Summary of the Meetings of the Committee of Management
Tuesday, 31st December, 1929.
PAID £17,250 15s. 3d. for sundry charges in connexion with the construction of Life-boats, Life-boat Houses and Slipways, and the maintenance of the various Life-boat estab- lishments. Thursday, 16th January, 1930.
MAJOR SIR MAURICE CAMERON, followed by SIR GODFREY BARING, Bt., in the Chair.
Decided to close the Huna Life-boat Station.
Reported the receipt of the following special contributions:— £ s. d.
King George's Fund for Sailors, (additional donation) . . . 1,000 0 0 " A. W." (additional donation) . 100 0 0 Cunard S.S. Company (subscrip- tion) ........ 100 0 0 £ «. d.
White Star Line Steamers' Charity Fund (additional donation) . 100 0 0 Mr. Herbert Jones and Mrs.
Jones (subscription) . . . 100 0 0 Anonymous (additional donation) 60 0 0 Anonymous, for a Line-Throwing Gun, etc., for the Ballycotton Life-boat 45 0 0 Mr. Alfred Barrett, J.P. (addi- tional donation) 26 5 0 A Derbeian 20 0 0 Mr. W. H. A. Wharton (sub- scription) 20 0 0 To be thanked.
Paid £14,866 18». 44. for sundry charges in connexion with the construction of Life-boats, Life-boat Houses and Slipways,' and the maintenance of the various Life-boat estab- lishments.
Produced the report of the Committee appointed by the Board of Trade to inquire into the question of the use of Kapok. The Committee did not recommend any alteration in the present design of the Life-belts supplied by the Institution to the Crews of its Life- boats.
Voted the Silver Medal of the Institution, together with a copy of the Vote inscribed on Vellum and framed, and an additional monetary reward to Richard Payne, Cox- swain of the Newhaven Motor Life-boat, in recognition of the judgment and high courage with which he handled the Life-boat, when, on the 7th December, she rescued the crew, ten in number, of the Danish schooner Mogens Koch, of Ronne, which was wrecked at Cuckmere, in severe weather. The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum, together with an additional monetary reward, were granted to each of the other members of the Crew—Willie Clark, Second Coxswain; Frederick Payne, Bowman; Ernest Cantell, Motor Mechanic; Charles Holder, Assistant Motor Mechanic; Frederick Jones, Richard Lower, and Benjamin J. Clark.
(A full account of this service appeared in The Lifeboat for March, 1930.) Voted £139 3s. 3d. to pay the expenses of the following Life-boat services during Decem- ber, 1929, and January, 1930.
Dec. 7.—The service of the NEWHAVEN Motor Life-boat to the Mogens Koch (described above).—Expenses, £18 16*. 6d.
Dec. 7.—THE BEMBRIDQE Motor Life-boat was launched during a whole westerly gale, with a very heavy sea, and saved the ketch Silent, of Cowes, laden with oil cake and grain, and rescued her crew of two. Information that the vessel was showing signals had been received at about 8 A.M., and the Life-boat put off and found the vessel off Fish House in a sinking condition, with her boat gone and her head sails blown away. The Captain declined to leave her, so the Life-boat assisted her to Wootten Bridge. The owner of the Silent, Mr. Souter, gave a donation of £5 to the funds of the Institution in appreciation of the services of the Life-boat.—Expenses, £10 la.
Dec. 22.—THE WHITBY Motor Life-boat was launched at 11.30 A.M., in a moderate 8.E.
breeze, with a moderate sea, and stood by the motor fishing coble W. H. Gladstone. Earlier in the morning several cobles had put out, but by 11.30 all had returned with the excep- tion of the W. H. Gladstone, and, as the seas were breaking dangerously at the harbour mouth, it was thought advisable to send out the Life-boat. The coble was met a mile out to sea and accompanied to safety.—Expenses, £10 3s. 6d.
Dee. 24.—THE WHITBY Motor Life-boat stood by the motor fishing boat Pilot Me. At 7.30 A.M. the Pilot Me had gone off to the fishing grounds, the only boat to go. As there was a very heavy sea, though only a moderate W.S.W. breeze blowing, the Life-boat was launched at 11.40 in case her help should be required. About 1 P.M. the fishing boat was seen approaching, and the Life-boat went to her and warned her skipper of the dangerous conditions on the harbour bar. He decided to try and make harbour with the Life-boat in attendance. The Pilot Me struck the East Pier, but the strong tide carried her clear of the rocks, and she was safely beached.— Expenses, £9 6s. 6d.
