men.

About 10 P.M. on the 7th December the coxswain of the No. 3 Life-boat observed a signal light being burned from a vessel in the bay, apparently making for West Hartlepool. The ship suddenly altered her course, and ran straight on to Middle- ton Sands. The crew of the Life-boat were assembled and the boat put off, and with much difficulty reached her. Some steam-tugs attempted to effect communication with her, bat failed. The crew of the vessel—the John, of and for Hartlepool from London in ballast—called out that they wished to leave the vessel, and they were therefore taken into the Lifeboat.

They were in a very exhausted condition. The vessel sank immediately* afterwards, and became a total wreck. She had a crew of seven men.

At about 3 A.M. on the 7th December the coxswain of the same Life-boat noticed a sail through the dark, some short distance from the shore, which he took to be a ship with her side lights washed away.

While he was trying to make it out a flate was set up from tfee vessel, which enabled him to see that it was a ship with torn sails driving ashore. A violent gale was blowing from the E.N.E, at the time, and the sea was very high indeed.

He at once got the crew of the Life-boat together, and the boat was launched.

Before reaching her » rocket had been thrown over her from the Middleton shore, where she had struck. The Life-boat went alongside and took off the crew, consisting of seven men. The vessel saak, but, being timber laden, she afterwards j got off the sauds, and on. the foliowiag i morning at daylight, the sea having gone dowa very much, the Life-boat, at the request of the master, pat Mm and his crew on board again. She was the Ed- .

mvnd, a Danish three-mast schooner, boand for London with a cargo of poles and battens..