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. PERSONAL MEMORIES OF THE…
PERSONAL MEMORIES OF THE OLD I COXSWAIN. One who Knew Him" write.s :-What will Port Eynon be without Billy? It :s hard to realise, but it is a cruel fact. Billy has gone-in company of two of hi-s brave crw-whi1 trying to succour distressed human beings; gÜJle, I believe, in the "ay he would liavo chosen to go. I am one of those who could claim Billy Gibbs as a close fÚend-of whom he had a large number. Tn fact, I have yet to meet the man. woman, or child who krow Billy and did not claim him zs a mend. BillyV friendships seemed to be so to speak, in circles, inner and outer. His inner or cloijer friends were those whom he admitted to a great extent to his confidences and to his comfortable and bachelor ifreside. I was one of those, and his memory shall always be cherished by me. I cannot sav whon I first, knew Billy. My acquaintanceship with him com- menced almost as soon as I began to brave the sea. and that is many years ago. In my juvenile mind he was the man who knew how to do things, and did them. Though crippled in limb, his activity and smartness on tho water and in the water was marvellous. He had the spirit and heart of a lion. His character was such as to instinc- tiveiy command respect. No one ever heard of Bill doing a mean or shady thing, but on the contrary he seemed ever on the look out to advise and assist any- body whf1 required his services. My ideal I of a holiday was to go in. my boat to Porteynon, spending some days and nights there I was perfectly aware that there was considerable risk in the undertaking, but the comforting thought was: "Billy is there, and he'll see me right." Photo byj [Chapman. I *<Snty"G!bb5. | Ha frequently warned me of the danger to the boat in leaving her ??t anchor just off the harbour, and would often insist upon taking her into the little berth, making her even more secure than he did I his own craft. It. was after some years tliat his warn- ing to me came true. Caught in a heavy easterly gale, my boat parted her chain and went ashoro on the rocks at low- water just under the lifeooat house. Billy, at considerable risk to himself, and with the assistance of the visitors got everything ashore that was liable to da.mage from the SM. while the boat was pounding on the rocks, and then, to save her being thrown in over the rocks scuffced her to keep her quiet. When the tide receded/ Billy was there, and with some help got her patched up and floated into harbour next tide. With- out Billy, I'd have had some cartloads of firewood. I asked Billy how much I owed him. That, was the only occasion upon "h1011 I saw Billy in a bad temper. He was one of the most modest and un- assuming men I've ever met. I recall a time some yesrs ago "when, with his previous sailing- boat he saved a number of people from grave danger. Billy did it, but. in the published reports he was scarcely mentioned, while the credit was placed to another's account. I, with a local gentlen'.an who also knew the facts, .? o 1,-rew the fac, -rq, pressed Billy to allow ns to publish the true account "No," said he, "it might do he\some good, and it don't hurt me." Yes, Billy h,'li! a noble character. He was always brave in the face of danger, and kept his nerve. Here's an instance. He left Porteynon early one morning in his boat to go to tho Worm's Head fer a da.y's fishing. A-fter clearing the point, he went into his little forecastle for the purpose of light- ing the stove t,, boil water for tea. The onlv entrance through a small hatch on deck, the cover being hinged on the fore and aft line. When open the cover leaned back against the mast, nearly up- right. He had just got his kettle on the etove. when the boat gave a bit of a lurch, and the cover fell, throwing the asp down over tho staole, and Billy was effectively trapped. To giTe the story in his own words. My firt thoubt was which way is the bo;it casting—off towards the Helwicks or ashore on the rocks? for there was a nasiv sea running. Then how to zet out. I got on my back under the hatch, and tried to kick it un. T could'do nothing. Then I remembered there was a1)re anchor forward; I tried that, but there was no room to get a good blow. By this time the sweat was running off me like rain. and the smoke from the old lamp was chokinsr me. I nearly gave up, and said: My time is come, and I'm to be drowned like a rat in a trap.' Just then the stock- fen awav from the anchor, snd this being shorter, I had another go, and after a bit j got a hole through, which enabled me to lift the asi). When I came out I found the boat was laying her course beautifully between the shore and the sands, but I was too shaken to keep on. I went back home, and when 1 looked in the glass I I was fair scared, for I was black as a nigger, what with sweat and lamp smoke. I shifted them hinges." Sitting with him one day not very long ago in the watch-house overlooking Port- eynon Bay, we were talking of tho past. a Well," said Billy, perbil-w, the time is coming when I ought to be giving up the boat. I am getting too old for the job, but they won't hear of my giving up. I expect the 5Nl will have me in the end; and I don't know that I would like to go any other way."
