THE LIFE-BOAT, · 2017. 1. 5. · ship Austria, with 528 person ons board o,f whom no less tha 47n...

THE LIFE-BOAT,OR

JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION.

VOL. IV.—No. 31.] JANUARY IST, 1859. [PRICE

SHIPS' LIFE-BOATS.

ON another page we record one of the mostfearful catastrophes that has ever happenedon the seas. The burning of the emigrantship Austria, with 528 persons on board, ofwhom no less than 471 were drowned, suf-focated, or burned to death.

This unfortunate vessel was foreign pro-perty, belonging to a Hamburg companyand one of a line of steam ships runningbetween that place and New York. Wecannot, therefore, be held nationally respon-sible for this terrible sacrifice of human life,from whatever cause it may have arisen.

The question must, however, naturallyoccur to many a thinking Englishman—Areour own passenger ships any better preparedto meet such a terrible visitation as destruc-tion by fire, or may we expect after a whileto have our feelings shocked by the accountof some English Austria presenting the samedeplorable spectacle of panic, destruction ofboats, and loss of all on board but somesmall portion whom accident may have ledto a better boat, or to one more fortunatelymanaged than the others ?

Alas! that our reply must be, we may,and most probably vrill, ere long aave torecord a similar sad tale on board an Englishvessel; for we have no reason to supposethat this unhappy ship was a whit behindthe best of our own in the provision of boatsor other means for effecting the safety ofthose on board in the event of accident atsea.

The Austria was a fine vessel, of capacioussize, being 2,500 tons; she was new, and

of English build, having been launched onlya year before in the Clyde; and she wasconsidered to be most complete in the sup-ply of boats, life-buoys, and all such appli-ances, after the most approved moderncustom. Yet all was of no avail to no lessthan 471 persons out of 528 who hadtrusted themselves and their all on boardher.

It will be well to consider what was thecause of so great a sacrifice of life, and whythe means provided for the security of theliving cargo so terribly failed in the finalemergency, in order that we may ascertainwhat steps might be adopted to prevent, orat least to lessen the chances of such cala-mities in future.

It appears from the account of the survi-vors that there was considered to have beena good supply of boats on board, althoughnot enough to contain all the passengers andcrew ; but that accidents happened to all ofthem in the act of lowering or after theyreached the water, chiefly caused by thepanic which seized on the affrighted passen-gers, who rushed indiscriminately into them,and crushed or swamped them one afteranother, two or three of them being also up-set Toy the action of tVie "vesseYs screw. Asa panic amongst those on board was thenthe immediate cause of the greater portionof this fearful loss of life, it will be worth,our while to inquire how far there was rea-son for panic, and what arrangements may,•with advantage, be adopted to lessen theprobability of a panic in all similar cases.

The first of these inquiries is readily re-plied to without other information than we

LIFE-BOAT JOURNAL.—Vol. IV,—No. 31.

110 THE LIFE-BOAT. [JANUARY 1,1859.

are already acquainted with. The second isone loudly demanding the serious attentionof the Government and Legislature of thiscountiy.

With regard to the first inquiry, wehave only to learn that there were notsufficient boats to take off all those on boardthe ill-fated ship, and we have at onceample cause for a panic. For if it wereknown to those on board that the boatswould take off all but five or six, or even allbut one individual, that knowledge wouldbe sufficient to cause a panic, since the fearof being that doomed one would suffice toraise up the demon of fear in nearly everybreast, and a panic would be the sureresult.

We may then at once proceed with oursecond inquiry, viz.:-—What arrangementsmay with advantage be adopted to lessenthe probability of a panic, with all its fearfulconsequences, in every future similar case ?To this inquiry we shall devote our carefulconsideration, and we hope to show that itis quite practicable to provide such securityfor every person on board the most crowdedemigrant or other passenger ship as shallmaterially lessen the probability of a panicseizing them, and shall diminish the chancesof loss of life even when a panic has ensued.

And surely, as we have remarked above,this is a subject worthy of the serious consi-deration of the Government and Legislatureof this country. For when we consider themission that is evidently in God's providencebefore us, to people the most distant partsof the world, and to carry civilization andreligion into its darkest corners; when weconsider our enormous and increasing com-merce, and the vast number of our country-men whose lives are and will be constantlyimperilled on the seas, how can we sufficientlyestimate the responsibility which rests on us,as a nation possessed of such great privi-leges, to lessen as far as possible the perilsof the deep ?

In the answer to our first inquiry, we havepointed out the necessity for sufficient boatsin every ship to convey every person onboard in the event of destruction impending,whether by fire or other danger incidental tothe sea.

We shall be at once told that in thecrowded emigrant or troop ship our remedywould be inapplicable, since a sufficient num-ber of boats could not be stowed on board.We are prepared to maintain that sufficientboats can be stowed to carry the fullest com-plement of passengers or troops conveyed inany ship, and that it is therefore as muchthe duty of the Legislature to require thatsuch boats shall be carried, as it is to limitthe number of persons conveyed by any landcarriage to such a number as may be safelycarried by it. A similar law, requiring thatno ship should carry more persons on boardthan she had boat accommodation for, wouldvery quickly produce the desired result, anddifficulties which appeared insurmountablewhen seen through the mingled and con-flicting atmosphere of Christian duty andworldly interest would speedily disappearwhen viewed in the unobscured light ofcommercial enterprise.

The spirit of emulation and competition,and the keen desire for pecuniary profitwould soon, as by magic, build boats andrig davits, and find out blank spaces ofstowage-room. We must not, however, besatisfied with vague generalities, or trusteven to the all-potent motive of worldly in-terest, which, more frequently busies itselfin seeking to evade the law than in endea-vouring to turn it to best account. It is,therefore, indispensable in the first placethat the number, size, description, and placeof stowage of every boat on board a shipshould be exactly defined and subject toofficial inspection and approval, so as to leaveno loophole through which they who woulddishonestly evade the law might obtain ad-vantage at the expense of those who con-scientiously abided by it. The necessity ofsuch definition being granted, we will proceedto explain the exact character of thoserequirements which we think might beadvantageously defined and rigorously in-sisted on.

I. That there should be a sufficientnumber of boats to carry every person onboard a ship, each fitted as a life-boat, ofthe size and description as per given stan-dard, hoisted to davits at the vessel's sides,fitted with Clifford's or other sanctioned im-

JANUARY 1, 1859.] THE LIFE-BOAT. Ill

proved lowering apparatus, and having al-ways in her such articles of equipment asshould be defined by law.

II. That every such boat should havepainted on her exterior, in legible and con-spicuous characters, the number of personsshe was legally authorized to carry; inorder that every passenger, or other personon board, could, at any time, by adding thetotal numbers together, satisfy himself thatthere was life-boat accommodation for all.It would also be a manifest advantage thatevery boat should be of corresponding size,

; so as to take an equal number of persons onboard. Thus, if each was authorized tocarry 30 persons, it would be readily cal-culated that each 10 boats would carry 300,and the number would be so familiar toevery one, that in the hurry of taking tothe boats, the regulated safe cargo of eachwould be more certainly known and lesslikely to be departed from.

III. That on leaving port, and at certainintervals during every long voyage, thecaptain of the ship should muster all hands,and call over the names of the officer to takecharge, the crew to work, and the passengersto embark in each boat individually speci-fied.

IV. That the boats of every passenger shipshould be specially and carefully inspectedand reported on by the appointed GovernmentInspector previous to each voyage. Atpresent, the inspection of ships' life-boats isof no service, as there is no fixed standard,and it is notorious that the generality ofthose in passenger ships, and nearly orquite all of those in our coast passengersteamers, are a mere sham, unentitled tothe name of life-boats.

We will ofler some remarks on the aboverecommendations to make plain their practi-cability, and to meet any objections whichmay be made against them.

Istly. As to _the number of boats to bo icarried, and their places of stowage. How iand where could a sufficient number- bestowed to suffice for a full cargo of pas-sengers? In reply to this question, wemust acknowledge that there might be diffi-culty in stowing a sufficient number of ordi-nary boats to take on board them all the

denizens of a crowded passenger ship; if,therefore, such boats only are carried, therights of humanity call for the interferenceof the law, which should allow no morepassengers to be carried than should beproportional to the number of boats. Butby the aid of the Berthon collapsible life-

i boat, the difficulty of stowage can be at once! got over, and any passenger ship may carryi on board, in readiness for instantaneousi lowering on the occurrence of danger, asmany boats as she could carry passengersto occupy them. Thus, it will be acknow-ledged that a ship of 2,500 tons, such asthe Austria, could readily carry, if a screwvessel, six pairs of boat's davits along eachof her sides, or if a paddle-steamer, fivepairs besides those of her paddlebox-boats.This number, supposing each boat on boardcapable of carrying 30 persons, would give

• boat accommodation for 360 persons. But! we showed in the 25th Number of thisJournal, to which we must refer our readers,that a Berthon's collapsible life-boat can beeasily stowed at the inner part of every pairof davits, against the ship's side, the otherordinary boats, being hoisted up to the davitends, the latter being first lowered and theformer then in readiness for lowering. Wehave thus the boat accommodation doubled,and in the case of such a vessel as the Austria,we have boats for 720 persons, all hoistedto davits at the vessel's sides ready for in-stantaneous lowering. Here, then, we haveat once an important source of safety—" there are boats enough for all on board."

