ABOUT eight in the morning of 20th December, 1938,' the life-boat watch- man at Rosslare Harbour, County Wexford, reported that he could see a schooner apparently at anchor near Splaugh Rocks. An easterly gale was blowing, with a very rough sea. The weather was so cold that the water mains ashore were frozen, and there were heavy snow squalls. A little later the squalls cleared for a moment, and it could be seen that the sails of the schooner were in ribbons. She was flying no signals of distress, but as it was clear that she was in a position of great danger the reserve motor life- boat, J. B. Proudfoot, was launched at ten minutes past nine. Mr. W. J. B.

Moncas, the secretary of the station, went with her.

. Alongside the Schooner.

Forty minutes later the life-boat reached the schooner and found her to be the M. E. Johnson, of Dublin. She was lying at anchor in the narrow channel between the Splaugh Rocks and the shoals of the Carrick Rocks. The seas were breaking heavily on the shoals.

The tide was running at over three knots.

The coxswain hailed the schooner.

At first there was no reply, and then all that happened was that a small boy looked over the rail. He disappeared, and as there was no other sign of the crew, the coxswain took the life-boat alongside. It was a feat of great difficulty, needing considerable skill, for the schooner was sheering about very badly. There was still no sign of the crew, so two of the life-boatmen jumped aboard the schooner and secured the life-boat. They were B» followed by Mr. Moncas-and the second coxswain.

The schooner was badly damaged.

The galley and ship's boat had been washed away. The fore-top stay-sail was the only sail which had not been blown away. The running gear had all unrove itself and the blocks were swinging and flying about. The seas were going right over the schooner's bows, and at times her decks were knee deep in water.

There were on board the master, his wife, a man and a boy. When the schooner had been off the Longships three days before, the bottom had dropped out of the coal box; all the paraffin on board had been used up; and the only hot food they had had for three days was one cup of coffee each.

They were so exhausted with cold, hunger and fatigue that they could do nothing to help themselves, and the master's wife could not stand.

Everyone thought that the schooner was sinking, but at the master's request the life-boatmen let out more cable, and afterwards she rode much better. The four people were then taken into the life-boat and brought ashore, and the life-boat reached Rosslare Harbour again at 11.30. a.m.

The Rewards.

This was a service carried out very skilfully, in difficult circumstances, and in exceptionally cold weather, and the Institution has made the following awards : To Coxswain JAMES WICKHAM, who has twice won the Institution's silver medal for gallantry, its thanks inscribed on vellum;To MR. W. J. B. MONCAS, secretary of the station, a letter of thanks; To the crew a letter of appreciation; To the coxswain and each member of the crew a reward of £2. Two of the crew were volunteers and these were awarded the £2 in addition to the reward of 19*. each on the ordinary scale. The coxswain and the other five are members of the permanent paid crew. Total rewards, £18 2s. 6d.

The Schooner Salved.

The schooner, although so badly damaged, did not sink, and at ten on the morning of the next day the life- boat took her master back to her and life-boatmen went on board to pump her free from water. She returned to her station at 3.15 in the afternoon. Next day, 22nd December, she again left the harbour at 11.30 in the morning to put food and oil on board and returned at two in the afternoon. On the 23rd she put out for the third time at eight in the morning and returned, an hour later. Just after two in the afternoon she again went out, helped to get the schooner clear of the rocks, and then, helped by a motor vessel, towed her into harbour.

She returned to her station that afternoon at 6.15. The four launches on the 21st, 22nd and 23rd were a property salvage case..