LIFEBOAT MAGAZINE ARCHIVE

Advanced search

Services of the Life-Boats of the Royal National Life-Boat Institution

CULLERCOATS.—On the 11th January, 1893, twenty-five cobles went out fishing, but as a strong N.E. gale sprung up accompanied by a rough sea they were compelled to return to port. Seventeen of them arrived safely in the harbour, but by the time the others came up the sea was so high that it was unsafe for them to enter. The Life-boat Co-operator No. 1 was launched at noon and accom- panied seven of the boats into safety. The eighth coble encountered such a dangerous sea that it became necessary to take her crew of four men into the Life-boat and tow their boat into the harbour.

WHITBY.—At about 3 P.M. on the 11th January the wind blew a moderate gale from the E.N.E. with a heavy sea, and four fishing-cobles which had gone out in the morning were seen returning. As the wind and sea were increasing the foremost boat made for Robin Hood's Bay, where she was safely beached. The second coble succeeded in entering the harbour with the assistance of ropes from the pier-heads, after being struck by a heavy sea on the bar and partly filling with water. As the other two boats— the William and the Rosa Marion—were in considerable danger, the Whitby No. 1 Life-boat Robert and Mary Ellis was launched, took off their crews, consisting of six men, and enabled the cobles to be got safely ashore.

RAMSGATE AND BROADSTAIRS.—Signal guns having been fired by the Gull and North Sand Head light-vessels on the 14th January, the Life-boats Bradford, of Ramsgate, and Christopher Ward, Brad- ford, of Broadstairs, left their stations at 7.45 P.M. and proceeded to the N.E. part of the Goodwin Sands, where the schooner Sarah Elizabeth, of Chester, was found stranded and sunk. A moderate gale was blowing from the E.N.E., there was a heavy sea, and the weather was very cold, with snow squalls. On arriving near the sands the Ramsgate Life-boat was slipped from the harbour steam-tug Aid, which had towed her out, pro- ceeded in the direction in which flares from the vessel were seen, and rescued four of the shipwrecked crew, the remain- ing man taking refuge on board the Broadstairs Life-boat, which had come up on the other side of the ship. The Ramsgate boat then rejoined the steamer and was towed back to Ramsgate, the Broadstairs boat returning to her station under gu.il.

LOWESTOFT.—Flares having been seen in a southerly direction the crew of the Life- boat Samuel Plimsoll were summoned on the 15th January; the boat was launched at 12.10 A.M., and found the dandy Mystery, of Harwich, having on board a crew of four men, lying abreast of the Pakefield Gat lighthouse, having parted from her anchor and unshipped her rudder. Ten of the Life-boat men went on board, signals were made for a steam-tug, which eventually arrived, with difficulty got communication with the vessel, and towed her into the harbour, the Life-boat being bridled to the barge so as to steer her.

HARWICH.—Rockets were fired by the Cork and Sank light-vessels on the morning of the 17th January while snow was falling and the wind was blowing in squalls from the S. accompanied by a moderate sea. The Life-boat Springwell was launched at 7,30., made for the Cork light-ship, and on her way there was picked up by the steam-tug Merrimac, which kindly took her in tow. On arriving at the Cork light-vessel it was found that their signals had been made in response to those of the Sunk, and on proceeding there it was ascertained that they were answering the Longsand light- ship. The Life-boat was then towed to the last-named vessel and found that she had a shipwrecked crew of eighteen men on board, their ship, the s.s. Helsingor, of Elsinore, having stranded and sunk. The men were taken into the Life-boat, which was towed back to Harwich, arriving there at about 2.30 P.M.

CAISTER, NORFOLK.—The No. 2 Life- boat Beauchamp was called out on service on the morning of the 23rd January and was launched at 4.20, signals of distress having been shown on the north part of the Barber Sands. On arriving there the fishing dandy Energy, of Grimsby, was found on the top of the sand with heavy seas breaking all round her. The crew had taken to their boat, but were unable to get clear of the sand owing to the shallowness of the water, and were calling for help. With considerable difficulty the men, seven in number, were got on board the Life-boat and safely landed.

The vessel became a total wreck.

On the following morning a schooner was seen stranded close to the spot where the Energy had sunk. The Life-boat Beauchamp was launched at 5 o'clock and on reaching the vessel—which proved to be the schooner Cymbeline, of London— the master requested the boat to remain by him until high water. When the tide rose the vessel floated, and no further help being needed the Life-boat returned to her station.