Additional Stations and New Life-Boats
LLANDDWYN, ANGLESEA, AND LLAN- DDULAS, DENBIGHSHIRE.—One of the new self-righting Life-boats, with the water- ballast fittings, has been placed at Llan- ddwyn by the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, in the place of a smaller Boat stationed there many years since. The Boat forwarded is 34 feet long, 7J feet wide, and rows 10 oars double-banked.
A similar Boat and carriage hare also been despatched to Llanddulas. The cost of these new Life-boats and equipments has been defrayed from a handsome legacy received by the Institution, through its Manchester Branch, from the estate of the late Mr. JOHN GOULD, of Didsbury, Lan- cashire. The former Boat has been named The Richard Henry Gould, and the latter The Mary Jane Gould, in accordance with the testator's wishes.
The new Life-boat for the Llanddwyn Station reached Carnarvon by train on the afternoon of Tuesday, the 27th October last. On the following day she was unloaded from the railway trucks and placed upon a carriage, in readiness to be launched.
On Thursday, the 29th October, she was drawn by three-horses, assisted by the Coastguard men, from the railway station to the slip immediately below the Eagle Tower of the grand old castle of Carnarvon.
Some of the members of the Life-boat Committee, including Sir LLEWELYN TURNER, Chairman; JOHN OWEN, Esq., J.P.; Mr. JACKSON, the Honorary Secre- tary ; Mr. CONLEY, the Chief Officer of Coastguard; and Mr. WILLIAM GRIFFITH, Harbour Master, accompanied by the Royal Naval Reserve, walked in proces- sion to the place of launching with the Boat, which was manned by her crew.
A short prayer was offered by the Rev. J. W. WYNNE JONES, the Vicar of Car- narvon, and a hymn sung by the choir of Christchurch and those assembled.
After the hymn Sir LLEWELYN TUENER, addressing the large assemblage, gave a i brief resume of the Life-boat work, and j said that upwards of fifty years ago, long I before the-Station was under the manage- ment of the NATIONAL INSTITUTION, The Staff of Life, with all hands, was lost on the south bank of the bar in a north-west ! gale, and although a Life-boat, the gift of j the late Admiral CRAWLEY, was stationed at Llanddwyn, which was well to wind- ward of the wreck, she was (to the dis- grace of those in authority at the time) unfit for service, having been kept on the beach, exposed to the wind, rain and sun.
The number of pilots at Llanddwyn was four (no more men being on the island), so that a Boat requiring ten hands to man her was useless, from the two causes named.
The Boat was afterwards brought to Carnarvon, and, being repaired and kept in good order, saved a great number of lives, the crews of no less than four vessels 'being rescued on one Saturday, when the Boat was efficiently worked, under the command of the late Captain JOHN RICHARDS, of the brig Jane.
It was nineteen years since he had officiated at the launch of the Life-boat John Gray Bell, which succeeded the old Boat, and was to be superseded by the Boat about to be launched.
The ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION had done, and was still doing, a work of enormous magnitude, and of incalculable benefit to the seamen of this and all nations frequenting our coasts.
As he (Sir LLEWELYN TURNER) was the President of the North Wales Tem- perance Association, he looked somewhat suspiciously at the bottle which Lady TURNER was about to break. He would only say that if there was any one present too fond of drawing the cork, he had better use the bottle in the same way— break it and cast it into the sea.
He could not conclude without bearing the strongest testimoay and tendering the warmest thanks of the Life-boat Com- mittee to their well-tried and experienced Honorary Secretary, Mr. JACKSON, for his gratuitous and invaluable services as Secretary to the Llanddwyn Branch of the Institution and agent of the Ship- wrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society. Services like those were quietly and unostentatiously ren- dered, but were none the less valuable.
