On. the 1st January, in response to a report made by one of the Great Eastern Railway Steamers that a vessel was ashore on the South Shipwash Sands, flying signals of distress, the Steam Life-boat City of Glasgow was launched. When nearing the sand the Life-boat spoke a vessel which was lying at anchor, and this vessel, which was the Harriet, reported that the crew of the stranded vessel, twenty-five in number, were on board, and that they did not wish to be landed by the Life boat; the latter, therefore, returned ashore, where she arrived at 7.45 P.M. At about 9 P.M. a naval wire- less message was received stating that the captain and chief officer were still on board the stranded vessel and that none of the ship's boats was left. The Life-boat, therefore, again put off, was carefully manoeuvred alongside, and saved the two men. The Life-boat then left the wreck and steamed to the s.s. Harriet, and informed them that the captain and chief officer had been rescued. When she arrived, the crew of the wrecked vessel, who were still on board the Harriet, elected to be taken ashore, and the Life-boat, having taken them on board, proceeded to Harwich where she landed the men at 3.20 A.M.

The wrecked vessel was the steamer Obidense, of Bergen, bound from Rotterdam to the United States with a general cargo. i.