LIFEBOAT MAGAZINE ARCHIVE

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Wellington (1)

PLYMOUTH and YEALM RIVER.—On the night of the 28th of January the Plymouth Life-boat Clemency and the Yealm River Life-boat Bowman went out in reply to signals of distress shown by the barque Wellington, of Windsor, N.S. The wind was blowing a gale from the S.W., accompanied by a very high sea. It was found that the vessel was brought up by her two anchors with all cable paid out, between the Mewstone and the coast, close to the rocks, but not touching them, and that she required a steam-tug to tow her to Plymouth. The Life-boats were employed several hours in passing lines and hawsers to and from the tug, nnder circumstances of difficulty and danger; remained by the vessel while she slipped her cables, and accompanied her into the River Yealm, where she was griunded on the mud at about 4.30 on the following morning. The sea being too heavy for the Plymouth Life-boat to work her way back, she waited until the tug left at about 4.15 P.M., and was then taken in tow and returned to her station. In consequence of circumstances connected with the death of the captain of the Wellington, whose body was on board the vessel, and some of the sailors being wounded, the Queen's Harbour Master requested further services from the Yealm Life-boatmen.

They were placed on board the vessel, and given full power to act as guard on the crew previous to the magisterial enquiry into the case. They remained there until 4 o'clock in the afternoon.

At 4.45 on the morning of the 31st of January, the Wellington, which had been brought from the Yealm to Plymouth Sound on the previous evening, parted from her moorings during a gale of wind from the S. and a high sea, and drove ashore at the back of Millbay Pier. This being observed by the coxswain of the Plymouth Life-boat, he immediately called the crew together, launched the boat, and proceeded to the vessel. The Life-boatmen were requested to pass a tow-rope from a steam-tug to the vessel, and remained by her until she was towed off at about 6.30. As the ship had lost her anchors and chains, and had, therefore to be moored temporarily to a buoy, it was thought advisable to keep the Lifeboat afloat until the weather moderated at about 10.30 A.M..