But, 2ndly, each of these boats should belife-boats, of a standard description, as de-fined by the Legislature. The Berthon boatsare life-boats of a superior description, butevery other boat should be also a life-boatafter a given standard, or no life-boats worththe name will ever be provided by ship-owners. For a review of the whole ques-tion of the importance of a " Standard Life-boat," we must'refer our readers to a paperon that subject in the 23rd Number of thisJournal. It will be sufficient here to pointout the advantages to be derived from everyboat being, a life-boat, not only in name, butin reality. In addition to the greater safetyof such boats in the event of bad weather

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112 THE LIFE-BOAT. [JANUARY 1, 1859.

overtaking them after their leaving a sinkingor burning ship, there would be this imme-diate advantage; that if such boats wereupset in lowering, they would not founder,and if several such boats capsized inlowering, they might be again righted bythe aid of the remaining boats that had beensafely lowered, which could not be done withcommon open boats: this capability wouldstill further diminish the evils of a panic.

3rdly. These boats should be all fittedwith Clifford's lowering apparatus, whichhas been proved to be superior to all othersimilar inventions, and which, as an ad-ditional source of security, would be afurther means to prevent or allay a panic.

4thly. The advantage of a legalizednumber of persons to be carried by eachboat, and of painting that number in legiblecharacters on the exterior of every boat, willbe sufficiently obvious without further ob-servation.

5thly. The periodical mustering and sta-tioning of the passengers, officers, and ship'scompany to the several boats would havethe advantage, besides those already men-tioned, of making the officer, crew, and pas-sengers of each boat familiar with eachother's personal appearance; which wouldbe a means of preventing confusion, andtherefore of lessening the chances of a panicin the hour of danger.

6thly. The advantages of inspection byauthorized and qualified Government officersare too obvious to require comment.

There are two incidents in the history of thisdisaster deserving of notice. The one, thatthe only boat which it is reported was safelylowered from the davits full of people was aFrancis's metallic life-boat. The other, thattwo or three of the boats were drawn to-wards the screw by the. stream of waterwhich always tends to it, and were thusupset.

An account of Francis's galvanized ironlife-boats will be found in the 22nd Numberof this Journal; their great strength, theirunliability to leak, or rot, and there being,to a great extent, fire-proof, give them strongclaims to the attention of shipowners. They,however, require considerable modification

of their interior fittings, and increase of" extra buoyancy" to make them what aship's life-boat ought to be.

The danger of destruction by the actionof the screw-propeller is a novelty in thehistory of these disasters; it may, however,be readily guarded against by a simple pre-caution, which also adds much to the safetyof the process of lowering a boat at sea inother respects. Every boat should have its" painter," or some other rope from its bow,fast to the vessel at some distance before it;any boat will be safer hoisted up or loweredby adopting this precaution, as it steadies aboat greatly in the act of lowering or hoist-ing, and thus prevents her being damagedagainst the vessel's side, whilst, as soon asshe is in the water, she is prevented goingadrift, and can be immediately, by the use ofthe rudder, kept away from the vessel's side,or brought close to it at will. Every boatwould thus not only be prevented from beingdrawn within the action of the screw, butwould be retained alongside the ship, evenif upset, until she had her proper cargo ofpassengers on board: by the aid of a smallhatchet, to be kept in the bow of each boat,this rope might then be cut at the rightmoment, and the boat at once steered clearof the ship.

There remains but one serious obstacle tobe alluded to, but it is one which surelyought to be no obstacle at all. We alludeto the expense of providing a sufficientnumber of lifeboats for every ship. Un-doubtedly a considerable additional expensewould be incurred ; but should expense bepitted against human life? Surely it is asecondary question! Besides, if requiredfrom all alike, it would give no advantage toone shipowner over another, and the ad-ditional outlay would, in fact, be paid forby the passengers themselves; who, by asmall addition to their passage-money, would,after a few voyages, have paid for the wholecost of the boats of a ship.

We have now considered this most im-portant subject in all its bearings. We con-sider it to be one the importance of whichcannot be exaggerated; one in which thenational character is implicated. We havenow, as on several previous occasions, raised

JANUARY 1, 1859.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 113

our feeble voice to urge its serious considera-tion by the authorities of the land. Weearnestly hope that we may not have givenutterance to it altogether in vain.

DESTRUCTION OF THE PASSENGERSTEAM-SHIP, " AUSTRIA," BYFIRE.

THE steam-ship, Austria, of 2,500 tons, oneof the Hamburg line of screw steam-packets,running between that place and New York,sailed from Southampton on the 4th Sept.last for New York. Her passengers num-bered 425, and her officers and crew 103,making a total of 528 souls. She was builtat Glasgow, was 347 feet long, was almostwholly constructed of iron, her machinerywas on one of the latest and most improvedplans, she was provided with four Francis'smetallic life-boats, and with everything thatcould contribute to the comfort of those onboard. She was also divided into tenwater-tight compartments, so that the pro-vision for the safety of her passengers andcrew would appear to have been above thatof the average of passenger ships. Yet allthese qualities and advantages sufficed notto prevent one of the most frightful catas-trophes that has ever been recorded. Thefollowing account of the circumstances ofthe voyage and loss of the ill-fated shipwas written by Mr. C. BEEWE, the onlyBritish subject who was saved:—

" I took passage at Southampton, on the4th Sept., in the steam-ship Austria, Capt.HEYDTMANN, which left Hamburgh on the2nd. We sailed at five P.M., the eveningbeing a little misty. We, in consequence,anchored between the Isle of Wight and themain land. Sailed again at four o'clock onthe following morning.

" From the time the ship was laid on hercourse we experienced strong westerly winds.On the 12th the weather was more favour-able, and on the 13th a speed of eleven knotshad been attained, and all were in high hopesof reaching New York by the 18th. At alittle after two o'clock P.M., I was on thequarter-deck. I saw a dense volume ofsmoke burst from the after entrance of thesteerage. Some women ran aft, exclaim-

ing, ' The ship is on fire! what will becomeof us?' The ship was instantly put athalf speed, at which she continued untilthe magazine exploded, by which I inferthe engineers were instantly suffocated. Ionly walked from where I was on thequarter-deck to the waist of the ship, whenI saw the flames breaking through the lightsamidships. As the ship was head to thewind, the fire travelled with fearful rapidity.

" I then went to the man at the wheel,and told him to put the vessel with her sideto the wind. He hesitated—probably didnot understand me, as he was a native ofHamburg. I then got a German gentlemanto speak to him. At this time I saw somepersons letting down the boat on the portside of the quarter-deck. What became ofthe boat I don't know, but think she wascrushed under the screw. I then went tolet a boat over from the starboard side ofthe quarter-deck, but the moment we laidour hands on the ropes, there were so manypeople who crowded into it that we couldnot lift it off the blocks. We therefore leftit for a few minutes until the people got out,when we returned and launched it overthe side of the ship, when, the people allrushing into it again, it descended withgreat violence into the water, and was in-stantly swamped, all the people beingwashed out excepting three, who held on tothe sides. We then let down a rope andpulled up one person, who proved to be thesteward. Another, in the act of beinghauled up, was strangled by the rope.

" The fire now came on too fiercely to at-tempt to get up any more from the swampedboat. All the first-cabin passengers were onthe poop, with the exception of a few gentle-men, who must have been smothered in thesmoking-room. Many of the second-cabinpassengers were also on the poop, but anumber of them got shut into their cabinay the fire. Some of them were pulled upthrough the ventilator, but the greaternumber could not be extricated. The lastwoman who was drawn up, said, there weresix already suffocated. We now perceivedthat the ship had got her head to the windagain, so that the flames came over thequarter-deck.


" In consequence of the crowd I couldnot get to the wheel-house to ascertain thereason, but I was informed that the helms-man had deserted his post, and that thevessel, being left to herself, headed to thewind of her own accord. At this time thescene on the quarter-deck was indescribableand truly heartrending. Passengers wererushing frantically to and fro; husbandsseeking their wives, wives in search of theirhusbands, relatives looking after relatives,mothers lamenting the loss of their children,some wholly paralyzed by fear, others madlycrying to be saved, but a few perfectly calmand collected. The flames pressed so closelyupon them that many jumped into the sea ;relatives, clasped in each other's arms,leaped over and met a watery grave.Two girls, supposed to be sisters, jumpedover and sank kissing each other. A mis-sionary and his wife leaped into the seatogether, and the stewardess and assistant-steward, arm in arm, followed. One Hun-garian gentleman, with seven fine children,four of them girls, made his wife jump in,then blessed his six eldest children, madethem jump in one after the other, and fol-lowed them with an infant in his own arms.

" I about this time was standing outsidethe bulwarks holding on by the davits, lean-ing out to avoid the flames, which wereleaping towards me. I saw a swamped boatunder me, spinning by a rope still attachedto the ship. As the oars were tied in her, Ithought that if I could get to her I wouldbe enabled to save myself and others. I letmyself down by a rope, passing over a manwho was clinging to it, but who refused tocome with me. I took out a penknife tocut the tackle; the large blade broke, and Ithen severed it with the small blade. Theship passed ahead. As the screw approached,I found the boat drawn towards it. I triedto keep the boat off, but the screw caughtand capsized her over me. I dived awayfrom the ship and came to the surface neara boat which was keel upwards; I got onher, and by pressing on one side, withthe assistance of a wave, she righted, butwas still swamped. The oars had beenknocked out by the screw; the only thingI could find in her to paddle with was

some laths nailed together as a sheathing forthe sides.

" When I looked around, the ship was aquarter of a mile away from me. I couldsee the ladies and gentlemen jumping off thepoop into the water in twos and threes,some of the ladies in flames. Several hesi-tated to leap from the burning ship until thelast moment, as the height was 22 feet,and were only at length compelled tothrow themselves off to avoid a more pain-ful death. In half an hour not a soul wasto be seen on the poop. I pulled after theship, and picked up a German who wasswimming strongly; I got him beside meon the boat, and we paddled after the shipwith the laths. I now saw a vessel undersail approaching, she reached the steamerabout five p.m., we continued pulling to-wards them, and about half-past seven, afterbeing five hours in the water, got within hailof the sailing vessel, which put off a boatand took us on board. She proved to bethe French barque Maurice, Captain ERNESTRENAUD, of Nantes, bound from Newfound-land for the Isle of Bourbon, with fish. Shehad up to that time rescued 40 passen-gers of the burning steamer, chiefly takenoff the bowsprit, though a few were pickedup floating around. At about eight o'clockone of the metallic boats came up, withabout 23 persons, including the first andthird officers ; afterwards three or four menwere picked up, floating on a piece of thebroken boat. The second officer was takenup, having been swimming with nothing tofloat him for six hours. The second andthird officers were severely burnt; one malepassenger was burnt frightfully, and someother male passengers slightly. There werebut six women saved, three of whom wereburnt, one in a shocking manner.

