CLACTON-ON-SEA.—The gale of the 20th November was severely felt here, the wind blowing from the E.N.E. with a very heavy sea. At 8 o'clock in the morning the Life-boat Albert Edward was launched, a three-masted schooner, which proved to be the Nora, of Mandal, bound from Nantes for Leith with a cargo of wooden hoops, having been seen drifting towards the Gunfleet Sands. The Lifeboat proceeded under sail, but while on her way a sudden squall broke her foremast which smashed the foreyard as it fell. Using the longest piece of the mast and lashing two of the oars, a jury-mast was rigged up, and with close-reefed sails the boat was able to make the vessel which had then only about one foot of water under her; her sails had been blown away and she was otherwise disabled.

The master having requested the Life-boat men to try to save the ship, they rigged a foresail, slipped the anchor, the other having parted, and ultimately got her into deep water. As Sheerness was the nearest port it was decided to take her there, and on the way a barque was observed on the Barrow Sands to windward of the Life-boat. It being impossible, under the circumstances, to proceed to her then, the journey to Sheerness was continued, and at 3 P.M. the Nora was left in Queenborough Swale.

The Life-boat coxswain then applied to the dockyard authorities for the assistance of a steamer to tow the boat to theBarrow Sand and, the request being readily and kindly complied with, a start was made at 5.30. On reaching the Swin light-vessel, the Life-boat was cast off, went in search of the stranded vessel and, after beating about for an hour, found her, but nobody was on board.

It was subsequently ascertained that her crew had been rescued by the Walton-onthe- Naze Life-boat of the Institution.

The boat then made for Clacton, and in passing the Whittaker Spit found another stranded barque with her topmast and gear hanging over her side. The boat sailed round her several times and hailed her, but got no answer, and it was evident that she was abandoned. Clacton was reached at 3.30 A.M. by the Life-boat crew, who were cold, wet and tired. At 5 o'clock, signal rockets having been fired by the Swin Middle Light-vessel, the crew again went out in the Life-boat, and found the barque Harold Haarfager stranded about half-a-mile S.W. of the Whittaker Beacon; she was full of water, and was fast breaking up. With considerable difficulty the boat got alongside, being somewhat damaged while doing so, and rescued the shipwrecked crew of eleven men. On arriving in the Swin Channel the s.s. Alerdour, of Aberdeen, was fallen in with, and kindly towed the boat as far as the Gunfleet Spit buoy.

Once more Clacton was regained at 1.30 P.M..