FLYIHC SIGNALS OF DISTRESS.I
FLYIHC SIGNALS OF DISTRESS. I A report, from an authoritative source describing the Porteynon lifeboat disaster is as follows;— The crew assembled at about 9.30 on Saturday morning bv rocket signal, the reason for firing which was a report from Oxwich that a siteniiier wa, in the bay flying signals of distress. The lifeboat was iiruiiediately launehod, and proceeded to the steamer. She got, alongside the I steamer, brought up, and came to anc hor. The anchor did not hold very well, and the lifeboat, dragged to leeward of the I steamer. The name of the steamer is the L'unvegan. of Glasgow. The steamer took no notice of the luil of the lifeboat, and the lifeboat got her anchor up and made sail to try to work back into a position to again speak the steamer, but failed, the reason being that there was too much wind and sea, In endeavouring to carry out this manoeuvre the lifeboat capsized. At this' time, she was about a mile to eastward of Pwlldu Head, and about a mile from the short. This would be about 2.30 p.m. There was a very heavy sea coming up on the starboard quarter, and rolled her (the lifeboat) over. When the boat righted, the whole of the crew. with one exception -William Harris—had been thrown out of the boat. He s'uccesded in pulling on hoard several mainbers of the crew, and efforts were inad e to pick up the re- mainder. George Harry and William Eynon were lost at that. time. The life- boat lost, at her capsize, her mast and gear, signal*, rockets, and the gear attached to the mast. The remaining members of the crew got away tho gear, cleaied the I wreckage, and fiettled down and pulled for the Mumbles (making very little pro- grass), with the intention of ge tting clear I of the Mixon Sands, and s-? reaching Mumbles. After about ten minutes pulling another sea struck her in thp same way arid with the same result. All the crew were thrown into the water except Vtilliam Howells. He helped in getting some of the crew on board, and they in turn assisted the others on hoard. The coxswain did not get back on board. Such I search as was possible was made, with no result. and he was not seen again. A decision was then taken to anchor where they were, and the reasons that the crew were much exhausted, that the g'GH! was gone, the ma?t broken, and there ap-I peared nothing else to be done. More- over, the rockets were lost, and no signals could possibly be made. That was about 4 p.m. on the 1st (Saturday), The anchor did not hold very well, and in fact was not meant to. because the crew wanted what is known as a. short scope, and the lifeboat continued to drag scope, aiid liie I until about abreast of the Mumbles Head, when scope was given and the anchor held on. It was now about 2 a.m.. and the boat held on until daylight, when the crew got up their anchor and went into Mumbles oil the flood.
