the life-boat, · the life-boat, ob journal of the nationa life-boal institutiont . vol. ill—no....

THE LIFE-BOAT,OB

JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION.

VOL. Ill—No. 25.]* J

JULY IST, 1857. [PRICE 2».

THE. RESTORATION OF PERSONSAPPARENTLY DROWNED.

WHAT member is there of any Christiancommunity who has not meditated, withfeelings of reverential and grateful emotion,on the miraculous restoration to life ofLAZARUS after he had been dead four days ?Who is there that has not pictured to him-self the pathetic interview between the twosisters and our SAVIOOE on that memorableoccasion ? Who is there whose thoughtshave not travelled backward through dielong ages that have since passed away, andrejoiced with those favoured women on thereturn of one so dear to them, whom theyhad mourned over as for ever removed fromtheir earthly view ?

Such miraculous power is not deputed tomortal man! yet there are cases where thephysician, by the skilful use of the meanswhich GOD has placed in his hands, pro-duces effects of a strikingly analogous cha-racter ; where all the functions of life haveceased; where the heart is still, and theliving fountain of the blood has become asit were a stagnate pool; where the vitalprinciple itself has apparently fled, and thesoul departed from its earthly tenement;yet all has been restored again, and theliving man has once more inhaled the breathof life.

Perhaps the most striking and mostinteresting cases of this almost restorationto life after death are those of persons whohave been apparently drowned. By thepersevering use of certain means, the clay-cold and seemingly-lifeless corpse is againrestored to warmth, and made to breathe, tofeel, to see, to speak, to hear, to think—in

fact, to live; and the tears of weepingrelatives and friends are turned to joy.'

It is, indeed, a privilege to be permittedto take any part in the promotion of sogrand a work; proportionally anxious, how-ever, must those feel who are engaged init to possess themselves with an accurateknowledge of the most certain means withwhich to effect their important under-taking.

The NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION,although its more immediate function isthe provision of means to rescue the ship-wrecked mariner and convey him safely tcthe land, is yet frequently, in its pursuit ofthat function, brought into contact withpersons partially drowned. Accordingly,at its numerous life-boat stations, it has hadposted up in the boat-houses those instruc-tions for the treatment of seemingly-drownedpersons which have been supposed to bethe most appropriate, which instructions areoften the only guide of the persons calledon' to assist, until medical aid can be ob-tained.

The instructions hitherto adopted by theInstitution have been those promulgated bythe Royal Humane Society of London,whose attention had been more especiallydevoted to the subject. So long as thoserales were not impugned, the Committee ofthe Institution thought they were safe inadopting them; but as they have recentlybeen disputed in some-parts by Dr. MAE-SHALL HALL, a gentleman of note in hisprofession, and as numerous other medicalmen have expressed a coincidence with hisconclusions, the Committee of the NATIONALLIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION have felt it to betheir duty to obtain for themselves all the

LIFE-BOAT JOURNAL.—Vol. IIL—No. 25.

70 THE LIFE-BOAT. [JULY 1, 1857.

information on the subject that is to be had,with a view to a revision of its former rules,if found to be necessary.

The Committee have accordingly deter-mined to appeal to the medical professiongenerally, both in this and other countries,to aid them in effecting an object of suchvital importance. As a first step, a letterwas in April last forwarded to the Medi-cal Journals, together with copies of the oldand of the proposed new modes of treat-ment, whilst others of similar import havesince been addressed to all the leadingmedical and surgical institutions in thiscountry, and to medical men individually, inthe towns bordering on our sea-coasts, lakes,and rivers. Communications have likewisebeen addressed to the Ambassadors of foreignpowers, soliciting them to obtain from the

medical authorities of their several countriesan opinion on the proper treatment to beadopted for the restoration of suspendedanimation, from drowning. We now further,through the columns of this Journal, solicitthe favour of an opinion from all medicalmen who may have studied the subject, andespecially from those whose own experiencehas furnished them with practical informationon it, feeling sure that so humane and im-portant an object will be deemed by manyof them deserving of their serious attentionand co-operation.

The following are copies of the twomodes of treatment, viz., the present In-structions of the Royal Humane Society,and the Proposed New Method of Dr.MAKSHALL HALL :—

TO RESTORE PERSONS APPARENTLY DROWNED.

Royal Humane Society's Instructions.

SEND QUICKLY FOB MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.

Cautims.1. Lose no time.3. Avoid all rough usage.3. Never hold up the body by the feet.4. Nor roll the body on casks.5. Nor rub the body with salt or spirits.6. Nor inject tobacco-smoke or infusion of to-

bacco.I. Convey the body carefully, on its face, with

the head and shoulders supported in a raised posi-tion, to the nearest house.

II. Strip the body, and rub it dry; then wrap itin hot blankets, and place it in a warm bed in awarm chamber free from smoke.

III. Wipe and cleanse the mouth and nostrils.IV. lu order to restore the natural heat of the

body,More a heated covered warming-pan over

the back and spine.Put bladders or bottles of hot water, or

heated bricks, to the pit of the stomach,the arm-pits, between the thighs, and tothe soles of the feet.

Foment the body with hot flannels.Rub the body briskly with the hand; do

not, however, suspend the use of the othermeans at the same time; but, if possible,immerse the body in a warm bath atblood heat, or 100° of the thermometer,as this is preferable to the other meansfor restoring warmth.

Y. Volatile salts or hartshorn to be passedoccasionally to and fro under the nostrils.

Dr. Marshall Buffs Proposed Method.

1. Treat the patient INSTANTLY, ON THE SPOT, aTHE OPEN AIR, EXPOSING the face and chest to theBREEZE (except in severe weather).

I. To CLEAR THE THBOAT—2. Place the patient gently on the face, with one

WRIST under the forehead;

[all fluids and the tongue itself then fall forwards,leaving the entrance into the windpipe FREE.}

If there be breathing—wait and WATCH ; if not,or if it FAIL,—

II. To EXCITE RESPIRATION—

3. Turn the patient well and INSTANTLY on binside, and—

4. Excite the nostrils with snuff, or the throatwith a feather, &c., and dash cold water on theface, previously rubbed warm.

If there be no success, LOSE NOT A MOMENT, butINSTANTLY—

III. To IMITATE RESPIRA.TIOS—5. Replace the patient on his face, RAISING and

supporting the chest WELL on a folded coat orother article of dress;

6. Turn the body very GENTLY ON THE SIDE AMDA LITTLE BEYOND, and then BRISKLY on the face,alternately; repeating these measures delibe-rately, efficiently, and perseveringly FIFTEEK timesin the minute, occasionally VARYING the side;

[when the patient reposes on the chest, this cavity itcompressed by the weight of the body, and EXPIRA-TION takes place ; taken he is turned on the side, Ufapressure is removed, and INSPIRATION occurs.]

JULY 1,1857.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 71

VI. No more persons to be admitted into theroom than are absolutely necessary.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.On the restoration of life, a teaspoonful of

warm water should be given; and then, if thepower of swallowing be returned, small quantitiesof wine, or diluted brandy, warm: the patientshould be kept in bed, and a disposition to sleepencouraged. Great care is requisite to maintainthe restored vital actions, and at the same time toprevent undue excitement.

The treatment recommended by the Society to bepersevered in for three or four hours, at it it anerroneous opinion that persons are irrecoverable be-cause life doet not toon mate its appearance, easeshaving come under the notice of the. Society of suc-cessful remit* even after Jive hours; and it is altoabsurd to suppose that a body must not be meddledwith or removed without the previous permission of aCoroner.

7. When the PRONE position is resumed, HAKEequable but efficient PRESSURE, with brisk move-ment, ALONG the back of the CBEST; BEHOVING itimmediately before rotation on the side;[the first measure augments the expiration, the second

commences inspiration.']

*,* THE RESULT is—RESPIKATJOB j—AND, w norTOO LATE, LIFE*

IV. To INDUCE CIRCULATION ANDW.UUJTH—8. Meantime rub the limbs UPWARDS, with FIRM

GRASPING PRESSURE and with ENERGY, using hand-kerchiefs, &c.[by this measure the blood is propelled along the veins

towards the heart."]9. Let the limbs be thus wanned and dried, and

then clothed, the bystanders supplying the re-quisite garments.

10. AVOID THE CONTINUOUS WARM-BATH, ANDTHE POSITION ON, OH INCLINED TO, THE BACK.

Our limited space will not admit of ourplacing before our readers the whole ofDr. MARSHALL HALL'S arguments in detail;they will, however, find the subject dis-cussed by him in the columns of the Lancet,in No. 15, and subsequent Nos. in Vol. I.,and in Nos. VI., VII., and X. of the presentyear. They may also see a summary of thesame in the 21st No. of this Journal. Wewill merely now shortly explain the leadingpoints of difference between the old and theproposed methods:—

Old Method.—After certain cautions in-tended to counteract mistaken notions pre-valent amongst ignorant people, the oldinstructions directed the body to be removed,on its lack, in a raised position, to thenearest house, where every means were tobe then resorted to to promote warmth andrestore circulation, of the blood; but noattempt to promote a return of suspendedrespiration appears to have been providedfor. The recommendation to place thebody on the back was, however, subse-quently rescinded in deference to the opinionof Dr. M. HALL as expressed in a pamphletpresented by him to the Royal HumaneSociety.

New Method.—On the contrary, Dr. M.HALL directs,

1. That the patient be treated "in-stantly," " on the spot," " in the open air."

2. That the body be placed on the face.3. That respiration be excited.

4. That it be imitated by artificial ex-pansion and contraction of the chest.

5. That circulation be restored by frictionand artificial warmth.

The substance of the doctor's argumentsare, on the first head, that loss of time will,in many if not in most cases, be fatal; onthe second head, that if the body be placedon the back, the tongue will of itself fallinto such a position as to close the openingof' the windpipe and prevent breathing;which Dr. HALL asserts he has repeatedlyproved by experiment on the dead subject.On the third, fourth, and fifth heads, that itis of the utmost importance respiration bein the first instance restored, and that circu-lation of the blood had better remain sus-pended until it is so. He, therefore, al-together condemns the excitation of warmth,especially by means of a continuous warm-bath, until breathing has re-commenced.His arguments are—that in life the twoalways go together—that by the act ofrespiration alone can the blood be purifiedas it passes through the lungs, and is ex-posed to the oxygen of the air inhaled bythem; and that without such purifyingprocess, carbonic acid, or blood-poison as itis termed, must accumulate and destroy life,

We think there is something strikinglybeautiful and simple in the process of re-storing respiration by the artificial and me-chanical expansion and contraction of thechest. In the means Dr. HALL recommends

72 THE LIFE-BOAT. [JULY 1, 1857.

for promoting warmth and re-circulation ofthe blood there is also the novelty of rubbingthe limbs from the extremities to the centralparts of the body, to bring back the chilledand coagulating blood again within the in-fluence of the first renewed but feeble actionof the heart.

Altogether, although we are uninstructed'in the medical art, Dr. HALL'S argumentsappear to us so forcible and theoreticallyconclusive, and his experiments so con-vincing, that we cannot but deem themdeserving of the most serious and carefulconsideration from every member of hisdistinguished profession.

