Whitby.

A courageous and arduous service was performed by the crew of the Whitby Motor Life-boat in the early morning of the 15th November, when they went to the rescue of the fivemasted schooner, the Cap Palos, of Vancouver. More than a year before, on the 24th October, 1919, the Cap Palos, when on her way from Immingham to Hartlepool, was overtaken by rough weather in Robin Hood's Bay, and the Robin Hood's Bay Life-boat went out to her help. In the end the vessel was driven on the rocks, and had lain there for nearly twelve months.

Efforts were then made to salve her.

At the beginning of October she was brought in to Whitby Harbour, and in the early morning of the 14th November two tugs towed her out to sea, intending to take her to Blythe. She had no rudder, and was kept afloat with pumps. The wind blew so hard from the south-west that the tugs could make no headway, and they anchored outside the harbour; but during the night the wind increased .to a whole gale, and the Cap Palos broke away from the tugs and was carried out into the North Sea. At 3 A.M. the tugs signalled for help, and the Motor Life-boat put out. Unfortunately, her engine broke down, and she was compelled to anchor while it was repaired.

By this time sight had been lost of the Cap Palos, and the Life-boat returned to her Station to complete the repairs.

This was at 5 A.M.

Half-an-hour later, one of the tugs | came into harbour and reported that all efforts to take off the crew of the Cap Palos had failed. In ten minutes the Life-boat was under way again. The seas were running very high, and the Life-boat was continually buried in them, but she out-distanced the tug, and, after going for eighteen miles, came up with the Cap Palos, with the other tug standing by. The schooner was then drifting at about four knots, with two anchors down. She was waterlogged, with a heavy list to starboard, and was rolling rails under in the now terrific seas. The Life-boat approached her on the lee side, but it was a work not only of great difficulty, but of much danger to get close enough to rescue the crew. Had she not boea very skilfully manwuvred the Life-boat would very probably have been crushed under the vessel as she rolled. As it was she did not escape damage. One of the heavy chain plates of the Cap Palos had been torn away and was sticking out from the side of the vessel.

As she rolled it caught the after-end I box of the Life-boat, forced her almost ! under water, and stove in one of the j air cases. Jn spite of this, however, the whole crew of sixteen were taken off, being by this time half-starved and utterly exhausted by their long struggle against the seas in an unmanageable vessel. It was a run of twenty-one miles back to Whitby, and the Station was reached at 2.30 P.M., nine hours after the Life-boat had pufc out for the second time. Both the rescued men and the Life-boat crew had suffered much from exposure.

It was decided by the Committee of Management to show their appreciation j of this dangerous and exhausting service | by giving to Coxswain Eglon the Thanks J of the Institution inscribed on Vellum, and to him and each member of the crew an additional monetary reward.

After drifting- about in the North Sea, a derelict, for nearly a mouth, the Cap Palos was found iloatiug keel upwards and was taken in tow, but before she reached harbour she broke in two, the bow half sinking.

! The other half was towed to Carnclian ! Bay-.