MARCH 16TH - 17TH. - CAMPBELTOWN, ARGYLLSHIRE, GIRVAN, AYRSHIRE, AND PORTPATRICK, WIGTOWNSHIRE. Soon after eleven o’clock on the night of the 16th the Southend coastguard reported to the Campbeltown life-boat station that a ship was ashore on Sanda Island.

A south-south-east gale was blowing, with a rough sea, and visibility was poor, with patches of mist.

At 11.40 the motor life-boat Duke of Connaught, on temporary duty at the station, put to sea. At 1.40 next morning the Southend coastguard signalled to her that the ship was on the south side of Sanda, and at 2.45 the life-boat found her immediately below Sanda Lighthouse. She was the American steamer Byron Darnton, of Baltimore, bound in ballast from Copenhagen to Gourock with fifty-four passengers and crew on board. All efforts to attract attention, both by light and sound signals, failed, and as the steamer appeared to have been abandoned the coxswain took his boat to the north side of the island and anchored in Sanda Roads. It was then 4.10 in the morning. At daybreak the life-boat set out in heavy seas for the wreck, but the cap on the rudder poke carried away and she returned to the anchorage to repair it. In the meantime she learned from the inhabitants that the people were still on the Byron Darnton, and landed lifeboatmen who crossed the island to help in preparing the life-saving apparatus.

The master of the steamer, however, wanted the life-boat, so the five men returned to her, and, with two islanders to act as pilots, she again left at 10.30 though she had difficulties in starting the engine. The coxswain found that the seas had moderated and, although the local men did not favour such a course, he closed the wreck from astern, coming up on her port side where a ship’s boat was swung out. This boat was lowered and the life-boat secured alongside.

Nine women passengers were first put in the ship’s boat and from it taken into the life-boat. Then the other passengers and the crew slid down the falls and ladder into the ship’s boat and were taken aboard the life-boat until all fifty-four had been rescued.

The rescue took twenty-five minutes, and once the life-boat swung out of position and pounded heavily in the shallow water. The coxswain was unable to go ahead owing to the rocks so he left the wreck stern first. He then made for Campbeltown. It was now 12.55 in the afternoon. On the way the engine again failed, and, for a time, the life-boat was under sail, but the engine was restarted again and the lifeboat reached Campbeltown at 4.30 that afternoon. The service had lasted seventeen hours. The coxswain had shown fine judgment and initiative, and the assistant motor-mechanic had given skilful service with the engine.

The Institution made the following awards : To COXSWAIN DUNCAN NEWLANDS, a clasp to the bronze medal for gallantry, which he already held, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ; To DUNCAN BLACK, assistant motormechanic, for his skill and initiative in restarting the engine, the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum ; To the coxswain and each member of the crew a special reward of £1 in addition to the ordinary reward of £2 16s. 6d. on the standard scale ; To the two local volunteers, £1 each ; Standard rewards to crew and helpers, £27 19s. ; additional rewards to the crew and two volunteers, £11 ; total rewards, £38 19s.

The stranding of the Byron Darnton was also reported to the Girvan and Portpatrick life-boat stations and both life-boats launched, but their services were not needed. - Rewards : Girvan, £20 13s. 6d. ; Portpatrick, £43 15s.

Total rewards for the three life-boats £103 7s. 6d..