EXTRAORDINARY LIFE BOAT ADVENTURE.

Wellington Independent, Volume XIX, Issue 2176, 7 March 1865, Page 5

EXTRAORDINARY LIFE BOAT ADVENTURE.

(To the Editor of ths Times,) Siu, — A description of a strange lifeboat adventure during the late gales may be ialerostinjr to many of your readers. In August last, two whaleboots, constructed on the principles of the lifeboat, arrived in the harbor of Valeutia, on the south-west coast of Ireland. They were consigned to the charge «f Mr Bearney White, inspecting officer 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 the late November gales; Some most successful trials then took place in the heavy Atlantic seas off this western cuast, and the 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 quality does not exist to the same degree in the other boat, built by Mr White, of Cowes, which is a much lighter craft, but her steadiness and irreversability, as will be seen, are most extraordinary. The 26th of November list 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 somu miles bursting over more than 100 feet high. Everything was considered suitable for a thorough trial of the lifeboats. Both were accordingly got ready for the (occasion. They are merely five-oared whalebo&ts, provided with air-tight compartments, and clearing valves for discharging the water. Mr Forrestt's boat was manned by the coxswain and live of the local 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 gale was so strong that the boats made headway with great difficulty, the wind sometimes driving the oars out of the 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, culled Lough Kiy, which lies outside the harbor of Valentia to the north. Here the sea was running mountains high, and it became evident that no boat of any description could live un«ier it. Mr While, however, being still determined to try the boats even under the circumstances, made his final arrangements for a bold experiment. Ho directed the boat which accompanied him to lie In comparative sheltpr under Limb Tslaud, (a small grassy isl.md 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 with his own Coastguard crew, (in White of Cowes' boat) he dashed out into the bay, watching each tremendous roller and rounding her to meet it. About a quarter of an hour passed in this struggle, when a great tidul wave waa observed by the spectators gathering itself about a mile to sea-ward. Distinguishable by lookers- [ oi\ far inland, like a mighty Andes towering above the lesser mountains, this Atlantic giant swept in, extending right across the bay and leaping far up the cliffs on either 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. Never 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. Gheeiiug his men forward, the steersm.au put his boat 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, and gliding, on even keel, like an arrow the boat entered the roaring avalanche, its crest towering 25 feet above her, and overhanging. The inspecting officer, who was steering, and the chief hoalm in, who was pulling stroke oar. were hurled headlong over the boat's stern bj the falling sea. Hid she not been of exlivior--1 diuary strength, owing to her pecular doublesided construction, she must have been shivered like a bandbox. Crushing her bodily fathoms down, the sea bore her astern at lightning ; speed, tearing away her rudder irons and steer • ing crutch by the pressure. The steersmav 1 was caught head downwards as she passod, bj • some projecting hook or spur rowlock, am > dragged thus for a few seconds ; then fount himself suddenly freed and rising rapidly. Oi I reaching the surface he met his chief boatmai > already afloat, but looking very much confused 3 The latter afterwards described himself a > having been conscious of receiving some tremendous ' mendous impetus, which caused him, as h ; - imagined, to turn a series of somersaults unde ' water. Though cased in heavy waterproi 'f boots, thick pea-jackets, and oilcloth overcoat; c the lifebelts supported them with perfect ease. The sea which had hurled them out of th h boat had beaten the rest of the crew down ;i r they bent over their oars in a stooping postur s each man on the thwart befoie him. The boy z man alone was stunned. The remaining thre c retained perfect ousciousness ; they had the II eyes open, but all around was total darknes 0 They describe" their sensation as like that i ' s being whirled in an express train through J f railway tunnel, but whether tbey were in tl )l< boat or in the sea they could not distinguish »c the time. At length a taint dawn of lig is reached their eyes, increasing rapidly, and tin

] weva conscious of k'isinfj through the tjreeu ; water ; and at last they emerged through" the : broken foam, sitting each man in his place. The first object that met their eye 3as the '. boat rose to the surface was the buoy of the i Kay ilock closi; alongside of them. This buoy i is by measurement over four hundred yards i from the place where the sea had struck their ■ boat. She had been shot about a quarter of a mile under water and had risen in the exact ■ position iv which she had entered the sea, at right angles to it. A spare rowlock and a pair i of boots were lying loose in the bottom of the f boat, giving clear evidence that she had not ; once turned over during her extraordinary snbf marine passage. The oars had all been lost t but one, and with this they managed to keep her head to to the seas, though she wa9 drifting , | fasl upon tbe rocks astern. . j In the meantime the crew of the other boat j had watched the whole occurrence ; but so . ! appalled were these hardy fishermen by the ap- • peirance of the sea aud by the sight they had [ witnessed, that they refused at first to pull out • to the rescue in the face of what appeared to - i becertiin death. The brave man who com- ■ manded, however, Edward O'Neill, was deter- : mined to save his comrades or •share their fate, i By dint of entreaty find command he got them i to pull out iuto the bay. Skilfully watching bis i 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 beeu near half-an-hour in the water. They then pulled away for the other boat and reached her as she was fast diifting on the rocky shore, over which the sea was breaking furiously. A very few minutes later and boat and men would have been pounded to fragments on the sharp ledges that were rising black at intervals through the foaming water. They supplied the drifting boat with the oars which they had picked up from the water, and both crews worked their way back into harbor without loss of life or even the slightest injury. The time which the boat remained submerged is difficult to arrive at. Under such circumstances seconds seem like .ninutes, 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 expect 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 one will take the trouble to investigate the particulars as I have done, by close examination of both the actors in the sceue and the spectators, he will be convinced that I have understated the circumstances. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, Richard Maiiony, J. P., Drotnore, County Kerry. December 7.