LIFEBOAT MAGAZINE ARCHIVE

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Additional Stations and New Life-Boats

LINCOLNSHIRE.—The Lincolnshire Shipwreck Society—the last remaining of the County Shipwreck Associations — having been brought into union with the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, the latter has completely renovated the four life-boat establishments on the coast of that county, and the several stations have been made thoroughly efficient in every respect. All the four boats and carriages of the Local Association were old and worn out.

New life-boats, each 30 feet long, 7 feet 3 inches wide, and fitted to row 8 oars, double banked, to suit the local boatmen, who are all accustomed to row with double banked short oars, and furnished with transporting-carriages, have therefore been supplied to each station, and commodious and substantial life-boat houses have been erected for their reception.

All the boats and carriages were kindly conveyed to their destinations free of charge by the Great Northern Railway Company.

In accordance with a suggestion made by the Institution at the time of the lamented decease of the late HERBERT INGRAM, Esq., M.P. for Boston, the Skegness life-boat is named The Herbert Ingram, and its cost, with equipment (2G8L) has been raised amongst the friends of that lamented gentleman, Mrs. INGRAM and her eight children contributing liberally to the fund. While this life-boat was on its way to Skegness, it was taken to Boston, and a demonstration took place with it, the boat being publicly named in the presence of the mayor and other authorities and a large assemblage of persons in front of the monument to the late Mr. INGRAM, The cost of the life-boat, carriage, and equipment, at Donna Nook, amounting to 3501., was presented to the Institution by I ROBERT How, Esq., and Miss How, his I sister, of London, and at their request the boat is named The North Briton, after a ship in which the benevolent donors had made a long and prosperous voyage.

The expense (350L) of the Theddlethorpe life-boat, carriage, and equipment, was the gift to the Society of Mrs. BARBARA CASLAKE and her friend, and she has wished the boat to be called " The Dorinda and Barbara—the gift of two attached friends." The cost. of the Button life-boat was zealously collected in Birmingham main!)' through the exertions of Alderman Hoi.u- DAY, Mr. HENRY FULJORD, and other friends, and is named The Birmingham. This lifeboat was taken to Birmingham before being sent to its station, and was publicly exhibited there on the 29th November last, the Great Western Railway Company kindly giving the boat a free conveyance to that town.

On the occasion of the Life-boat demonstration, at Birmingham, Alderman HOLLI- DAY gave the following interesting account of the origin of their Life-boat Fund. He said— " About this time last year our shores were visited with severe storms, and every right-minded person at that time lamented very deeply the great loss of human life which took place daily during the continuance of those storms. "Whilst many of the higher classes in Birmingham were doing nothing to remedy this fearful state of things, a email band of artisans * resolved that they would do something to mitigate the fearful results arising from such storms as annually visit our coasts, by forming themselves into a Committee and endeavouring to raise founds for the purchase of one or more life-boats. But as prudent men, before committing themselves to any definite line of action, they conferred with the Rev. Dr. MILLER, who, after examining their project, advised them to go on. They then called upon him (Mr, HOLLIDAY), as Mayor, and asked Ms assistance, which, as fer as his humble powers were concerned, he gladly placed at their disposal. He confessed that he that not takes much active part in the affair, because the Committee, though artisans, were men of business, and had the assistance of an excellent Secretary in Mr. FULFORD. Finding, some little time back, that they had funds to purchase one boat, they pat themselves in communication with the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, and it was arranged that the boat about to be launched should be presented to the Institution, to be placed at Sutton, on the Lincolnshire coast. As * We append the names of these worthy and zealoua men:—Messrs, H. FULFORD, J. GROVES, J. PEARCE, D. MORAN, G. WILLIAMS, R. FOBESHEW, amid. LEMPIERE, they had more than sufficient funds for the purchase of one boat, they further determined to present » second boat. The funds necessary for this had not yet been provided, but he felt certain that before many weeks ample means would be forthcoming, and the second boat, which was to be stationed at Caister, Norfolk, would be ready to be presented to the NATIONAL, LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION/" Advantage was also taken of The Birmingham life-boat passing through Derby to have a public procession and exhibition of her there ot the 5th December. The Midland and Great Northern Railway Companies kindly conveyed the boat, free of charge, between Birmingham and Alford, in Lincolnshire, the nearest point of railway to her destination,

BRIDLINGTON, — A new 33-feet 10-oared | life-boat has been sent to Bridlington by j the Institution to replace a 28-ffct beat { previously there, which was about forty | years old. A new transporting-carriage was supplied with the life-boat, and a new house built for their reception on a more eligible site than the former one, which would also have been much too small for the new boat arid carriage. The cost of this new lifeboat, and of three others, was raised fa Manchester, through the exertions chiefly of EGBERT WHITWOKTH, Esq. ; and this boat has been named after that gentleman.