" Captain RENAUD acted with the utmostkindness. He gave clothes as far as he couldfurnish them to the suffering passengers, andacted as nurse, doctor, and surgeon to theburnt people, dressing the wounds of thefemales with a delicacy and tenderness thatevinced a benevolent and amiable disposi-tion.

" I did not see an officer of the ship duringthe fire, and am certain there was not one of


them or the crew on the poop, except a manat the wheel for a short time. I understoodwhen the captain heard of the fire he rushedon deck without a cap, and when he saw theflames exclaimed 'We are all lost!' Hetried to get out a boat, which, when letdown, was swamped, and he, whether acci-dentally or not I do not know, fell into thesea and was soon left far behind. Thefourth officer was in this boat. He cut herloose from the davits; she was carried underthe screw and smashed, and several in herdrowned; three or four men escaped on afragment and were picked up by the Maurice,as before stated. About the same time onemetallic life-boat was let down from the portbow and swamped, but got clear away withabout 33 persons in her, including thefirst and third officers and several women.The men in this boat capsized her two orthree times in trying to clear her of water.10 persons were then drowned, includingsome women. They afterwards baled herout with life-preservers cut in two, andpulled to the Maurice, having picked up 2or 3 passengers before reaching the barque.Altogether there were 67 souls taken intothe Maurice during the night.

" The fire is known to have arisen fromvery culpable negligence of some of the crew.The captain and surgeon considered it expe-dient to fumigate the steerage with burningtar. The operation was to be performed bythe boatswain, under the superintendence ofthe fourth officer. The boatswain heatedthe end of a chain to dip in tar to producesmoke. The end became too hot to hold,and he let it drop upon the deck, to whichit set fire. The tar upset and immediatelyall about was in flames. A feeble attemptwas made to extinguish it, but without effect.There was nothing at hand to meet such anemergency.

" The rescued passengers saved nothingbut the clothes on their backs, and even thegreater part of these were torn off and other-wise lost."

TO EESCUE DROWNING PERSONS.WE are gratified in being able to makepublic the following instructions for the

guidance of those who being themselvesable to swim, may have opportunity togo to the aid of their drowning fellow-creatures. The writer of them, Mr. JOSEPHH. HODGSON, of Sunderland, known in thatneighbourhood by the appellation of the" Stormy Petrel," is perhaps more com-petent to pronounce a practical opinion onthe subject than any other person in theUnited Kingdom, he having made it hisstudy from his boyhood, and having pro-bably saved more persons from drowning byswimming to their aid than any other personin these islands. Before the age of seven-teen Mr. HODGSON had on no less than fiveoccasions received pecuniary awards from theHumane Society of Sunderland for savingthe lives of his fellow-creatures. Since thattime he has refused pecuniary recompense,but has received medals from the Emperorof the French, and from the Board ofTrade, the National Life-Boat Institution,and Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners'Society in this country. Although not con-nected with the sea, being a carver-and-gilder by trade, no sooner did the galespring up, and the sea was lashed withfoam, when wrecks and the upsetting ofboats might be expected, than he wassure to be found at his post on the sea-shore, until he was at last looked on as asure accompaniment of the storm, and bycommon consent, received the singular andhonourable title of the " Stormy Petrel,"from the small bird of that name, so familiarto every one who has traversed the ocean ina gale.

With a resolute heart, a muscular arm,great proficiency in the art of swimming,and the possession of that peculiar nervouspower termed presence of mind, Mr. HODG-SON appears to have possessed all the qua-lities which, aided by the desire to do good,have particularly qualified him for his self-imposed work of philanthropy. We hadthought this short introduction of our Cor"respondent due to him and to our readers,and we will now at once proceed with hiscommunication:—

To (lie Editor of the Life-Boat Journal.

SIR,—I beg to furnish you with a few simple


instructions, embodying my opinion as to themost efficacious mode of aiding a drowningperson in the water by swimming to hisassistance.

INSTRUCTIONS FOB SAVING DROWNING PER-SONS BY SWIMMING TO THEIR RELIEF.

1st. When you approach a person drown-ing in the water, assure him, with a loudand firm voice, that he is safe.

2nd. Before jumping in to save him,divest yourself as far and as quickly aspossible, of all clothes, tear them off ifnecessary, but if there is not time, loose,at all events, the foot of your drawers ifthey are tied, as, if you do not do so, theyfill with water and drag you.

3rd. On swimming to a person in the sea,if he be struggling, do not seize him then,but keep off for a few seconds till he getsquiet, which will be after he takes a mouth-ful or two, for it is sheer madness to takehold of a man when he is struggling in thewater, and if you do, you run a great risk.

4th* Then get close to him and take fasthold of the hair of his head, turn himas quickly as possible on to his back,give him a sudden pull and this will causehim to float, then throw yourself on yourback also and swim for the shore, bothhands having hold of his hair, you on yourback and he also on his, and of course hisback to your stomach. In this way youwill get sooner and safer ashore than byany other means, and you can easily thusswim with two or three persons ; the writerhas often, as an experiment, done it withfour, and gone with them forty or fifty yardsin the sea. One great advantage of thismethod is that it enables you to keep yourhead up, and also to hold the person's headup you are trying to save. It is of primaryimportance that you take fast hold of thehair, and throw both the person and your-self on your backs. After many experi-ments I find this vastly preferable to allother methods. You can, in this manner,float nearly as long as you please, or until aboat or other help can be obtained.

5th. I believe there is no such thing asa death-fjrasp, at least it must be unusual,for I have seen many persons drowned and

have never witnessed it. As soon as adrowning man begins to get feeble and tolose his recollection, he gradually slackens hishold until he quits it altogether. No appre-hension need therefore be felt on that headwhen attempting to rescue a drowning person.

6th. After a person has sunk to the bot-tom, if the water be smooth, the exactposition where the body lies may be knownby the air-bubbles which will occasionallyrise to the surface, allowance being ofcourse made for the motion of the water,if in a tide-way or stream, which will havecarried the bubbles out of a perpendicularcourse in rising to the surface. A body maybe often regained from the bottom before toolate for recovery, by diving for it in the direc-tion indicated by these bubbles.

7th. On rescuing a person by diving tothe bottom, the hair of the head should beseized by one hand only, and the other usedin conjunction with the feet in raising your-self and the drowning person to the surface.

8th. If in the sea, it may sometimes be agreat error to try to get to land. If therebe a strong " outsetting" tide, and you areswimming either by yourself, or havinghold of a person who cannot swim, thenget on to your back and float till help comes.Many a man exhausts himself by stemmingthe billows for the shore on a back-goingtide, and sinks in the effort, when, if he hadfloated, a boat or other aid might have beenobtained.

9th. These instructions apply alike to allcircumstances, whether the roughest sea orsmooth water. JOSEPH R. HODGSON.

Sunderland, Dec. 1858.

MANAGEMENT OF BOATS INBROKEN WATER.

COPIES of the following circular, relativeto the proper management of boats whenrunning to the shore before a heavy brokensea, have been forwarded to the branches ofthe ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITU-TION, with the view to its being brought tothe notice of the boatmen in their localities,and especially to that of the coxswains oflife-boats:—


Although the proper management of aboat when running before a broken sea tothe shore is well understood at ma'ny partsof our coasts, yet as mismanagement orcarelessness under such circumstances is stilthe cause of many boats being upset by" broaching to," the Committee of the NA-TIONAL LITE-BOAT INSTITUTION think itimportant to call the attention of all theirlife-boats' crews to the cause of such acci-dents, and to the proper mode of preventingthem, as indisputably proved by experience.

The cause of a boat's " broaching to "is the propelling her rapidly beforethe sea, whether by sails or oars,instead of checking her speed andallowing each successive sea to passher on its approach.

There is therefore extreme danger atall times in running a boat with speedbefore a heavy broken sea in shoalwater. Excepting where the beachis steep, the safer management of arowing boat in a really heavy sea isto back her, stern foremost, to theshore, keeping her bow pointed tothe seas and propelling her slightlyagainst each sea until it has passedher or is under her stern.

If a boat is rowed to the shore withher stern to seaward, her oars shouldthen be regularly backed, so as tostop her way on the approach of eachwave; and way should not again begiven until the wave has passed tothe bow, and her position thereby beretained on the outer or safe side ofthe wave.

This treatment runs exactly counter tothe natural desire to get quicklyover the apprehended danger; butit is the only safe mode by which aboat can be taken to the shore beforea heavy broken surf.

ADDITIONAL LIFE-BOAT STATIONSAND NEW LIFE-BOATS.

FRAZERB0RGH, SCOTLAND. A life-boatstation has been established at Frazerburghby the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION,

in conjunction with the Harbour Commis-sioners of that port. The life-boat is on theInstitution's plan, designed by Mr. PEAKE ;she is 30 ft. long, and rows tea oars, dou-ble-banked; she is supplied with a trans-porting carriage of the latest design. Thelife-boat and her carriage were provided bythe Institution, and the Harbour Commis-sioners have built a substantial boat-houseto keep them in.

