S.S. Celerity
CROMER, NORFOLK.—A message by telephone having been received from Mundesley stating that the services of the Life-boat were required, on the 17th February, the Life-boat Benjamin Bond Cabbell was launched at 9 P.M. and found the s.s. Celerity, of Yarmouth, laden with cement, from Rochester for Leith, and carrying a crew of seven men, in a disabled condition. A gale was blowing from the E.N.E. and she had shipped a quantity of water which had extinguished her fires, so that becoming unmanageable she anchored off Mundesley. Her anchor dragged, and when only about half a mile from the shore she burnt a flare to denote that she was in need of help.
The Life-boat stood by her during the night, but the Life-boatmen were unable to board her owing to the bad weather and the heavy rolling of the vessel.
The vessel's crew baled some of the water out by means of buckets, the pumps being choked, and ultimately fires were lighted and steam was got up. The Life-boatmen then assisted in weighing the anchor, and the boat proceeded-with her to Yarmouth, which was reached at 2.15 P.M., the Life-boat's crew having endured nearly eighteen hours' exposure to terrible weather.
They returned to their station at 5 P.M.
the following day..