POLPEAR (LIZARD) AND CADGWITH.— On the morning of the 4th March the s.s. Gustav Bitter, of Newcastle-on-Tyne while proceeding from London to the Manchester Ship Canal with a general cargo, stranded on the Callidges Rocks, off the Lizard Point, in a dense fog. On news of the casualty reaching the Lifeboat stations, the Polpear Life - boat Edmund and Fanny and the Cadgwith Life-boat Joseph Armstrong were promptly launched and proceeded to render help.

The Polpear boat first reached the vessel and, the fog by that time having cleared, found that her bow was under water and four men were clinging to the rigging.

Great difficulty was experienced in getting near the vessel, as the seas were breaking completely over her and over the Life-boat.

The Life-boat men succeeded however in getting their grapnel on board and three of the shipwrecked men, watching their opportunity, left the rigging and went hand over hand along the grappling-line from the steamer to the Life-boat. The fourth man, who is said to have been disabled by rheumatism, was unable to move from the rigging. It was impossible to take the boat to the side of the ship on which he was located, on account of shoals, and, as one of the men who had been rescued was in a very exhausted condition and it was feared he would succumb, and as there was no immediate danger of the vessel breaking up, it was decided to make for the shore, land the three men and then return for the other man. The boat therefore made for the land, a boat came off to meet her, the men were transferred to that boat and the Life-boat proceeded on her return journey to the steamer. Meanwhile the Cadgwith Life-boat arrived on the scene and, being efficiently directed by the coastguards who waved a flag, fell in with the steamer's long boat, containing the master and seven of the crew, which was in great danger of being swamped in the Lizard Eace. The boat had been got out after the stranding of the steamer; seven men were in her, and the captain was about to secure the boat's painter when the rope was cut and, the strain being thus suddenly taken off, caused the captain to fall overboard, and he was compelled to swim to the boat to save his life. The second mate jumped overboard and tried to reach the boat, but unhappily he failed in the attempt and was drowned.

The eight men were taken into the Lifeboat and, having reported that others had been left on board the steamer, the Lifeboat men gave a cheer and, notwithstanding the hard pull of three miles they had already had, they soon accomplished the remaining distance of a mile to the wreck. They, of course, found only one man on board instead of the four men they had expected to find, but they determined to effect his rescue.

Several of the Life-boat men volunteered to fetch him — a feat attended with imminent risk—but the coxswain thought it best to accept the offer of the master of the vessel, who knew the man and his infirmity, was a good swimmer and well acquainted with the ship. The boat hove two grapnels on board the vessel, the master swung himself on board by means of one of the lines, taking with him a running line to fasten to the man he was about to rescue, reached the rigging, took the man out, fastened the line to him and enabled him to be taken into the Life-boat. The captain was then obliged to make for the rigging again to avoid being washed overboard by the heavy seas breaking over the ship; a second time he was driven back, but, watching his opportunity, he got down, plunged into the sea and swam to the boat without life-belt or line. During this time the boat and her crew were also in considerable peril from the heavy seas breaking on the wreck and on the rocks. The work of rescue being then accomplished the boat returned to her station, arriving at about 10.30 A.M.

The Silver Medal of the Institution, accompanied by a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum, were awarded to Captain DAVID GRAHAM BALL, the master of the vessel, in recognition of his gallant services on this occasion.