DECEMBER 30TH. - BARRA ISLAND, HEBRIDES. At 1.50 in the morning the postmaster at Barra reported to the coastguard that he  had heard the siren of a steamer to the southward, and at two in the morning the motor life-boat Lloyd’s put out.

A light N.E. breeze was blowing, but there was a heavy ground swell, and the night was dark and foggy. At four in the morning the life-boat found the 6,500-ton S.S. Baron Ardrossan, of Ardrossan, ashore on the west side of Saundray Island. She had a crew of 54, of whom all but the officers were lascars.

The steamer’s stern was hard on the rocks. Her bow was submerged right aft up to the bridge, and the sea was breaking over itheavily and sweeping the deck fore and aft.

She was likely to break up at any moment and the lascars were in a state of panic. As the life-boat approached the steamer she was nearly washed on to her fore deck, but her crew succeeded in passing two mooring ropes and these were made fast. The life-boat was straining very heavily at her ropes and rising and falling on the swell. As she rose the officers seized the crew and dropped them one by one into her. Then they jumped aboard themselves, and the mooring ropes were cut.

The life-boat landed the rescued men at Castlebay at eight in the morning, and an hour and a half later she returned to the Baron Ardrossan for the ship’s papers. She got back to her station finally at two in the afternoon, just twelve hours after she first put out.

In view of the dangers of the coast in that foggy weather an increase in the usual money awards on the standard scale was granted to each member of the crew. - Standard rewards to the crew and helpers, £21 12s. 6d.; additional rewards to the crew, £16 ; total rewards, £37 12s. 6d.