ON Friday, 20th February, 1914, a deplorable calamity overtook the Fethard (Co. Wexford) Life-boat, and plunged the lit tie Irish village in mourning for nine of its gallant crew, who gave their lives in the attempt to save the crew of the Norwegian schooner Mexico. The vessel was bound from South America to Liverpool, with a cargo of mahogany logs, and when off the south coast of Ireland she lost her bearings and drove into Bannow Bay.

An attempt was made to put about, but the ship missed stays and was driven by the S.S.W. gale and strong tide close to the South Keeragh Island.

A very heavy ground sea was running and her dangerous position was observed.

It was then shortly after 3 P.M., and without loss of time the Life-boat Helen Blake put off to her assistance. Before the Life-boat reached her, however, the vessel had struck the rocky island, and at once commenced to bump heavily.

When the Life-boat was about fifty yards from the wreck, a heavy breaker suddenly struck her and filled her up to the thwarts. The anchor was let go, but before it could bring her up three or four following seas struck her and hurled her against the rocks, where she was smashed to pieces.

Of the fourteen men forming the crew nine were washed away and drowned, but the other five men managed to scramble on to the island, and, in spite of all they had just gone through, they at once set to work to assist eight of the crew of the Mexico, by means of ropes, to leave the wreck and take refuge on the island. Here all the men were obliged to remain, practically without food and water, until 9 A.M. on Monday, 23rd February, when two men were saved by the Dunmore East Life-boat and ten by the Wexford Life-boat and tug. In the meantime one man of the Mexico had succumbed from cold and exposure. When the schooner first struck the island there were ten men on board, but two at once took to the ship's boat and were providentially washed ashore in her.

As soon as news of the disaster reached i London the Chief Inspector of Life-boats, Commander Thomas Holmes, R.N., was instructed to proceed to Fethard. He left London on the Saturday night, arriving at the scene of the calamity shortly after 3 P.M. on the Sunday.

; Finding that the Dunmore East Life-boat Fanny Harriet, which had made an effort to rescue the imperilled men earlier in the day, was, at the moment, lying in ; the small harbour at Fethard, he at once went afloat to superintend another attempt to rescue the me a, who could be seen walking about on the inland.

As a result of his presence and example the work proceeded with renewed vigour; it was, however, impossible in the heavy ground swell to get anywhere near the island, and the courageous men who manned the Life-boat were reluctantly compelled to return ashore. Shortly after the disaster occurred the Lifeboats stationed at Kilmore and Wexford, in addition to the Dunmore East boat, were called to the scene of the accident.

The Kilmore Life-boat Tlte Sisters, after three ineffectual attempts to render assistance on 20th and 21st February, was obliged to return to her station.

The Wexford Life-boat James Stevens No. 15 arrived off Fethard in tow of a tug about 2 P.M. on the Saturday. They did all that was possible on that day, but they also were obliged to put into Waterford Elver without succouring the castaway men.

That night was an awful one, and one of the heaviest gales was blowing that had been known on the south coast of Ireland for years. As already stated, one poor man, a Portuguese from the Mexico, died about dawn from cold and exposure, and he was covered up with some canvas and sods of earth. During the whole of the time that the survivors were on the island all they had to eat was two small tins of preserved meat and a few limpets, as no provisions could be got from the schooner. ISfo water could be found, and the only thing they had to drink was a small quantity of brandy and about half a pint of wine which the Captain of the schooner had managed to take with him when leaving the vessel. Their sufferings therefore can be imagined, exposed as they were to a biting wind, with no shelter, their condition was rendered more miserable by the rain and the spray which constantly drove over the island.

After the Dunrmore East Life-boat returned on the Sunday evening, the Chief Inspector or Life-boats informed the Wexford men, then at Waterford, by telephone that a further attempt would be made to save the men at daybreak on the Monday, and asked them also to proceed to the scene, on the chance of the weather moderating.

On Monday morning, at 6 o'clock, the Dunmore East Life-boat left with the Chief Inspector 011 board. She was manned by a crew from Dunmore East and a Fethard man who was taken out to pilot them as the whole locality was full of rough boulders and rocks.

Although the sea had gone down during the night there was still a heavy ground swell breaking outside the remains of the Mexico, and it was necessary for the boat to cruise all round the island before a spot could be found whence it was possible to approach the shore. Eventually the boat was anchored in a fairly good position about 100 yards off tho rocks, and communication was effected with the shore by means of a stick rocket, fired from the boat, with a cod line attached.