Mr. JACKSON then conducted Lady TURNER to the small stage at the stern of the Boat, when her Ladyship said:— " Ladies and Gentlemen,—It was with very great pleasure that I acceded to Mr. JACKSON'S request to come here and name this beautiful new Life-boat. I am sure that I echo the wishes of all when I express a hope that whenever she is required to save life there may be found brave and willing hearts to man her, and that the Almighty may crown with success the efforts made to rescue the lives of shipwrecked mariners. I now name the Life-boat The Richard Henry Gould." Her Ladyship then broke the bottle on the stern of the Boat, and amidst the cheers of the spectators, the Life-boat, with the crew on board, glided gracefully into the water, and was afterwards rowed to the New Basin, to test the self-righting qualities under the crane. The Boat was first placed on her side and afterwards capsized, and in both instances she at once righted, freeing herself of water in thirty seconds. She was afterwards taken by the crew to her Station at Llanddwyn.
The new Life-boat for Llanddulas was placed there in April last. On the 4th May she was taken afloat in a rough sea and strong wind from the N.E., and the coxswain and crew afterwards reported highly of her behaviour in rough water, stating that they liked her very much, and considered her a better Boat, and more suitable for the requirements of the Station, than her predecessor.
The Llanddwyn Life-boat was called out on service on the 28th December last, during a strong gale from the W.N.W., and the Coxswain reported that she be- haved very well on the occasion, when she had to encounter a very heavy sea.
PEEL, ISLE OF MAN.—With the co- operation of the local residents, a new Life-boat Establishment has been formed by the Institution at Peel, on the west coast of the Isle of Man, where there is a large and increasing fishing population.
It had been pointed out to the Institu- tion by His Excellency the Lieutenant- Go vernor of the Isle of Man that the long range of coast from Port Erin to Ramsey was unprotected by any Life-boat, and the opportunity has been taken to supply the deficiency, and there are now six Life-boats to be found on the coast of the island, which for many years was the residence of one of the first founders of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITU- TION, the late Sir WILLIAM HILLARY, Bart. The Life-boat provided is 37 feet long, 9 feet wide, rows 12 oars double- banked, and is provided with water-ballast tanks. A new and commodious house has been erected for its reception near Peel Castle. The cost of the new Boat and equipment was met from a legacy bequeathed to the Institution by the late Captain MONK, E.N., of Neston, Cheshire.
The new Life-boat was towed across from Liverpool by the Isle of Man Company's s.s. Ullen Vannin in half a gale of wind, with considerable sea. The steamer pro- ceeded at full speed, about 10 knots an hour; the Life-boat towed very steadily, and went over the seas in the most buoyant manner. Sheets of spray dashed over her the whole passage across, but she shipped no heavy water. The public inauguration of the new Life-boat Station took place on the 14th October last, in conjunction with the opening of the new Royal Naval Reserve Battery on Craig Malin. The inhabitants of all parts of the island trooped into the city all day, by trains, by cars, and by almost every conceivable kind of conveyance, while not a few pro- ceeded on foot, all bent on seeing the un- usual display which had been announced to take place in the city of Peel. The streets were gaily decorated with flags and banners, in many cases a line of flags being hung across the street. The Life- boat was taken through the principal streets of the town in a procession, which started in the following order :— Members of the police force, the Town.
Commissioners, E.N.B. men with red en- sign, 500 school children, Peel band in uniform, 500 school children, E.N.E. men with white ensign, E.N.E. men with rifles and fixed bayonets, E.N.E. men with blue ensign, E.N.E. men with cutlasses and pistols, Peel Fire Brigade, life-saving ap- paratus waggon with men, representative of donor of Life-boat (Mr. W. BROWN), District Inspector of Life-boats (Lieut. TIPPING, E.N.), the Life-boat, decorated with flowers, flags, &c., with crew in uniform and oars on end, the High-Bailiff of Peel and the Life-boat Reception Com- mittee, E.N.E. men with Union Jack, his Excellency the Lieut-Governor and Mrs.
SPENCER WALPOLE (in carriage), attended by guard of honour of E.N.E. men with drawn cutlasses, the Lord Bishop of the Diocese and Mrs. BOWLEY HILL (in car- riage), several members of the Insular Legislature, townspeople and sailors in procession, general public in procession, four deep.
During the day the wind was blowing strongly from the north, and a heavy sea was running, the water dashing over the breakwater frequently, to the great dis- comfort of hundreds of people who had congregated there. The sea was just suited for testing a Life-boat.