THE COLLAPSIBLE LIFE-BOAT.

IN No. 10 of this Journal we describedand eulogized this, as we believe, invaluableboat, invented by the Rev. E. L. BERTHON,of Fareham, and in our 23rd Number westated that we should not cease to draw theattention of our readers to its peculiar meritsand advantages, f. e., as a ship's life-boat forvessels carrying troops or passengers.

We are again reminded of that intentionby the occurrence of the war with China,involving the transport of troops to thatdistant part of the world, and by accidentshaving recently occurred to two Governmentsteam troop-ships, the Urgent and theTransit, neither of which, it is said, hadboat accommodation for half of the personson board them. Now had either of thesevessels foundered at sea, and more than halfits inmates perished from the want of boatsto take them on board, what an indelibledisgrace would have been inflicted on ourcountry for thus suffering the lives of itsbrave defenders to be uselessly imperilled !For, is it not enough that men should fear-lessly expose their lives to the sword of thefoe, without their also incurring unnecessaryrisk by the mere act of their conveyance tothe scenes of their duties ? That our soldiers,as well as our sailors, should be ready at alltimes to encounter the ordinary dangers ofthe sea, we at once admit; but what wecontend for is, that they should be providedwith every available means of security. The

neglect of such provision we shall alwaysconsider a national sin.

Now it cannot be said that troops or anyother persons on shipboard are providedwith " every available means of security,"unless a sufficient number of safe boats areattached to their ship to receive them aU onboard in case of fire or foundering at sea.The difficulty of the stowage of such a num-ber of boats has been got over by the in-vention of the collapsible life-boat; if, there-fore, its safety and efficiency are established,it follows that no troop-ship or passenger-vessel should be without a sufficient supplyof such boats.

Having already expressed our opinion atlarge on this subject, we do not now pro-pose to go over the same ground again." We have nailed our colours to the mast,"with the device inscribed on them, " Life-loot accommodation for every person em-barked under the British flag;" short ofwhich nothing will satisfy us. We havealso pronounced our opinion decisively onthe capability of the collapsible life-boat tomeet the required want. We now purpose,in further elucidation of Mr. BEBTHON'S plan,to add diagrams of his boat, the woodcuts ofwhich he has kindly furnished to us, togetherwith some particulars respecting those whichhave been already in use, that will serve toillustrate ^eir properties, especially that ofstrength. It is the more necessary that weshould do so, as, in consequence of the sink-ing of an experimental mortar-boat, built onMr. BERTHON'S plan about two years since(which was published in the newspapers atthe time), unfavourable and mistaken im-pressions may have been entertained regard-ing them, whereas an examination into thecause of that accident afforded a strikingillustration of the immense strength of thisdescription of boat.

The mortar-boat in question was con-structed to carry a 13-inch mortar, the shellof which weighed 208 Ibs., which was firedwith a charge of 20 Ibs. of powder, and thetotal weight of which was 8| tons, exclusiveof ammunition. Now it so happened thatwhen the mortar was being lowered intothis boat (the mortar itself weighing 5Jtons) the block by which it was suspended

JULY 1, 1857.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 73

broke, and that enormous weight of metalfell through a height of about 4 feet intothe boat Now we feel quite sure thatif the same accident had happened to a mer-chant vessel of average strength of build, themortar would have gone through her bottom.We do not mean to say it would have gonethrough the floor of a ship having a solid bot-tom, as so long advocated by our friend Mr.BALLISGAL, of Melbourne, Australia, andwith which every merchant vessel should bebuilt, but that it would have broken its waythrough the floor of an ordinary merchantship. In consequence, however, of the greatstrength of this peculiar build, no seriousinjury apparently resulted from the accident,and the mortar was accordingly placed inthe boat and the trials of it were proceededwith. After several days' firing, it wasobserved that the boat heeled on one side,and the same being supposed to arise from aleak, permission was obtained by Mr. BER-THON to have the mortar taken out and theboat carefully examined. It was then foundthat one of the longitudinal timbers, at thespot where the mortar had fallen, was brokenthrough, which, under the effect of the con-stant subsequent discharges of the mortar,had gradually collapsed to some exten.t, andthus altered the shape of the boat on thatside, causing her to heel over as above de-scribed. The mortar having been takenout, the boat was repaired, a new timberbeing inserted in lieu of the broken one:it, however, unfortunately happened thatone of the workmen, in Mr. BERTHON'S ab-sence,' in nailing the india-rubber cloth tothe edge of the new timber, materiallyweakened the former through a small portionof its length, by driving in the nails closeto each other, instead of at a distance of1J- inch apart; thus establishing a weakpoint in the fabric, which afterwards gaveway at that point from the concussion of themortar's subsequent discharge, and (at thefifteenth round) occasioned the accidentabov« referred to.

Mr. BERTHON has since devised an in-genious method of attaching the flexiblecloth to the timbers of his boats withoutany perforations being made in it.

A consideration of all the circumstances

above described confirms us in our previousopinion of the great strength of Mr. BEK-THOS'S boats. In illustration of their strengthand immunity from injury when in a col-lapsed state, we may relate that one of themnow on board Her Majesty's steam troop-ship, Perseverance, on trial, was, on herrecently going to sea, secured out-board,abaft her fore channels, where, when on theweather side, it was exposed to the fulleffects of the sea. That the ship beingsuddenly hurried out of port, there was notime to affix a tarpauline cover which Mr.BERTHON had considered an indispensablesecurity, and which, from its presenting onall parts a smooth surface to the sea, wouldhave offered no unequal resistance to it.That immediately after sailing, and beforeany opportunity had offered to attach thecover, the ship encountered a heavy galewhich materially damaged her upper bul-warks, on the same side on which the boatwas stowed, although they were in a lessexposed positipn, washing away also one ofher quarter boats; yet that Mr. BERTHON'Sboat, unprotected and imperfectly securedas it was, passed unscathed through thesame ordeal.

To what other conclusion, then, can wecome than that, whether collapsed or ex-panded,' these boats are possessed of morethan ordinaiy strength ?

It is not, however, as mortar-boats orgun-boats that we would primarily advancethe importance of this invention, althoughwe must confess we think some 50 or 60 ofthem so armed would, at this moment, befound invaluable auxiliaries to our fleet onthe coast of China, drawing, as they woulddo, but a few inches water, and carried col-lapsed to the scene of action, as they mightbe, to the number of twenty in one old shipof the line.

The one point on which we would baseour whole argument for the adoption ofthese boats, is the immense advantage ob-tained by their collapsibility, enabling themto be stowed away in a reduced space, andin various positions on shipboard in whichno ordinary boat can be stowed. By thisproperty, no matter how crowded a ship maybe with human beings, there may be boat •

THE LIFE-BOAT. [JULY 1, 1857.

accommodation, nay, life-boat accommoda-tion, for every one of them ; there need be noconfusion, no rushing headlong into and np-

• setting in succession boat after boat as thejare lowered into the sea; no fearful anxietyas to who should be the unfortunate crea-tures left on board to perish. There neednever again be witnessed the fearfully mag-nificent spectacle of the noble old colonel*calmly directing his men, rank and file, eachin his turn, to descend the side of the burn-ing ship, whilst he and the residue of hisband, for whom no boat accommodation hadbeen provided, awaited, with heroic resigna-tion, their terrible and inevitable fate. Butthere may be boats for all—boats which, aswe have in a former paper remarked, byhaving each painted on them, in conspicuouscharacters, the number of persons they wereseverally fitted to carry, would, beforehand,impart confidence to the emigrants or otherpassengers for whose security they were in-tended ; boats, which not only would conveytheir inmates safely through.a heavy mid-ocean sea, but, if required to do so, wouldland them in safety through the much moredangerous surf on the shore. For if filled

* Vide Life-Beat Journal, No. 13, page 140.

by a surf or roller on the beach, such a boatwould not sink; and in the case of the land-ing of troops—an operation which it mightoften be important to perform without wait-ing for a surf to go down—an army mightland in such boats without wetting eithertheir arms or their ammunition.

We do, therefore, trust that an invention,which we believe to be of national interestand importance, may not be suffered to perishin embryo for want of that support and en-couragement which the government of thecountry can alone afford. Mr. BEBTHON has,we are informed, already expended severalthousand pounds in his endeavours to bringit to perfection, and does not feel called onor able to do more; nor can it be expectedthat he should do so, however much hemay feel convinced of its national utility.

We have ourselves, from the same con-viction, done what we could to bring it intopublic notice; we shall now conclude byplacing before our readers some diagramsexplanatory of the collapsible life-boat, witha short account of its nature and mode ofaction, and refer them, for a more detaileddescription of it, to the previous Numbersof this Journal above alluded to.

Fig. 1.

A Side-view of a Collapsible Life-Boat.

Fig. 2.

A Gunwale Plan of the same.

JOLT 1,1857.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 75

Fig. 3.

A life-boat, 12 feet wide, is stowed within the spacebounded by the black line a a, and protected below bya kind of chainwale b, the davits d being topped up.When the gripes are cast off, the davits drop into theposition of the dotted lines, with the boat, which imme-diately opens, e c is a midship's section, the shadedparts representing the air-cells.

Showing a Section of a Collapsible Life-Boat in a collapsed state, as stowed, and in anexpanded state, as in the act of lowering. It may in this manner be stowed in manypositions outside a ship, in which no ordinary boat could be stowed.

The chief peculiarity of these boats con-sists in their power of instantaneously ex-panding, when required, by their ownweight; this is accomplished in the follow-ing manner:—All the timbers are longitu-dinal (usually eight besides the keel), andjointed together at the tops of the stem and

stern-post. The planking is formed of twoskins attached respectively to the inner andouter edges of the timbers, and being 'com-posed of plies of canvas and cured India-rubber they are very flexible and strong.

When open the timbers stand apart inradiating planes extending the skins, the

76 THE LIFE-BOAT, [JULY 1, 1857.

Fig. 4.

a Ordinary cutter, or quarter-boat,8 feet wide.

b A. space in which a collapsinglife-boat, 10 feet wide, is stowed, tobe lowered by the same davits as thecutter, as soon as the latter is down.

Showing a Section of a Collapsible Life-Boat (i) as stowed between an ordinaryoutside boat and a ship's side.

thwarts, bottom-boards, &c., performingthe office of extenders, as shown in Fig. 3,where the shaded parts represent the spacesor compartments into which the body of theboat is divided, and which fill themselveswith air in expanding.

When shut the timbers fall down side byside like the leaves of a bo6k on its edge, thethwarts and bottom-boards being jointedalso; and thus the breadth of the boat isreduced to about one-fifth of what it iswhen expanded.

rJULY 1, 1857.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 77

NOTICES OF BOOKS.The Mercantile Marine Magazine.

AMONGST the numerous valuable periodicapublications, magazines, and reviews, witlwhich the literature of this country abounds,is it not strange that, until but recently,there should have been none exclusivelyrepresenting and devoted to the interestsof our mercantile marine, that vast machinewhose gigantic operations extended to everyknown portion of the globe, have reared upthe pile of our national greatness to itspresent huge proportions ? Yet we believethat, until January 1854, when the firstmonthly number of the Mercantile MarineMagazine made its appearance, there wasno publication beyond a newspaper, whichexclusively represented and was addressedto the merchant navy of England.

