At 12.45 A.M.

on the 16th January, during an ex- ceedingly thick fog, signals of distress were heard, and a message was received stating that a vessel was ashore to the north of the town. The Honorary Secretary of the Branch, Mr. A. Belk, accompanied by the Coxswain, Thomas W. Rowntree, at once proceeded to the end of the promenade, where they could see through the fog that a large steamer was on the rocks. The wind at the time was S.E. with a strong ground swell. It was ascertained that the vessel was a new steamship named the Boeton, which had only gone out that morning for her trial trip, and that there were a large number of persons on board. Instructions were at once given for the No. 3 Life-boat Horatio Brand to be launched, and on arrival at the vessel after a heavy pull, the Coxswain was informed that it was hoped to get the vessel off that night at high tide and that nobody wished to be landed. The boat therefore returned ashore, but on arrival the Coxswain was told that the boat would be required again when efforts were made to get the vessel off. At 6 P.M., when the Cox- swain proposed to return to the vessel, the fog had increased so much in density that the tug refused to go, and both the tug and the Life-boat waited some time for the fog to clear. At about 8.50 P.M.

signals were heard from the steamer, and it was decided to make an effort to get to her. Fortunately about this time the fog lifted slightly, and the tug towed the Horatio Brand and the No. 2 Life-boat Charles Ingleby, which was also sent out on account of the number of people who were on the steamer.

It was 10 P.M. when the Life-boats finally approached the vessel, and they found that a large number of the persons on board were anxious to leave at once.

Thirty-two persons, including two ladies, were taken into the boats, which conveyed them to the harbour. At 4 o'clock in the morning they again went off to the wreck, and thirty lasears were conveyed in the two boats from the stranded vessel to tugs which were standing by. In the meanwhile, salvage operations had been in progress, but the tugs failed to float the vessel, and the Life-boats returned to their stations. This service was performed in one of the thickest fogs ever experienced at Hartlepool. The vessel was success- fully floated two days later..