NOV. 12TH. - THE HUMBER, YORK.

SHIRE. At about 7 P.M. information was received from the Withernsea coastguard that a vessel was making S.O.S. signals on her foghorn from the position of the Danish steamer Canada which had sunk after an explosion a few days earlier. The weather was dark and foggy, with little wind and S.W.

The motor life-boat City of Bradford II was launched at 7.10 P.M. She went to the wreck of the Canada and found a steamer fast on her deck, and lying at a very dangerous angle.

The steamer was the Fireglow, of London, bound for Sunderland, with a crew of eighteen.

Her boats had been lowered and the crew were ready to leave. All were taken aboard the life-boat, which then stood by to see what would happen to the steamer. At 10.10 P.M. the life-boat picked up by her radio telephone a signal from the S.S. Deerpool asking for immediate help. She got in touch with Humber Radio and asked it to ask the Deerpool if she wanted a tug. The reply came, ” No, a life-boat.” With the crew of the Fireglow still aboard, the life-boat set off, and before she reached the Deerpool she saw a distress rocket and picked up a message that the Deerpool’s crew were about to take to their boats. The life-boat found her aground on the Middle Binks. She was a vessel of over 5,000 tons and carried a crew of thirtyfive.

Her captain asked the life-boat to stand by ready to take off the crew, as his steamer had a heavy list to starboard and was leaking badly. Part of the crew were in one of the ship’s boats, but they returned to her when the tide flowed and there was a possibility of her refloating. One of her crew had been injured so the life-boat brought him to Spurn, at about 3.30 A.M., and there the R.A.M.C. took care of him. When the lift-boat returned to the Deerpool the captain asked her to take off his crew as the ground sea had made considerably and the steamer was now labouring and striking the bottom.

The strong tide and growing sea made a whirlpool under the Deerpool's lee, and it was only with great difficulty that the life-boat was able to get alongside. She took off twenty-nine men, the captain and four others remaining.

The captain wanted the life-boat to stay by him, but as the crew of the Fireglow, who were still on board the life-boat, wanted to find out the fate of their own ship, the lifeboat left the Deerpool, promising to return.

She first landed the Deerpool’s crew at Spurn.

She then went in search of the Fireglow.

It was now 6.30 in the morning, nearly twelve hours since she had first put out.

The life-boat found that the Fireglow had slipped off the wreck of the Canada, and picked her up a mile and a half away. She put her crew on board her again and stood by until it was certain that the Fireglow was seaworthy.

The life-boat then returned to the Deerpool, to find that the five men left on board had abandoned her in the ship’s boat and were now on board a tug. The life-boat, returned to her station at midday and anchored. At 3.30 in the afternoon it was decided to take the crew of the Deerpool back to her as tugs were going to try to save her. They found this to be impossible owing to the seas, and four men from a tug, who had got aboard her, had to be rescued. The men had to jump into the life-boat as she went alongside at full speed. All were got off safely, and when the life-boat reached smoother water she transferred them to a tug. She finally returned to her station at 6.30 P.M., nearly twenty-four hours after being called out.

For this long service a special reward of £1 was made to each man in the crew, which is a permanent paid crew - Rewards, £8..