ON 20th December, 1925, a blizzard was blowing on the north-east coast, one of the severest for many years. The s.s.

Amble, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, a collier which loads at Amble, was riding at anchor in Alnmouth Bay, but during the night the cable parted, and she was carried on to the rocks. Her signals were seen just before three in the morning.

The Boulmer Life-boat was called out, being dragged along by hand to the scene of the wreck, a mile and a quarter away, and the Alnmouth Life-boat, which is also manned by Boulmer men, was got out and launched. The launch was most difficult and perilous, being made over very treacherous groundwhere the Life-boat had to pass through of rocks and posts a maze of over which heavy seas were breaking.

It was only the excellent seaman-ship of Coxswain R. Stephenson and the cool and skilful direction of the Honorary Secretary, Mr. Hugh Stephenson, which enabled the Boat to be launched without mishap. She was ultimately got away at seven in the morning, two hours after leaving her Boathouse, and made repeated attempts to reach the Amble, but each time she | was swept back by the waves. The efforts continued, however, for two hours until, with the falling tide, the water became so shallow that the Life-boat had to give up the attempt. By that time also it was evident that the crew of the Amble would be able to get ashore at low tide, and this they did with the help of the Board of Trade's Life-saving Apparatus.

Meanwhile the Boulmer Life-boat had also been got to the scene of the wreck. It was not only blowing very hard, but the weather was very cold,with hail, snow and sleet. So fierce and bitter was it that the horse drawing the cart containing stores and lowering gear refused to go on, and a motor had to be obtained. In face of this blizzard, the sixty-one launchers, of whom thirty-five were women, dragged the Life-boat for a mile and a.quarter, along a road so narrow that the wheels were continually sinking in the ditches, and it was only with the utmost diffi- culty that the Boat and her Carriage, weighing altogether nearly 11 tons, were got along at all.The Boat was not actually launched, but the launchers stood by, keeping her in position for launching, until the Alnmouth Life-boat returned to shore at nine o'clock. They had been out and on duty in the height of this gale on a December night for over six hours.

The village of Boulmer consists of less than fifty houses and has a populationof about 150 people. On this night this little place manned both the Life-boats— the Alnmouth, with a crew of 14, and the Boulmer, with a crew of 13—provided the launching party of 61 for the Boul- mer Boat, and manned the Life-saving Apparatus with a crew of 27. Thus four-fifths of the people of Boulmer were engaged that night in efforts to rescue the Amble's crew.

In recognition of the magnificent courage and endurance of the women- launchers the Institution has awarded them its Thanks inscribed on Vellum.

This is the second time recently that the women of Boulmer have been specially thanked. On 24th March, 1924, they all took part in launching the Life-boat in a very heavy sea in order to stand by seven fishing boats. With the breaking sea and the spring tide at low water, the launch was extremely difficult, and the women went into the mud up to their knees, and many of them into the water up to their waists. The Boat was even- tually launched, but two of the women had to be carried home, overcome with cold and exhaustion.* The Institution also specially thanked the Honorary Secretary, Mr. Hugh Stephenson, who was on duty from 2.30 in the morning until the Life-boats had been housed again and were ready for service, which was not until the after- noon, and by his example and cool- * See The Lifeboat for November, 1924.

ness in directing the operations, made possible a launch in circumstances of exceptional peril.

Last year the Boulmer Station cele- brated its centenary .f It has begun its second century in a way thoroughly worthy of its long and distinguished record.

The Amble was later got off the rocks and taken to Tynemouth, but it was expected, at first, that she would become a total wreck, and the Life-boat collect- ing box on board her was taken off and sent to the Hauxley Station. It is shown in the picture, with its contents.

On one side of it is the Rev. F. H. Dunscombe. of Amble, who is the Honorary Secretary at Hauxley, and on the other, Captain Young, the Amble Pilot, who puts Life-boat Collecting Boxes on all the colliers.

t See The Lifeboat for November, 1925..