SEPTEMBER 12TH - 14TH. - WALMER, KENT. At 2.8 in the afternoon the Deal coastguard telephoned that a ship was in danger of going aground on the Goodwins. A light south-east wind was blowing, but the sea was smooth. The motor life-boat Langham, on temporary duty at the station, was launched at 2.20 and found the S.S. Helena Modjeska, of New Orleans, stranded one mile south of the North West Goodwin Buoy.

She was a Liberty ship of 7,176 tons laden, and bound from the United States for Bremerhaven. She had a crew of nearly forty. The coxswain went aboard her, but her captain declined help, and the life-boat stood by. Tugs arrived from Dover and the Dover harbour master and the second coxswain went aboard the steamer. The life-boat continued to stand by until five next morning.

She then returned to her station, taking with her the captain of the steamer and the harbour master. She refuelled and arrived back at the steamer at six o’clock, stood by until ten, took off twenty of the crew, with their belongings, and landed them at 11.15.

Without delay she returned to the steamer, but the remainder of the steamer’s crew were kept on board to help with the hawsers from the tugs. The life-boat stood by for the rest of the day and the following night. At 4.15 in the morning of the 14th, having satisfied himself that the men on board the steamer were not in danger, and having arranged for the life-boat to be called again if needed, the coxswain left for his station, arriving at five o’clock, over thirty-eight hours after the lifeboat had first put out. Later in the day the Ramsgate coxswain, in his own boat, landed nineteen of the crew and four welders from the Dover Harbour Board, who had been working on board. - Rewards : first service, £36 18s. ; second service, £31 14s. 6d. (See Ramsgate, “Services by Shore-boats,” page 77.).