Since the year 1830 we have had thatvaluable monthly serial, the Nautical Maga-zine, in which much important informationhas, from time to time, appeared on mattersinteresting to the nautical world in general,both mercantile and naval, but it has been,we believe, for the most part contributed to,and has, for the most part, circulatedamongst, the officers of the Royal Navy,and has not so generally found its way tothe hands of the merchant seaman.

It would indeed be matter for still greateiastonishment to us, when we consider themagnitude of the interests involved in ourmercantile marine, and the influence and thenumbers of those immediately interested inits welfare—the merchant, the shipowner,the underwriter, the master, the mate, theseaman, it would be matter for still greaterastonishment to us, that such numerous,and if we except the fore-mast man, suchinfluential bodies should not, at an earlyperiod, have put forward and supportedsuch a publication, which should haveserved for their mutual enlightenment andimprovement, were we not painfully re-minded by the present circumstances andanalogies of our merchant marine in otherrespects, that it^ has rather become greatin spite of itself than through any wis-dom or arrangement of its own. That itis rather like the huge mount of sand that

has been gathered together by the winds, orthe vast bed of mud accumulated and depo-sited by the waters than the beautiful edificecombining strength, durability, and beauty,the product of an intellectual mind.

Had such a work existed since the com-mencement of the present century, whatmight it not have accomplished—a workwhich should have been a vehicle of com-munication between the many enterprisingand enlightened minds who have servedsince that period in our merchant navy—which should have collected and publishedtheir observations and discoveries made inevery part of the world—which should havelaid bare many of the evils existing in thatservice, and pointed out the road to amend-ment—which should have made known andexplained the character of new inventionsand improvements in'ships, in their furnish-ings, and their management—which shouldhave been a medium for the discussion ofscientific subjects connected with, navigation,naval architecture, and commerce—whichshould, above all, have served as an incen-tive to practical nautical men to think aswell as to observe, and which should havetaught many of them how to turn theirthoughts and observations to the best prac-tical account for the benefit, not only ofthemselves but of mankind.

Who can tell what might have resultedfrom such a work, during the last fiftyor sixty yews ? Who can tell that theclumsy, unimproved form of our merchant-ressels, fostered by a false and mischievoussystem of calculating tonnage, would havecontinued until but a recent period ? Whocan tell that merchant-vessels, like our men-of-war, would not long since have beenrailt with solid floors which would haveenabled them to strand on a lee-shore with-out going to pieces and drowning theircrews almost at the first concussion withhe ground ? Who can tell that the presentsystem of almost unlimited insurance, incompeting clubs, would have now existed;ivhich deprives the shipowner of nearly alljecuniary interest in the safety of his vessel,

and, as a consequence, in the safety of his:rew; and which has, undoubtedly, as we

—-

78 THE LIFE-BOAT. [Jur,T 1,1857.

believe, led indirectly to the destruction ofan incalculable amount of property, and toa fearful aggregate of loss of human life?Who can tell that it would have been leftto the present distinguished navigator, Lieu-tenant MAURY, of the navy of the. UnitedStates, to map out the ocean, and to orga-nize a system of observation of its currents,its depths, its temperatures, its winds, andthe magnetic, barometric, and thermometricchanges, denoted on its surface, in connectionwith storms and other atmospheric pheno-mena ? We believe that we are not exag-gerating the importance of such a work bysupposing that such effects might have beenproduced by it. We have great faith inthe power of any cause which will set mena-thinking, and which will teach them howto turn those thoughts to best account. Webelieve that, like the rolling ball of snow, itmust accumulate as it moves on, and thatthere is no limit to the magnitude and im-portance which it may assume so long as itis kept a-going. But our saiiors are, pro-verbially, an unthoughtful race, hence theirinertness and the little alteration that hastaken place either in themselves or theirships during long periods. We will, how-ever, hope that the schoolmaster is nowafloat, and amongst the helps to him in hisavocation we hail with gratification theMercantile Marine Magazine.

Already many valuable papers will befound in its columns which cannot but beinteresting to nautical men in general, andinstructive to a large proportion of them.It is apparently well conducted, and its cost(sixpence each monthly part) is such as toplace it within the reach of every one.It only needs the continuous support ofthe mercantile world, and the contributionof the information gathered by the membersof our merchant-service in all parts of theworld, in order to produce all the benefitswhich we think it is calculated to do. Ithas, we believe, already attained a largecirculation, which we trust will increase,until it is in the hands of every officer ofour mercantile marine, as also of our ship-owners, merchants, and others interested inour mercantile prosperity and renown.

ADDITIONAL STATIONS AND NEWLIFE-BOATS.

HORNSEA, YORKSHIRE.—A new life-boat, onMr. PEAKE'S design, has been placed by theNATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION at Horn-sea, in lieu of an old boat at that place, whichwas of an unwieldy and inferior construction,and in which the boatmen of the place hadno confidence. The new boat is 28 feet long,and rows 6 oars, single banked. She was,by the liberality of the General Steam Navi-gation Company, taken gratuitously from Lon-don to Hull on board one of their steamers.

The cost of this life-boat was generouslypresented to the INSTITUTION by Mrs. A.WOOD, of Eltham. She has been namedthe B. Wood, at the request of that bene-volent lady.

WESTPORT, IRELAND.—A Branch of theNATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION has beenfounded at Westport, and a life-boat hasbeen recently sent there. A local Committee,composed chiefly of the Harbour Commis-sioners, has undertaken the management ofthe establishment. The boat will be sta-tioned on the island of Innis Lyre, in ClewBay, a central position, where she willbe readily available to proceed to the assistsance of all vessels in the vicinity of the port.She is 28 ft. long, rowing 10 oars, and wasbuilt by Mr. BEECHING, of Great Yarmouth.She was conveyed gratuitously from Liver-pool to Westport by Mr. LEVER, proprietorof the Liverpool and Westport line ofsteamers.

SEATON CAREW, DURHAM.—A new life-boat has been stationed by the NATIONALLIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION at Seaton Carew, atthe mouth of the river Tees, in Jieu of an oldboat now worn out. The new boat, which ison Mr. PEAKE'S design, and is 30 ft. long,rowing 10 oars, double banked, underwent apublic trial of some of her principal qualities,in the West Hartlepool Docks, on her arrivalthere, which afforded much satisfaction to alarge concourse of persons present on the occa-sion ; and on the following day she was takenout in a heavy surf at Seaton, when shebehaved much to the satisfaction of her crew.She, together with her transporting carriage,


was conveyed gratuitously to Hartlepool bythe proprietor of the screw collier Killing-worth, on board that vessel. The futurecharacter of this boat will be regarded withgreat interest, as, being placed in the imme-diate neighbourhood of several of the oldclass of life-boats, a comparative estimatemay be made of their performances, whichwill be of much value.

The cost of this life-boat and her stores(180?.) was the munificent gift to theINSTITUTION of WILLIAM M°KEREELL,Esq., of Bath. She has been named theCharlotte, at the request of that gentleman,that being the Christian name of Mrs.M°KERRELL.

The life-boat station at Seaton had beenone of the stations of the Tees Bay Life-Boat Association, but that association havingbroken up by the separation of Hartlepool,which port preferred to support its own life-boats ; and the inhabitants of Stockton andits neighbourhood thinking it enough tosupport the life-boats on the Yorkshireside at the entrance to the Tees, discardedthe Seaton Carew Station altogether; theLocal Committee at that place, therefore,requested to join the NATIONAL LIFE-BOATINSTITUTION, which request was compliedwith, and their establishment now formsone of its branches.

PENMON, ANGLESEA.—A new life-boaton Mr. PEAKE'S design, 28 feet long, androwing 6 oars, single banked, has been sta-tioned by the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTI-TUTION at Penroon, instead of their formerold boat which was not approved of. Shewas conveyed gratuitously to her station bythe London and North-Western and theChester and Holyhead Railway Companies.

BRAUNTON, NORTH DEVON.—A new life-boat on Mr. PEAKE'S design, 28 feet long,and rowing 6 oars, single banked, has beenplaced by the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT IN-STITUTION at Braunton in lieu of an oldboat, worn out. She will be under themanagement of the Committee of the Bide-ford Branch of the Institution, and is similarin all respects to the boat recently placed atAppledore on the opposite side of Bidefordharbour. She was conveyed gratuitously

as far as Exeter by the Great Western andBristol and Exeter Railway Companies, whohave, in several previous instances, extendedthe same liberality to the Institution.

ARKLOW, IRELAND.—A life-boat stationin connection with the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION has been founded atArklow, on the East Coast of Ireland, anda life-boat on Mr. PEAKE'S design, 30 feetlong, and rowing 10 oars, double banked,has been placed there by the Institution.A boat-house has been built from fundschiefly contributed in the neighbourhood,and the station will be at once furnishedwith a transporting carriage, and be com-pleted in every respect.

Her services will be chiefly required tovessels wrecked on the Blackwater andArklow banks. She is the first of a seriesof life-boats now building for the INSTITU-TION to meet the wants of the East Coast ofIreland. She was conveyed gratuitously toDublin by one of the steamers of the Britishand Irish Steam Packet Company, whichCompany has, on several previous occasions,most liberally conveyed the Society's life-boats free of all charge.

A UNIVERSAL CODE OF INSTRUC-TIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENTOF THE MORTAR AND ROCKETLIFE APPARATUS.

DURING the last few years the Committee ofthe NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION havehad many opportunities for observing thegreat need that existed for the adoption of auniform system of management of the mortarand rocket apparatus, and for the distribu-tion of instructions concerning the same onboard all merchant vessels, so that theircrews might never be ignorant of the propersteps to be taken to insure their own safetyafter communication by line had been effectedby the mortar and rocket apparatus with theshore. The Committee have likewise, fromtime to time, received communications frompersons residing on the coasts, pointing outthe necessity that existed for some suchprovision.

In former Numbers of this Journal wehave recorded instances of the want of

80 THE LIFE-BOAT. [JULY 1,1857.

knowledge of the apparatus by merchantseamen leading to fatal results.—In one in-stance the extreme case of five men, passingthe rocket line- around them, and then allleaping overboard together to be drawn onshore through the waves en masse, on whichoccasion only one of that number reachedthe land alive.—In a second instance, thatso late as the winter of 1855 eleven menperished, after a communication by line hadbeen effected with a wreck, through one ofthe crew making the line fast round hiswrist, and jumping overboard with it, whenno second communication could be effected.

Later still, in January of the present year,on a rocket line being thrown over a schoonerwrecked in Ballycotton Bay, Ireland, a ladwas at once secured to the end of the line,and a frail log line was employed to veer himto the shore. The log line, of course, brokebefore he was 20 yards from the vessel, whenhe was drawn ashore in a half-drowned con-dition by the rocket line; but the commu-nication was thus cut off from the wreck,and no second line could be thrown over it.Fortunately the vessel held together untilthe tide had fallen sufficiently to get hercrew out by other means, or they wouldinevitably have perished, as she went topieces on the following tide.