Jan. 3.—THE SHERINHHAM Life-boat was launched at 3.45 P.M., in a moderate W. to N.W. gale, with a moderate sea, and rain squalls, and rendered assistance to the s.s. Lestris, of Bruges, which was in difficulties near the Blakeney Bell Buoy, while bound for Bo'ness with a cargo of iron ore. The Life- boat found the vessel with her cargo shifted, and her engines broken down. Two Life- boatmen went aboard and the captain asked them to take a cablegram ashore, saying that he would require no further assistance. This was done, the boat returning to her station about 9.15 P.M., having been out for six hours.—Expenses, £55 8s. 9d.
Jan. 6.—THE NEWHAVEN Motor Life-boat was launched at 10 P.M., in a strong W. breeze, with a rough sea, on information received from the Coastguard, and saved the motor fishing boat Mispah, of Brighton, rescuing her crew of three. The boat was found with her engines broken down, and the Life-boat towed her into Newhaven.—Expenses, £16 3s.
Jan. 7.—THE CULLERCOATS Life-boat was launched at 12.45 P.M., in a strong S.W. gale, with a rough sea, to the coble Providence, which was found with her engine broken down, and shipping water heavily. The coble and her three occupants were towed safely into the harbour. The crew of the Providence was the Coxswain of the Life-boat, his son, and the Life-boat's Bowman.—-Expenses, £19 4s.
The following services were also reported :— Dec. 18.—THE HUMBER Motor Life-boat stood by the steam trawler Bengal, of Grimsby, which had stranded, during thick weather with a light W.N.W. breeze, at Holmpton, near Withernsea, while returning from the fishing grounds. The Life-boat was launched at 3.45 A.M., and remained with the trawler until the tide fell. As her services were not then required, she returned to her Station, arriving at 10 A.M. The Bengal had stranded the previous night, and her crew had been rescued from the shore by the Life-saving Apparatus. Later, they had returned to the steamer, and while the Life-boat stood by, an unsuccessful effort was made by the crew to refloat the steamer.—Permanent Crew, Pro- perty Salvage Case.
Dec. 29.—THE PIEL (BARROW) Motor Life-boat saved the s.s. Apolo, of Bilbao, and rescued her crew of thirty-four, when she ran short of fuel, while bound from Almeria to Barrow, with a cargo of iron ore, and was in danger of being disabled or blown ashore by a strong W. gale, with a very heavy sea. In- formation that the steamer was in need of help had been received by wireless shortly after noon, and the Life-boat was promptly launched and went to the Apolo, which was in the vicinity of the Morecambe Bay Lightship, It was found that she had a very heavy list, and that the seas were making a clean breach over her. At the third attempt the Life-boat succeeded in getting alongside, and, at some risk, the Coxswain boarded the steamer.
He found that she had coal to last only a few hours and decided that the best thing to do was to let her drift until there was enough water for her to cross the bar and come into harbour. Under the direction of the Cox- swain, who is a Pilot, the Apolo, with the Life- boat in attendance, was brought safely into harbour about 10 P.M. This was a very creditable service, carried out in severe weather conditions, and one in which the local know- ledge of the Coxswain was most valuable.— Property Salvage Case.
Also voted £551 Is. Zd. to pay the expenses of the following Life-boat launches, assemblies of crews, etc., with a view to assisting persons on vessels in distress: Appledore (Motor), Arbroath, Barry Dock (Motor), Blackpool, Bridlington, Clacton-on-Sea (Motor), Easing- ton, Eastbourne (Motor), Fenit (Motor), Fleet- wood, Great Yarmouth and Gorleston (Motor), The Humber (Motor), Ilfracombe, Llandudno, Longhope (Motor), Lowestoft (Motor), Margate (Motor), Newhaven (Motor), North Deal, Padstow (Motor), Penlee (Motor), Ramsgate (Motor), St. Mary's (Motor), St. Holier, St.
Peter Port (Motor), Shoreham (Motor), Stone- haven, Stromness (Motor), Tenby (Motor), Troon (Motor), Tynemouth (Motor), and Walton-on-the-Naze (Motor).
Passed a further £11 on account of pensions already granted to dependent relatives of men who lost their lives in the Life-boat Service at Brighstone Grange, Caister, and Fraserburgh.
Granted £26 14s. to men for injury in the Life-boat Service at Caister and Padstow.