This is the first life-boat station establishedin Scotland in connection with the Institu-tion, Berwick-on-Tweed being previously itsnorthernmost station. The cost of this boat,viz. 1801., was munificently presented to theInstitution by WM. M'KERRELL, Esq., ofBath, and Hill-house, Ayrshire, being thesecond life-boat presented to the Society bythat philanthropic gentleman. Numerouslives have been lost in the neighbourhood ofFrazerburgh, both from wrecked vessels andfrom fishing-boats overtaken by a gale. Thisboat has been named the flavelock, at therequest of Mr. M'KERRELL, after the latelamented hero, Sir HENRY HAVELOCK, Bart.

CROMER.—A new life-boat on the sameplan, 34 ft. in length and rowing twelveoars, double-banked, has been stationed atCromer by the Institution to replace the.oldlife-boat there, now worn out. A new car-riage has likewise been provided for her,Cromer is one of the stations recently trans-ferred to lie Institution by the Norfolk Life-boat Association.

BACTON.—A new life-boat on the samedesign, 32 ft. long, and rowing 10 oars,double-banked, has been sent by the NA-TIONAL LIFE-BOAT iNSTirunQN to Bacton,on the Norfolk coast, in lieu of the old life-boat previously there. A new boat-houseand carriage have also been provided by theInstitution.

GREAT YARMOUTH, NORFOLK.—Two newlife-boats have been sent to Yarmouth; theone, a large boat furnished with sails, forproceeding to wrecks on the dangerous out-lying shoals of that locality. The other, asmaller boat, to be used in the event of boat-accidents, or in aid of vessels wrecked on

F 3


the shore. Both boats are self-righting;the larger one was originally built by J.SEECHING AKD SONS, on the design whichobtained the Northumberland prize; but ithas since been modified to Mr. PEAKE'Sdesign, its water ballast being removed andreplaced by an iron keel and wooden ballast.This boat is 38 ft. long, and rows 12 oars.She is at present to be considered an expe-rimental boat only, the boatmen on thatpart of the coast, who have been accustomedto a very different description of boat, asyet entertaining prejudices against her. Theold and new boats will therefore both re-main at the station for some time, that theirrelative sailing properties may be fairly testedtogether.

The smaller life-boat is 30 ft. long, androws six oars, single-banked, being exclu-sively a rowing boat. She is provided witha new and improved transporting carriage.A very superior and capacious boat-househas been built sufficiently large to containboth the new boats, and, with the aid ofthe local Committee formed to superintendthe management of the establishment, it ishoped that this important station may be-come one of the most perfect and bestmanaged in the United Kingdom. The costof the smaller boat was presented to theInstitution by a benevolent lady who hadalready given it the cost of another life-boat.

MUNDESLEY. — A new life-boat onPEAKE'S design has also been sent to Mun-desley, on. the Norfolk coast, to replace theold boat which was worn out. A new car-riage has also been provided for her. Thisboat is 30 ft. long and rows 10 oars,double-banked. She is the seventh new life-boat which the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT IN-TITCFTION has placed on the Norfolk coastsince the Norfolk Association transferred itslife-boat establishments to it last year. Thegreater part of the cost of these new boatshas been defrayed from the funded capitalof the Association handed over to the In-stitution with its life-boat establishments.The Institution will, however, have incurreda considerable expense from its own funds.

ROSSLAEE, WEXFORD.—A new life-boat

has been placed by the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION at Rosslare point, at theentrance of Wexford Harbour. She is 28ft. long, and rows six oars, single-banked.She is provided with a transporting carriage,furnished with BOYDELL'S endless railway.A local Committee has been formed atWexford to manage the establishment. Inconsequence of the numerous shoals andbanks off Wexford Harbour, a life-boat hasbeen much needed there.

CARNSOKE, IRELAND.—A lifeboat esta-blishment has been recently formed by theNATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION at Carn-sore, on the coast of Wexford, Ireland; anew boat and carriage have been sent there,and a boat-house is in course of erection.The boat is 30 ft. long, and rows six oars,single-banked. Her cost was presented tothe Institution by a lady as a thank-offer-ing in testimony of her recent providentialescape from drowning when upset from aboat.

TRAMOKE.—A life-boat station has alsobeen founded by the NATIONAL LIFE-BOATINSTITUTION at Tramore, near Waterford.This boat, which is also 30 ft. long, androwing six oars, single-banked, has beenforwarded to that place, together with atransporting carriage, and a substantialboat-house is being built for their reception.Tramore is a blind harbour, frequently mis-taken for the entrance to the Waterfordriver by foreign ships. A wreck, accom-panied by loss of life, occurred here lastyear, which induced the inhabitants of Tra-more and Waterford to ask the aid of theInstitution in the establishment of a life-boat. A local Committee of managementhas been formed, as usual, and subscriptionslocally raised in aid of the undertaking.

VALUE OF THE SELF-RIGHTINGPRINCIPLE IN LIFE-BOATS.

IN the 19th Number of this Journal wereplied to the various theoretical objectionsthat had been advanced against the self-righting principle, and demonstrated that


the same means which were employed toproduce that effect contributed to the safetyand efficiency of a boat in other respect.*There was, however, one objection madewhich, as we then stated, could only be dis-proved by actual experiment.

It was maintained by some that the pro-perty of self-righting would be of no serviceto the crew of a life-boat if she were upset,inasmuch as that when she had righted shewould be quickly carried away by the windor tide beyond the reach of her haplesscrew, who could never regain her in a sea-way, and would then have to trust to theirlife-belts alone for safety.

Now it so happens that within the lastfew months three accidents to life-boats haveoccurred, one to a small self-righting boat,the other two to non-righting boats. Bycomparing the results of these accidents to-gether, we shall not only obtain an illustra-tion of the value of the self-righting principle,but shall perceive that the particular objec-tion which we are now replying to is not avalid one.

The three accidents are as follows :—1. On the 4th January, 1857, the Point

of Ayr life-boat, when under sail, upset ata distance from the land; the accident wasseen from the shore, but no immediate helpwas available, and the whole of the boat'screw, 13 in all, were drowned. Two or threeof them were seen clinging to her keel fortwenty minutes, by which time they becameexhausted, were washed off, and having nolife-belts, perished.

2. In February last the Southwold life-boat, a large sailing boat, considered to beone of the finest in the kingdom, but notself-righting, when out for exercise only,was running before a rather heavy surf withall sail set, when she suddenly ran before asea, broached to, and upset. The crewhaving on their life-belts, and the accidentbeing within a short distance of the shore,were all saved, although 2 or 3 of themwere in an exhausted state; but three un-fortunate gentlemen who had gone off in theboat, and had neglected to put on life-belts,lost their lives.

3. On the night of the 19th of Oc-tober last, in a gale of wind, the small six-

oared self-righting life-boat belonging tothe NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION atDungeness proceeded through a heavy sea,managed by eight Coast-guard men, to awreck which was seen to be aground atabout three-quarters of a mile from the life-boat station. The wreck was reached soonafter midnight, and after ascertaining thatshe had been deserted by her crew, the life-boat returned for the shore. For the firsthalf-mile she was rowed safely before aheavy broken sea, but on crossing a deeperchannel, between two shoals, she was caughtup and struck by three heavy seas in suc-cession, which followed so quickly one onthe other that the boat could not recoverherself, and the coxswain losing all com-mand with the rudder, she was carriedaway before the sea, broached to, and upset,throwing her crew out of her. She imme-diately, however, self-righted, cleared herselfof all water, and her anchor having fallenout when she was keel up, she was broughtup by it. The crew, in the meantime,having on good life-belts, floated, regained,and got into the boat, cut the cable, andreturned safely to the shore, not one of themeven being hurt. When it is consideredthat this accident occurred in the middle ofthe night, and its results are contrasted withthose of the two similar accidents abovealluded to, both of which occurred in thedaytime, we conceive that we have atonce, not simply a triumphant reply to thosewho still repudiate the advantage of theself-righting property, but a proof that thediscovery and adoption of that principleform an era in the history of life-boats whichpromises to materially lessen the danger ofthe arduous service in which they are em-ployed, and thus to confer an importantboon on suffering humanity.

May we not even safely conclude thatthis is the first instance that has ever oc-curred of a whole boat's crew passingunscathed through such an ordeal ?

In justice to the brave fellows who formedthe crew of the boat on this occasion, wemust state, that they expressed their readi-ness to have gone out in the boat again imme-diately after their landing had their servicesbeen again required; and that they, unasked


for, certified to their entire confidence in herand their readiness to trust their lives inher whenever they should be called on todo so. They likewise bore testimony tothe value of the life-belts, on the plan ofCapt. J. R. WAED, R.N., supplied by thisInstitution to its life-boat crews.

HOSPITAL AND PENSIONS FORAGED AND DISABLED MASTERMARINERS AND SEAMEN OFTHE MERCHANT NAVY.

A DEPUTATION from the " ShipwreckedMariners' Society," consisting of severalnoblemen and gentlemen, headed by hisGrace the DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH, Pre-sident of the Society, had an interview yes-terday With the President of the Board ofTrade.

The DUKE OF MAELBOEOUQH, having in-troduced the object of the deputation bygiving a concise account of the operations ofthe Society, then read the following state-

' ment:—To THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE PRESI-

DENT OF THE BOARD OF TEADE." SIR,—WE have the honour to wait uponyou for the purpose of laying before you thefollowing statement, and to ask how far, inan object of such great public interest, wemay hope for countenance and help from theGovernment.

"We premise, Sir, that, "THE SHIP-WRECKED FISHERMEN AND MARINEES' ROYALBENEVOLENT SOCIETY,' of which we formpart of the Committee of Management, wasincorporated in 1850, by an Act of the Le-gislature ; by which Act (in addition to theoriginal objects of the Society) power isgiven it to hold land, build Asylums forSeamen, grant Annuities or other benefitsto Seamen, their Widows, Children, orParents; establish Savings' Banks, and' also any other objects, designs, or pur-poses of a benevolent character, for thebenefit and welfare of all and every or anyof the classes of men for whose benefit thesaid Society was originally established, orthose dependent on them,' either* ' by theestablishment of any Institution, or Institu-tions,' &c.

