SILVER MEDAL SERVICE AT TROON DECEMBER 6TH. - TROON, AYR-SHIRE During the afternoon a whole gale from the north-west was blowing, with a very heavy sea running and fierce squalls of hail. It was described as the worst on that coast for many years. McAUSAt two o’clock the motor life-boat Sir David Richmond of Glasgow, was launched in answer to signals of dis- tress a mile from Dunure, about ten miles to the south of Troon.

The ship was the 320-ton steamer Moyallon, of Belfast, with a crew of seven She was sailing light from Larne to Ayr.

The life-boat reached her at 4.30 in the afternoon and found her at anchor heavy broken water. Her captain said that, if the life-boat would stand by, he would lift anchor and make for shelter in Whiting Bay, Arran.

This he tried to do, but the anchor chains fouled and the engine brokedown. The steamer was helpless, and her captain signalled to the life-boat asking to be taken off.

To go alongside her would be very difficult and dangerous. She offered no lee to the life-boat. She was sheering over sixteen points of the compass. She was rolling from bridge to bulwark-rail, and, at times, as she rose on the sea and rolled, her keel could be seen.

It was now dark, and by the light of his searchlight, the coxswain tried to go alongside. The life-boat herself was taking heavy seas on board, and most of the time the motor-mechanic was working in a cockpit full of water.

Every means was tried, but in the heavy seas, and with the steamer rolling and sheering so violently, it was found to be impossible. So the coxtion swain chose the only remaining, and desperate, course of driving the bow of his life-boat hard against the plunging steamer, and holding it there with his engines, while the crew jumped.

He called out to them what he intended to do ; told them to be ready ; and rammed the steamer. As he did so the seven men of the crew jumped. In five minutes they had all been rescued and the life-boat returned to her station, damaged, but still seaworthy.

She arrived at 9.45 in the evening. She had been out for nearly eight hours.

It was a service in which great courage and splendid seamanship were shown, and the Institution made the following awards : To COXSWAIN WILLIAM McAUSALANE, the silver medal for gallantry, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ; To ALBERT J. FERGUSON, the motormiles mechanic, the bronze medal for gallan- try, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ; To each of the other six members of the crew, ARTHUR PEARCE, second-cox- swain ; JOHN McCAULL, bowman - JOHN WARREN, assistant motor-mechanic ; WILLIAM MAIN, JAMES HERON and JOHN McAUSLANE, the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum ; To the coxswain and each of the seven members of his crew a reward of £1 in addition to the ordinary scale reward of £2 16s. 6d. Standard rewards to crew and launchers, £20 9s.; additional rewards to crew £8 ; Total rewards, £28 9s.

The owners, Messrs. John Kelly, gave £25 to be divided, between the crew and the Institution.