FRENCH SCHOSKER WRECKED.I
FRENCH SCHOSKER WRECKED. I It was while< the gale was at its height on Saturday afternoon that the little French schooner Courli-s. of Bayonne, brok e awy from her anchor in the Mumbles Koads, and notwithstanding tOO untiring efforts of her crew she drifted on to the fclyg banks between the King's Dock and Jersey Marine, and at laylight oil Sunday morning she became a total (pvrecic. Happily all the crew of seven were saved, and were well eared for when they were landed, by means of a life-line being nxed from the main mast to the shore, and the members of the crew were by this method brought ashore, and wel- comed by a large crowd who had been watching the little craft battling against such terrific odds, and eventually suc- cumbing to the merciless waves. Included in the crowd were two or three French captain* and eeam«n belonging to craft lying in the Eael Dock. who did all they could for their compatriots, whikst some soldiers took the poor fellows and provided them with a .good sul>stantial j meal, ot which they heartily partook, and they were subsequently handed over to the care and charge of M. Cabot, the local shipbroker, who < onducted them to the Swansea Sailors'' Dome. On Sunday morning our representative visited the Sailors' i-ome, and found Captain Louis Guiiamme and the other membors of his crew seated down to a good substantial meat breakfast, and at intervals relating the cireumstances ot the loss of the vessel to M. Je Bars, the well-known acting French Consul at Swan- sea. Captain Guillamme said the Conrtis was bound from St. Servan to BriLnferry with a cargo of steel turnings. She. ar- rived in the Mumbles Roads on December 30th. and had been waiting for a tug to tow her to Britonferry on account of the severity cf the weather. There were, how- vpr, no tugs available. On Saturday morning the Mumbles life- boat came up close to the Courli& and atked whether they required any assis- tance, and Captain Guillamme replied in the negative. as at that period he con- cluded everything was going all right with him. Towards the afternoon the wind assumed a greater virulence than ever, and about; four o'clock the cable euddenly linn l'ped. When the captain realised his position he did allin his power to make for Swan. sea, using as much sail as he considered would eventually bring tbe vessel into port. For some little time favourable headway was being made, but it was soon seen that all was r.ot going well, as the length of the anchor cable was interfering with the navigation cf the schooner, but in spite of these adverse circumstances Captain Guillaine succeeded in bringing hisliÜl", crafc almost between the East and W est Piers, but the seas here were terrific, and beset with these diiffculties the vessel drifted by degrees into the breakwater, and after buffetting about for some time the craft was stranded, and by means of a line the crew was at length safely landed after undergoing a terrible experience. Captain Guillaine is exceedingly grate- ful for the kindness shown him and his crew by the soldiers and others who were only too eager to do all in their power for them. Ho said, in conclusion, that he and his mate remained watching his ill- fated craft througV>ut Saturday night, and at daylight on Sunday morning she had become a total wreck.
MUMBLES LIFEBOAT OUT AGAIN.I
MUMBLES LIFEBOAT OUT AGAIN. The Mumbles lifeboat reeaived another call at nine o'clock on Sunday night-the fifth in two days. Notwithstanding the wearying nature of their previous efforts, the crew cheerfully responded, a.nd were quickly at the station. There is was learned that a message bad been received from porthcawl stating that a vessel was in distress off the Scarweather Lightship. The gale was still blowing furiously, and as no tug was available, it was de- cided not to make an attempt which could not possibly succeed. An intima- tion was accordingly sent tp Barry, but there again no tug was at hand, so Lynton was warned. The latte-r boat got away, and took the ship into port. At three o'clock on Sunday afternoon, just 3s the Porteynon lifl-boatmeu-still looking infinitely weary and some of them with their swollen and cut hands ban- daged—were on the point of returning by motor-bus to their little Gower home, news came to the Ya,cht Club that there was a steamer in want of assistance some- where off Orwieh. The Mumbles lifeboat cr«w—who had only returned from their attexupt to help the schooner Courlis at two o'clock that morning—was summoned at once, and there was a rush on the part of villagers and visitors to the lifeboat house near the Mumbles railway terminus. No time was lost, and there were men i.n abundance to man the boat. Coxswain William Davies, looking as young as the youngest in the crowd, and moving 88 vigorously as one who had enjoyed the soundest and longest night's rest, was upon the scene in a very few minutes. The door of the lifeboat house was opened, the crew already with their life-belts fixed and their oilekins on, took their stations, the rocket was fired, and the boat was run down the slip. The water inside the Head was fairly smooth, although there was a nasty ground-swell and the wind was dead on the land. It took a very few minutes for the boardirg boat to reacll the 1ifeho, and the transfer was very quickly done. Then ensued, for the hundreds of spec- tators who braved the elements and watched from the headland, a mystifying time. First it was reported that the life- boat awaited a tow from the pilot eteamer. Then the liteboat made a wide stretch out into the bay, and she almost disappeared from view in the gathering darkness. Next she was seen coming in toward s the boarding boat, and presently the crowd of visitors 6aW the crew trans- ferring themselves once again to the shore boat and returning. It appears that when off the Heai i-,he was spoken by a steamer to the effect that the lifeboat was not wanted, and that the steamer in distress off Oxwich had asked for tug-boat assistance. After the boarding boat had been "housed." the coxswain came to the door, and wished the crowd "A Happy New Year." The spirit of the Mumbles life- boatmen is indomitable.