With a view to aid, to the extent of ourability, in preventing such catastrophes, wepublished, in the 9th Number of this Journal(July, 1853), a system of management ofth« apparatus, and of signals to be used inconnection with it, which appeared to ussuitable for general adoption; but we thenstated our belief "that no perfect or uniformsystem would be effected until some super-vision over the whole, having the weight ofauthority, should be established." Sincethat period the rocket and mortar apparatuson the coasts of the United Kingdom havebeen transferred to the Board of Trade,who, we rejoice to know, have determinedto make it as complete as possible in everyrespect, and to increase the number of sta-tions wherever necessary. As the apparatuswas previously in a very incomplete state atthe majority of stations, a very large expensewill be necessarily incurred in perfecting it.We are glad, however, to know that, in

such a work, no false economy is to inter-vene, but that efficiency alone is to be con-sidered. Certainly in no move legitimateway can that fund, collected from shipping,the Mercantile Marine Fund, be expended.

The Board of Trade have also recentlyhad drawn up and printed a code of rulesto be observed in the management of therocket and mortar apparatus on the coasts ofthe United Kingdom. It is divided intotwo parts; the first for the guidance of thecoast-guard or others in charge of the ap-paratus, to which is added a list of the gearto be employed with the apparatus; thesecond for that of the masters and crews ofstranded vessels. These instructions appearto us to be everything that can be desired;and they will be found not to differ inany material point from those published inthis Journal, above referred to. It is in-tended, we believe, to have a copy of thesame, or of such portion of them as appliesto the masters and crews of ships, printed.in the log-book of every ship, so that nomaster or merchant-seaman may be ignorantof them. We are also given to understandthat the Board will cause the same to beprinted in various languages, and transmittedto foreign countries for the benefit of theirrespective merchant services. We subjoina copy of these instructions, together withtwo illustrations which accompany them,and which have been kindly given us bythe Board of Trade.

Saving Life from Shipwreck ly Mortarand Socket Apparatus.

171. The following parts of the apparatus forsaving life from shipwreck, are required to beprovided in addition to the projectiles and themeans supplied for launching them; namely,

(a.) A thin cord, called the "Socket line" oneend to be attached to, and launched withthe Shot or Rocket;

(b.) A "Ifau.'eer" of 3 inch or 3J inch Manillarope from 40 to 120 fathoms, according tothe steepness or flatness of the shore;

(c.) A "Whip" of Manilla line about lj inch,rove through a single Tailed Block. The""Whip" to be twice as long as theHawser, and the Tail of the Block to beat least 2 fathoms in length. The endsof the "Whip" to be spliced together,and so converted into an endless rope;

(rf.) A " Sling" float, basket, cot, or some suchcontrivance, in which to place the person

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to be rescued, and haul him ashore. Theword " sling." as used in these Instruc-tions, is intended to include all con-trivances of this nature;

(e.) A." Traveller," inverted block, leaden horse-shoe collar, or some other contrivance, tobe attached to the " Slay," and carry italong the Hawser ;

(/.) A "Double Block tackle purchase" for set-ting taut the hawser;

(y.) An " Anchor" with one fluke, to be buriedin the earth, sand, or shingle, to whichto set up the hawser by means of thetackle purchase. Or in some placeswhere the shore is composed of softshingle or sand, and where an anchor willnot hold, a stout plank 5 or 6 feet long,with a fathom of chain of sufficientstrength fastened round it amidships,may be substituted for the anchor. Thisplank being buried 3 or 4 feet beneaththe ground, and the end of the chain, witha ring attached, led to the surface, thehawser may be set up to it by the tacklepurchase in the same manner as to ananchor;

(A.) A "Bed fay" 2 feet by 3 feet, fixed atthe end of a staff 5 feet long -, and a" Lanthorn" with a pane of red glass fixedin it: to be used as signals in the mannerdirected in paragraph 177, below;

(t.) Two or three spades or shovels, a hand-barrow,a Salvagee strop, a few pieces of extra rope,to be used as occasion may require: 3 oarsor small spars are likewise often of servicewhere the shore is flat, to be used as atriangle over which to pass the hawser,and thereby raise it higher above thesurface of the water.

172. In the absence of the Receiver of Wreck,or at places in which the Receiver of Wreck wasnot appointed under the provisions of the Mer-chant Shipping Act, the Inspecting Commander ofthe Coast Guard, or the principal officer of theCustoms or of the Coast Guard who is present, isto exercise the powers given him by the 441st to447th sections of the Act, and is to take commandof all persons assembled and assign to each suchwork as he may consider necessary for establish-ing a communication with the wrecked ship, andhauling the people ashore speedily. Should anypersons refuse to do the work allotted, they areliable to a penalty of 501. under the 441st sectionof the Act.

173. When a Receiver of Wreck is present,whose appointment was made since the passing ofthe Merchant-shipping Act, he is to take com-mand of all persons assembled at a wreck; but themanagement of the mortar and rocket apparatusshould be left in the hands of the Coast Guard.

174. Receivers of Wreck and officers of the Cus-toms and Coast Guard are to bear in mind thatthey have no power to interfere between themaster of a ship and his crew in matters relatingto the management of the ship unless requested todo so by the master.

Directions for Landing the Crew of aWrecked Vessel.

175. It is unnecessary to describe the manner inwhich the rocket or mortar is to be arranged forfiring, as perfection in that particular can only beattained by practice; but when the line has beenthrown over the " wreck," and has been grappledby the crew, a signal will be made in the followingmanner. If in the day-time one of the crew, forthis purpose separated from the rest, will wave hishat or his hand, or a flag or handkerchief; or (ifat night) a rocket, a blue light, or a gun will befired, or a light will be shown over the ship's gun-wale for a short time, and will then again be con-cealed.

176. On this signal being seen on shore, theinshore end of the shot or rocket line should bemade fast to the whip, being bent round both partsof it at about two fathoms from the tailed block,and a signal should then be made as follows forthose on the wreck to haul off the line.

177. One of the men on shore is to be separatedfrom the rest, and in the day-time is to wave asmall red flag, or at night is to show a red light forabout a minute, and then again conceal it.

178. The crew of the wreck, on seeing thissignal, will haul on the shot or rocket line tillthey get the whip and tailed block, when theywill make the tail of the block fast to some securepart of the vessel, and will cast off the rocketline, and make the signal as before for those onshore to haul off the hawser.

179. As soon as this signal is perceived by thoseon shore, the whip (being previously made fast tothe hawser at 2 or 3 fathoms from its end) will bemanned, and the hawser hauled off by it to thewreck by those on shore.

180. As soon as the persons on the wreck gethold of the hawser, they will proceed to make itfast to the wreck at about 18 inches above theplace where the tail of the block is fixed; andwhen they have secured it, and disconnected thehawser from the whip, they will signal as beforeto the people on shore.

181. On perceiving this signal, the hawser is tobe set up by means of the double-block tacklepurchase, and the sling (the traveller of which willhave been adjusted on the hawser) is to have thewhip secured to it, and, by means of the whip, isto be hauled off to the wreck by those stationedfor the purpose on the shore; who also, on the nextsignal being shown, implying that a person issecured in the sling, will haul him ashore, and re-peat the same operation to and fro until all arelanded.

182. Circumstances may require some deviationfrom the above rules. For instance, if the wreckedvessel be subjected to violent motion by the beatof the sea, it will be better not to set up the hawserat all, but to man it with as many hands as can bespared, and reeve it over a triangle, when byhauling and veering on it, following the motionof the vessel, a sufficiently uniform strain on itwould be obtained without the risk of carrying itaway.


183. Again, circumstances might arise, as theyhave sometimes done, when the immediate break-ing up of the wreck might be imminent, and thedelay in getting the hawser on board be of seriousmoment. In such a case, if the apparatus is pro-vided with a floating-sling buoy, it should behauled off by the whip alone, and the wreckedpersons brought ashore in it floating in the water.The hawser should, however, be always used in pre-

ference when practicable.184. As much of the success in the use of the

apparatus depends upon the promptness withwhich it is brought into action, the inspectingcommanders and chief officers of the Coast Guardshould make themselves thoroughly acquaintedwith the use and application of all its parts, andshould take care that this is also understood bythe officers and men under their command.

185. The inspecting commanders themselvesshould superintend the periodical or occasionalexercise of the officers and crews of stations undertheir command in the management of the rocketand mortar apparatus.

They will necessarily also see the advantage ofdividing and stationing the men on all occasionsin such a manner as to secure the utmost orderand promptness in the whole proceeding.

Directions to Masters and Crews of Ships.

In the event of your vessel stranding on thecoast of the United Kingdom, and the lives ofthe crew being placed in danger, assistance will,if possible, be rendered from the shore in thefollowing manner, namely,—

1. A rocket or shot, with a thin line attached,will be fired across your vessel. Get hold of thisline as soon as yon can; and when you havesecured it, let one of the crew be separated fromthe rest, and, if in the daytime, wave his hat orhis hand, or a flag or handkerchief; or if at night,let a rocket, a blue-light, or a gun be fired, or leta light be displayed over the side of the ship, andbe again concealed, as a signal to those on shore.

2. When you see one of the men on shore sepa-rated from the rest, wave a red flag, or (if atnight) show a red light and then conceal it, youare to haul upon the rocket line until you get atailed block with an endless fall rove through it.

3. Make the tail of the block fast to the mastabout 15 feet above the deck, or, if your masts aregone, to the highest secure part of the vessel; andwhen the tail-block is made fast, let one of thecrew, separated from the rest, make the signal re-quired by Article 1 above.

4. As soon as the signal is seen on shore, a hawserwill be bent on the whip-line, and will be hauledoff to the ship by those on shore.

5. When the hawser is got on board, the crewshould at once make it fast to the same part of theship as the tailed block is made fast to, only about18 inches higher, taking care that there are noturns of the whip-line round the hawser.

6. When the hawser has been made fast onboard, the signal directed by Article 1 above is tobe repeated.

7. The men on shore will then pull the hawser

taut, and by means of the whip-line will haul offto the ship a sling, cot, or \ife-\moy, into -whichthe person to be hauled ashore is to get and bemade fast. When he is in and secure, one of thecrew must be separated from the rest and againsignal to the shore as directed in Article 1 above.The people on shore will then haul the person inthe sling to the shore, and when he has lauded,willhaul back the empty sling to the ship for others.This operation will be repeated until all personsare hauled ashore from the shipwrecked vessel.

8. It may sometimes happen that the state ofthe weather and the condition of the ship will notadmit of a hawser being set up, in which case asling or life-buoy will be hauled off instead, andthe persons to be rescued will be hauled throughthe surf instead of along the hawser.

Masters and crews of shipwrecked vessels shouldbear in mind that the success in landing themmay, in a great measure, depend upon their cool-ness and attention to the rules here laid dawn^and that by attending to them many lives are an-nually saved by the mortar and rocket apparatuson the coasts of the United Kingdom.

The system of signaling must be strictly ad-hered to; and all women, children, passengers,and helpless persons should be landed before thecrew of the ship.

