Additional Stations and New Life-Boats
WEXFORD, IRELAND.—The No. 1 (large) Life-boat, placed at Wexford about four- teen years since, having become unfit for further service, it was replaced by the Institution in November, 1871—a very fine boat, 40 feet long and 10 feet wide, being specially built for the station. This boat is always kept afloat, and is usually towed out to the outlying sand-banks off the coast by a steamer on the occasion of wrecks. It is, however, provided with masts and sails, and rows twelve oars, double-banked. The new Life-boat was the gift to the Institution of " J. M. S.," of London; it is named the Ethel Evdeen, after his daughter. It was taken to Wexford by railway, and sailed and towed thence across the Channel in com- pany with the revenue cruiser Princess Charlotte, four of the crew of that vessel going in the boat, which was under the charge of Capt. D. ROBERTSON, R.N., the Assistant Inspector of Life-boats to the Institution. It may here be mentioned that during the past few years the two Life-boats on the Wexford station have been instrumental in saving no less than 153 lives from different wrecks. On these and other occasions the Institution has granted 470?. as rewards to the Life-boat crews, in addition to various expenses amounting to 1,680Z. incurred in providing and maintaining these two Life-boats.
FLAMBOROUGH, YORKSHIRE. The NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION has formed two Life-boat establishments, at Flam- borough Head, the famous promontory on the coast of Yorkshire, it having been •i suggested as a desirable place for Life- boats, where plenty of fishermen are resi- ' dent to work the boats.
One boat is stationed on the north beach, and the other on the south one, and substantial and commodious houses have been erected for their reception. The whole of the shore in this neighbourhood is rocky and precipitous, with the exception of these two beaches, one on either side of the Head, and they are so situated that when one is exposed to the wind and sea the other is always under shelter; and, accordingly, most of the fishermen, who number nearly 400, have each two fishing cobles; one of which they keep on one beach, and one on the other—using the boat on the lee side in bad weather—which plan will be adopted with the Life-bpats; the village of Flamborough, where the 2 B 3 crews reside, being equi-distant from both beaches. Each Life-boat is 33 feet long, and rows ten oars, double-banked. The expense of the north (No. 1) boat was met from a legacy bequeathed to the Insti- tution by- the late JOHN STANIFORTH BECKETT, Esq., of Tormoham, Devon, the boat being named the Gertrude. The cost of the other boat—named the 8. Michaels —was defrayed from a Life-boat fund raised principally through the exertions of the Eev. G-. F. PRESCOTT, M.A., Rector of S. Michaels, Paddington, Mr. W. VIN- CENT, and others. The boats were placed on their stations in November, 1871, and were tried in a strong wind and moderate sea, when they rowed and sailed well, and gave much satisfaction to the crews.
Capt. J. E. WARD, E.N., the Inspector of Life-boats, who took out the boats, was accompanied by Capt. H. STEENGRAFE, the Inspector of Life-boats to the German Life-boat Society.
SUNDERLAND.—The three Life-boats be- | longing to the Sunderland Shipowners' Society, have, at the request of that body, j been transferred to the management of the NATIONAL • LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, which had previously had a Life-boat of its own at the port, named the Florence Nightingale. The Society has, at a large expense, placed the three Life-boat estab- lishments, as well as its own, in a state of complete efficiency; a new house having been built at the No. 1 station, and a new Life-boat, carriage, boat-house, and launching slipway provided for the No. 4 station ; while the other two stations have been put in first-class order. The muni- ficent sum of 680?., being the usual cost of a Life-boat establishment, was presented to the Institution on behalf of the No. 4 Life-boat by Mrs. ELIZA FOULSTON* of South Kensington, and formerly of Plymouth, in memory of her late husband, after whom the boat is named the John Foulston. The Life-boat station was inaugurated on the 6th Feb. last, when the boat was launched in the presence of a large concourse of persons, and which, no doubt, would have been much larger if the day had not, un- fortunately, turned out wet.
The Mayor, WM. NICHOLSON, Esq., was present, to accept the Life-boat on behalf of the town, supported by the members of the Local Committee, of which Mr. ALDER- MAN EEID is the chairman, and JOHN LAMBTON, Esq., the treasurer, J. HORAN, Esq. being the present hon. secretary.
The three other Sunderland Life-boats, and the one stationed at Whitburn, which is also under the management of the Sun- derland Committee, had been launched and assembled on the spot to show to all assembled the complete state of the Sun- derland Life-boat establishments, and the band of the local police was also present, and played at intervals throughout the proceedings.