PREVIOUS DISASTERS.
PREVIOUS DISASTERS. Twice within the memory of. living man the brave lads of Mumbles have come to grief while on errands of mercy similar! to that of Saturday. Saturday night. January 9th, 1903, was' a memorable day at Mumbles. In a I fresh gale the lifeboat put out from Mumbles in the afternoon to the assis- tance of a steamer which was in difficul-j ties off the PorI: Talbot bar. The lifeboat j was asked to stand by, and during the evenhig, as the tide rose, the lifeboat was capsized on the bar. Six lives were, lost, and sorac of the survivors made heroic efforts to rescue their fellows. In January* J882-almost to the day 33] years previously—the Mumbles lifeboat i came to grief on Mumbles Head, and seven lives were lost. This was the tragedy concerning which the herom of the. Misses Ace, the women of Mumbles Head," has been immortalised in verso by Mr. Clement Scott. The poem records tlte happenings of a dreadful night, and through it all the world has heard how the intrepid sisters waded into the surf and threw a chain of shawls to the struggling lifpoootmpn-a few of whom still survive in the village.
-I IWAS THERE DELAY? II
WAS THERE DELAY? II An inquest was held on Friday after- noon. before the Borough Coroner, on the body of Joseph Brown, whose body was picked up on Swansea Sands on Wednesday. Mr. W. A. Thomas repre- sented the owner of the schooner. Ethel Jane, 01 Arklow. Mr. F. E. Baulanger represented the National Lifeboat Associa- tion. Thomas TyrcII. Prospect-place, ship chandler, identified the bodj as that of the mate of the schooner E?iabeth Janp. at Arklow. He would be between 55 and! C? years of age—probably 60. J)e-cezk di left Cardiff on the ship the wee k beile last. Mz-. Thomas: Are vou able to say whether the Mumbles life-boat went to the assistance of this 5h ip f Witness: From your experience as captain, have you ever had ocflacion for the assistance ox a lifeboat;— y. on one occasion. Do you know what is the custom, to go out to a vessel in distress, or is it neces- sary to wait for signal of distress?—In most cases, yes: but if the vessel was in distress, they would go without signalling then. By Mr. Boulanger: The circumstance on the occasion he referred to was a col- lision. Mr. Boulanger: Under those circum- stances no life-boat would wait to be asked Sergt. Rees said he discovered the body on Wednesday last. He was called at I about 2 p.m. by ex-Inspector Williams, and was shown the body rear Vivian's Stream, about a hundred yards below high water mark. The body was very heavily dressed. There were superficial scratches on the face. Mr. W. A. Thomas here remarked his instructions were to come to the inquest and find out why the lifeboat was not sent out to the ship. I Ex-Chief Inspector Lewis Williams said he was near Vivian's Stream, and saw the body en the sands. He at first thought it was a piece of tarpaulin. James Prewett, 9, Henrietta-street, master of the pilot, cutter Beau fori, said) that on Monday he went to the assistance] of tho schooner. That was at 5.40 p.m. He had been told there was a schooner in dis- tress. The vessel had been sheltering in the bay for three or four days. He steered to where he thought the schooner would be; by the time they reached the spot, the schooner 113(1 sunk. but both masts were above water. A man in the rig- ging wi'.s shouting for assistance. Wit- ness steamed in, thinking to get. the life- boat, blowing their whistle. He did not know whether the lifehoat was launched; it was very d-ark. They went bael- to the schooner and tried to rescue t he man, but a heavy sea came, broke right over the mast, and pIled their own boat with water. fChey were also for a few minutes rendered helpless. After that tlt?y cruised around, but as they could find no trace of life gave it up, and returned to Swansea. He saw the life- boat afterwards, but could not hear any- thing; it was a. very heavy sea. He had seen a rocket go up, he supposed, from the lifeboat station, but saw no signal from the ship. The schooner would be about a quarter of a mile from the lifeboat station.. The wind was blowing from the shore. He thought the vessel must have rolled about &o much that she broke her hatches and sunk. That could happen in a few minutes. The sea that broke over the r masts and their boat was a tremendous one; one like that would have sunk the schooner in a few minutes. Mr. Thomas: Do you think the lifeboat, had it been there, could have got that man off the rigging? Witnegs: They would have had a better chance than the Beaufort. That man's life could have been saved if the lifeboat had been there?