" In 1857, the Committee of Manage-ment, feeling the high position in which itHad pleased God to place this Institution inthe sight of the country, considered that thetime had arrived for endeavouring to carryout the Act under which it is incorporated,by endeavouring to establish a fond, ontowhich they shall voluntarily subscribe, forgranting annuities to seamen in old age, orwhen disabled from further service; andalso for building a hospital for the receptionof such seamen, as from extreme old age,destitution of relative ties, or other causes,might be considered as needing such anasylum.

" Accordingly, in July, a Public Meetingwas held at the Mansion House, under thepresidency of the then LOED MAYOR, nowALDERMAJ? FINNIS, unto which a numberof the leading gentlemen of the City gavetheir adhesion, and great sympathy withthe undertaking was expressed. Consequenton the Indian Mutiny, followed by the latecommercial crisis, it was considered wise notto take further steps until the excitement,caused by these events, had subsided.

" We hope that the country is nowemerging from the depression caused bythese two great disasters; and we feel that,both benevolently and politically, the workwhich we have put ourselves forward to dois a work of so much national importance,as to warrant the expectation of having thesympathy of the Government and the em-pire at large.

" We believe that if a liberal annuity forold age, and a comfortable Asylum, ifneeded, be provided for the officers andseamen of the Merchant Navy, it will notonly be a graceful acknowledgment of thevalue their countrymen entertain for them asa body, but that it will be the best meansof attaching them to their country, and ofinducing respectable youths to enter theMercantile Marine, as a service which thatcountry duly appreciates, and thus give anesprit de corps to it which it has neverhitherto had, but of which it is greatly inneed. We refrain from using arguments onthis occasion, knowing the interest of theGovernment respecting our seamen at large,by the fact that a Commission is at present


sitting, to devise a plan for manning ourships of war.

" It is proposed that every master mari-ner subscribing 2s. per month, and everymariner Is* per month, shall be entitled toan annuity, to be calculated by an actuary.We hope, by donations, subscriptions, andlegacies, from the public at large, and anyhelp the Government may be pleased to giveto the fund, that the amount of annuity maybe increased.

" That the subscription of a master mari-ner to the Hospital shall be 21., and that ofof a seaman \l*, which sum. paid at once, orby four instalments, either annual or other-wise, shall entitle the subscriber to admis-sion, provided he be a fit subject, in whichcase his annuity will be applied to his sup-port.

" We consider that a large number ofseamen, from their migratory habits, maybe found in the latter years of their lives,when aged and unable to help themselves,without any relative ties; for such the pro-posed hospital would be, in our opinion, anunspeakable blessing; but we do not thinkthey will exceed, on the average, 3,000 atany one time, and for the present we judgean establishment for 500 will suffice.

" The cost of rearing and furnishing abuilding to hold this number is computedat 50,000?., and which, if full, judging fromaccredited data, would require, for its sup-port, 13,000?. per annum.

" The greater part of this sum, however,will be met by the annuities of the residents,which will merge to the support of the hos-pital on their entry. If it should be found,that under the encouragement given by theGovernment, and the public at large, themerchant seamen subscribe in great num-bers to the building fund, then any residueof their subscriptions may be added to thefurther sums which may be raised, and otherhospitals built, at Liverpool, Newcastle, orin any localities that may in future be de-termined upon.

" We propose that the control of thehospital shall be vested in thirty-six Direc-tors, twelve of whom shall be members ofthe Committee of the Shipwrecked Mariners'Society, a certain number named by the

Government (if it affords help, and desiresit), and the rest shipowners and master ma-riners, subscribers. That, with the excep-tion of the members of the Committee ofthe Shipwrecked Mariners' Society, and anygentlemen appointed by the Government,the Directors shall be elected at the AnnualMeeting of the Subscribers to the Hospital,where the Report of the past year, andstatement of the accounts shall be read,every master mariner and mariner subscrib-ing, and all Honorary Subscribers of a guineaor upwards, being entitled to vote.

" We respectfully submit, without in-tending to allow of a comparison betweenthis important movement and any other,that the principle of Government help haaid of private exertions, is admitted in thefact of its helping National Schools, Sailors'Homes, Life-Boat Institutions, &c-

" In the event of the Government beingdisposed to help the objects we have inview, we respectfully remind you, that theclaim of this Society to its confidence restson the fact, that it is already authorized byAct of Parliament to carry them out, whenfunds can be obtained—that it is at thehead, in round numbers, of 46,000 mer-chant seamen, upwards of 8,000 of whomare master mariners, and of which number3,000 carry the flag of the Society at themast-head of the vessels they command.

" That it is represented by 520 honoraryagents, situate at convenient distances roundthe entire coast of the United Kingdom, andisles adjacent, who administer instant reliefto all shipwrecked mariners, without refer-ence to their being subscribers to the Society,clothing them, &c. and sending them home,the number of such being last year 4,133—besides being the channel of the CentralBoard of relieving 2,980 widows, orphans,and aged parents of mariners, who weresubscribers, and thai; it is a well-ascertainedfact, doubtless known to the Board ofTrade, that the Society is eminently popularamong the seamen, and therefore, in onrhumble opinion, best calculated as a mediumfor doing them good.

" We submit that we believe it wouldbe considered by the seamen a great boon,if the Government were to carry out the


suggestion contained in the Report of theCommissioners appointed to inquire intothe condition, &c. of the Merchant Seamen'sFund (1848), page xi., wherein they re-commend 5,OOOL per annum, or more,should be contributed to any benefit societyfor widows and orphans of seamen*—-suchhelp to the widows' fund of the Ship-wrecked Mariners' Society would greatlyenlarge the good it is at present doing, andenable it to go on with its annual grants towidows, which, from their increasing num-bers, it is likely it will be obliged to circum-scribe, except further support be afforded tothat branch of the Institution, other thanfrom the subscriptions of the seamen them-selves.

" We respectfally dtaw your attention tothe fact, that the Board of Trade, when un-dertaking to wind up the Merchant Sea-men's Fund, withdrew the grants (allowedunder the former management) of 10s. toeach shipwrecked seaman, and 20s. to eachmaster mariner, shipwrecked ; which atonce burdened the Society's funds with an

. extra outlay of upwards of 2,000?. per an-num in the cost of boarding, lodging, andforwarding to their homes shipwreckedcrews, and thus in the last eight years therehas been taken from their widows and or-phans 16,OOOZ.

" In conclusion, Sir, we beg respectfullyto add, from the extensive knowledge wehave of the minds of the seamen, throughthe Secretary of the Institution's constantintercourse with them in London, and visitsto the coast, as well as through the travel-ling agents, and the 520 honorary agents,that we feel persuaded they may, by properencouragement, be induced voluntarily toenrol themselves as subscribers to a fundwhich has been established for their be-nefit, by those in whom they have confi-dence ; and we instance this Institution,which, in the last seven years, has addedto its members, of master mariners andmariners subscribing, 27,000 men! thoughits benefits, being temporary, are by nomeans so generally telling as that of a cer-

* Vide " The Seamen's Fund Winding-up Act,"clause 36, which appears to us likely to have beenfounded on this suggestion.

tain provision to keep them from the work-house, whether in old age or prematurelydisabled from further service; and we areequally persuaded that any attempt tocoerce them, by making their subscriptionscompulsory, instead of having the effect ofbinding them to their country's flag, willdrive them to take service under a foreignone, in order to avoid the tax, and thus theforced register it will involve. Subjoinedare our reasons for hoping the Governmentmay render pecuniary help.

" We have the honour to be, Sir," Your obedient Servants,

" MARLBOROUGH, President," Shipwrecked Mariners' Society.

" Signed on behalf of theDeputation."

REASONS FOR HOPING THE GOVERNMENT MAY

RENDER PECUNIARY HELP.

"1. That the Board of Tradehas absorbed funds formerlyheld by the Trinity Board,the residue of which, afterpaying the expenses, wereappropriated to the relief ofworn-out seamen; and hasnow in hand from it andother sources, gathered fromthe mercantile marine, abalance of . . £449,116 13 6

" 2. That it has in the MerchantSeamen's Fund, as appearsby the published account ofreceipt and expenditure, abalance of . . . 43,889 2 0

"3. That 'The Seamen's Fundwinding-up Act,' (clause36,) provides that the un-claimed wages and effects ofseamen, under the provisostherein stated, shall be paidto a Friendly Society, andthe Seamen's Hospital So-ciety : and that the Board ofTrade has on hand, arisingout of the unclaimed wagesand effects of deceased sea-men, which appears to beincreasing at the rate of


about 12,0001. per annum, abalance at present amountingto £52,330 18 7

Total . £545,436 14 1The Secretary, FRANCE LEAN, Esq., then

stated that he had held his present officefor near 14 years, during which time he hadhad great opportunities, from personal inter-course, of knowing the minds of the mer-chant seamen; that they were greatly averseto any compulsory payment, but had ex-pressed themselves very desirous that aninstitution, under the guidance of the Ship-wrecked Mariners' Society, for establishingpensions available when worn out or disabledshould be founded, in proof of which heread a letter forwarded to him by DUNCANDUNBAR, Esq., signed by the officers andcrew of his ship the Minden, begging him toforward the establishment of such an insti-tution, and he thought that the experience ofthe late Merchant Seamen's Fund would befully available for calculating the amount ofpensions which might be safely given on asubscription of Is. per month for mariners,and 2s. for master mariners. Besides theirsubscriptions, there would be a supplementalBenevolent Fund, to which it might behoped that the public at large, as well as theGovernment, would contribute. After somefurther remarks upon the working of thatfund,—

Mr. HENLEY replied that it was a mostimportant object that the ShipwreckedMariners* Society had in view, and had occu-pied the attention of the present and lateGovernments. In whatever was done in thematter, it was very desirable that the largeports of London and Liverpool should beagreed. If the Society were right in thefigures they had submitted, they might atonce extend their Institution. But hetrusted they would be quite sound in theirfigures, and that they would well calculatewhat they gave for the payment which wasmade. He thought as the Society had fullpowers to act, it should go on, when itwould be seen by the numbers of seamenwho were willing to subscribe, whether itassumed anything like a representation ofthe body, before the Government could

pledge itself in any way respecting it; asfor himself, whether in, office or out of office,he would be glad to help so desirable anobject.