When all was in readiness, the In- spector of Life-boats, after referring briefly to the circumstance of the Sunderland Shipowners' Life - boat Society having merged in the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT IN- STITUTION, which had taken all the Life- boats of the locality under its manage- ment, and expended a large sum in com- pleting and renovating the establishments, formally inaugurated the new boat, OH behalf of the Institution and of Mrs. FOULSTON. He stated that, looking to the importance of the port, and its great trade, the Committee in London had determined to make the establishments as efficient and as complete as possible; and had, accordingly, expended a much larger sum on them, than was customary, but that they trusted fhe wealthier mem- bers of the local community WQuJd all the more readily come forward $ith their subscriptions in support of them, seeing that the Institution had now no less than 233 Life-boats stationed round the whole coasts of the United Kingdom. That they with confidence handed over to them their new boat, and felt sure that the boatmen of the port would likewise, perform their share of the humane work, by the exercise of their courage and skill whenever their •services might be required.
' The Mayor, in reply, expressed, on behalf of himself and townsmen, their sense of the liberality of the donor of the boat and of the Institution, which he hoped would be liberally responded to, and stated that the work of saving life from Shipwreck was happily one which every one must feel to be a good one, and in the promotion of which all could cordially unite.
Mrs. NICHOLSON, the Mayoress, then broke a bottle of wine on the boat, and named it the John Foulston, and it imme- diately ran down the new slipway, and was warmly cheered by the multitude assembled.
The whole five Life-boats then rowed a match for some small prizes given on the occasion, and the proceedings terminated.
The new boat, which is a very fine one, 36 feet long, and rowing twelve oars, was generally much admired, as was also the substantial and handsome boat-house pro- vided for it.
HOWTH, DUBLIN BAT.—A" new 33-feet 10-oared Life-boat and carriage have been provided for this station in the place of the smaller single-banked boat, which the crew did not consider was powerful enough to meet the requirements of the locality. They were conveyed, free of charge, to their destination in February last, on board one of the steamers of the British and Irish Steam-Packet Company.
The expense of the boat and equipment was defrayed by a Friend, through Miss BAKER and THOMAS CHAPMAN, Esq., F.E.S., the Deputy Chairman of the Institution, the boat, at the request of the donor, being named the Clara Baker.
TYNEMOTTTH, NORTHUMBERLAND. — The Institution has furnished to this station a new Life-boat, 33 feet long, 8 feet 1 inch wide, and rowing 10 oars, double-banked, with transporting-carriage, in the place of a smaller boat. The new one has been appropriated to the Ancient Order of Foresters, it being named the Forester.
The Order has liberally presented two boats to the Institution, and it also con- tributes every year towards the main- tenance of its boats.
PORTHCAWL, SOUTH WALES.—The small 6-oared boat on this station was found, from experience, to be hardly large enough for the place, and it has been replaced by a new boat, 32-feet long, 7i feet wide, and pulling 10 oars, double-banked. A new • transporting-carriage was also sent with the boat. The expense of the same was the gift to the Institution of Miss J. E.
CHAFYN GROVE, a lady residing in Wilt- shire, the boat being given as a memorial of her late brother, who was a liberal benefactor to the Life-boat Society, and after whom the Life-boat is named the Chafyn Grove. A pleasing demonstration took place on its arrival at its station last March. A procession was formed, which escorted the boat on its carriage to the Newton Sands, when three cheers were heartily given for the benevolent donor, who had paid a special visit to the Life-boat station on the occasion of the first launch of her boat. Miss CHAFYN GROVE then presented the boat to the Inspector of Life- boats, on behalf of the Institution, and named it in the usual way by breaking a bottle of wine over its bows, expressing a wish at the same time that God might prosper it. Afterwards the boat was launched from its carriage into the sea.
Heavy snow-storms prevailed during the day, but they fortunately kept away during the whole ceremonial, and everything con- nected with it passed off very well.
DROGHEDA, IRELAND. — A distressing Shipwreck (that of the brig Manly, of Whitehaven) having taken place on the south shore of the Boyne, outside Drog- heda Harbour, the local residents ex- pressed a desire that an additional Life- boat station might be established in that district. Accordingly the Institution de- cided, after mature consideration, to form a Life-boat establishment at Mornington, on the south side of the mouth of the I Boyne, in addition to the original station I on the north side. A new 10-oared boat, 32 feet in length by 7J feet in breadth, I was sent there, with a transporting-car- i riage, in July last, and placed in a com- ' modious boat-house built for them on a I suitable site. The expense of the Life- boat was met by a legacy bequeathed to i the Institution by the late HENRY FOTHER-GILL CHORLEY, Esq., of Eaton Place West, with the view to a Life-boat, named the John Butter Charley, being placed on the coast. The Life-boat and carriage were j granted a free conveyance from London to Dublin on board one of the steamers of the British and Irish Steam-Packet Com- pany. On the 7th August, the Assistant- j Inspector of Life-boats had the Life-boat j conveyed on its carriage from the boat- j house to Bettystown Strand, a distance of I nearly three miles, to show those who had j been of opinion that it was not possible I to transport the Life-boat there in time to be of any service in the event of a wreck in that direction, that it could be done. The boat was then launched close to the place where the wreck of the ill- fated Manly took place, and the crew put through the usual exercise.