The illustrations will help to explain the mannerin which the mortar and rocket lines are used.

T. H. PARKER, Assistant Secretary,Marine Department.

Board of Trade, 28th February, 1857.

Thus all that we have, for some yearspast, advocated on this subject has now atlength been carried out—an improved andmore complete apparatus—a uniform rule ofmanagement, both on shore and on shipboard—a recognized head and authority—and adiffusion of the rules of management onboard all merchant-ships. We congratulatethe President and the Marine Departmentof the Board of Trade on so great a step inadvance towards the fulfilment of the na-tural duty to afford relief to shipwreckedpersons on our coasts, and we prognosticatethe happiest results as a consequence.

DRAWINGS OF THE LIFE-BOATSAND LIFE-BOAT CARRIAGESADOPTED BY THE ROYAL NA-TIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION.

FIVE years' experience by the NATIONALLIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION of the new class oflife-boats, designed by JAMES PEAKE, Esq.,of Her Majesty's Dock-yard, Woolwich, andelicited by the prize of 100 guineas given


by His Grace the Duke of NORTHUMBER-LAND in 1851,* has now fully establishedtheir superior qualities, and justifies thatInstitution in recommending them whereverlife-boats are required.

At a recent meeting of the Committee itwas accordingly determined to have litho-graphed drawings prepared of one of theseboats of ordinary dimensions, and also ofthose descriptions of life-boat carriages con-sidered most useful in varying localities;and that copies of the same should be for-warded to foreign governments, the Britishcolonies and foreign possessions, and toother parties who might desire to providelife-boats on the coasts of this or any othercountry.

A Sub-committee has been nominated tocarry out the same, and the drawings havingbeen lithographed under their superintend-ence, are now in readiness for distribution.

His Grace the Duke of NORTHUMBER-LAND has generously expressed a desire todefray the cost of these drawings, and theywill be circulated, under the superintendenceof the Committee of the Institution, solelyat his Grace's expense.

MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE.

Thursday, Jan. 1, 1857. THOMAS CHAP-MAN, Esq., V.P., F.R.S., in the Chair.

Read and confirmed the Minutes of theprevious Meeting, and those of the Finance,Correspondence, and Wreck and RewardSub-Committees.

Read Copy of a Memorial from the New-biggin fishermen, expressive of their grati-tude to His Grace the President for the life-boat which he had stationed there five yearsago, and which had, on a recent occasion,been the means of assisting to bring eighteencobles and their crews in safety into port.

Read the Inspector of Life Boat's Reportof his recent visit to some of the life-boatstations on the coasts of Sussex and Kent.—Authorised various alterations to be made inthe Eastbourne and Newhaven life-boats.

* Mr. PEAKE did not compete for the prize, butafter an examination of all the competing designs,furnished that of his present boat.

Read letter from the Rev. WILLIAMYATE, of Dover, of the 31st Dec., statingthat the Local Committee had recommendedthe replacing of the Dover life-boat and thebuilding of a house for her.—Decided thatthe application be postponed until the resultof an appeal to the inhabitants of Dover onbehalf of the undertaking was known.

Resolved — That Messrs. FOIIRESTT beintrusted to build a life-boat 28 feet longfor Penmon, Anglesey.

Read letter from the Shipwrecked Fisher-men and Mariners' Royal Benevolent So-ciety, transmitting a draft for 100Z. in aidof the funds of this Institution.—To bethanked.

Read letter from Mr. A. G. DILLON, ofDublin Castle, of the 27th Dec., transmit-ting a diagram of a gun and an arrow ofhis invention for effecting communicationwith stranded vessels in situations wherethe ordinary life-preserving apparatus couldnot be made available.—To be acknowledged.

Resolved—That a life-boat house, at theestimated cost of 100Z., be built at Youghal,for the reception of the life-boat now build-ing by the Institution for that station.

Voted the thanks of the Committee toMr. RICHARD WHITE, chief officer of Coast-guard at Filey, in acknowledgment of hisservices during many years past in savinglife from shipwrecks, by going ofi' in boats,and by means of the mortar and rocketapparatus.

Also a reward of 21. 10s. to five menwho had put off in a boat with the intentionof rendering assistance to the crew of theFrench fishing smack Jsmerie, which had,'during a gale of wind, sunk off Rye on the13th Dec. last. The tide having rapidlyebbed, the crew were afterwards enabled towalk ashore.

Also 41. to four men who had put off in ashore boat and rescued the crew of six menof the schooner Ellen, of Cardigan, whichwas wrecked during a S.W. gale of windin Ballycotton Bay. The NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION has decided to station alife-boat in this dangerous locality at theearliest opportunity.

Also a reward of 12/. to the crew oftwelve men of the Portmadoc life-boat, who

THE LIFE-BOAT. [J0LY 1, 1857.

had proceeded on the night of the 17th Jan.,1856, to the assistance of the brig BonneMarie, of "Nantes, which they succeeded inbringing in safety into harbour. The ownersof the vessel had declined to make thesemen any compensation for their valuableservices.

Also 151. 10s. to the crew .of the Rhyltubular life-boat, for putting off on the nightof the 30th Dec., with the view of renderingassistance to the barque Mary Ann, of Liver-pool, which had a signal of distress flying.The captain of the ship, however, refusedthe aid of the life-boat, stating that he couldsave the crew in his own boats. During thenight the vessel foundered, and early thenext morning her boat was observed to bedrifting with the current when the life-boatagain put off and rescued the three men whowere in her.

Also 51. 10s. to the crew of the samelife-boat for putting off to the rescue of thecrew of four men of the schooner Tem-perance, of Belfast, which, during a N.E.gale of wind and a very heavy surf, waswrecked in Abergele Bay on the 45i Jan.last.

Thursday, Feb. 5,1857. THOMAS CHAP-MAN, Esq., V.P., F.R.S., in the Chair.

Bead and confirmed the Minutes of theprevious Meeting, and those of the Finance,Correspondence, and Wreck and RewardSub-Committees.

Elected the Bishop of LONDON VicePresident of the Institution.

Elected Captain SULIVAN, R.N., C.B., andCommander R. ROBERTSON, R.N., Membersof the Committee of Management.

Read letters from WILLIAM MCKERRELL,Esq., of Bath, offering to contribute 1801.to the Institution for the purchase of a first-class life-boat, and life-belts for her crew.

Resolved—That Mr. MCKEREELL'S mu-nificent offer be accepted.

Read letter from the Rev. JOHN LAWSON,of Seaton Carew, of the 28th Jan., express-ing a desire to bring the life-boat of thatstation into connection with this Institution.The life-boat was thirty years old, and wouldrequire a thorough overhauling to make herefficient.

Resolved—That the Seaton Carew life-boat establishment be brought into connec-tion with the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTI-TUTION, and that the present life-boat be

! replaced by a new 30 feet life-boat on Mr.I PEAKE'S plan.

Read letter from Captain ROBERTSON,R.N., Surveyor-General to the Board ofTrade, forwarding a map of the lighthousesof the British Isles, and stating that thenumber of wrecks during the gale at thebeginning of last month was about 340,and that the number of lives lost v,-as 186;but that the number of lives saved, chieflyby life-boats and the mortar and rocketapparatus, was about 662.—To be thanked.

Sanctioned the issuing of the followingcircular letter to the life-boat Committees, inconnection with the Institution, consequenton the loss of the Point of Ayr life-boat.

" To the Hon. Secretaries of Local Life-BoatCommittees.

" Lest any of the crews of the life-boats inconnection with the NATIONAL LIFE-BOATINSTITUTION should take alarm at the melan-choly accident which recently occurred tothe Point of Ayr life-boat, the Central Com-mittee of the Institution think it right toacquaint them at once with the followingfacts:—

" 1. That none of the life-boats of theInstitution are on the same plan asthat at the Point of Ayr, that boatbeing unprovided with ballast and.having no self-righting power, anddiffering from the boats of the In-stitution in other important respects.

" 2. That the crew of that life-boat werenot provided with life-belts, which,had they been so, might have provedinstrumental to saving some, if notall, of their lives.

" 3. The boat was under sail at the time,and (as the Committee are informed)that the sheets of the sails werefound to be made fast when shewas subsequently picked up.

" Since to the two latter circumstances maythe loss of life on this occasion be chieflyattributed, the Committee request the local


Committees to inform their several coxswainsthat they will be held responsible for everyman who goes into the life-boat on servicewithout having on a life-belt. And that,in those boats in which it is indispensableto carry sail, they are on no account to sufferthe sheets to be made fast, but to appoint atrustworthy man to attend each sheet, keep-ing it in his hand.

" On its being ascertained that the cox-swain has neglected his duty in either of theserespects, on the first occasion of his doingso, he will be considered to have forfeitedhis pay for the current quarter; and on asecond occasion, will be liable to dismissal.

" The coxswains are likewise to be informedthat they are never to use their sails unlessthe distance to the scene of wreck is toogreat to be reached by rowing, and that, asa general rule, when running for the landbefore a heavy sea, they will, invariably, ifpracticable, take in their sails before goinginto the broken water."

«Read letter from Mr. J. SMITH, of York

Parade, Hull, relative to his plan of life-boat.•—To be acknowledged.

Read letter from Mr. J. BROCK, of Red-ruth, late chief officer of Coast-guard, callingattention to the advantages of KISBEE'S float,to be used in conjunction with the mortarand rocket apparatus in saving life fromwrecks.—To be acknowledged, and orderedMr. BROCK'S communication to be forwardedto the Board of Trade.

Read letter from Captain E. A. INGLE-FIELD, R.N., calling attention to his plan ofanchor for life-boats.— Instructed the in-spector to test the same on the coast.

Read letters from Captain MARTIN, call-ing attention to the services of the RamsgateTrust life-boat and steamer during the heavygales on the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 13th Jan.,to vessels in distress on or near the GodwinSands.—To be thanked.

Reported the transmission of the Dunge-ness life-boat to her station, and that shehad been conveyed free of cost by tlie South-Eastern Railway Company to Dover, andthence towed to her station by a RevenueCruiser, through the courtesy of CommodoreEDEN, R.N.—Decided that the Directors of

the South-Eastern Railway and Commo-dore EDES, Comptroller-General of the Coast-guard, be thanked.

Read letter from the North of EuropeSteam Navigation Company, requesting in-formation respecting a plan of life-boat car-riage for the Dunkirk life-boat, which wasbeing built by Messrs. BEECHI55G & Boss, ofGreat Yarmouth.—Decided that the infor-mation required be furnished.

Reported the harbour trial of the Chilianlife-boat, which Her Majesty's Governmentwas about to present to the Republic of thatcountry. The trial was in every respect satis-factory. The boat was on Mr. PEAKE'S plan,and had been built by the Messrs. FORRESTT.

Read letter from Captain'ELLIS, E.N., ofSouthwold, stating that the Local Com-mittee at that place had resolved to presentto this Institution their life-boat built byMessrs. BEECHING, in 1852. He also statedthat he had decided to resign his appoint-ment of Honorary Secretary to that Branch.

1.—Resolved, That the life-boat be ac-cepted with thanks, and that she be broughtto London, to be altered to Mr. PEAKE'Splan.

