PORTHOUSTOCK, CORNWALL. —• A disaslrous shipwreck occurred on the Manacle rocks, near the Lizard, on thenight of the 14th October, involving the lamentable loss of 106 lives. The s.s.

Mohegan, of Hull, a large four-masted vessel, bound for New York, with 1280 tons of general cargo, in addition to which she carried coal and water ballast to the extent of 3170 tons, left London on the previous day. She had a crew of 97 men.

There were seven cattlemen on board, and at Gravesend 53 passengers were taken in. All seems to have gone right on her way down the Channel, and at 2.40 p.m. on the 14th, at Prawle Point, she signalled " All well, report me." She was then about three miles off. She was afterwards-seen off Bame Head, and again at about 5 p.m. some ten or twelve miles distant from the Eddystone Lighthouse.

Later on, between six and seven o'clock, her lights were noticed from Falmouth ; some coloured lights were also observed.

Shortly before seven o'clock the coxswain of the Life-boat Charlotte, stationed at Porthoustock, saw a masthead light, and as it was evident to him from the position that the vessel must be in danger, he summoned the boat's crew and put off to render assistance. A moderate gale was then blowing from E.S.E., and there was a heavy sea. Proceeding in the direction of the Manacle rocks a white light was burnt, but no response was received. Shortly afterwards an overturned boat was found, and two men who were clinging to it were rescued. Cries being then heard from beneath the boat a grapnel was thrown from the Life-boat; this caught the boat's gunwale and righted her. The dead body of a child was found in the boat, also two ladies who were still alive. One of these was taken into the Life-boat but died from exhaustion shortly after being landed; the other was jammed under the thwart. At once the bow-man of the Life-boat jumped into the boat, cut away the thwart by means of an axe and liberated the imprisoned passenger. Signals were then burnt by the Life-boat denoting that further help was required. More cries being heard the boat pulled in the direction they proceeded from and met a ship's Life-boat with twenty-four persons in her. The boat was much damaged and nearly full of water, and had the occupants tried to land in her they would probably have perished. They weie transferred to the Life-boat, which thenmade for the shore, reaching it at 10 p.m.

Having landed the rescued people the Life-boat again pat off and palled in the direction of the Manacle rocks. On this occasion the second coxswain was in the boat. He was not in her the first time, but went out in a shore-boat with other men to the scene of the casualty. They ascertained the exact position of the wreck and returned to the shore, the information they were able to afford being of great value on the second trip of the boat, and saving time which, would otherwise have been occupied in searching for the wreck. Hearing shrieks and cries the boat anchored as near to the wreck as could be done with safety. Quartermaster Juddery, one of the vessel's crew, who was in the main rigging, seeing that the boat could not approach any nearer owing to the heavy tide, swam off to the Life-boat, and taking a line swam back again to the ship; by this prompt, brave action materially helping to save the whole of the people in the rigging. The boat's anchor was then lifted and she was allowed to drop down so as to enable her to take off the rest of the people who were in the rigging and on the funnel.

The rocks all round were afterwards searched but no other persons were found, and the Life-boat men continued to burn lights at intervals until reaching the shore between four and five o'clock on the following morning. Forty-four lives were saved by the Life-boat.

An investigation into the circumstances attending this disaster was instituted by the Board of Trade, and the Court, after an exhaustive enquiry, occupying six days, were enabled to form the opinion that the cause of the vessel stranding was that a wrong course, W. by N., was steered after passing the Eddystone at 4.17 p.m. on the 14th October, and that the deplorable loss of so many lives was in consequence of the vessel taking a very sudden and serious list to port, of her going down in not more than a quarter of an hour from, the time of striking, and of there being no light to indicate her position, the electric light having gone out, and it being impossible to exhibit other lamps, as the lamp-room was inaccessible, being under water.

Only a few signals of distress could be fired from the ship, as the socket for the signal was on the port side, on which shehad listed, making it very difficult to discharge them.

The captain and all the officers being drowned, the Court was utterly unable to arrive at any conclusion as to why the course was set and steered. It is worthy of notice that none of the officers were saved, proving without doubt the bravery and unselfishness displayed by the master, officers and crew.

The Court expressed their great approbation of the conduct of Mr. Juddery, who has since been awarded a Silver Medal by the Board of Trade, and spoke with approval of the promptness and skill of Mr. James Hill, the coxswain of the Forthoustock Lifeboat and the crew of the boat. In recognition of the services rendered on this occasion, the Institution presented its Silver Medal to Mr. Hill, together with an extra reward to him and to the crew of the boat, a further sum being awarded to the bowman for his special services already mentioned. The thanks of the Institution were also tendered to Mr. E. P.

Boskruge, the Hon. Sec. of the Porthonstock Branch for his valuable cooperation.

Further, the Court found that the Institution's Life-boats at Falmouth, Cadgwith and Polpear (Lizard), were promptly launched when summoned, but failed to rescue any of the passengers and crew, as there were no lights to indicate the vessel's position, which caused much loss of time in searching for her, and because before their arrival at the wreck all the survivors had been taken off by the Porthoustock Life-boat. One person was picked up by the tug which had the Falmouth Life-boat in tow, and others were picked up on the rocks by a coastguard boatman..