The DUKE OF. MARLBOHOUGH expressedthe thanks of the deputation for the kindmanner in which they had been received, andhis full persuasion that the Committee wouldfollow his advice in going on with the pro-ject, and that he hoped they might goonhave another interview to report their suc-cess, and that then they would obtain helpfrom the Government.

A Paper on this important subject willbe found in the 27th Number of this Journal.We commend it once more to the considera-tion of our readers.

SUMMARY OF THEMEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE.

Thursday, 2nd September, 1858. CaptainLAMBERT PERROTT, in the Chair.. Read and approved the Minutes of the

previous Meeting, and those of the FinanceCorrespondence, and Wreck and RewardSub-Committees.

Read letter from S. JACKSON TURNER, Esq.,Chairman of the Harbour Commissioners atDundalk, of 31st August, forwarding repliesto the life-boat queries of the Institution,and stating the necessity of a life-boat atthat place. Lord CLERMONT had not onlygiven a site of ground for the life-boat house,but had also liberally promised to defraythe cost of the structure.—Decided, thatLord CLERMONT be thanked, and that a30-feet single-banked life-boat be ordered forQundalk.

Read and approved the Inspector's Reportof his visit to the life-boat stations on theIrish coast, to the life-boat at Holyhead, andto the proposed life-boat station at Fleet-wood.

Resolved,—That a 30-feet single-banked life-boat be

placed respectively at Tramore, Carn-sore, and Dungarvan,

That the present life-boat at Newcastle,Dundrum Bay, be brought to London


to be ^tered, and that it be replacedby a 30-feet single-banked life-boat.

Read letter from Inspecting CommanderWASEY, H.N., of the 31st August, forward-ing replies to the life-boat queries of theInstitution, and stating the necessity of alife-boat at Fleetwood.—At the Nov. Meet-ing of the Committee it was decided tostation a 3Q-feet single banked life-boat atFleetwood.

Approved of the Rev. JAMES WILLIAMS'Shanding over the mortar apparatus belongingto this Institution at Holyhead to the Coast-guard.

Read letter from the Sardinian Ministerof the 27th August, acknowledging withthanks the receipt of sets of life-boat andcarriage drawings, presented by the Societyto his Government.

Reported that the Trinity House had beensupplied with copies of the Instructions forthe restoration of the apparently drowned,founded on those of the late Dr. MARSHALLHALL, recently issued by this Institution, fordistribution at their lighthouse and pilotstations.

Also that the late Miss CHUECH, of Berke-ley, had left this Institution a legacy of 100Z.

Paid 2871. 16s. llrf. for sundry chargeson life-boats, life-boat carriages, and life-boathouses. Also 81?. 11*. 5d. for the Ardmorelife-boat house.

Voted a reward of 3Z. to 3 men for put-ting off in a fishing-boat and rescuing, atsome risk of life, 1 out of 2 men from aboat which was capsized during a gale ofwind near Innisbraun, on the coast of Gal-way, on the 5th July last.

Also II. to JAMES CONOLLY for swimmingat some risk of life to the rescue of a ladand two women who were observed by hjmto be in distress off Errislannen, on thecoast of Galway, on the 29th July last.

Also II. to JOHN JOHNSON for wading intothe surf, at some risk of life, to the rescueof 3 out of 5 men, who were capsized froma fishing-boat in a heavy land-surf off Ros-chearty near Fraserburgh, on the 5th Maylast.

Also 131. to the crew of the Arklowlife-boat, which belongs to THE ROYAL NA-TIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, for putting

off in her arid rescuing 11 men frqrn thebarque Harriet and Frances of Baltimore,which was wrecked on Arklow Bank duringa gale of wind, qn the night of the 2ndAugust last. Also 51. 10s. to the crew of11 men of a fishing-smack for putting off ina boat and rescuing 4 of the crew of thesame ship who had taken to the vessel'sboats.

Tuesday, 14th September. A SpecialMeeting of the Committee was held thisday, Captain LAMBERT PERROTT, in theChair.

Read letter from Lieutenant A. PEST-CHOUROFF, of tiw Russian Navy, statingthat his Imperial Highness, the Grand DukeConstantino, High Admiral of Russia, hadexpressed a desire to bring into generaluse, on the coast of the Gulf of Finland,life-boats similar 'to those adopted by THEROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION.He had been accordingly directed by theAdmiralty at St. Petersburgh to -ascertainwhether the Institution would undertake tosupply the Government with life-boats onthe plan above named.

Resolved,—That this Institution will have much satis-

faction in co-operating with the ImperialGovernment of Russia in providing life-boats, on the plan adopted by the Institu-tion for the Coasts of the Gulf of Finland orelsewhere.

The Russian Admiralty have since re-quested the Institution to order for themthree 30-feet single-banked life-boats andtwo transporting carriages.

Thursday, 7th October. THOMAS CHAP-MAN, Esq., F.R.S., V.P., in the Chair.

Read and approved the Minutes of theGeneral Committee, and those of the SpecialCommittee and the Finance Correspondenceand Wreck and Reward Sub-Committees.

The Committee decided on ordering theMiddlesborough life-boat to be brought toLondon, and on rebuilding the Redcar life-boat house, as recommended by the In-spector.

Captain ROBERTSON, R.N., Surveyor-General of the Board of Trade, reported that


he had recently visited the life-boats of thisInstitution stationed on some parts of theEnglish and Irish coasts, and had found themin a satisfactory condition.

Read letter from PETER JENKIN, ChiefBoatman of the Coastguard at Clontarf,near Dublin, respecting his model life-boat.—To be acknowledged.

Ordered the re-erection of the Lowestoftlife-boat house at a cost of 153?. 14s. 6d.

Also the re-erection of the Whitburn life-boat house, at a cost of 111?. 10s.

Read letter from Lord CLERMONT of the20th September, stating that he wouldcause the Dundalk life-boat house to beproceeded with as soon as a suitable spothad been chosen for its erection. HisLordship added that the LIFE-BOAT INSTI-TUTION deserved the best thanks of the Com-munity for the humane liberality with whichit had provided the coast with life-boats,and that he thought proprietors were boundto assist it.

The Committee voted their thanks toMiss HOULIN for a site of ground for theCarnsore life-boat house, and also for kindlyoffering the use of a boat-house until thenew erection was ready.

Reported that C. H. COOKE, Esq., Hon.Architect, had furnished drawings for theLowestoft, Exmouth, Redcar, Dundalk, andCarnsore life boat houses.—To be thanked.

The Committee voted their thanks to theGeneral Steam Navigation Company fortowing to Yarmouth two life-boats to bestationed on the Norfolk Coast.

Reported the depositing of a model of a32-feet life-boat adopted by this Society atthe United Service Institution.

Read letter from Captain TUDOR, R.N.,of 22nd September, detailing the valuableservices rendered by the Wick life-boatto the crew of the Era which was wreckedduring a gale of wind off that place. Capt.TUDOR had himself, with his usual gallantry,gone off in the life-boat. This life-boat wasa few months since, stationed by the BritishBoard of Fishery at Wick, and is onPEAKE'S plan.

Read letter from Lady ROLLE, of the 2nd'October, stating that if this Institution wouldstation a life-boat at the seaport of Exmouth,

Devon, she would contribute 367?. towardsthe undertaking.—Decided that LadyROLLE'S munificent offer be accepted, andthat measures be taken to form a life-boatestablishment at Exmouth.

Paid 1661 13s. Wd. for sundry chargeson life-boats, life-boat carriages, and life-boathouses; also 59?. 2s. for alterations of theSouth wold life-boat; also 96?. 17s. for theNewcastle (Dundrum), life-boat house, and87?. 3s. Id. for the Aberdovey life-boathouse.

Voted the thafiks of the Committee tothe Rev. OWEN LLOYD WILLIAMS, of Bar-mouth, and 5?. 10s. to the crew of 11 menof the life-boat of fliat station, for putting offin her and rescuing the crew of 2 menfrom the flat Isabel of Liverpool, which waswrecked during a gale of wind from thewestward on the north end of Barmouth,Bar, "on the 15th September last.

Also 5?. 10s. to the crew of 11 men of afishing-smack for putting off, during a galeof wind, and rescuing 5 out of 6 men from asmall boat which was seen to be in a perilousposition off Filey, on the 25th August last.21. were also voted for some damages done tothe boat which put off to the fishing-smack.

Also a reward to WILLIAM LISK and alad for putting off in a boat to the rescue ofa boy who had fallen off Port-na-blagh Quayon the coast of Donegal, on the 23rd Augustlast. They succeeded, by means of a longoar, in bringing the boy to the surface of thewater. He was to all appearance dead; buthaving laid him on his face, and otherwisetreated him according to the instructions ofthe NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION forthe Restoration of the Apparently Drowned,founded on those of the late Dr. MARSHALLHALL, a copious discharge of water tookplace and he gradually revived.

Thursday, 4th November, 1858. THOS.CHAPMAN, Esq., F.R.S., V.P., in the Chair.

Read and approved the Minutes of theprevious Meeting, and those of the FinanceCorrespondence, and Wreck and RewardSub-Committees.

