BRIGHSTONE GRANGE AND BROOKE, ISLE OF WIGHT.—On the afternoon of the 9th March, the ship Sirenia, of Glasgow, bound from San Francisco for Dunkirk with a cargo of wheat, stranded on Atherfield Ledge during a thick fog. The Life-boat Worcester Cadet, stationed at Brighstone Grange, put off to her assistance at 4.15 and brought ashore the master's wife, three children, a female servant, and an apprentice, landing them at Atherfield at 6.30. It had been arranged with the master that the Life-boat should return to the vessel at low water, and the boat was therefore again launched at one o'clock on the following morning in a very heavy sea, reached the ship, and took in 13 men. The Life-boat men then watched their opportunity, and at an apparently favourable moment cast off; but before they had time to turn and get out the drogue, a huge breaker drove the boat rapidly astern, turned her broadside on, and capsized her. She righted, but, unfortunately, MOSES MUNT, the Coxswain, THOMAS COTTON, Assistant Coxswain, and two of the passengers, were drowned. The boat reached the shore at Atherfield at 2.30, and the survivors landed. At 12 noon the Life-boat again went off to the vessel, three of the men who had been in the boat the first time, and also on the occasion of the capsize, again going out in her, and rescued the remainder of the ship's crew, 13 in number.The Brooke Life-boat William Slaney Lewis also put off at 11 o'clock, on the night of the 9th March, to the assistance of the vessel on a summons being received from Atherfield, but when close to the ship, the boat was struck by a very heavy breaker, which washed REUBEN COOPER, Assistant Coxswain, and two of the crew, overboard, and COOPER was unhappily lost. In attempting to save him the boat lost her opportunity of reaching the wrecked vessel. Persistent attempts to get near her were afterwards made until a number of oars were broken by the heavy seas, and the crew had become so exhausted that they were compelled to return to the shore.

{Vide pages 624-5 for the Reports of the Chief Inspector and District Inspector on their enquiry into the circumstances attending these casualties, and for the details of the honorary and pecuniary grants to relatives of the men drowned, to the crew of the Life-boats, and to others who rendered service on the occasion.].