—Yes. By Mr. Boulanger: The schooner had not changed its position. He did not think that the distance between the life- boat station and the schooner was a mile. A juryman: Would you like to say you thought there was any neglect, on the part of the lifeboat? Witness: No, I wouldn't like to say that. Mr. F. Boulanger paid he was hon. secretary of the Swansea, Mumbles and Port Eynon branches of the National Lifeboat. Institution. He was i. t the MumMe?, md saw the schooner several t.lmœ during the day. The vessel vas thea in his opinion, quite safe, though riding uncomfortably. Had there been any danger, the lifeboat would have been dis- patched instantly. That was his busi- ness at the station, which he left at 6 p.m. Aa be left, he saw the schooner put out a light, which would indicate that ordinary routine of the ship was proceed- ing. Afterwards he saw the schooner burn a big flare, and then a, rocket went up from the station. He knew that. the boat would be out immediately before he could return. By Mr. Thomas: It was quite a common thing in rough weather to congregate, and there were plenty present to man the boat. The practice everywhere of the life- boats was not to wait for a signal of dis- tress, hut to go at once if a ship was seen to be in danger. Questioned at some length by Mr. Thomas as to why the lifeboat had not. gone out to offer assistance, witness ex- plained that they must have some grounds, and until this flare there was nothing whatever. Witness also alluded to a letter which had appeared in the papers, in which it, was stated that, the liteboat crew were waiting for orders, and aaid that no orders were Ilp- ce.Irv to be given for the launching -f th(, lifeboat; the coxswain could take the initiative at any. moment.. c<- William Davies, „Southend, Mumbles, the coxswain of the Mumbles iifb,,t. agreed th? there ? no 6ign of danger to the vessel. Had t-?em been any such indication he would have taken the lifl"- boat out without asking anyone. He had over 50 years' experience, and had been coxswain for 13 years. He could not understand the message that was con- veyed to the Beaufort. From the time of the flare till tho boat was on the spot wherf, the schooner lay was not more than, halt an hour. Coroner: How long did it take you? Witness: The boat actually fled." HD did not know the exact time the flare went up. They were out. till 10 o'clock. "When, you looked to the wind-ward the spray would knock your eyes out. The life-i boat did no tsee the schooner. Dr. H. L. Atkinson, of 21, Lower-road, > Rothcrhithe. was killed in a collision be-: fwpea his motor-brougham and an omni* bus near his surgery on Saturday. Owing to the trigger of his gun catching in a bag of potatoes, Mr. W. Clearke. Stukeley Hall, Holbeach, Lines, received ) inj uries from which he died on Saturday. Tlie Eastbourne Police Force, thirty- six of whose members are at the from., have received ET12 as a Christmas gifts from the public. The Coroner said there was no evidence to show how the man met his death, and the safest verdict was one of "Found Drowned." As io tlif. question of the life- boat, the coxswain was a man of expedi- ence. and hie evidence should carry weight. He says there was no necessity for the lifeboat going out. Probably th-3 real C'an of the sinking of the whocner was the smashing of the hatches, as Capt. Pet-rett had stated, and the vessel filled with water. All that could have hap- pened in two minutes, and so two min- utes before the ship went dawn anyone who was a good judge might have said ihe was perfectly safe. The jury returned a verdict of "Found Drowned"; and expreseed the opinion that the lifeboatmen had done all that was possible.
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INQUEST OH THE CAPTAIN.