Read and approved the Inspector's Reportof his recent visit to the life-boat stations onthe east coast of England.


Resolved,—That a new life-boat, house, and carriage,

be provided for Saltburn.That a new life-boat and carriage be pro-

vided for the Whitburn station as early asconvenient.

That the Boulmer life-boat be providedwith a new carriage.

That a new life-boat carriage be providedfor the Berwick life-boat.

Mr. PEAKE laid on the table a drawing ofa 30-feet single-banked life-boat. The Com-mittee voted their thanks* to Mr. PEAKE forthe same.

Read letter from Rear-Admiral HARGOODof 18th October, forwarding a cheque for150?. from a lady, who did not wish hername to be published, in aid of the cost ofa life-boat, which she wished to be namedafter her brother, who, whilst in commandof one of Her Majesty's ships in the BlackSea, had been instrumental, during somestorms, in saving life from shipwreck.—Decided that the lady's munificent offer beaccepted, and that Admiral HARGOOD bethanked for his communication.

Ordered 729Z. 16s. &d. to be paid toMessrs. FORRESTT for the Cromer, Frazer-burgh, Bacton, and the Newcastle (Dun-drum) life-boats.

Ordered the sale of 1,0001, from thefunded capital of the Institution.

Elected Rear-Admiral GORDON, DeputyMaster of the Trinity House, a Member ofthe Committee of Management.

Resolved unanimously,—That THOMASCHAPMAN, Esq., F.R.S., Deputy Chair-man, be cordially thanked for the great zealand ability with which he discharges theduties of his office.

Reported the correspondence which hadtaken place between the Prussian Ministerand his Grace the President, respecting a32-ft. life-boat which the Government ofthat country wished to have built after Mr,PEAKE'S design, by the Messrs. FORRESTT,under the superintendence of this Institution.

Read letter from Mr. MEAIX, HonorarySecretary of the Yarmouth Branch, of the27th October, stating, in reference to thenon-use of the Yarmouth life-boat on theoccasion of the wreck of the sloop Queen on

that beach on the 18th October, that therewas no reflection whatever on the beachmenfor not putting off in the life-boat, manypractical men having stated that she wouldhave been useless owing to the shallownessof the water.

Produced various documents relating tothe same catastrophe.

The Inspector reported that he had visitedYarmouth, and that whilst there he had in-quired as fully as he could into the subject,but that he found conflicting opinions to existas to the practicability of launching a boatbefore it was actually done, when the sloopQueen was wrecked off that place, on the18th ult.—Decided that a 30-feet single-banked life-boat and carriage be stationedforthwith at Yarmouth,

Read fetter from Lieut. HARRIS, E.N.,Hon. Secretary of the Palling Branch, ofthe 20th October, stating that the smackKingstown, of Grimsby, to Louth, had beenwrecked at half-past three o'clock on themorning of that day, three miles south ofPalling. She was observed by one of theCoastguard night patrols, who immediatelycalled out the life-boat crew; but beforethey could make either the rocket apparatusor the Patting new life-boat available, thevessel had gone to pieces and all handsdrowned.

Reported that the Great Western, Bristoland Exeter, and North Devon RailwayCompanies had kindly given a free convey-ance to a life-boat carriage from London toBideford.—To be thanked.

Read letters from J.TALBOT CLiFTON.Esq.,of the Hall, Lytham, of the 18th October,stating that he had requested the Vicar ofLancaster to preach a sermon in aid of thefunds of this Institution at Lytham Church,and that the collection on the occasionhad amounted to 25L He added that hewished to increase his annual subscriptionfrom 21, 2s, to 51, a-year in aid of the fundsof the Lytham Branch, and that he wouldmake the objects of this Institution knownto his friends.—Ordered, that Mr. CLIFTONand the Vicar be thanked.

Eead fetter from Dr. BROWN, of Deptford,of 8th Oct., calling attention to his plan ofships' signal lamps.—To be acknowledged.


Eeported the transmission of the HavelockFrazerburgh life-boat and her carriage to theirstation on Wednesday the 27th inst., bysteamer to Aberdeen, and thence to Frazer-burgh ; and that a free conveyance had beengiven to the same from Wapping to Aber-deen, by the Aberdeen Steam Ship Com-pany.—To be thanked.

Read letter from WILLIAM M'KERRELL,Esq., of the 30th ult., expressing his satis-faction that the Havelock life-boat had leftfor her station, and forwarding a draft for180?, in aid of the cost of the same.—De-cided, that Mr. M'KERRELL be thanked forhis munificent contribution.

Reported also the transmission of theCromer life-boat to her station on the 22ndOct., and the Bacton life-boat on the 26thidem. Both boats had been towed free ofexpense to Yarmouth by the General SteamNavigation Company's steamers, and takenthence by Gorleston boatmen, who were paidfor their services, to their respective stations.—Decided, that the Company be thanked.

Read letter from Mr. J. GRENVILLEMOYLE, Surgeon of St. Mary's, Scilly, of the18th Oct., stating that on the 14th idem, asmall boat was capsized off that place whentwo men and a little girl were thrown intothe sea. The two men were soon saved,but the child had sunk and was fished upwith a hook by a man named THOMASJENKIN, after she had been in the waterten minutes. Mr. DA VIES, the lighthouse-keeper, immediately commenced to treat thechild as directed by the Instructions of thisInstitution. Upon Mr. MOYLE'S arrival hepersevered in the same course of treatment,and after three hours of steady perseverancethey had the satisfaction to see the childbreathe again, and restored alive to her sor-rowing parents. Much credit was due toMr. DAVIES and to JENKIN, for their valuableexertions.—Decided, that Mr. MOYLE, Mr.DA VIES, and JENKIN be thanked.

Read a letter from Capt. KENNEDY, R.N.,of the 30th Oct., stating that he had giveninstructions for the Kingstown RevenueCruiser to tow the Dundrum new life-boatfrom Belfast to her station, and to carry onboard the Cruiser the life-boat's carriage. Hehad also offered the use, had the weather

permitted, of a revenue cruiser, to tow theCromer new life-boat from Yarmouth to herstation.—To be thanked.

Read letter from the Rev. C. B. WOLLAS-TON, of Bognor, of the 21st Oct. and 1stNov., calling attention to his plan for lower-ing ships' boats, and stating that, findingthat there was no life-boat at Bognor, he hadbuilt a small life-boat with his own hands.The boat was provided with life-belts, &c.,and was kept close to the sea in a shed builtfor that purpose.—To be acknowledged.

Reported that the British and Irish SteamPacket Company had kindly given a freepassage to the Rosslare life-boat from Lon-don to Wexford.—To be thanked.

Decided, that a life-boat house be builtfor Tramore, according to the plan and spe-cification, kindly furnished by C. TARRANT,Esq., C.E., Waterford.

Also, that a grant of 10?. be made in aidof the cost of a life-boat house at Kessing-land, Suffolk.

Reported, that the Brighton new life-boathad been exercised on the ffth Oct., duringa gale of wind, and that the trial had givenmuch satisfaction to her crew.

Ordered, that a Circular on the Manage-ment of Boats in a Broken Sea, had beenforwarded to the Life-boat Branches and toother parties. ( Vide page 116}.

Also the distribution of placards on variousparts of the coasts, stating that the Institu-tion granted rewards, in medals and money,for saving life from wrecks.

Paid 234?, 10s. 9d. for sundry chargeson life-boats, life-boat carriages, and life-boat,houses; also, 162?. 18s. for the Fraserburgh,Rosslare, and Newcastle life-boat carriages.

Voted the thanks of the Institution toInspecting Lieut. HIPPISLEY, R.N., for as-sisting to launch the Dungeness life-boat,which belongs to the NATIONAL LIFE-BOATINSTITUTION; and 18?. to her crew forputting off in her with the view of savingthe crew of the brigantine Jane May, of Fal-mouth, which was wrecked during a heavygale of wind, off No. 2 Battery, Dungeness,on the night of the 19th Oct. last.

Also 51?. to the crew of 23 men, of thePakefield life-boat, which is in connectionwith the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION,


for putting off during a heavy gale of windand rescuing, at the imminent risk of theirlives, 8 out of 13 men of the crew of theTuscan barque Zemira, which was wreckedon theNewcorae Sands, on the 7th Oct. last.

Also the thanks of the Institution in-scribed on vellum to G. C. JOKES, Esq.,Chief Officer of Coastguard, Skerries, and20L to the crew of the Skerries life-boat,which belongs to the NATIONAL LIFE-BOATINSTITUTION, for putting off in her duringa heavy gale of wind from the east, withthe view of rescuing the crew of theschooner Mary, of Carnarvon, which waswrecked off Balbriggan on the morning of19th Oct. last. The life-boat made twoattempts to reach the vessel, and on the lastoccasion she would successfully have accom-plished her object had. not a whale-boat beencarried over the rocks directly to leeward ofthe vessel, and succeeded in rescuing thecrew just as the life-boat had overcome thechief difficulty in weathering the point.

Also the thanks of the Institution in-scribed on vellum to JAMES CARTON, Sen.;JOHN CARTON, JAMES CARTON, Jun. ;PETER CARTON, MARK CARTON and THOS.WALSH, in acknowledgment of their gallantconduct in putting off in a whale-boat andrescuing the crew of the vessel in question.These men had received locally 1601. fortheir intrepid services, the same having beenraised by voluntary contributions.

Also 41. 10s. to Omen, inackowledgmentof the promptitude displayed by them inputting off in boats and rescuing 4 of thecrew of the smack Glen Phoebe, which waswrecked off Skerries, Balbriggan, on the 19thOct. last.

Also 31. 10s. to 7 men, for putting off atsome risk of life in a boat, and rescuingthe crew of the schooner James Traill, ofThurso, which was wrecked off Frazerbnrghduring a gale of wind on the 8th Oct. last.

