On the night of the 4th December the steamer Con- stance, of Leith, ran ashore on the north side of the entrance to the River Southesk. She was bound, with a crew of five and a cargo of coal, from Methil to Montrose. Scurdyness lighthouse gave the alarm, and the motor life-boat John Russell was launched at 9 P.M.

A moderate E.S.E. gale was blowing, with a heavy sea. The tide was low.

The steamer was on a sandbank and the water round her very shallow. In the heavy sea which was running there would have been great risk of the motor life-boat striking the sands if she attempted to get alongside the steamer.

The coxswain communicated with the crew of the Constance, and as they replied that they were in no immediate danger, he decided to return and take out the surf life-boat. This he did at 10.10 P.M. She managed to get along- side the Constance and found that the crew had taken shelter on the bridge.

With some difficulty they were all taken into the life-boat, although one man fell into the water between the steamer and the life-boat and narrowly missed being crushed before he was pulled on board. While rescuing the crew the life-boat was struck by a heavy sea and thrown against the steamer and damaged, but she reached her station safely at 10.55 P.M. The committee of management sent a letter to the branch commending all con- cerned on the way in which the service was performed.—Rewards, £42 8s. 6d..