EXTRAORDINARY LIFE BOAT ADVENTURE

Taranaki Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 660, 25 March 1865, Page 2 (Supplement)

EXTRAORDINARY LIFE BOAT ADVENTURE

[TO TIIE EDITOR OF THE "TIMES."]

Sni, — A description of a strange lifeboat adventure during tho late gales may be interesting to many of your readers.

In August last, two whaleboa l s, Constructed on the principles of the lifeboat, arrived in the harbor of Valcntia, on the south-west coast of Ireland. They were consigned to tho chargo of Mr. Bearney White, inspecting offloei 1 of Coastguards in that district, and were intended to be subjected to certain experimental trials which should test their qualities under all circumstances.

No weather occurred sufficiently heavy for such experiments until tbe late November gales. Some most successful trials then took place in the heavy Atlantic seas off this western coast, and tho behaviour of the boats was most satisfactory. - They differ slightly in construction. In the one built by Mr. Forrestt of Limehouse, the property of self-righting in case of being overturned is most prominent. This qnality does not exist to the same degree in the othor boat, built by Mi 1 . White, of Cowps> which is a much lighter craft, but her steadiness and irreversability, as wiU be scon, are most extraordinary.

The 26th of November last, opened on the west coast of Ireland with a heavy gale from W.N.W. The barometer had gone down to 2890. The force of the wind was 10. A tremendous sea was running and breaking wildly on the headlands of Dingle Bay. In one place it was observed for some miles bursting over more than 100 feet high. Everything was considered suitablo for a thorough trial of the lifeboats. Both were accordingly got ready for the occasion. They are merely five-oared whaleboats, provided with air-tight compartments, anil clearing valves for discharging the water.' Mr. Forrestt's boat was manned by the coxswain and five of the looal crew who are at present in. training for a large national lifeboat just presented by an English lady to this station. ."The other boat was manned by a Coastguard crew, and steered by the inspecting officer himself. Both crews were provided with Captain Ward's lifebelts.

Within the harbor all was comparatively smooth, vessels riding easily at their anchors, but the galo was so strong that the boats niado headway with great difficulty, the wind sometimes driving the , oars out of tho rowlocks up over the men's heads in spite of their utmost efforts to keep them down. Slow progress was made towards a passage leading out into a wild bay, called Lough Kay, which lies outside the harbor of Valenlia to the north. Here the sea was running mountains high, and it became evident that no boat of any description could live under it. Mr. White, however, being still determined to try the boatß even under tho circumstances, made his final arrangements for a bold experiment. He directed the boat which accompanied him to Ho in comparative shelter under Lamb Island, (a small grassy island 78ft. high, over which the sea was making a full breach), so that she might watch the fate of her consort, and render assistance if possible. Then was his own Coastguard crew, (in White of Cowe's boat) he dashed out into tho bay, watching each- tremendous roller and rounding her to meet it. About a quaiter of an hour passed in this struggle, when a great tidal wave was observed by the spectators gathering itself about a mile to sea-ward. Distinguishable by lookerson far inland, like a mighty Andes towering above lesser mountains, this Atlantio - giant swept in, extending right across the bay and leaping, far up the cliffs on oither side. In the opinion of experienced seamen who observed it this sea would have swept the decks of the Great Eastern like a raft. As it neared the devoted boat its appearance became more terrific. The water shoaled there from ten to seven fathoms, and, changing its shape with the conformation of the ground below, that which had been a rolling mountain rose into a rushing cliff of water.

Fever were six men in more desperate circumstances ; yet what men could do was boldly and steadily. The rule laid down for meeting a desperate sea is to pull against it with the utmost speed ; but for meeting such a sea as this no rule was ever made. Cheering his men forward, the steersman put his boafc right at it, calculating nicely to meet the sea at a right angle. Steadily, as if spurting in a race, the men strained at their oars, arid gliding, on even keel, like an arrow

the boat entered the roaring avalanche, its crest towering twenty-five feet above her, and ovor1 hanging. The inspecting officer, who was steering, and the chief boatman, who was jinHing stJoko oar, were hurled headlong over the boat's stern by, the falling sea. Had she not been of extraordinary strength, owing to her peculiar doublesided construction, she must have Ijeeu shivered like a bandbox. Crushing her bodily fathoms down, the sea bore her astern at lightning speed, tearing away her rudder irous and steering cratch by the pressure. The steersman was caught head downwards as she passed, by some projectin ghook or spur rowlock, and dragged thus for a few seconds ; then found himself suddenly freed and rising rapidly. On reaching the sur- i face he mot his chief boatman ab'eady afloat, but looking very much confused. The latter afterwards described himself as having been conscious of receiving some tremendous impetus,- which caused him, as he imagined, to turn a series of somersaults undor water. Though cased in heavy waterproof boots, thick pea-jackets, and oilcloth overcoats, tho lifebelts supported them with perfect case.

The sea which had hurled them out of the boat had beaten the rest of tho crow down as they bent over their oars in a stooping posture, each man on the thwart before him. The bowman alone was stunned. The remaining three retained perfect consciousness ; they had their eyes open, but all around was total darkness. ' They describe thoir sensation as like that of being whirled in an express train through a railway tunnel, but but wLethsr they were .in the boat or in the sea thoy could not distinguish a.t the time. At length a faint dawn of light reached their eyes, increasing rapidly, and they were conscious of rising through the green water ; and at last they emerged through the broken foam, sitting each man in his place. The first object that mot their eyes as the boat roic to the surface was the buoy of the Kay Rock close along side of them. This buoy is by measurement over four hundred yards from the place where the sea had struck thoir boat. She had boen shot about a quarter of a mile under water and had risen in the oxact position in which she had entered the sea, at right angles to it. A spare rowlock and a pair of boots were lying loose in the bottom of the boat, giving clear evidence that she had not once turned over during her exfraordinary submarine passage, The oars had all been lost but one, and with this they managed to keep her head to the seas, though she was drifting fast upon tho rooks asternInthe meantime the crew of the other boat had watohed the wholo occurrence ; but so appalled were these hardy fisherman by the appearance of the sea and by tho sight; Ihey had witnessed, that they refused at first to pull out to tho rescue in the face of what appeared to be certain death. The brave maa who commanded, however, Edward O'Neill, was determined to save his comrades or sharo their fate. By dint of entreaty and command he got thorn to pull out into the bay. Skilfully watching his time, sometimes putting his boat away before the roaring breakers, sometimes driving her over them, shipping seas forward and on both sides, he succeeded in picking up the officer and chief boatman, after they had been near half-an-hour in the water. They then pulled away for the other boat and reached her as she was fast drifting on the rocky shore, over which the sea was breaking furiously. A very few minutes later and boat and men would havo been })ounded to fragments on the sharp ledges that were rising black at intervals through the foaming water. They supplied the drifting boat with oars which they had. picked up from the water,' and both crows worked their way back into the harbor without loss of life or even- the slightest injury. The time which tho boat remained submerged is difficult to arrive afc. Under such circumstances seconds seem like minutes, both to actors and spectators ; but as far as I can judge from pretty fair data, she must have been about two minutes under water.

I can scarcely oxpect any one who reads this statement of so wonderful a preservation from destruction to believe it. I could not believe it myself at first, nor could any, save those who witnessed it. I can only say, that if any % oue will lake the trouble to investigate the particulars as I havo done, by close examination of both the actors in the scene and the spectators, ho will be convinced that I havo understated the circumstances. I am, Sir, your obadieut servant, RicHAitD Mahoxy, J. P., Dromore, County Kerry. December 7-