About 1.30 A.M. of the 23rd October, the night being stormy and peculiarly dark, the wind at east (dead on shore), the lights of a vessel on the Beacon Rocks, Eoker, to the north, of the entrance to Sunderland Harbour, were observed from the No. 1 Life-boat Station, and the crew of the Life-boat Good Templar pro- ceeded to launch their boat. A dangerous surf was rolling up on the exposed beach, and the boat was three times cast up on it, broadside on. At length the deter- mined efforts of the crew were crowned with success, and the Life-boat got fairly off into deep water, and was not long in making its way to the distressed vessel, which proved to be the screw-steamer Altona, of Hamburg, bound from that port to Sunderland. The rocks on, which the vessel struck had quickly penetrated her bottom, and she then fell over, with her decks to seaward, the seas frequently sweeping her from stern to stem. With great gallantry, and much difficulty and danger, the Life-boatmen succeeded in removing from the wreck her crew of 14 men. They were surrounded by rocks, however, and in the darkness came into collision with one that ripped the bottom up, and with considerable difficulty, from her water-logged condition, the boat re- gained the shore with the rescued men.

Of course a boat unprovided with indepen- dent cellular compartments would under such circumstances have been incapable of floating so many men (27) as the Good Templar had on board, and many must have perished. As it was, the peril eu- countered by all was great, and the Life- boat's crew deserved praise for their con- duct throughout the whole affair, whicli •was suitably recognised by the Institution in the way of a double reward..