2.—That the thanks of the Committee bepresented to Captain F. W. ELLIS, R.N., inacknowledgment of his valuable services tothe life-boat cause, particularly as Chair-man and Hon. Secretary of the SouthwoldBranch of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOATINSTITUTION.

Read letter from Lieut. AOASSIZ, R.N.,of Exmouth, stating the necessity of a life-boat at that place.—Ordered, the usualqueries and life-boat papers to be forwardedto that officer.

Read letter from Mr. W. UNDERBILL, ofDanse, of the 12th January, calling attentionto his buoyant life-belt cushion.—To be ac-knowledged.

Resolved—That a house be erected at acost of 86Z. for the life-boat stationed at East-bourne, and that the Hon. Mrs. GILBERT bethanked for the site of ground on which thesame was to be erected.

Read letter from Mr. A. HENDERSON, ofCambridge-street, Hyde Park, calling atten-


tion to his plan of ship's life-boat.—To beacknowledged.

Paid 282?. 5s. 3d. for sundry charges onlife-boats, life-boat carriages, and life-boathouses.

Also 931. 8s. 5d. for the Rye life-boathouse, and 647?. lls. 4d. to Messrs. FOR-KESTT for building various life-boats.

Voted the silver medal to ROBERT SHIEI>DON, coxswain, for going off in the Redcarlife-boat on the 5th January, and on manyprevious occasions, to save life from ship-wreck.

Also 51. 12*. to the crew of the Tenbylife-boat, which had put off during a galeof wind with the intention to render assist-ance to a vessel which had a signaf of dis-tress flying, off' Caldy Island.

Also 121. to the crew of the Hauxley life-boat, for saving the crew of 11 men of thebrig Sophie, of Oporto, and 5 men of theschooner Geargina, of Inverness, which werewrecked near that station during a severegale of wind on the 4th January last. Alsothe silver medal to Captain THOMAS HIPPLE-WHITE, the harbour-master of Warkworth,for going off in the boat on both occasions.Also the thanks of the Committee to Mr.THOMAS LEIGHTON, for having gone-offin theboat on the last occasion. The boat wasreported to have behaved exceedingly well.

Also 51. 10*. to the crew of the Scar-borough life-boat, which is on Mr. PEAKE'Splan, for putting off in her on three dif-ferent occasions, and rescuing the crews,consisting of 23 men, of the brig Thomp-sons, of Whitby, the brig Northumberland,of Whitby, the brig Wilsons, of Shields,which were wrecked during a heavy gale offScarborough, on Sunday, the 4th Januarylast. The crews of the life-boat had like-wise received 16Z. 10*. from the ownersof the vessels for their valuable services.The silver medal of the Institution wasalso voted to THOMAS CLAYBUBN, who hadbeen coxswain of the Scarborough old life-boat for forty years, and had gone fre-quently off in her to save life.

The Lytham life-boat had put off to theassistance of the flat Turner, of Preston,which, during a N.W. gale, had gone onthe Horse Bank, on the 4th January. The

life-boat succeeded in bringing the flat andher crew of 4 men in safety into harbour.The crew of the life-boat received 201. assalvage for their services.

The Filey life-boat put off, during a galeof wind, to the rescue of the crew of 9men of the brig Ratdiff, of Whitby, whichcame on shore near Filey, on the 4th Jan.The owners of the vessel paid the life-boat'screw for their services.

Also the second service clasp to CaptainJOACHIM, R.N., in acknowledgment of hisgallant services in putting off with 19 men,in the Lowestoft life-boat, to the rescue of themaster and crew of 7 men of the brig Ten-nant, of Stockton, which, during a N.E.gale, was driven on the Newcome Sands, onthe 5th January last. The vessel, whichwas timber laden, was afterwards got off,and towed into Lowestoft harbour. Thecrew of the life-boat received salvage forthis service.

Also the silver medal to LieutenantTHOMAS YOUNG, R.N., Chief officer of theCoast-guard at Atherfield, in acknowledg-ment of his gallant services and skilful sea-manship in saving, with his boat's crew, thebrig Bed Port, of London, and her crew, onthe 4th January last; he had also, on pre-vious occasions, rendered valuable servicesin saving life from shipwreck.

The thanks of the Committee were alsovoted to FREDERICK HARRIS, Esq., chiefofficer of the Kessingland Coast-guard Sta-tion and his crew, for assisting to rescue,with the mortar and rocket apparatus, thecrew of the schooner Agnes Jermyn, ofExeter, which was wrecked near Kessing-land, Suffolk, on the 5th January last.

Also the silver medal to Mr. HENRYWYRILL, for putting off' with 5 others inhis boat, and rescuing the crew of 5 men ofthe brigantine Elizabeth, of Sunderland,which was wrecked off Scarborough, on the14th of November last The 5 men hadreceived a reward from a local subscriptionfor their services.

Also 11. to ROBERT JENKINSON, fisher-man, for wading into the surf, at consider-able risk of life, to effect a communicationbetween the shore and the schooner Wil-liam IV., which was wrecked, during a gate

Jutr 1, 1857.] THE LIFE-BOAT.

of wind, off Filey, on the 4th January-last, by which means her crew of 3 menwere saved.

Also 6/. to JOSEPH READ, commissionedCoast-guard boatman; JOHN MCCARTHY,fisherman, and 9 other fishermen, for rescu-ing 15 men from the barque Edward, ofNorth Shields, which, during a heavy galeof wind, was wrecked in Dunworly Bay, onthe coast of Cork, on the 9th December last.

Also 21. to 4 men, for putting off in a• boat and rescuing 3 men, who had beencapsized from their boat during heavysqualls, near Portaferry, on the coast ofDown, on the 22nd December last.

Also a reward of 13/. to the crew of theWalmer life-boat, for going off in her on thenight of January 5th, and rescuing the crewof 13 men and 2 boatmen of the barqueReliance, of London, which, during a N.E.gale of wind and thick snow-squalls, went topieces opposite Walmer Castle. The life-boat, the cost of which was liberally pre-sented to the Institution by some members ofthe Royal Thames Yacht Club, was reportedto have behaved exceedingly well on the oc-casion.

Also a reward of 9£. 10*. to the crew ofthe Lowestoft life-boat, for putting off inher with the view of rendering assistance tothe crew of the brig Darlington, of Shields.On reaching the distressed vessel, however,she was found to have been driven highenough on the beach for her crew to havebeen rescued by other means.

Thursday, March 5, 1857. THOMASCHAPMAN, Esq., V.P., F.R.S., in theChair.

Read and confirmed the Minutes of theprevious Meeting, and those of the Finance,Correspondence, and Wreck and RewardSub-Committees.

Read letter from the Secretary to theRoyal Thames Yacht Club of the 5th Fe-bruary, stating that the Club had voted anadditional donation of 101. to the Institu-tion, and expressing the gratification of theClub to learn that the Walmer life-boat, thevoluntary gift of some members of theClub to the Society, had saved 15 personsfrom the barque Reliance, of London.

Produced a copy of the Wreck Registerfor 1856. It appeared that during the year1,153 wrecks had taken place on the coastof the British isles, and that 521 lives hadbeen lost therefrom. The number of livessaved by life-boats, shore boats, and othermeans during the year was 2,243.

Voted a life-belt to Mr. JOSEPH HODGSOIT,of Sunderland, in acknowledgment of hiscontinued gallant services in saving life onoccasions of shipwreck.

Read letter from Captain BECHER, R.N.,F.R.S., of the 21st February, stating thata page or two of the Nautical Magazinewould be always at the service of this Insti-tution to promote its important objects.—To be thanked.

Also from the editor of the MercantileMarine Magazine, forwarding a completeset of that periodical to the Institution^ andstating that a copy of the magazine wouldbe sent every month to the Society, andthat notices of its proceedings would beinserted in it and occasional advertisements.—To be thanked.

Read letter from Mr. W. WILLIAMS,master of the steamer Windsor, belonging tothe City of Dublin Steam-packet Company,calling attention to his plan of life-boat.—To be acknowledged.

Produced a printed circular issued by theBoard of Trade to the Coast-guard, respect-ing the re-organization and completion ofthe mortar and rocket apparatus on thecoast.

Read letter from Lieutenant SIMMONS,R.N., of the 24th February, stating that theSouthwold life-boat, manned by 13 men,had saved the brig Pensker and her crewon the 9th idem. When the life-boat ap-proached the brig she was found in a sink-ing state, with seven feet of water in herhold. The life-boat's crew, however, per-severed at the pumps, and succeeded inbringing her ultimately to Lowestoft har-bour.

Paid 111. 8*. for sundry charges on life-boats, life-boat carriages, and life-boathouses.

Also 1531. 15*. 6rf. for the Appledoreand llornsea life-boat carriages.

Voted the silver medal and 21. each to

88 THE LIFE-BOAT. [JtjLT 1, 1857.

WILLIAM PILLAR, gunner, of Her Ma-jesty's Revenue cruiser Eagle; WILLIAMCOCKEOM, steward of ditto; GEOEQEHUGHES, pilot; HENRY BONGOURU, pilot;and thanks, on vellum, severally, to Lieut.WILLIAM T. STANDBRIDGE, R.N, Com-mander of the Eagle; Mr. GEORGE SCOTT,master of the steam-tug Watt, and to Mr.WILLIAM BRACHE, - master of the pilot-cutter Blonde, and 161. to 8 other men, inacknowledgment of their valuable servicesin rescuing six of the barque Boadicea, ofShields, which was wrecked off Guernsey,during a heavy gale of wind, on the othJanuary last.

Also 101. to 5- seamen, for putting off ina boat through a heavy sea, and at the riskof their lives rescuing 2 men^ who hadbeen upset from their fishing-boat during agale of wind near Irvine, on the 19th De-cember last.

Also 21. 10s. to 5 men who had put offwith the intention of rendering assistanceto a vessel in distress off Great Onnes HeadTelegraph Station, on the 30th Dec. last.

Also 21. to 4 Coast-guard boatmen atScarborough, for rescuing amidst consider-able difficulty, by means of the mortar androcket apparatus, 9 out of 12 of the crew ofthe bapjue Samuel Cunard, which wasstranded near that place on the 5th January.

Also I I I . to the crew of the Kessinglandlife-boat, for their services in rescuing thecrew, consisting of 4 men, of the schoonerFriends of Eliza, of Hartlepool, whichwas wrecked near Kessingland Coast-guardStation on the night of the 21st Januarylast.

Thursday, 19th March, 1857.—The An-nual General Meeting of the friends andsupporters of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION was held this day at theLondonTavern, Bishopsgate-street, His Gracethe Duke of NORTHUMBERLAND, K.G., Pre-sident of the Society, in the Chair.

His Grace the Chairman having openedthe Meeting with some remarks,

The Secretary read the Annual Report ofthe Committee. The Auditor also read theFinancial Statement of the Society.

The following resolutions were afterwardsmoved and unanimously carried-:—

Moved by Rear-Admiral the Earl TALBOT,C.B., and seconded by MONTAGUE GORE,Esq.,—1. That the Report now read be adopted

and circulated.

