BRONZE MEDAL SERVICE AT BARRY DOCK DECEMBER 6TH. - BARRY DOCK, GLAMORGANSHIRE. During the morning a whole gale was blowing from the north-west at Barry Dock on the south coast of Wales, and at 10.30 the life-boat station received news from the coastguard that a small steamer was flying distress signals near the Breaksea Light-vessel. The motor life-boat Rachel and Mary Evans was launched at once. Owing to the war she was short-handed. She had only five men instead of the usual crew of eight. She reached the steamer at noon and found her to be the 260-ton South Coaster, of London, with a crew of ten. She was on her way, in ballast, from Penzance to Cardiff. Very heavy seas were running and the steamer had two anchors down, but they were dragging. The master asked for a tug, and the life-boat put back at once, fetched a powerful tug, and went ahead, to show her the way. But the seas were too much for the tug. She had to put back. Later on she made a second attempt, but again she could not face the seas.

Meanwhile the life-boat had gone on alone, had got a tow rope on board from the steamer, ready for the tug, and was standing by. When the coxswain of the life-boat saw the tug put back for the second time, he warned the master of his danger. The lifeboat could not give him a tow ; the steamer was dragging her anchors ; she might soon go ashore. The captain decided to abandon her. The steamer was now yawing wildly about, and pitching and rolling heavily. She had six feet of water in the engine-room.

Her fires were out. Her anchors continued to drag.

The life-boat prepared to go along side, near enough for the crew to jump, but there was great danger that the steamer would roll over on to her.

The coxswain handled her with great skill, but he was manoeuvring her for half an hour before he could get hernear enough, and one man jumped.

Then the steamer yawed suddenly and violently, and the life-boat rammed her, slightly damaging her own bows.

The coxswain brought her close to the steamer a second time and this time the other nine men jumped. They all landed safely in the life-boat, but the chief engineer fell and injured his face.

He had to be taken to hospital when the life-boat reached Barry Dock again at three in the afternoon.

It was a dangerous service, very skilfully carried out with a short- handed crew, and the Institution made the following awards : To COXSWAIN DAVID LEWIS, the bronze medal for gallantry, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ; To GEORGE J. ALLIN, the motor- mechanic, the thanks of the Institu- coxtion inscribed on vellum ; To the coxswain, the motor-mechanic and each of the other three plungmembers of the crew, a reward of £2 in addition to the ordinary scale reward of 19s. Standard rewards to crew and launchers, £5 14s. 6d. ; additional rewards to the crew, £10 ; Total rewards, £15 14s. 6d.