WEXFORD, Co. WEXFORD.—A yawl belonging to Wexford broke adrift on the night of the 27th May, 1902. A strong gale from W.S.W. was blowing at the time, accompanied by a heavy sea. Owing to the stress of weather the crew were unable to make the shove. On infor- mation being received of their perilous position, the Life-boat James Stevens No. 15, fully manned, proceeded to search for the vessel; they found her about three miles from the station, and suc- ceeded in picking up the boat, and saving the lives of the five occupants, bringing them safely to land at 4.30 on the morning of the 28th May.

The fishing yawl Swan, of Wexford, while coming into harbour on the morning of the 16th June, in a strong breeze and heavy rain squalls, struck on an anchor belonging to a dredger, after which she stranded and commenced to fill with water. In response to her signals of distress, the Life - boat, James Stevens No. 15, put off to the vessel. On reaching her they found she was full of water and so low that her deck was half covered. The Life-boat managed with some difficulty to get alongside and rescued the crew of 4 men, who, together with one small box of their fish, were conveyed in safety back to Wexford. As the tide rose the fishing boat dragged off into deep water and was lost.

UPGANG, YORKSHIRE.—The s.s, Sen Garlic, of North Shields, bound with a cargo of coal from the Tyne to the Mediterranean, stranded off Upgang in a dense fog and a rough sea on the night of the 30th May. Cries for help in a seaward direction were the first intimation of a disaster, as no dis- tress signals were made by those on board. A messenger was at once de- spatched to Whitby to give information respecting the accident, and to summon the Life-boat crew, there not being sufficient men on the spot to man and launch the Life-boat. As soon as they arrived they launched the Life-boat with great promptness.

Shortly after the vessel struck, the greater part of the crew attempted to land in their own boats. The boats were however capsized, and it was only by clinging to them and the floating oars chat thirteen, out of the fifteen men who left the vessel managed to get ashore. Unfortunately, the other two, who filled the posts of third engineer and carpenter, were drowned.

Had they remained on board their lives in all probability would have been saved, as five other members of the crew were successfully rescued from the wreck by the Upgang Life-boat, which brought them to land in safety. After returning ashore the Life-boat men patrolled the beach for two hours in. the hope of recovering the bodies of the two poor fellows who had perished, but without success.

The crew of the John Fielden Life- boat, stationed at Whitby, also assembled in case their services might be required, but were ultimately disbanded without their boat being launched.

CLACTON-ON-SEA, ESSEX.—At 10.45 A.M. on the 1st July, a message was received from the Gunfleet Light House, stating that a barque was ashore about four and a half miles to the W.S.W.

The signal to muster the Life-boat crew was fired, and the Albert Edward Life- boat at once proceeded to the ship, which proved to be the brigantine Hilda, of Abo, bound from London to Shields, in ballast. The wind and sea were moderate, so the captain declined any assistance, but asked that the Life- boat should remain alongside until his vessel floated. This request was complied with, and on the vessel re- floating — apparently undamaged — no further help being required, the boat returned to her station.

PALLING AND WINTERTON, NORFOLK.— About 10 o'clock in the morning of the 5th July, the North Hasborough Light vessel fired signals, indicating that a vessel was in distress on the sands. The crew of the Palling No. 1 Life-boat, 54th West Norfolk Regiment, was at once sum- moned, and having launched their boat proceeded to Hasborough Knoll, where the s.s. Holderness, of Glasgow, was found ashore on the sands, she having stranded during the thick weather. Her cargo consisted of coal, coke and bricks, which she was taking to Cartagena from the Tyne. The signals being heard at Winterton, the Margaret Life-boat, stationed at that place, was also promptly launched, and with the assistance of a tug, proceeded to the distressed vessel.

As the sea was smooth and the wind at the time light, the master of the steamer decided to wait until the tide rose, hoping then to get clear. He requested the Life-boats to stand by him, in case their services should be required, and this they did until about 4 P.M., when the vessel was successfully re-floated, and the captain having expressed his thanks for the timely aid preferred by I the Life-boats, proceeded on his voyage.

During thick weather on the morning of j the 27th September, the s.s. Mundako, of Bilbao, with coal and general cargo from Newcastle to Bilbao, ran aground one ! and a quarter miles north of Palling.

The No. 1 Life-boat on that station promptly proceeded to her assistance, but on reaching her the master declined any aid. The Life-boat, however, stood by until the afternoon, when the vessel floated. Finding she was then able to proceed on her voyage and was ap- parently undamaged, the coxswain returned ashore, and during the evening re-housed the boat.