Moved by Captain JOHN SHEPHERD, H.C.S.,Deputy-Master of the Trinity House, andseconded by WILLIAM COTTON, Esq.,F.R.S., late Governor of the Bank ofEngland,—2. That this Meeting has heard', with

peculiar satisfaction, of the success whichhas attended the humane operations of theNATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION duringthe past year, and the gratifying fact, that inthe same period, 2,243 persons were rescuedby life-boats, shore boats, and other means,from shipwrecks, on the shores and in theseas of the British Isles—facts which shouldcall forth the acknowledgments of the com-munity at large, as showing most satisfac-torily what can be accomplished in thisgood work by sustained and well-directedefforts.

That this Meeting does therefore pledgeitself to use its best exertions to maintainand extend the operations of the NATIONALLIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, whose claims ur-gently appeal to every one for support.

Moved by J. D. POWLES, Esq., and secondedby Captain WASHINGTON, R.N., F.R.S.,Hydrographer of the Admiralty,—3. That the thanks of this Meeting be

given to the President of the Board ofTrade, and to the Marine Department ofthat Board, for the important and cordialaid afforded by the Board to the NATIONALLIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION. Also to the Comp-troller-General, the Deputy-Comptroller-General, and the Officers and men of HerMajesty's Coast-guard service, for their con-;inued valuable assistance to the Society.

Moved by Admiral Sir THOMAS COCHRANE,K.C.B., and seconded by Captain RAVEN,R.N.,—4. That this Meeting tenders its cordial

thanks to THOMAS BARING, Esq., M.P., the

JULY 1,1857,] THE LIFE-BOAT. 89

Chairman, to THOMAS CHAPMAN, Esq.,F.R.S., the Deputy-Chairman, and to theother Members of the Committee of Manage-ment, for the care and attention with whichthey have administered the important affairsof the Institution.

Also to the honorary Local Committees ofthe several Branches of the Institution fortheir zealous co-operation with the CentralCommittee in promoting the efficiency of theLife-Boat establishments intrusted to theirsuperintendence and management.

This resolution was responded to on be-half of the Committee by THOMAS CHAPMAN,Esq., Deputy-Chairman, and Chairman forLloyd's Register of British and ForeignShipping Society.

Moved by THOMAS BARING, Esq., M.P.,and seconded by Captain GEORGE A.HALSTKD, R.N., Secretary to Lloyd's,—5. That the best acknowledgments of this

Meeting be given to His Grace the DUKEOF NORTHUMBERLAND, K.G., for his ableconduct in the Chair, and for the kind in-terest which he continues to take in theprosperity of the Institution.

SERVICES OF LIFE-BOATS.

BERWICK-ON-TWEED.—On the 22d Marchthe schooner Heinrkh Gerdes, of Rostock, onrunning for the harbour of Berwick, struckon the bar, and was driven ashore south ofthe entrance to the Tweed. It was blowinga heavy gale from east-north-east, and therewas a tremendous sea on at the time. TheBerwick life-boat was quickly launched, andsucceeded in taking on board the crew of 5men, and in conveying them safely to theland. There was a violent hail-storm at thetime, which made the service the moresevere. One of the vessel's crew was washedoverboard, but was rescued by means of theboat's life-buoy, which was thrown to him.This life-boat is on Mr. PEAKE'S design, andis the property of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOATINSTITUTION. She was reported to have be-haved '* uncommonly well" on the occasion.

FILET.—On the 4th January the brigRatcliff, of Whitby, was driven on shore ina heavy gale on Filey beach. The Filey

life-boat was immediately launched, and pro-ceeded to the rescue of the crew, 9 in num-ber, whom she safely brought to the land.The sea was reported to have been heavierthan on any previous occasion on which thelife-boat had been afloat. She behaved verywell.

HAUXLEY.—On the 4th January, 1857,the brig Sophie, of Oporto, was driven onshore in a heavy easterly gale between threeand four miles south of Hauxley Point, onthe Northumberland coast. The Hauxleylife-boat belonging to the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION was immediately drawnby horses to the spot abreast of where thevessel was on shore; and, manned by theHauxley fishermen, she was launchedthrough a very heavy surf, and quicklyreached the vessel, over which the sea wasbreaking violently, taking out her crew of11 persons, and conveying them in safetyto the land. .

On the same afternoon the schooner Geor-gina ran on shore near Hauxley, when thelife-boat was again launched, and succeededin rescuing her crew of 5 persons.

The Hauxley life-boat is on Mr. PEAKE'Sdesign. She gave the utmost satisfaction toher crew by her behaviour in the very heavysea which was running at the time.

Captain HIPPLEWHITE, harbour-master ofWarkworth, and member of the HauxleyLife-boat Committee, went off in the boat oneach occasion. Both the vessels becametotal wrecks.

LOWESTOFT.—On the 5th January, thebrig Tennant, of Stockton, ran on shore, ina severe snow-storm, on the Newcome Sand.She was quickly seen from the shore, andthe Lowestoft life-boat was immediatelymanned and launched, under the super-intendence of Captain JOACHIM, R.N., whoproceeded in her to the wreck.

On reaching the spot, the anchor was letgo to windward, and the life-boat veereddown to the vessel, over which the sea wasbreaking heavily. Half the brig's crewwere soon got into the boat, when, in atremendous squall, her cable parted. Astrong rope was however secured to thebrig, and the remainder of her crew were

90 THE L1FB-BOAT. JULY-1,1857.

got into the boat. The master having beenwashed overboard, was nearly drowned.The reputation of this life-boat has beenlong established, and she behaved in herusual admirable manner on this occasion.

NEWBIGGIN, NORTHUMBERLAND.—On the13th March an open boat was seen in ex-treme danger a mile to seaward of New-biggin Point. A south-east gale was blow-ing at the time, and there was a heavy surfon the beach. The life-boat was quicklymanned, and on reaching the boat, found thatshe was a coble belonging to Berwick-on-Tweed, and was proceeding from Hartlepoolto that place, when she was caught in thestorm. She was nearly full of water, andthe three men who were in her had giventhemselves up for lost. The life-boat tookthem on board, and conveyed them in safetyto Newbiggin, as also their boat. The life-boat is on Mr. PEAKE'S plan; she behavedextremely well on the occasion.

PADSTOW. — On the 14th March theschooner ffaberdine, of Teignmouth, onmaking Padstow harbour, was driven ashoreon the Dunbar Sand. The life-boat wasquickly alongside, and rescued her crew of4 men. The vessel became shortly after atotal wreck. The Padstow life-boat is onMr. PEAKE'S design, and had been only afew months on the station, this being herfirst service: she behaved entirely to thesatis/action of her crew.

REDCAK.—On the 5th January, the barqueEmma, of Shields, was driven on the Red-car rocks, near the River Tees, on the York-shire coast. The Redcar life-boat was atonce manned and proceeded to the rescue ofher crew. After getting twice alongside her,owing to the breaking of their heaving ropes,the crew had to return in an exhaustedstate, having only rescued the master,as the vessel's crew, for some unaccountablereason, refused to get into the boat. Afterobtaining some rest and refreshment, the life-boat's crew once more put off and succeededin saving the remainder of the vessel's crewof 8 persons. The life-boat was reported tohave behaved remarkably well oil the oc-casion: she is the oldest life-boat in the

kingdom, having been built on Mr. W.GREATHEAD'S plan in the year 1802.

This life-boat is not in connection withthe NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, butbelongs to the Tees Bay Life-Boat Associa-tion. The Institution, however, awarded its ,silver medal to the coxwain of the boat,Robert SkuHdan, in testimony of his gallantconduct on this and previous occasions. Thecrew were locally rewarded.

RHYL.—On the 4th January, at day-light, signals of distress were observed fromthree vessels ashore in Abergele Bay, NorthWales. The life-boat proceeded as soon aspossible to the spot and rescued the crew of4 men from the schooner Ttmpvra.wx, ofBelfast; the crews of the other vesselshaving succeeded hi landing in their ownboats. There was a heavy sea running atthe time, and the life-boat was reported tohave behaved admirably. This boat is onthe tubular principle, invented by HENRYand HENRY T.- RICHARDSON, Esqrs., ofBala, North Wales.

In proceeding to the aid of the above vesselunder sail, the Point of Ayr life-boat, whichbelongs to the Liverpool Dock Trustees, wasupset, and drowned her whole crew of13 men.

SCARBOROUGH.—On the 4th January, at9 A.M., the brig Thompsons, of Whitby, inendeavouring to get into the harbour atScarborough, missed the entrance and wasdriven on shore, the wind blowing a heavygale from the eastward at the time. TheScarborough life-boat immediately put off toher aid, and took off' her crew of 8 persons,landing them in safety.

At noon of the same day the brig North-umberland, of Whitby, being unable to fetchthe entrance, was driven on shore near thesame spot as the last-named vessel. Thelife-boat again put off and rescued her crewof 9 persons.

Immediately after landing the crew of theNorthumberland, the valuable services ofthe life-boat were again called into requisi-tion, the brig Wilsons having, in making forthe harbour, ran on some rocks near theother vessels. The sea was running tre-mendously high at this spot, making clean


breaches over the brig and filling the life-boat alongside. She nevertheless succeededin saving 8 of the crew and a boy, theson of the master. One of the crew, anapprentice, was unfortunately washed over-board at the moment of getting into theboat by a terrific sea, which broke over thewreck at the time. The same sea threw oneof the crew of the life-boat over the headsof the other boatmen and into the sea, buthaving on a buoyant life-belt, he was readilyagain got into the boat. Not so, however,the unfortunate apprentice, who, although hefell between the vessel's side and the boat,sank to rise no more ere he could be graspedby the men from the boat. This occurrence,when two men were thrown overboard bythe same sea and the one protected by alife-belt was saved, whilst the other, with-out such support, perished, is so striking aninstance of the value of life-belts on board aship that we take the opportunity, on relatingit, to once more express the hope that theday is not distant when the law will compelevery vessel sailing out of a British port tobe furnished with an efficient life-belt foreach of her crew.

The Scarborough life-boat is on Mr.PEAKE'S design; she is one of the smallestlife-boats in the kingdom, but she on thisoccasion nobly showed her worth, as shealso afforded an illustration of what may beeffected on such trying occasions by a skilfuland gallant crew, which those who mannedher undoubtedly showed themselves to beon this disastrous day, when so great anumber of poor merchant-seamen perishedon our coasts.

SEATON CABEW.—On the 4th Januarythe Seaton Carew life-boat, after makingthree gallant attempts, but without success,to rescue the crew of the brig Empress ofSunderland, wrecked on the Long Scarrocks, took off the crew of the Jubilee, ofGuernsey, which had driven on shore off thetown. The life-boat got damaged on thisoccasion. The Seaton life-boat Committeehave, since this occurrence, placed themselvesin connection.with the NATIONAL LIFE-BOATINSTITUTION, which has replaced this life-boat by a new one 'on Mr. PEAKE'S design.

