MARCH 18TH. - FRASERBURGH, AND PETERHEAD, ABERDEENSHIRE. Just before nine o’clock in the evening the coastguard at Kinnaird Head reported that a white rocket had been seen off Rattray Head, and at 9.20 the Fraserburgh motor life-boat John and Charles Kennedy was launched. The wind was light, but a heavy sea was running and the night was pitch dark. Not a thing could be seen. The life-boat went to the position given, and searched for eight hours, but she could find no trace of a vessel in distress, and after that first rocket no flare or light was seen. Just before one o’clock next morning, during this unsuccessful search by the life-boat, a wireless message was received on shore from the vessel in distress.

She was the steamer Ebro, of London, with a crew of thirty, and the message said she was breaking up and was anxious to know where the life-boat was. The resident naval officer, on receiving this message, tried to get in touch with the life-boat by wireless.

Failing to do this he sent a message to the Peterhead station and the Peterhead motor life-boat John Russell was launched at 1.50.

At 3.49, while the Peterhead life-boat was on her way to Rattray Head, a wireless message came from the Fraserburgh boat that she was waiting until daylight. Shortly before daylight her coxswain decided to return to harbour, and when he got near to the shore he signalled by lamp for the lights to be put on. At 5.50 the life-boat entered harbour, having then been out for 8 1/2 hours.

She now learned from the coastguard thatthe Ebro was ashore 1 1/2 miles off Rattray Head, and with this more precise information she put out again at 6.15. This time she found the wreck. She also found the Peterhead life-boat, which had arrived some time before, but in the darkness, made worse by hail showers, had not been able to see the wreck. The Ebro was lying on the sands broadside on to the sea, and partly submerged.

The sea was so heavy that the lifeboats were unable to get near her. They stood by for some time, and at 8.15 the Peterhead life-boat set out again for her station, leaving the work of rescue to the Fraserburgh life-boat. She arrived back at Peterhead at ten in the morning.

At 8.45 the Fraserburgh life-boat again returned to her station to refuel. The sea was breaking so heavily over the Ebro that it seemed impossible to approach her, but the coxswain hoped that with the change of tide conditions would improve. The life-boat reached harbour at 9.45, and in forty minutes had refuelled and was on her way out for the third time. This time, at the request of the coxswain and the motor-mechanic, Captain Andrew Stephen, joint honorary secretary of the station and the harbour master, went with her. Meanwhile, about 9.20, eighteen of the Ebro’s crew of thirty men had got away in one of the ship’s boats from her lee side, and although the boat was constantly flooded as she went through the surf, they came ashore safely. There were still twelve men on board. When the life-boat reached the wreck for the third time at 11.30 she found that the seas were now washing right over her. It was clear that the only hope of rescuing the twelve men was to take the life-boat between the Ebro and the shore.

This meant gradually working the boat towards the beach through the heavy surf, and at the same time keeping her head on to the breaking seas. For over two hours the life-boat was manoeuvring to come alongside, and twice she had to put out to sea again when she saw exceptionally heavy breakers coming in. At last she got into position north of the wreck and signalled to her, “ We are going to make a dash alongside. Be ready “. Everything was secured on the life-boat’s deck and the crew were ordered to take shelter. Then, at full speed, the life-boat went under the lee of the Ebro.

Here she found much wreckage. Heavy logs, washed overboard from the wreck, were bumping alongside and threatening to crush the life-boat. There was the added difficulty that the Ebro’s davit tackles were hanging over the side, and all the time the seas breaking over the Ebro were falling into the life-boat. In spite of this the life-boat passed lines from her bow and stern to the vessel and held alongside while the twelve members of the crew, who had taken shelter in the bridge deck house, watching their opportunity, made a dash for the life-boat. Some jumped into her, and others slipped down ropes and the pilot ladder. All twelve were rescued.

The life-boat had damaged both her stem and her rudder, but she was under control, and watching carefully to avoid the heavierbreakers, the coxswain brought her out again into the open sea. The life-boat got back again to Fraserburgh at three in the afternoon.

It was then nearly eighteen hours since she had first put out. The captain of the Ebro was full of gratitude and spoke of the splendid way in which the life-boat had been handled.

It had been a long and very trying service, and the Institution made a reward of £3 to the coxswain and each member of the crew in addition to the ordinary reward on the standard scale of £2 16s. 6d. Rewards to the Fraserburgh crew and launchers on the standard scale, £22 15s. ; additional rewards to the Fraserburgh crew, £27 ; total rewards to the Fraserburgh crew and launchers, £49 15s. Rewards to Peterhead, £l9 13s..