DEC. 11TH. - DUN LAOGHAIRE, CO. DUBLIN, AND WICKLOW, CO. WICKLOW.

At 5.5 P.M. messages were received at Dun Laoghaire that a large vessel was aground on the Kish Bank, and that two tugs were being sent from Dublin to her help.

A strong S.E. breeze was blowing, with a rough sea. At 8.25 P.M. the motor life-boat Dunleary II was launched. Mr. J. V. Steele, honorary secretary of the station, was on board. At 9.45 P.M. the life-boat spoke the Dublin pilot vessel, which said that she had searched all the way south to the Codling Lightship, but had found nothing. An hour later the life-boat found the S.S. Eumaeus, of Liverpool, badly aground from the bridge forward, near No. 3 Kish Buoy. The steamer formed part of a convoy, from Liverpool, which had been attacked that morning, and she had run on to the bank at full speed.

Efforts had been made to refloat her, but had failed. While waiting for the tugs the life-boat made soundings round the steamer as without them the steamer might easily be towed off one bank on to another. The tugs had not arrived at 11.20 P.M., and the life-boat was asked to stand by until they came. She stood by all night. At. 7 A.M. the next day she went alongside, and was told that a tug or other relief would arrive withinthe next few hours. At 11.15 A.M. the British Admiralty tug Stalwart arrived, and the lifeboat passed a cable from her to the steamer.

She then stood by while the tug made ready to haul the steamer off, and when, shortly afterwards, the Dublin pilot vessel arrived with a message from the steamer’s owners, she took it to the captain of the Eumaeus, as it would be impossible to refloat the steamer as the tide then was, and as the lifeboat’s crew had been at sea eighteen hours, without food, in very cold and trying weather, the life-boat returned to her station a 3.30 P.M. to get food and to refuel. Meanwhile the motor life-boat Lady Kylsant, at Wicklow, had been launched at 12.45 P.M. to relieve the Dun Laoghaire life-boat, and arrived at 3.30P.M. She stood by the steamer until 11.15 P.M. and then, on the return of the Dun Laoghaire life-boat, she put back to her station, arriving at 1.30 A.M. on 13th December. The Dun Laoghaire lifeboat continued to stand by the steamer while further unsuccessful attempts were made to refloat her. These attempts were finally abandoned at 1 A.M. on the 13th December, and the life-boat returned to her station at 3 A.M. She was kept in readiness for immediate service, however, as there were some hundred people on board the steamer. The owners, A. Holt & Co., gave £100 to the crew of the Dun Laoghaire life-boat. - Rewards: Dun Laoghaire, £3815s .; Wicklow £23 18s. 6d.