SOUTHWOLD.—On the night of the 9thFebruary, 1857, signal lights of distresswere observed to seaward from Southwoldin Suffolk. The life-boat immediately wentoff under sail, and found them to proceedfrom the brig Pensher, coal laden, whichhad struck on Sizewell bank, and was thenin a sinking state, having seven feet water inher hold. There was a heavy sea alongside,which was sweeping over her decks and didsome damage to the life-boat; the crew ofthe latter, however, succeeded in getting onboard, and in taking her in safety intoLowestoft harbour, the pumps having beenkept constantly going. The life-boat, whichhad been but recently supplied by the NA-TIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, gave muchsatisfaction to her crew by her behaviouron this occasion, when she was launchedthrough a heavy surf.

THOEPE, SUFFOLK.—Ou the 9th May*the life-boat of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOATINSTITUTION, which is stationed at Thorpe-ness, was the means of saving the Lives of3 fishermen, who had been caught in agale near Sizewell Bank, and were in greatdanger. Being seen from the shore (about3 miles distant) the Thorpe life-boat waslaunched, under sails and oars, and tookthem on board. A heavy surf had set in onthe shore, and no ordinary open boat couldhave been safely taken through it.

WALMER.—On the night of the 5thJanuary, the barque Reliance, of London,was driven on shore in a violent snow-storm, near Walmer Castle, on the coastof Kent. The Walmer life-boat was qxricklymanned and proceeded to the rescue of hercrew of 15 persons, whom she succeeded inlanding in safety. There was a very heavysurf at the time, and the life-boat, whichhad been only recently placed on the sta-tion, afforded much satisfaction to her crew.She is on Mr. PEAKE'S design.

Situated in the neighbourhood of thefetal Goodwin Sands, we have no doubtthis life-boat, in the hands of the skilfulboatmen of the neighbourhood, will havemany future opportunities for performingsuch valuable services as the above.

ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION,Tor the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck.

founded in 1824.—Supported Try Voluntary S^ibscription&.

PATRONESS.HER MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY THE QUEEN.

PEESIDEirr.REAR-ADMIRAL HIS GRACE ALGERNON DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND, K.G., F.tt.8.

COMMITTEE 0? MANAGEMENT.THOMAS BAKING, Esq., M.P., V-P-, Chairman.THOMAS CHAPMAN, Esq., F.R.S., V.P., Deputy Chairman.

Vice-Admiral BOWLES, C.B.Rear-Admiral C. R. D. BETHDNE, C.B.General BLANSHARD, C.B.ALEXANDER BOETEFEUR, Esq.Capt. Sir GEORGE BROKE, Bart., R.N., V.P.Captain F. BULLOCK, R.N.Lord HESRT CDOLMONDELET.Rear-Admiral BERTIB C. CATOB.WILLIAM COTTON, Esq., F.R.S.Vice-Admiral Sir DEANS DUNDAS, K.C.B.Captain GEORGE DAVIES, R.N.Captain STEPHENSOJ* ELLERBY, Trinity House.Commander FRANCIS W. ELLIS, R.N.MONTAGUE GORE, Esq.Rev. C. B. GRIBBLE, M.A.Captain W. H. HALL, R.N., C.B., F.R.S.Captain G. A. HALSTED, R.N., Secretary to Lloyd's.Commander 3, C. HEASLOP, R.N.Commodore EDEN, R.N.,C.B., Comptroller-General^ of Coast Guard."ear-Admiral Sir THOMAS HERBERT, K.C.B.EDTAKI> HURRY, Esq., V.P.Captain E. A. IKGLEFIELD, R.N., F.R.S.Captain A. JERNINGHAH, R.N.Captain W. II, KENNEDY, R.N., Dep. Comp.-Gen.

Coast-Guard.Commander J. S. LF,AN, R.N.GEORGE LYALL, Esq.

Captain J. B. B. McHARDT, R.N.Captain OMMANNET, R.N.Lord ALFRED H. PAGZT, M.P.Major GEORGE PALMER.JAMES PEAKE, Esq., Assistant Master Shipwright

in H.M. Docljyard, Woolwich.Captain LAMBERT PERROTT.JOHN DISTOS POWLES, Esq.Captain C. R. PRESTON.Commander ROBERTSON, R.N., Surveyor-General

to the Board of Trade.Sir ROBERT C. ROWLEY, Bart.Rear-Admiral R. SAUMAREZ, K.L.Captain SHEPHERD, H. C. S., V.P., Deputy Master

of the Trinity House.Rear-Admiral The Marquis TOWNSHEND.Captain SOLI VAN, R.N., C.B., Board of Trade.Colonel TCLLOH, R.A., Director of the Carriage

Department, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich.Captain Sir BALDWIN W. WALKER, Bart., R.N.,

K.C.B., Surveyor of the Navy.Captain WASHINGTON,R.N., F.R.S., V.P., Hydro-

grapher of the Admiralty.FRANCIS WILSON, Esq., V.P.Commander J. R. WABD, R.N.ISAAC WATTS, Esq., Assist. Surveyor of the Navy,H.S, II. WOM.ASTOTS, Esq.

BANKERS—Messrs. WILLIS, PERCIVAL, & Co., Lombard Street. AUDITOB—G. C. BBGBIE, Esq.BECBETABY—RICHARD LEWIS.

LIFE-BOAT INSPECTOR—Commander J. B. WARD, R.K.The Committee of the Iloyal National Life-Boat Institution would earnestly call the attention of the Public to the

great and extraordinary exertions which the Society has recently made to provide efficient Life-boats at various parts ofthe coasts of the United Kingdom, including Walmer, Camber (Rye), Appledore (Devon), Braunton (Devon), Penmon(rVnulesea), Arklow, Sealon Carew, Cahore, Vouirlial, and Wentport. To supply these Life-boats, together with Trans-porting-caniaj;es and Boat-houses for some of them, has involved an expenditure of upwards of 413,000.

Other appeals for aid in the establishment of Life-boats continue to be received by the Committee.This important work can only be continued by the aid of a generous Public. The rescue of shipwrecked persons from

drowning ig a work of mercy and humanity, whirh so manifestly claims the sympathy of all classes of persons in thiMaritime and Commercial Country, that the Committee feel assured that the present pecuniary position of the Institutioneed only te \)e known to insure for it the lib*ral support of the Community at large.

Armagh, Hit, Grace the Arch-bishop of- . don.

C1erelHnd,Hrs Grace the Duke of, don.McKerrell, W., Esq., cost of a

nrst-ctnss life-boat nnU gear.Per G. W. Ali-xandcr, Esq., Lom-

bard-streef : —Barclay, Pevnn, A Co., Messrs. don.Hums. J.T. Esq. - - don.Deodi8toun,rross,ACo.,Mf*™. an.Ebbrr Vale Iron Company v don.Robinson, Joweph, Ksq. - don.

Abingdcn, Countess of - - an.A PnenJ, Portsmouth - - an.Alvanley, Lord - don.Atty, Mrs., Southwell - 2nd don.Aylmer, Sir G. G., Bart. - don.Arrowsmith, Mem*. H. A A.,

New Bood-«treet - - an.Arrowsm'rtti, Mm., ditto - an.Banger, Viscount - don.

Sevan,' Rev. F.'s., CarUon Rode'

Boyae. Vbcoimt * don.

£• *•

85 050 li

100 0

10 10

1

1

55

10500000

1I0

10 0

5 010 10

d. \ £. d.\ Rroadwood, Rer. J., Lyne - don.

0 Brydge»,SirH. J. Jones. Bart,- don.0 1 Bullock, Captain F., R.N. an.

1 ratebponl, T. £sq..('{dche.,ter - don.0 Cecil** Bavingn for poor sailor*

Chance, n. L,, jutu, Esq., Eir—

0mingbam - - 2nd don.

Charloton, Mrs., Bath - aid don.0 flarke, ReT.J.C\,ChertBcy - don.0 , Drapers, Wonb. Camp, of 3rd don, »0 | E, J, A., Fnmkleigh - - don. at0 \ Feating. Admiral C. B. - - don.0 | Gage, Admiral Sir W. - - don.0 j 3. V. II. B. don.000

0000

0

Glynn, Sir R. p., Bart. - 4th don. 11

Gully, J. Eiq., Marwell Hall - don. 5Harris, Mm. J., Wallnamstovr don. 5Hibbert ft Co., Hron,, BilUtcr-

rouit - 2nd don. 21HoYttoo, Allfrey, & Co., Mewre.,

Crcat St. Helen'i - - don. 10 1Howaid,Hoa.G.,CastlcRi«ng^nd don. 10Jackson, Miss K., Gt. Malvcrn - don. 5Janson,A.a W..Mmn. J.lovdX

000.06

0000

0

00

> 0

0 j perT. Chapmun, Esq., P/iP. -' don. 10 10 0

JohiuoD, H. EKI., CrulcbedPriam, per J. Fenke, Esq. Mb don.

Lambert, Min E., liydc- 3rd don.Listt>r, J. J. E«q., FlaTBlow . dun.M.A. - - - aid dm.Mubbott, W. IX E*q., Lewes - an.Mackenzie, Harry, Ego. - 3rd don.Otway, Capt. R.N., ( heltenham an.Pease, E. Fnq,, Darlington - don.Peckover, W. Esq, WlBbeath - don,Peckorer, A. F.w|.,dkto - don.Sharpies, Joseph. Eaq., Hitchin don.Ssimm,3,E*q.,Vlu\T-!Aoon-*t. Xod dtm.Singleton. R«v. R. Corbet, per

Capl. Grant, Sec. R. T- Y. C. aa.Ditto - don.

Smith, Rev. P., Pattiswjck 2nd don.Smith, Mrs. Newman - - an.Stanlry, J. Ki»q., (>iw«-place - an.Stutge, J. U«q., tiTtnmg\\ttTn - don. a oSulivan, Capt. R.N., C.B. - an. 1 0Troughttin, Lii-ut., K Ji. - Snd dtm. 8 SWaller. MIM Mary - - don. 21 0Walton, Mi- C. H. - dco. 5 5Wilson, Franc!*., Esq., T.P. llth don. SO 0

£. ,. t

10 104 05 ti a1 1

£> 05 05 0

10 »S 05 01 1

1 19 0I 11 11 1

Donations and Annual Subscriptions will be thankfully received by Messrs. WILLIS, PERCrvAr., and Co., 76, LombardStreet, Bankers to the Institution; Messrs. HKRRIF.S, FUWHAI, and Co., i6, St. James's Street) Messrs. COUTTS andCo., 59, Strand ; by all the Ix>ndon and Country Bankers; by the several Metropolitan Army and Navy Agents; andby the Secretary at the Office of the Institution, 14, JOHN STHE'KT, AnKi.rar, London.

Printed by GIOROE Cr-owisa, of SI Hussell Square, in the Cnuntv of Middlesex, at the Printini? Office of Messrs.Clowes "and Sons, T)nke "tree*. Stamford Street, in the Borough of Lambeth, County of Surrey ; nnd published byCHAKLBS KNIGHT, of 91) Fleet Street, in the Parish of St. Bride, in the City of London. Wednesday, July 1,1857.

the life-boat, · the life-boat, ob journal of the nationa life-boal institutiont . vol. ill—no....

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