Voted a further sum of £26 for the benefit of the last survivor of the Crew of the Rams- gate Life-boat who took part in tne rescue of the Indian Chief in. 1881.
Voted a compassionate grant of £2 to PETER SINCLAIR, who had been a member of the Crew of the Irvine Life-boat for thirty years, and who was now an invalid and in very straitened circumstances.
Voted a compassionate grant of £3 to the widow of LEWIS ROBERTS, who had been a member of the Holyhead Life-boat Crew for upwards of fifty years.
Decided that the special weekly allowance now being paid to W. E. HAYLETT, ex-Second Coxswain of the Caister Life-boat, who was compelled to retire owing to serious illness due to exposure in the Life-boat Service be continued.
VotedJ15s. to TWRiGHT GRIGGS, Jnr./fa member of the Hythe Life-boat Crew, and another man, for putting off in a small rowing boat at Hythe, on,the 24th 'December, with a westerly wind blowing, and a heavy ground swell, and rescuing two men from a small seaplane which had come down and capsized about two miles off shore.
Voted £4 10s. to twelve men, for rescuing the crew, five in number, of the fishing boat Marjory Brown, at Gourdon, on the 7th January, during a moderate S.S.W. gale, with a fairly heavy sea, when the fishing boat, while entering Gourdon Harbour, was caught by two seas in rapid succession, driven on the rocks at the foot of the harbour breakwater, and badly holed.
Directed that a Letter of Appreciation be communicated, through the Rector of Little- haven, to R. M. LOCKLEY and five other men, for putting off from Marloes, Pembrokeshire, in a rowing boat, during a strong S.W. gale, with a very heavy sea, and rain, with the intention of helping those on board the s.s. Molesey, of London, ashore on Middle Island, on the 26th November. (The survivors on the Molesey were rescued by the Angle Motor Life-boat. See The Lifeboat for March, 1930.) Voted £1 5s. to five men, for saving the motor fishing coble Topsy, when her engine had broken down, and rescuing her crew of three, at Whitby, on the 1st January. Also granted 5s. for fuel consumed.
Thursday, 20th February, 1930.
SIR GODFREY BARING, Bt., in the Chair.
Reported the receipt of the following special contributions:— £ s. d.
Mr. William Nuttall (donation) . 250 0 0 Mrs. Parry, in memory of the late Miss H. M. Chynoweth (dona- tion) 25 0 0 Miss Edith B. Gibson (donation) . 20 0 0 Mr. Charles Barnett (donation) . 10 0 0 To be thanked.
Paid £24,959 8s. 6d. for sundry charges in connexion with the construction of Life-boats, Life-boathouses, and Slipways, and the main- tenance of the various Life-boat establish- ments.
Voted £202 3s. 3d. to pay the expenses of the following Life-boat Services during December, January and February, 1930.
Dec. 25.—THE FLEETWOOD Life-boat rescued six men from the s.s. Tchad, of Havre, during a moderate westerly gale, with a very heavy sea. The steamer was in the Luue Deeps waiting to proceed to Morecambe to be broken up, when her anchors dragged, and distress signals were sent up. These were seen by the Coxswain, and the Life-boat was launched at 6.30 P.M. In going alongside the steamer, the Life-boat was badly damaged, but she was able to take the crew off and sail back to Fleetwood, which was reached at 10.15 P.M.— Expenses, £37 4s. 6d.
Jan. 12th, 1930.—THE WEYMOUTH Motor Life-boat, as a result of information received from the Coastguard, rescued the crew of seven of the s.s. Forester, of Cardiff, which had struck Portland Breakwater and turned turtle while bound from Poole to Swansea, in ballast.
A whole W. gale was blowing, with a very heavy sea. The Life-boat found that the men had managed to scramble on to the breakwater and after considerable difficulty, and with the aid of two of the Life-boatmen who got on to the breakwater, the whole crew were got safely into the Life-boat and taken to Wey- mouth. One man, who was injured, was after- wards taken to Hospital.
This was a good service, and the Committee of Management directed that a Letter of Appreciation be addressed to the Life-boat Crew.—Expenses, £19 3«.
Jan. 12th, 1930.—-The TORBAY Motor Life- boat was launched at 5.15 P.M., in a whole W.N.W. gale, with a very heavy sea and heavy rain squalls, and rendered assistance to several vessels. The schooner Katie, of Padstow, had been seen to be drifting close to Brixham Breakwater, and the Life-boat stood by her, returning to harbour at 6.15. Immediately on her return, however, the Katie sent up a distress signal, and the Life-boat once again went to her and took off her crew of four.
