JUST after midnight of 28th April, the driver and fireman of a railway train entering Berwick-on-Tweed reported that they had seen signals of distress close in shore. The railway station rang up the Coast Guard, who informed the Life-Boat Station, and at 12.30 the Boat was launched. The weather was very thick, the sea was rough, and the wind, which was light to moderate, was on shore. An hour later the Life- boat reached the wreck, and found her to be a steam-drifter Eyedale, of Eye- mouth, in Berwickshire, on her way from the fishing ground to Shields. She had run ashore, and was lying head on to the beach with her stern in broken water. The Life-boat anchored and dropped down to the wreck. She was skilfully manoeuvred in the broken water, and succeeded in getting along- side and taking off the ten men of the drifter's crew without any mishap.

The owner and skipper of the drifter sent the following letter of thanks to the Honorary Secretary of the Station :— '• " On behalf of myself and crew I desire to tender to you, and through you to the members of your local Life-boat Crew, our heartfelt thanks for the services rendered to us on the occasion of the stranding of my s.d. Eyedale, on Wednesday night last.

" No words of mine could convey to you the opinion we hold as to the prompt answer to the call of the signal gun, and splendid seamanship shown in the hand- ling of the Life-boat when coming along- side of us.

" No doubt you will perhaps grasp what it means to us when we saw the Life-boat making in towards us when I tell you that our own small boat had been broken to pieces before our eyes just a few minutes before we sighted your Life-boat.

" I shall be glad if you will be pleased to forward to your Head Office, and also to the members of your Crew, the sincere thanks for service rendered to crew of ten of a humble herring drifter.".