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The Life-Boat Journal

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The Life-Boat Journal THE LIFE-BOAT JOURNAL OF THE Bational %ife=boat Jnatitution, (ISSUED QtTABTEBLY.) VOL. XIII.—No. 143.] FEBEUABY 1, 1887. [PRICK 3d. THE LIFE-BOAT DISASTEKS AT SOUTHPOET AND ST. ANNE'S. SINCE the publication of the last number 15.) The tide at the time of the rescue was about half ebb, and although there was an of the LIFE-BOAT JOURNAL, terrible disas- eddy running to the northward close in shore, ters have befallen the crews of the Life- the main stream was running W.N.W., or in boats at Southport and St. Anne's, on the the teeth of the wind, aud consequently con- siderably increasing the very heavy sea which coast of Lancashire, the full details of was already running owing to the continuance which are given in the following report of bad weather. The tide setting against the wind caused the sea to break heavily, rendering famished to the BOARD OF TRADE by the it extremely dangerous to boats. Special Commissioners appointed to hold The narrative-of the coxswain of the Life- the official inquiry into the circumstances, boat Charles Biggs is attached; it is briefly as follows:— Sir DIQBY MURRAY, Bart., attending on The Lytham boat was launched successfully behalf of the Board of Trade, and Capt. at five minutes past ten, signals of distress having been seen at 9.30 P.M., December 9th, the Hon. H. W. CHETWYND, E.N., Chief bearing about S.W. from the boat-house; she Inspector of Life-boats, on behalf of the proceeded down the river under oars for a mile EOYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION. and a half, and then set sail, steering about S.S.W., the wind being W.N.W., wind and sea about abeam. The boat was filled four or five [OFFICIAL KEPORT,] times, and when a quarter of a mile from the ship, the sails were taken in and the masts down. After getting the oars out, a heavy To the Eight Honourable breaking sea struck her, throwing the boat over The Lord STANLEY of Preston, &o., with her gunwale under water, the sudden President of the Board of Trade. lurch breaking three of the oars. The boat MY LORD, subsequently got safely alongside the ship, and In obedience to your instructions we have was successful in rescuing the crew. visited Southport, St. Anne's and Lytham, and She did not see either of the other Life-boats have inquired into the circumstances attending or any signals from them. the rescue of the crew of the barque Mexico, of Owing to the very heavy breaking sea which Hamburg, and the accidents to the Southport was running at the time, this was a very good Life-boat, Eliza Fernley, and the St. Anne's Life-boat, Laura Janet, and we now have the honour to report as follows:— Dimensions of the Charles Biggs: The rescue of the crew of the barque Mexico Ft. in. was effected by the Lytham Life-boat Charles Length over all .... 37 0 Biggs. Beam 80 There is some difference of opinion both as Depth 3 5J to the force of the wind and its direction during the period occupied by the rescue and the This boat had four water-ballast tanks hold- return of the boat, but as nearly as we can ing about one ton; the three after ones only judge the force was about 7 of Beaufort's scale, were filled on this occasion. and the direction W.N.W. We attach a memo- This was this boat's first service; she had randum and letter from Mr. Hartnup, of the only been about a fortnight in the hands of the Liverpool Observatory at Bidston. (Appendix VOL. XIII.—No. 143.—LIFE-BOAT JOURNAL. 214 THE LIFE-BOAT JOUENAL. [FEBRUARY 1,1887. opinion that in such a sea he may not have SODTHPORT BOAT ' ELIZA FERNLEY.' been able to prevent the boat falling off at times, but as he was a man of very great ex- Signals of distress were observed at the boat- perience, who had rendered good service in the house about 9 P.M. of December 9th. The crew past, we are not disposed to attach much im- were immediately assembled, horses procured, portance to this allegation. and the boat was transported about three and a half miles along the sands and successfully Dimensions of the Sonthport Life-boat. launched a little to the westward of the wreck. ft. in. By about 1 A.M. the Life-boat had reached a Length over all .... 34 0 position a little ahead of the vessel on her star- Beam 85 board bow, and was about to let go her anchor Depth 3 5J to veer down to the wreck, when a heavy This boat was built in 1874. breaking sea struck her about four points on the bow and instantly capsized her. Tho anchor at this time was in the act of THE ST. ANNE'S LIFE-BOAT. being let go, and consequently fell overboard with about 12 feet of cable, two or three ,turns . The distress signals were observed at about of the inboard part of which were round the 9.15; the crew were summoned, and the boat bollard, which turns were probably washed off was successfully launched at 10.25. as soon as ever the boat capsized. The depth She proceeded for about 500 yards under oars, of water was about 17 or 18 feet. and then made sail, crossing the Salt House The evidence is somewhat conflicting as to Bank. the number of men who were under the boat What happened after this is a matter of pure when she capsized; there is no doubt there conjecture. There is some evidence to show were six, and Henry Robinson, one of the sur- that two red lights and other signals were seen vivors, was of opinion there were nine, but as about west by north from Southport, at a dis- it was impossible for them to see one another, tance of about two miles. If these two red it is not quite certain that some of the voices lights were distress signals from the Life-boat, •which he heard may not have been those of she had probably met with some casualty in that men on the outside of the boat. position; but as none of her crew have survived, The boat never righted, and was found on any opinion as to the cause of the disaster must the beach about three miles to the westward of be purely hypothetical. The Life-boat was Southport at 3 A.M. of the morning of the 10th. found on the beach in the position marked on Three men, Peter Wright, Timothy Eighy, and the plan (Appendix No. 11) at 11.15 A.M. on Peter Jackson, were found dead under the boat. the 10th. The boat was bottom up, and three Balph Peters was found on the shore with life bodies were found hanging on the thwarts nearly extinct; he expired soon afterwards. with their heads downwards. The boat in John Ball was found at about 4.15 A.M. of the drifting ashore must have capsized as soon as 10th standing in a pool of water near the boat she got into shoal water, and it would then up to his knees; he was taken in a cab to the have been impossible for her to right again. Southport Infirmary and died there. Whether she capsized before this there is no John Jackson and Henry Eobinson came evidence to show. ashore in the boat and were able to effect their There is evidence of some shouting having escape, but they were in too dazed and ex- been heard in the direction in which these two hausted a condition to afford any .assistance to lights were seen, which renders it possible the the other men. These other men appear to boat may have been disabled in the before- have become entangled by the oars and lines, mentioned position, but we doubt whether it and no assistance unhappily being at hand they was possible for snouting to have been heard were unable to extricate themselves. The on such a night a distance of two miles, although other bodies were found in various positions on the listeners were to leeward. the beach. This boat had been out on service on five We are of opinion that the loss of life was occasions, and had saved six lives on December attributable to the boat never righting after 4th last. She was built ia 1881. she capsized, although there is evidence that We regret to have to state that from evidence she made several attempts to do so, but always taken by us at St. Anne's and Lytham we find fell back again, and we think her failure to that the coxswain was physically unfit for the right was occasioned by the anchor having performance of so arduous and difficult a service been let go, and also to the number of men as he was ill with consumption, and was not holding on round and under the boat, though expected by his medical man to last beyond the former of these two causes would probably the spring. be sufficient to account for the casualty, as has Two or three of the others were not strong been proved to have occurred on previous oc- men, and one poor fellow had only had a basin casions. of gruel all day prior to proceeding on this This boat had been out on service eleven times service.
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