ON 21st October last the mechanic of the Hartlepool Motor Life-boat, Mr.

H. W. Jefferson, was at work in the Boat-house cleaning the engine. He went on deck to turn the crank-shaft by hand, and the engine backfired and set alight the cleaning rags which were saturated with oil and paraffin. There were some eighty gallons of petrol in the tanks just on the other side of the bulkhead, and had they exploded, the mechanic himself would have been wrapped in flames, and the Boat and Boat-house destroyed. Mr. Jefferson got to work at once with the fireextinguishers, while his little boy ran for help. The flames, however, were so great that extinguishers made little impression on them; so Mr. Jefferson threw one of the extinguishers into the engineroom and closed the hatches. The winchman, Mr. J. W. Bunton, had now arrived in answer to young Jefferson's call, and single-handled though he was, very quickly released the Boat, and she went down the Slipway. Mr. Jefferson, who remained on board, took the helm and the Boat ran out into the harbour.

This prompt action would have saved the Boat-house, even had the Boat herself gone up in flames, but fortunately, with the hatches closed, the fire quickly burnt itself out. The damage done was not great. The engine itself was quite uninjured, and the damage was confined to the electric wiring and paint-work in the engine-room, and the mast and rigging which was lying, in the housed position, on the engine-room hatch.

The reason why the engine backfired was that, by mistake, the ignition switch had been left on. While recognising that this was an error on the mechanic's part, the Committee felt that he had shown great courage in taking such prompt and successful steps to put out the fire at considerable risk to himself. They therefore awarded him the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum and £25. He also received £25 from the Insurance Company. Mr.

Bunton was awarded £5 and Jefferson's son an inscribed copy of " Britain's Lifeboats.".