The Gold Medal of the Sea
Martha White of Copalis receives a federal gold medal for her heroic rescue of three drowning men.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Senator Allen of the state of Washington has had the pleasure of sending a gold medal granted by the United States government to Mrs. Martha White, of Copalis, Chehalis county, Wash. The medal bears the inscription: 'In testimony of heroic deeds in rescuing three men from drowning.' The granting of medals to citizens for deeds of bravery is authorized under the act of June 18, 1874. They are known as life-saving medals of the first and second class, the one of gold and the other of silver. The medal of the first class is given to persons who perform life-saving acts of extreme and heroic daring, and the silver medal to those whose deeds are not sufficiently distinguished to deserve the medal of the first class. During the eighteen years of the operation of the law only 37 persons have received medals, the last being Mrs. White.
“The medal bears the inscription: 'In testimony of heroic deeds in rescuing three men from drowning.'”
Public honors for civilian heroism on the coast remain a staple of Pacific Northwest culture. This story highlights the extreme danger of Washington’s rugged coastline, a reality that has persisted for over a century for those living in isolated coastal communities.
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