LIFEBOAT MAGAZINE ARCHIVE

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Morford and Trubey

HAJBWIOH.—In answer to signals from the Cork light-vessel, the Sprmgwell Lifeboat put to sea at about 6.30 P.M., on the llth October, during a strong wind, thick weather and a high sea. She first proceeded to the Sunk light-vessel, and as the master stated that he was answering signals from the Ghmfleet, she then went in that direction and met a pilot boat, the officer in charge of which reported that there was a vessel on the Sunk Sand with her crew ia the rigging. The boat reached the wreck at about 3 o'clock on the following morning, but it was only with difficulty that the poor shipwrecked men could be made to understand that help was at hand, as they were wrapped up in canvas and did not see the boat approach.

Two of the men, were eventually got safely into the £ife-boat, but much danger was incurred in rescuing a third from the mizea mast, as a heavy sea caught the boat and lifted her keel right on to the wreck. Pour oars were broken, the anchor was lost, and several fathoms of cable had to be cut away to prevent the total loss of the boat. The captain was lashed to the maintop, but the mate informed the coxswain that he had been dead some hoars.

On the striking of the vessel the crew had lowered their boat, but a sea washed her away, drowning two men who had got into her. The Life-boat, with the three survivors on board, at last set sail for home, and near the Sunk light-vessel fell in with the screw collier Nereid, of Mewcastle, which towed her as far as the Cork, Harwich being reached at 11 A.M.

The wrecked vessel was the three-mast schooner Morford and Trubey, of Aberdeen, bound from Grangemouth to Devoaport with a cargo of coal..