FEBRUARY 5TH. - BARMOUTH, MERIONETHSHIRE.

At 9.30 P . M . a message was received from the coastguard that a Greek steamer had stranded in a position thought to be south of Bardsey Island. Half an hour later a second message reported flares in the direction of St. Patrick’s Causeway.

A southerly wind was blowing with a moderate sea. Visibility was bad. At 11.15 the motor life-boat Lawrence Ardern, Stockport, was launched and found the S.S. Emmy, of Argostoli, of 7,000 tons, with a general cargo, bound from New York to Liverpool, hard and fast on a stony bottom. The second coxswain of the life-boat went on board, and the master, expecting the steamer to refloat at high water, asked that the life-boat should stand by until then, which she did. The Emmy did not get clear at high water. The life-boat then went alongside, and eight of the steamer’s crew, including the 2nd officer, were taken ashore by the life-boat, which reached her station at 9.45 next morning.

At 4.30 P . M . the same day, the 6th, the 2nd officer asked the life-boat to put him and three of the crew back on the steamer. Owing to bad visibility it was not thought advisable to do this until daybreak, and at 6.30 A.M. on the 7th the life-boat was launched, taking with her also an officer from the Liverpool & Glasgow Salvage Association; After she had put them on board the Emmy, the life-boat stood by while the Admiralty tug Superman tried to pull the steamer off, but again without success. At 11 A.M. the life-boat was signalled alongside the Emmy, and she then took the salvage officer to the tug for a conference with the master, and later took soundings round the steamer. She then returned to Barmouth with a message to Lloyd’s Agent, to confirm the action already taken by the salvage officer, and also to get permission to stand by again that night.

At 3.30 P.M. the life-boat again went to the steamer, taking out a representative of the London Salvage Association. A dense fog now made operations more difficult. Then a strong wind sprang up, with heavy rain. A t high water at 8 P.M. the Emmy successfully refloated herself and was anchored at St. Tudwall’s Roads, off Abersoch, the lifeboat standing by all the time. The life-boat then returned to her station, was rehoused and was ready for service again by midday on the 9th. - Rewards : first launch, £26 10s. 6d. ; 2nd and 3rd launches, property salvage cases.