HILBRE ISLAND, CHESHIRE.—In the early morning of the 29th July there was a very fresh W.N.W. wind blowing and a nasty sea. About 9 o'clock the flat Livadia was observed ashore on the ! Great Salisbury Bank. The coxswain of the Life-boat Admiral Briggs imme- diately got his boat ready in case her services should be required. As the weather got worse, the wind increasing to a gale with heavy squalls, it was decided about 1 P.M. to launch and pro- ceed to the vessel, which was reached shortly after 2 P.M. The crew were then endeavouring to get her off; after considerable difficulty this was accom- plished, and the Life-boat returned to her station after having stood by until all danger was over. The captain ex- pressed his great satisfaction that the Life-boat had launched to his help, as he quite realised the imminent peril his vessel was in.

During the strong gale from the W.S.W. on the 3rd Sept. a shrimping boat—the Dreadnought, of Parkgate— was discovered half a mile S.S.W. from Hilbre Island, with heavy seas breaking over her. The Life-boat crew proceeded from Hoylake to the island, launched their Life-boat promptly, and succeeded in rescuing the occupant of the boat.

Men from the Life-boat also went on board the shrimper and brought her into Hilbre Pool.

Immediately after this service was performed the Admiral Briggs pro- ceeded to the assistance of Hopper No. 12, of Liverpool, which was flying signals of distress off Taylor's Bank.

On speaking the Formby Lightship the coxswain learnt that all danger was over and therefore did not proceed further. As he could not get back to Hilbre against the wind and tide, he made for Hoylake, leaving the Life-boat there all night, and taking her back to Hilbre the following day.

NEW BRIGHTON and HOYLAKE, CHESHIRE, and FORMBY, LANCASHIRE.— About 10 o'clock in the morning on the 3rd of September the steam Life-boat Queen, stationed at New Brighton, was called out to the neighbourhood of the 'Formby Lightship, where the Mersey Dock Board's Hopper No. 12 had drifted into a dangerous position near Taylor's Bank, owing to a derangement of her machinery. A gale was blowing from S.W at the time and a heavy and rough sea was running. Before the Queen managed to reach her another of the Board's hoppers—No. 18—came to her assistance and took her in tow; just after the arrival of the Life-boat however the rope parted, and the captain of the hopper asked that the Life-boat would stand by him until he was out of danger. This was accord- ingly done, and another rope having been made fast between the two vessels, the Queen left them and returned to New Brighton.

During the morning, before other help arrived, eight of the crew of the dredger G. B. Crow, belonging to the same corporation, which was in the vicinity of the distressed vessel, volunteered to go to their aid. For more than an hour I they struggled to accomplish their task, I when a heavy sea overturned the boat.

All the men, with the exception of one I poor fellow, who was washed away and I drowned, managed to cling to the ', upturned keel and eventually they : righted the boat again. In the mean- tune the coxswain of the Life-boat John and Henrietta, stationed at Formby, received a message from the Formby Lightship that a hopper was in distress I and required a Life-boat. The sea was I so rough, and the state of the tide such, that it was only after repeated efforts and very arduous labour that the Life- i boat was got afloat. Twice she was I thrown back on to the shore, and the crew had to go waist deep into the water to push the boat clear before they could take their places in her.

After pulling a considerable distance through the surf the boat of the dredger was seen in a water-logged condition with seven men still clinging to her. "With great difficulty the Life- boat got alongside and rescued them from their perilous position, the waves meanwhile repeatedly washing over them. Having conveyed them in safety ashore, the John and Henrietta again launched and sailed out to the Hopper No. 12, to assist which they had origi- nally gone out. Communication was established with the vessel by means of a line, but the other Hopper, having taken the vessel in tow, as stated above, the Life-boat ran for the beach, getting ashore in safety after performing a very trying but useful service.

The gale which visited the whole of the west coast of England, Scotland, and Wales on the 15th and 16th of October blew with exceptional severity in Liverpool Bay, causing several shipping disasters and the destruction of much valuable property. Happily the Life-boats in the neighbourhood were instrumental in saving no less than 51 lives in the two days.

