Aranmore and Greencastle, co. Donegal.

—The Anchor liner California, of Glas- gow—a vessel of nearly 9,000 tons register—stranded on the N.W. point of Tory Island, during a dense fog, on the evening of 28th June. She was home- ward bound at the time, with about eleven hundred passengers on board, a crew of upwards of two hundred and seventy, mails, and a general cargo.

Fortunately the sea was smooth when the vessel struck.

Information of the accident was immediately sent out by wireless telegraphy, and in response four torpedo-boat destroyers, two steamers, and the Life-boat, La Totitam, from Aranmore, hastened to the rescue.

They found on arrival that the fore- part of the vessel was considerably damaged, and it was considered ex- pedient to transfer the passengers into safety without loss of time. The work was carried out by the ship's boats, assisted by the Aranmore Life-boat.

Twenty-one persons were conveyed by the Life-boat to a steamer, named the Cassandra, in the vicinity, and she then lay alongside the California, ready for any emergency, until the remainder of the passengers were in safety. In the meantime news of the disaster had reached Greencastle, and the Life-boat Brittan Willis was launched. She left her station at 11 P.M. in tow of the tug Earl of Dunraven, and covered the intervening fifty miles in a com- mendably short time, only to find, however, that all the passengers had been taken off, and that the crew were remaining on board to assist in the efforts to refloat the vessel. Having stood by the vessel for about twelve hours she returned to Greencastle. But she was recalled to the steamer on 1st July, as a large number of men were engaged in the salvage operations, and she remain ded in attendance until the 5th July.

As stated above, a thick fog prevailed when the California ran ashore, and owing to the very rocky nature of the coast the craft which proceeded to her incurred considerable risk. The Aranmore Life-boat was launched soon after midnight on 28th-29th June, and relief was felt when it was known that she had reached the stranded vessel in safety. After the passengers had been rescued, this Life-boat and her crew were engaged to stand by and render assistance, as a large number of men were engaged in efforts to refloat the vessel.

The California lay on a flat shelf of rock, with a breaking reef on each side, which gave very little room for boats to manoeuvre; and when the sea became rough only the Life boat could approach her. In these circumstances the boat remained with the vessel from the 29th June till the 20th July; and on the 2nd July she was called upon to transfer sixty-five of the crew to a steamer, and again on 5th idem to take another party of forty to a steam tug. The men cheerfully carried out all the work they were called upon to do ; and the captain of the vessel in a letter expressed his appreciation of the service rendered and of the willingness with which the crew did all that they were asked.

Subsequently letters were received from both the Admiralty and the Board of Trade stating that the Aranmore boat rendered very great service, and highly commending the crew for the skil- ful manner in which she was handled.