The wreck of the s.s. Maiorese, of Liverpool, on the 23rd May was unhappily attended by the sad loss of four lives through the vessel foundering very suddenly. The steamer, whilst bound from Liverpool to Genoa with a general cargo, stranded on the North Stack Rocks during a dense fog at 11 P.M. The sailing Life- boat Joseph Whitworth was at once despatched to her assistance, but before she could reach her, the steamer floated off the rocks and drifted some considerable distance. Her distress signals, however, showed her position, and the Life-boat was headed for her and in due course arrived alongside.

They found that a tug was in attend- ance and one of the steamer's boats lowered ready to convey the captain's wife and two children to her. As soon as the Life-boat reached the steamer the whole of the crew, with the excep- tion of the master and officers, were taken on board, the Life-boat remaining alongside to rescue the others when they were ready. About this time the master called upon some of his crew to go back to assist in getting a hawser aboard from the tug, and they accord- ingly went. The master of the tug, however, refused to take the steamer in tow, as he felt sure that she was sinking, and before the men could get oack to the Life-boat the ship settled down, sinking head foremost. The captain managed to jump into one of ihe steamer's boats which was afloat and empty, and he was eventually taken on board the Life-boat, and some of the other men were also picked up, but Jiere was nothing, in the darkness, to Indicate their whereabouts except their oud cries for help. It is sad to relate that four of the men were never found ; all the more so because two of them, at least, had already been in safety in the Life-boat and had returned to their vessel at the call of duty. Of the survivors, five were conveyed ashore by the tug, while the Life-boat took the remainder, fifteen in number..