiers could not believe that a woman

had saved them. Once they recovered and

returned to nearby Fort Adams, they spread

the word. Newspapers and magazines took

up the story. Suddenly, Ida was famous.

Ida’s father, Captain Hosea Lewis, had been

named the keeper when Lime Rock Lighthouse

was created in 1854. Its purpose was to prevent

ships from running aground on the rocky little

island as they sailed toward Newport Harbor,

only a few hundred yards away. A cottage was

later attached to the lighthouse so the Lewis

family could live on the island.

Captain Lewis allowed fifteen-year-old Ida

to help with his duties. She learned to handle

This historical painting from a Coast Guard

collection commemorates Ida’s rescue of

the two soldiers from Fort Adams.

A SKIFF IS A

SMALL ROWBOAT.

ROW!

ROW!

ROW!

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