While she was taking the rescued crew to harbour the ketch Seine des deux, of Paimpol, was seen drifting rapidly out to sea broadside on to the breakers, so the Life-boat went in pursuit and rescued her crew of three. After landing the two crews the Life-boat put off yet again and rendered assistance to the yacht Westward, and the trawlers Hermes, and We'll Try, and stood by all three vessels until they made Brixham Harbour safely.—Ex- penses, £16 16s.
Jan. 22nd, 1930.—The ABERDEEN No. 2 Life-boat, after being taken 6J miles overland, was launched at 7.50 A.M., in a strong S.W. breeze, with a rough, sea, and rescued the crew of ten of the trawler John 0. Watson, of Aber- deen, which had stranded while returning laden from the fishing grounds to Aberdeen.
The No. 1 (Motor) Life-boat had previously been launched at 3.0 A.M., but owing to the fact that the vessel had bumped over a reef, she was unable to get sufficiently close to effect a rescue, and so returned for the No. 2 Life- boat. The latter found that the Coastguard Life-saving Apparatus Brigade had been successful in firing a rocket line aboard the wreck, but owing to the darkness, this had not been seen. When rescued, the shipwrecked men were in an exhausted condition, having been hanging in the rigging all night.— Expenses, £27 8s. 9 2.
Jan. 29th, 1930.—The DUNMORE EAST Motor Life-boat was launched at 12.20 P.M., in a moderate 8. to S.W. gale, with a rough sea and rain, and rescued the crew of three of the ketch Bernard, of Bridgewater, which on the previous morning had foundered about 20 miles south of Mine Head while bound from Bridgewater to Cork, with a cargo of pottery.
The men had taken to the ship's boat, and after remaining at anchor all that day and part of the night, had tried to make Watorford, but were too exhausted to pull the boat, so the skipper had let her run before the wind, steering with an oar. The Life-boat Coxswain saw the boat drifting and in grave danger of being blown on to the rocks, so the Life-boat put off and brought the boat and crew into Dunmore. The rescued men were in a very exhausted condition after having been in their small boat for 31 hours, one man being un- conscious.—Expenses, £4 Os. 6d.
Feb. 3rd, 1930.—The WHITBY Motor Life- boat was launched at 4.10 P.M., in a moderate S.W. breeze, with a very rough sea as the motor fishing boats Pilot Me and Fortunas had put off at 6.15 A.M. to haul crab pots and had not returned, as expected, at 3 P.M. The Life- boat came up with the boats about 1 mile north of Whitby, and escorted them to Whitby and safely across the harbour bat-over which heavy seas were breaking.—Expenses, £13 18*. 9d.
Feb. 5th, 1930.—The HAUXLEY Life-boat was launched at the request of the Master of Pilots, and landed from Coquet Island Light- house a keeper who was seriously ill. A very strong N.E. breeze was blowing, with a rough sea and snow showers, and no other boat was able to get to the Island on account of the weather.—Expenses, £18 5s.; refunded to the Institution by Trinity House.
Feb. 6th, 1930.—The WHITBY Motor Life- boat was launched at 11.40 A.M. in a moderate Easterly breeze with a heavy sea and escorted into harbour the motor fishing coble Topsy.
While the Life-boat was thus engaged a message was received by wireless from the s.s. Brandon, of London, that she was making for Whitby as the Chief Engineer was suffering from appendicitis, and in need of immediate medical attention. A doctor and three ambulance men were notified, and when the Life-boat came in they boarded her and went off to meet the Brandon. The difficult and dangerous work of getting the man into the Life-boat was successfully carried out, and he was brought ashore and taken to hospital. Shortly after- wards the Life-boat put off again and escorted home another small fishing coble, and later went out a fourth time and stood by several motor fishing vessels as they made harbour.
The Owners of the 8.8. Brandon, Messrs. C. Salvesen & Co., who are already subscribers, sent a, donation of £9 6«, 6(2. to cover the expenses of the service to their vessel.— Expenses, £23 5s. 3d.
Feb. 6th, 1930.—The SCARBOROUGH Motor Life-boat was launched at 2.40 P.M., as the fishing cobles Kingfisher and Bonny Lad were out crab-fishing, the sea was rough and growing worse, and a moderate N.E. wind was blowing.
The Kingfisher was met first, and after Life- belts had been handed to her crew, she was escorted into harbour. The Life-boat then went out again and stood by the Bonny Lad, whose crew were also given life-belts in case of need.—Expenses, £22 12s.