INQUEST OH THE CAPTAIN. Little additional light was thrown 011" the foundering of the schooner Elizabeth Jane, of Arklow, by the inquest on tIt" body of the aged captain. John Lyneu, held on Tuesday, at Mumbles Polico Station. The only point .cleared up was that the ill-fated vessel must have gone down very soon after showing her flare. The inquest was conducted by Mr R, W. Beor (deputy Coroner) at the Mumbles Police Station. Councillor Harry Davids being the foreman of the jury. Captain Tyrrell, 1. Prospect Pbwe, Swansea, identified the body as that of John Lynch, captain of the schooner. 11 o had known deceased as long as he could remember. Captain Lynch was 71 year.,i ot age. Captain Tyrrell said he last eaw deceased alive in June. 1915. By the Foreman: There were only three men on the one having de- serted her at Cardiff before. che. left. Captain James Brewitt, 9, Henrietta- street, Swansea, master of the pilot cutter Beaufort, said that at 5.10 p.m. OIL Monday, December 27th, he was told that there was a vesse l in distress in the bay., and he immediately proceeded to tICa. He arrived at the scene at 6.12 p.m. TW vessel had then sunk. The mast was above water. We heard a man crying ijL the mast somewhere. We made every, endeavour to save him," said the witness,J but a big sea came and broke the mast off. The same sea broke aboard our cutter, rendering us practically helploo:5 for a tibort time. We could see nothing further after that. We cruised around fo,- some time, but found no sign of life. We returned to Swansea at S p.m.. j By the Coroner: It was dark and we-I could see no one. We distinctly heard a,1 voice calling, Send the lifeboat." The schooner had been there wand bound for practically a week, and "-4- passed her, frequently. She had shown no sign of distress before Monday. By the Foreman: Witness could not say who sent the message. A gentleman down to the jetty and told us; gentleni-or, tow witness lie had the ln" formation from a policeman. It.-38 TLOL from the lifeboat. By Mr. Wm. Burt: It was DOt Possible that his vessel struck the t in the heavy sea. He was on the 1f"6 lrle of tJae schooner, clear of her altogether. By Mr. Harry Daviee: saw no, signals of distress from the schooner oil the day of her wrocic- Mr. Davies was proeeding to estate that certain reports had been spread by per- sons who knew nothing of the raatt-,r. and tJie&e were110* fair to the lifeboat. The Coroner, however, pointed out that he could not accept a statement. jam. obhs, valet, Blackpill. Fstidi that on Monday morning at 8.15, when walking 011 2"a,nd." between BlaelPV- and Sketty-road he found the I)o,,iy of deceased- Captain Jyrrell, recalled by h'! Coroner" caiii deceased was a marr'M maJl, and lived in Arklow, Ireland. In reply to Mr- C. P. Bell: DeeeÐ's1. w<lS not the owner of the oeho,)n" i" The Coroner pointed out that the^e no evidence other than that the body wg-& that of Lynch, and that he was found drowned. The jury returned a verdict of 10 Fcmaf Droj.