A grand display was made with the lifeboat in Manchester on the 22nd November, when she was taken on her carriage through the principal streets of that city in procession, drawn by six horses belonging to JOHS CAKVEB, Esq. The boat was also similarly exhibited in Leeds and Bradford, where she excited much admiration. She was also for a short period lent to Tynemouth, whilst the life-boat of that place, damaged on the occasion of the wreck of the S. S. Stanley, on the 24th Nov. last, was under repair in London. The Lancashire and .Yorkshire, and the North Eastern and Midland Railway Companies kindly gave a free conveyance to the life-boat and carriage over their several lines.

. — A new life-bout station has been established by the NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTION at Reenard Point, on the coast of Kerry, facing the Island of Valentia, and a. new 32-feet ten-oared life-boat, with transporting-carriage, has been placed there.

The boat will not only be available for any vessels getting ashore off the entrance to Yalentia Harbour, but she can also be trans- ported overland by good roads to Dingle, and Ballinskillig Bay, north and south of the island. A commodious boat-house has been erected for the boat and carriage on an eligible site. A benevolent lady, resident in Berkshire, who had previously given the Institution the cost of a life-boat for the N.W. coast of England, presented the Society with 508?. to defray the whole cost of this life-boat establishment, the boat being named, at her request, The Mary. A free passage was readily given to the life-boat and carriage as far as Tralee, by the London and Limerick Steam Ship Company, on board one of their steamers.

GIRVAN, N. B. — The Institution has founded a new life-boat station at Girvan, on the coast of Ayrshire, where there are a large number of fishermen to man the boat.

A new 32-feet life-boat, to pull ten oars, double banked, and provided with a transporting- carriage, has been forwarded there, the cost of which, amounting to 400?., has been defrayed by ALEXANDER KAY, Esq., Insurance-broker, Glasgow. At his request the boat is named The Earl of Carrick.

The life-boat and carriage were kindly conveyed to their station by the London and North Western and the Glasgow and South Western Railway Companies.

This life-boat will be able to command the coast for many miles north and south of Girvan, as there is a good road close to the shore, along which she can be transported on her carriage.

NEWQUAY:, CARDIGANSHIRE. — The NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION has established a new life-boat station at the small harbour of Newquay, on the coast of Cardiganshire, in compliance with the wish of the people in the locality to be provided with a.life-boat. As the boat would have to be used under sail chiefly, a large 36-feet life-boat has been forwarded to this station.

A substantial house has been erected for the boat, and a powerful winch to haul the boat up to the house, which is built at the top of a long incline at a considerable height above the water, that being the only practicable spot available. The ANCIENT ORDER OF FORESTERS have contributed 260L to pay the expense of this life-boat, which is called The forester. The London and North Western and the Cambrian Railway Companies readily took the boat to Aberystwyth, the nearest point of railway to Newquay, and the boat was sailed and rowed from thence to its station.

PIEL, LANCASHIRE.—A new life-boat establishment has been formed on the island of Piel, in Morecambe Bay, where the boat will command the entrance to the Port of Barrow, which is rising in importance, and where it is likely wrecks may occur more frequently than they have done. As the life-boat would principally require to be used under sail, a 36-feet boat, suited for that purpose, has been forwarded here. The cost of this life-boat has been defrayed from a fund raised amongst commercial travellers, principally through the exertions of Mr. W.

BISHOP, of Boston, and Mr. R. AFFLECK, of Manchester. The boat is named The Commercial Traveller, and was kindly conveyed to her station by the London and North Western, Lancashire and Yorkshire, and the Whitehaven and Furness Railway Companies.