Everything being ready for the launch, Mr. BROWN, as executor of the late Captain MONK, E.N., stepped forward, and in suitable terms made the presentation of the Boat to the Institution. The gift was acknowledged on its behalf by the District Inspector, who then handed over the Boat to the care of the Local Committee. The High-Bailiff of Peel responded on behalf of the Reception Committee, and called upon the Governor of the Island also to say a few words as to the thankfulness with which the gift was received. His Excellency, in the course of his remarks, said:— "There is one thing which the Insti- tution cannot give us. It can give us a boat equipped with all the best expedients which modern ingenuity can suggest, but it cannot give us brave hearts and stout hands to man the Boat (applause).
Those we can only derive from our- selves (hear, hear), and I need hardly assure you that those hearts and hands will be forthcoming in the town of Peel.
I have some acquaintance with the fisher- men of the British Isles; I know their worth; I know their courage, and it is not merely as Governor of this Island that I make bold to say that there are no fishermen who excel, in either courage or skill, the fishermen of the town of Peel (loud cheers). I sometimes think that a Life-boat is typical of all that is highest and best, for while it recognises our faith in the God who rules the raging of the sea, it teaches us that we must depend upon Him to save our own lives and the lives of others. In acknowledging the presence of that God, it is only right that before I conclude I should ask my Right Rev. friend the Bishop to put up a prayer in our behalf for the prosperity of this Boat, and I will therefore conclude these remarks by asking 'the Lord Bishop to come forward and pray to Almighty God for the welfere of this Boat and its future work (applause)." The Lord Bishop then came forward and offered up prayer for the success of the Boat, after which the well-known hymn, " For those in Peril on the Sea," was sung by the vast concourse.
The High-Bailiff then ascended the platform, and said:—" The Reception Committee and the people of Peel have unanimously asked Mrs. HILL, the wife of our revered Lord Bishop, to name this beautiful Life-boat" (loud cheers).
Mrs. HILL was greeted with great en- thusiasm as she stepped forward to per- form the ceremony. A bottle of champagne was placed in her hands, which she dashed against the side of the Boat, saying as she did so, " Success to The John Monk." At the same moment the ropes were loosed, and the Boat glided gracefully into the water, amidst the loud cheers of the assembled multitude and the firing of many guns. The Boat rowed inshore at first, but sail was hoisted, and, under the direction of Lieutenant TIPPING, E.N., and the coxswain, she was taken out to sea, where an excellent practice was gone through. The crew were much pleased with the weatherly qualities of the Life- boat, and with her behaviour both under sails and oars in the strong northerly wind and heavy sea with which they had to contend. It should be mentioned that several beautiful wreaths of flowers were hung about the Boat, which were made by Miss Tuft)ALL, mistress of the Christian Girls School, the flowers having been gathered by the school children.
TENBY.—A new water-ballast Life-boat, 34 feet long, 8 feet wide, and rowing 10 oars double-banked, has been for- warded by the Institution to Tenby, it being thought desirable that a Life-boat containing all the latest improvements should be placed on that important Station, in the place of one sent there many years since. The new Boat possesses, in an eminently satisfactory degree, the valuable qualities characteristic of the Boats of the Institution, such as great lateral stability, self-righting, self-ejecting water, &c. A new transporting and launching carriage was sent with the Life-boat. The cost of the new Boat, carriage, and equipment has been met from a munificent legacy bequeathed to the Institution by the late Miss COLLIN, of Store Street, London, and the Boat is named The Anne Oollin, in memory of the benevolent donor.
The first launch of the Boat at its Station took place on the 23rd December last, when there was an imposing demon- stration, the townspeople manifesting the liveliest interest, lining the streets to view the procession as it passed along, and also crowding the Castle Hill and rocks to witness the ceremony of naming and launching. After prayer had been offered up by the Rev. GEORGE HUNTINGDON, Hector of Tenby, the Boat was named by Miss JONES, a relative of the Local Honorary Secretary, J. K. ROWLANDS, Esq., and launched. In the evening both crews of the Life-boat and a few friends were entertained at supper by Mr. Row- LANDS.
The two previous Life-boats stationed at Tenby had done good service from time to time, and were instrumental in saving altogether 83 lives from different dis- tressed vessels.