A strong lino was then hauled ashore by the men, and a small skiff, which had been brought out by the Life-boat, was attached to the line. This boat, although a poor one, was the best obtainable in Fethard. The skiff was veei'ed successfully to within about ten yards of the shore when a heavy breaking sea filled her, drove her on to the rocks, and rendered her useless.

The men on shore, however, secured a lifebuoy which had been lashed in the skiff, and the men in the Life-boat tried to persuade the shipwrecked men to come off and be dragged one by one through the water to the Life-boat.

They were, however, very reluctant to attempt this and only two men were taken off in the Dunmore East Lifeboat by this method.

Meanwhile the Wexford boat and tug arrived on the scene at about 8.15 A.M. She anchored close to the other boat, but in a rather better position. She brought with her a strong punt belonging to the tug, which was more suitable for the work than the skiff which had been taken out from Fethard. Two of the crew of the Life-boat, named James Wickham and | William Duggan, volunteered to work the punt, and they veered her dv.vn, with a rope attached to her bows, from | the Wexford Life-boat. Awaiting a " smooth," they got close enough in to the rocks to get hold of two men and drag them on board the punt, which was then hauled back to the Life-boat ; by this means, in the course of four trips, all the survivors, ten in number, were conveyed to the Wexford Life-boat.

During the second trip the punt was driven on to the rocks and a hole stove in j her. This the men stopped with a loaf of bread and some packing, and, undeterred by the accident, they gallantly continued the work of rescue. As soon , as all the men were safely on board the Life-boats the tug took them in tow ; the five Fethard men together with the Chief Inspector were landed at Fethard I and the Dunmore East Life-boat then rejoined tho tug, which proceeded to Waterford, dropping the Dunmore East boat off her station and taking the Wexford boat with the seven men belonging to the Mexico up to Waterford, where they were well cared for.

Both tug and Life-boat remained at : Waterford for the night and returned to Wexford next day.

At the inquest held on the bodies of the drowned Life - boatmen the jury returned a verdict that the men " came to their death by drowning in a gallant attempt to rescue the crew of the . stranded vessel Mexico," and they expressed their deep sympathy for the 1 relatives and friends of the men lost.

As a result of the accident there were three widows, sixteen orphans, and other i dependent relatives left and, as soon as the Committee had received particulars respecting them, they sent 50Z. to cover ! their immediate necessities, and voted a further sum of 2,OOOZ. towards the fund which had been opened for their relief in Dublin.

The calamity excited the deepest I sympathy, not only in the United Kingdom, but also in Norway, and Their Majesties King Haakon and j Queen Maud contributed 1,000 kroner (55Z.) to the Fund, which was raised i for the benefit of the Life-boatmen's relatives. In addition, the Storthing, on this occasion, took the unprecedented step of voting the sum of 10,000 kroner (550Z.) towards the relief of the bereaved.

This act, which gave proof of the sympathy which unites the two maritime nations, caused the most profound satisfaction to the Institution and to all those whose attention had been drawn to the sad loss of life at Fethard.

The Committee subsequently bestowed the Silver Medal of the Institution on Commander THOMAS HOLMES, R.N., and presented him with a special Vote of Thanks engrossed on Vellum. They also awarded the Second Service Clasp to EDWARD WICKHAM, Coxswain of the Wexford Life-boat, and Silver Medals to WALTER POWER, Coxswain of the Dunmore East Life-boat, and to JAMES WICKHAM and WILLIAM DUGGAN, the two men who so gallantly put off in the ; small boat for the purpose of saving I the endangered men. They presented i the Thanks of the Institution on Vellum to the Captain of the tug which towed the Wexford Life-boat, and also to the 1 five Fethard Life-boatmen for their prompt and courageous conduct in assisting the crew of the Mexico, conduct I the merit and humanity of which was heightened by the fact that they themselves had only just been cast ashore after the total loss of their Life-boat.

In each case the gifts to the Lifeboatmen were accompanied by handsome pecuniary rewards, in addition to the usual service pay ; and the Master and crew of the Wexford tug were presented with a substantial gratuity.

The action of the Honorary Secretary of the Fethard Branch, and of all others who rendered useful and willing service on this sad occasion, was also suitably recognized by the Committee of Management.