Also the silver medal of the Institutionto Chief Officer BEATSON, and 51. to his crew,of 10 men, for rescuing, at some risk of life,with the mortar apparatus, the crew of thePrussian schooner Fortuna, of Griefswald,which was wrecked during a heavy gale ofwind from the northward, off Frazerbngh,on the 8th Oct. last.

Also 31. to a fishing-smack's crew, forrescuing during a S.E. gale of wind, thecrew of 6 men of the schooner Charlotte, ofGottenburg, which was wrecked on.theHasboro' Sands, on the 22nd Sept. last.

Also 41. to a boat's crew of 8 men, forputting off and rescuing the crew of 8 menof the brig Waterloo, of Tain, which waswrecked off Berwick during a gale of wind offshore, on the 8th Oct. last.

Also the Silver Medal and II. to WlL-IIAM JOHNSTON, and 41. to four men, forputting off in a boat and rescuing 4 out of7 of the crew of the sloop Queen, which waswrecked off Yarmouth during a gale of windfrom the east, on the night of the 18th Oct.JOHNSTON had also gone off previously ina life-buoy to make the lines fast; an actattended with much risk, inasmuch as thecrew of the vessel had made the linesscarcely fast enough to trust to.

Also 41. 10s. to pay the expenses of theLlanddwyn life-boat, for putting off during agale of wind, to the assistance of the smackUncle Tom, of Runcorn, which had a signalof distress flying two miles south of Lland-dwyn, on the morning of 19th Oct. Thesmack was afterwards brought to a safe an-chorage.

SERVICES OF LIFE-BOATS.

BARMOUTH.—On the 18th September, at5 a.m., a small schooner was observed tobe on shore on the North Bar, off Barmouth,on the Welsh coast, her crew being lashedin the rigging. The life-boat of the NA-TIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION was, asquickly as possible, manned and launched;the Rev. OWEN LLOYD WILLIAMS, HonorarySecretary to the Institution, proceeding inher, and at the end of an hour landed withthe wrecked men, 2 in number, who formedthe whole crew. The vessel was the Isabel,of Liverpool, 51 tons, laden with coals.

PAKEFIELD.—On the 7th October, at11 a.m., the barque Zemira, of Leghorn,with 12 Italians and an English pilot onboard, ran aground on the Newcome Sands,near Lowestoft, the wind blowing a hardgale from the S.W. at the time; the Pake-field boatmen, as soon as possible, launched

JANUARY 1,1859.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 129

the life-boat; but the greater part of theirnumber being absent in Lowestoft Harbour,they could not be on the spot immediately;she^was, however, afloat in about fortyminutes, but the vessel had then broken upand disappeared. The life-boat's crew,nevertheless, determined to search the spotwhere she had been, with the chance ofpicking up any of her crew who might havebeen able to hold on by pieces of the wreck.On crossing the shoal, in a very heavy sea,the whole boat and crew were once com-pletely immersed; but, nothing daunted, theyprosecuted their search, and happily suc-ceeded in picking up 8 of the crew floatingabout on pieces of the wreck at various dis-tances from the spot, the last man pickedup being 2 miles distant from where themain part of the vessel remained. Thecaptain, 3 of the crew, and the Englishpilot, unfortunately perished. This servicewas considered to be altogether of so gallantand praiseworthy a character that the Boardof Trade awarded medals to the coxswainand crew; and a considerable collection (60L)was raised by visitors at Lowestoft in testi-mony of their admiration of it, and given tothe crew, who also received the highestscale of payment allowed by the NATIONALLIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, viz., 21. to eachman—10s. each being the ordinary sum forday service in its life-boats.

Again, on the 10th October, this life-boatwas launched and proceeded to the wreck ofthe schooner Sunshine, of Padstow, on theNewcome Sand, the wind blowing a freshgale from the S.W. at the time. On arrivalat the vessel it was found that she hadalready been deserted by her crew, who wereafterwards found to have landed in their ownboat. The vessel herself shortly after becamea total wreck.

LLANDWYN.—On the 19th October theLlandwyn life-boat put off to the assistanceof a smack which was dragging her anchoroff the south coast of the Island of Anglesea,the wind blowing a gale from the eastwardat the time. With the aid of the life-boat'screw the smack was got under way and takeninto a position of safety.

FILEY.—On the 14th November the brig

Felicity, of Lynn, being unable to weatherFlamborough Head -in a heavy gale fromE. by S., ran on shore near Filey. The life-boat of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITU-TION was quickly launched through a heavysurf, and in half an hour had landed insafety the wrecked crew of 6 men. Thevessel herself shortly after became a totalwreck.

SKERRIES.—On the 14th Nov. the Austrianbrig, Tregiste, 333 tons, of Trieste, anchoredfor shelter, during a terrific gale from theeast, under Lambay Island, near Dublin.On the 15th she had dragged her anchorsnearly half way across the sound betweenthe island and the main ; and being then inimminent danger of driving on shore on thePortrane Rocks, by direction of the Englishpilot on board her masts were cut away.The Skerries life-boat having been sentfrom that place by land on her transport-ing carriage, was, at about 2 p.m., launchedfrom the strand south of the town of Rush,in charge of Chief Boatman of Coastguard,JOSEPH CLARKE as coxswain, HENRY ALEX.HAMILTON, Esq., Honorary Secretary to theInstitution, at Skerries, also going off in her.As the boat got out into deep water, sheshipped several very heavy seas ; " twice,"says Mr. HAMILTON, "many of us were nearlywashed out of the boat, the ' green water'falling at these times unbroken on the top ofus." After two hours' fruitless exertion toreach the vessel, the boat's crew were so fa-tigued that it became necessary to return tothe shore, lest the life-boat herself should bedriven on the rocks. Mr. HAMILTON ac-cordingly directed the coxswain to bear upfor the entrance of Rogerstown Stream,where, after running considerable risk ofbroaching to in crossing the bar, she safelyarrived at 5'30 p.m.

As it was evident that the life-boat couldnot be rowed to the ship where she then lay,until the wind had somewhat abated, Mr.HAMILTON decided to wait for the first lull,hoping to reach her, and in the interim towatch her night and day, keeping the crewtogether in readiness to man the life-boatagain at a moment's notice, in the event ofthe ship's cables parting and her being driven


on shore, or of her further dragging heranchors until much nearer to it. The boatwas kept afloat within the river, and hercrew located in the Coastguard watch-house,Mr. HAMILTON providing them with food,and sending for their dry clothes.

The hull rode out the gale through thenight, the wind and sea remaining as violentas before. On the morning of the 16th a largesteamer, which had been sent for to Holy-head, bore down towards the distressed vessel,in order, if possible, to take the men off thehull; but as the sea broke completely overher several times, she was unable to get suffi-ciently near to her, and was compelled togive up the attempt, and to bear up forKingstown Harbour, slipping her cables andleaving her anchors behind.

As the second night set in, the crew ofthe ship were seen to be working hard atthe pumps, but the gale continued and thesea broke still more heavily than before.

At 3 o'clock on the morning of the 17th thewind began to lessen, and preparations weremade for another attempt to reach the ship.At half-past 4 a.m., the life-boat againput off with Mr. HAMILTON and the samecrew, none of whom had left the spot sincetheir first attempt on the 15th. For thefirst hour the sea broke with the same vio-lence over the boat that it had done on theformer occasion, but then being through theworst of the heavy seas, at the end of twohours and a-half the dismantled vessel wasreached, and the crew and the pilot, 13 inall, were safely taken in by twos and threes, asopportunity offered, over the vessel's stern,and all safely landed at Rogerstown at9-30 a.m. The hull, after all, rode outthe gale, and was subsequently towed intoKingstown Harbour.

We think this a most striking andmeritorious service on the part of Mr.HAMILTON and the life-boat's crew. Theirremaining two nights and the greater partof three days, at a distance from their homes,patiently waiting, after their first failure, afavourable opportunity to reach the endan-gered ship was itself an extraordinary act ofperseverance, whilst the actual service, onboth occasions, of the boat's going out wasof no ordinary character, involving great

labour, exposure, and risk, when, as de-scribed by Mr. HAMILTON himself, the" green water " fell unbroken on the crew,nearly washing them out of the boat. ^

On reading this narrative, the thoughtmay occur to some that, as the hull after allwas taken into port in safety, the life-boathad better not have taken the crew off.Undoubtedly, however, they were rightlytaken off. It was impossible to foresee thatthe weather would have continued to mendand the sea to go down—or, that thevessel's anchors and cables would continueto hold her. Her crew had also been ob-served to be working at the pumps; shecould not, therefore, but be considered in adangerous state. Her master and one of thecrew had also been seriously hurt by the fall-ing of the masts, and the remainder of thecrew were more or less in an exhausted state.

The question may also be asked, whetherthe Skerries life-boat (which belongs to theNATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION) is agood boat, seeing that she failed m the firstinstance, and that it was considered to befruitless to renew the attempt until thewind had somewhat abated? To this wereply, that although we have reason tobelieve that some of the latest-built life-boats of the Institution are faster boats thanthis one, yet that it is the opinion of Mr.HAMILTON and others, who were present,that no other boat could have been soonerpropelled by oars to the ship against thewind and sea which were raging at thetime. There have indeed been so manyinstances of failure by life-boats of everydescription at various times, that, althoughsome are faster than others, we fear it mustbe acknowledged that the united force ofwind and sea in some localities is, at times,greater than it is possible for any boat pro-pelled by oars to adv

THE LIFE-BOAT, · 2017. 1. 5. · ship Austria, with 528 person ons board o,f whom no less tha 47n...

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Transcript of THE LIFE-BOAT, · 2017. 1. 5. · ship Austria, with 528 person ons board o,f whom no less tha 47n...