On the morning of the 15th the coxswain of the Life-boat John and Henrietta, of Formby, saw a schooner and a barquentine dragging their anchors. From time to time they were hidden by heavy squalls of rain, but at 9.15 A.M. the barquentine showed signals of distress, and in response the coxswain summoned his crew, telephoned to New Brighton that a vessel was in distress, and launched to her assistance. On arrival he found the Marie Sophie, of Falmouth, stranded and likely to become a total wreck, while bound for Liverpool with a cargo of timber. The crew of 6 hands were successfully rescued and landed at Formby, the Life-boat being replaced in her house about 2 P.M. In the mean- while, immediately on receipt of the telephone message at New Brighton, the No. 1 Life-boat, Henry Richardson, was despatched to the scene of the casualty, but on reaching the stranded vessel found the crew were then getting on board the John and Henrietta, so sail was made for home, and her moorings reached just before noon.

The same night, soon after 11 o'clock, the Coastguard on duty at New Brighton observed signals of distress in the direction of the Crosby Lightship.

Information was at once conveyed to the coxswain of the Henri/ Richardson Life-boat, and the crew again assembled.

With the assistance of a tug she at once proceeded to the distressed vessel.

On arrival, the s.s. Heraclides, of Liver- pool, a liner of 3,000 tons, bound from Liverpool to Glasgow in ballast, was found stranded on Taylor's Bank. The Life-boat went alongsideand took twenty- two men on board, the remainder of the crew refusing to leave the vessel, so the Henry Richardson remained near her.

The tide at the time was ebbing, and in consequence of standing by, she also grounded on the bank. About the same time as the distress signals were reported at New Brighton they were observed from Hoylake, and the crew of the Life- boat, Coard William Squarey, stationed at that place was assembled. The Life- boat on her carriage was transported by horses about half-a mile to eastward.

At the foot of the slipway, the sand proved to be soft, the tide having just left it. This, together with the difficulty of getting the horses to pull together, caused some delay, but shortly after midnight the boat was successfully launched. With difficulty and hard work she reached the distressed vessel and stood by her, about one cable length off, until 7 A.M. on the 16th, in case her aid might be required. Between 2 and 3 A.M. the Formby Life-boat, John I and Henrietta, also arrived upon the i scene. The surf on launching was very i heavy, but the crew displayed great i perseverance, and eventually they reached j the Formby Channel, where they made j sail. On arriving in the vicinity of the i wreck, the crew saw it was no use , attempting to go alongside, as the , steamer was almost dry. The Life-boat also was bumping heavily, so the coxswain took her into a channel directly to leeward, and beached her within a cable's length of the vessel ; some of the j crew then waded to the Heraclides, and i took the fourteen men who had remained on board back with them to the Life- boat, which landed them at Formby about 7.30 A.M.

| The Hoylake Life-boat being afloat to westward of the bank, did not know j that all the crew had left the steamer, j so they waited for the flood-tide to take her alongside, but about this time the Henry Richardson Life-boat, with her twenty-two rescued passengers floated and informed the coxswain of the Hoy- lake Life-boat, in passing, that all the crew had been taken off. On hearing this, a start was made for Hoylake, and the boat beached soon after 10 A.M. on the 16th, having been out, exposed to the violence of the gale, for more than tea hours. The New Brighton boat got back to her moorings about 8.30 A.M.

During the day there was no abate- ment of the gale, although the wind got round rather more to the west.

About 9 P.M. a telephone message was received at New Brighton, stating that another vessel was ashore off Blundell- sands. The crew of the Henry Richardson was again mustered, and the Life-boat left in tow of a tug. On reaching the j ship, which proved to be the barquentine Matador, of Riga, repeated attempts | were made to get alongside and rescue i the crew. Heavy seas swept over the boat, and a perilous time was experienced.

In the meantime the Hoylake Life- boat, Coard William Squarey, in charge of coxswain Dodd, arrived, and after con-siderable difficulty, effected a gallant res- | cue of the whole crew of nine, who were landed at New Brighton between mid- night and 1 A.M. on the Nth idem. The New Brighton Life-boat also returned about that time, and the rescued crew and the Life-boat men were duly fed and cared for.

Soon after 3 A.M. the Hoy lake Life-boat made a start for home, which was reached about 8.15 that morning, after an absence of over eleven hours.

The rescue was an excellent one, and the coxswain handled his boat magnifi- cently. The Committee of Management decided to mark their appreciation of his gallantry, energy and skill, by pre- senting him with the Silver Medal of the Institution. After being at sea for eleven hours on the night of the 15th, the boat, after a break of only eight hours, was again engaged for another eleven hours.