Feb. 10th, 1930.—The MARGATE Motor Life-boat was launched at 1.25 P. .M in a moderate N.E. gale, with a heavy sea, in response to signals for assistance from the Norwegian steamer The Lab, which was lying in the Margate Roads. She found that the Margate motor boat Thanet Queen, manned by two men, had gone out to take off a Pilot, but had been stove in by collision with the vessel.
The three men had managed to get aboard the steamer from which they were brought ashore in the Life-boat.—Expenses, £10 16s. 6d.
Feb. 16th, 1930.—The CLACTON-ON-SEA Motor Life-boat rescued the two occupants of the yacht Elizabeth, of Colchester, which stranded on the Gunfleet Sands during a strong N.N.W. breeze with a rough sea, while bound from Bast Meraea to Southend. In- formation that the yacht was ashore had been received, through the Coastguard, at 9.25 A.M., from the Gunfleet Lighthouse Keeper, who later reported that she had hoisted a signal of distress. The yacht became a total wreck.
The Owner, Mr. G. F. Burnley, of New Southgate, who was on board with his brother, expressed appreciation of the services of the Life-boat and gave a donation to the Institu- tion.—Expenses, £8 12s.
The following service was also reported :— Jan. 10th, 1930.—The RAMSGATE Motor Life-boat was launched at 1.55 A.M., in a fresh S.W. gale, with a rough sea, and rain squalls, on receipt of a message from the North Fore- land Wireless Station received through the Coastguard, saved the s.s. Scheldesop, of Ghent, and rescued her crew of thirteen. The steamer had stranded three miles west of the East Goodwin Lightvessel while bound from Bruges to Littlehampton with a cargo of stone.
The Life-boat could not immediately get alongside the steamer and anchored until 4.30 A.M., when four Life-boatmen boarded the vessel and with their aid she was got off the sands and taken safely into Ramsgate Har- bour.—Property Salvage Case.
Also voted £523 11s. 9d. to pay the expenses of the following Life-boat launches, assemblies of crews, etc., with a view to assisting persons on vessels in distress : Aberdeen No. 1 (Motor), Barry Dock (Motor), Buckhaven, Clogher Head, Cloughey, Cromer (Motor), Easington, Eastbourne (Motor), Filey Flamborough No. 1, Fowey (Motor), Hastings, Hilbre Island, Lowestoft (Motor), Lyme Regis, Margate (Motor), The Mumbles (Motor), Newcastle, North Deal, Padstow (Motor), Padstow No. 1, Penlee (Motor), Ramsgate (Motor), Selsey and Bognor (Motor), Sheringham, Southend-on- Sea (Motor), Stornoway (Motor), Sunderland (Motor), Walmer, Weymouth (Motor), and Whitby No. 2.
Passed a further £4 on account of a pension already granted to a dependent relative of a man who lost his life in the Life-boat Service at Caister.
Granted £73 12s. to men for injury in the Life-boat Service at Llandndno, Newhaven, Swanage and Winterton.
Decided to make a weekly allowance of 10*., as an expression of sympathy, to T. 8. MURPHY, ex-Motor Mechanic of the Shoreham Life-boat, who broke a wrist while engaged on Life-boat work, this allowance being in addition to the 30». a week paid under the Workmen's Com- pensation Act.
Decided that a special weekly allowance be made until May to JAMBS BULTITUDE, a member of the Crew of the Caister Life-boat, who was injured at a launch of the Life-boat in November, 1929.
Voted a compassionate grant of £3 to JOSEPH HOARE, who had been a member of the crew of the Ballycotton Life-boat for forty-five years, and was in very poor circum- stances.
Directed that a Letter of Appreciation be addressed to the Second Coxswain of the Weymouth Motor Life-boat, for a successful service on the night of the 12th January.
Voted £3 to three men for towing into harbour on 11th November, 1929, at some risk to themselves, the old Caister Life-boat, which, while being taken from Caister to Cowes, after being withdrawn from the Station, encountered difficulties in making Folkestone Harbour. Also granted £5 for gear lost in rendering assistance.
Voted £3 15*. to five men for putting off on 9th January in a, strong S.S.E. gale, with a choppy sea, and rescuing the two occupants of a motor fishing boat at Peterhead, which when returning to harbour had fouled her propeller, and become unmanageable, and was driving rapidly towards the rocks. Also granted 2s. 6d. for fuel consumed.