= PORTEYNON LIFEBOAT DISASTER.I
= PORTEYNON LIFEBOAT DISASTER. I THREE MEMBERS OF THE CREW lOST I w- Ill aswrs travels apare, and at an eeilv- horH on Sunday morning Mumbles was agcg with ex-c-i and stricken with sorrow at the news that the Porteynon •lifeboat had met with a catastrophe, and that three of the crew bad perished. When I lieard the news I recalled at otiee that "twice previously lifeboat disasters bad mtade sere hearts at Mumbles. and 011, eatrh, occasion in the first month of the yeatJ Proceeding towards Ssouthend, ill- I desired confirmation was to he found, and groups of natives, and particularly of the seafaring fraternity, were discussing the eircumstaiices ot the calamity. 1 learned that the srrviyorp,-ten in number ■—wfijo at the Yacht Cafe. I foaind that the crew of "T i\ Daughters' Offering "-tor such is the name of the Porteynon i;' boat* had been succoured by e(Adit,rs w h o, iirtdei- soldiers who, under Major Harrison, are at pjpeeCTit balletted at Messrs. R. E. Jonew Yacht Cafe, Mumblea. When I., entered the narm and comfortable room upstairs, I found that the hosts, with true soldierly hospitality, were exerting every ^effort for the comafort of the ten survivors whose experiences of 22 hours in the roughest gale that has ever raged around keso coasts. will never be eifaced from their memories. llljpj were, of course, in no fit etate to tell a connected story, but in simple, inajily language, they gradually unfolded 11 tale which will rank high in the history of Gower waroanship, a tale of indomit- ablebrave-ry and determined effort. In the maes of khaki it would have, been impossible to distinguish who were the sailor-men of Porteynon, but for the ecars and bandages, the obvious marks of fatigue. and the lines that tokened "sailor," which exposure to the elements had written on their countenance?. For all ten "were dressed in soldier's grey flanr.ei shirts and khaki trousers which were perhaps uot perfect fits, but were never- tiveleas a welcome temporary substitute for the eeanpoaked garments they had tem- porarily discarded. A few of them were lying in the bunk* not long since vacated by the soldiers. A general inquiry showed that tlrere were no serious injuries. All were bruised, of course, but there was not a broken, bone o. se-i<)Am wound among them. The worst case was that of Win. llowell, WIt<> must have received the full force of rPk of the gigantic waves that struck the lifeboat, or have been heavily thrown against tome part of the boat, for his back and hands were very badly bruised. Indeed, it is noteworthy that in nearly ewry case the iiands were bandaged, which is easily explained by the feet that they had to cling for dear life to any- thing it was possible to grip wh'le then- boat was keel uppermost, on two occa- sions. and here is the story that was told me. bit by bit. in broken fragmentary sentences and interrupted chat by the seamen as we gathered round the tire. It was about 10 o'clock on Saturday morning when the news reached Port- eynon that a three-masted steamer was in difficulties somewhere between Oxwich and Pwlldu. At. this time the sea was a seething cauldron, with fearful breakers throwing themselves upon the rocks and waves that would do credit to an Atlantic storm roaring up channel frem the we.st'- ard. But there were lives in peril, or at le.ibt such was the news; and true to the traditions of their glorious past, the men of Porteynon responded. The full com- plement of regular lifeboat men was not obtainable at the moment, but there was no lack of volunteers, and among those vii-o (:IamDure(i for mi oar was young Win. Grove, a trooper in the Glamorgan Yeo- DL -i,, r v. who happened to !>« home on leave,nd whose father, Mr. WIIL. Grove, is a well-known member of the lifeboat crew. Young William had never been out in a lifeboat before, but as he was a lusty young man, and could pull a good oar. his services were accepted. The launch was no easy matter, but. d<*jpite the elements, the boat was speedily got away on her errand of mercy. Watchers on "the shore (for all the little village had turned out to see the lifeboat vet oil) saw her, now mounting the crest ei a terrific wave, now submerged in trough"; then rising again, hut ever riding like a oork, and twelve strong pairs of arms bent to the task of bringing her up to the teeth of the gale. The mast creaked but held good, and excellent progress was made until the! eteamer, believed to be the Dunvegan, of Glasgow, came into view. .By this time it must have been well past, noon, though, of course, ao one had the opportunity of con- sulting a watch. Xcxt it was dis- covered that the steamer was in a gdoet position, and required no aid. Her state, indeed, was better than, that; of the lifeboat, for the crew of the latter, but- feted a& they had been for two or three hours by wind and wave, were beginning to weary, and the ta6k that faced them— that of returning to Porteyncwa against the gale™was palpably an impossible one. Dracribing this part of their experience, one of the crew said to me: W|»> ran up towards the steamer, which lay about midway betwoen Oxwich and Pwlldu. There we let go the anchor. By the time we brought her to. we were astern of the steamer, and we knew that we could not render any assistance in that position. So We got the anchor up again, and for two hours we battled with the waves and the high eeas in the effort to get back to her. We saw it was u?elei« to try—itwas im- possible. No man alive, no crew alive, could have made any headway in that boiling sea, We fought as long as we could,, and then realising how futile it wiw. we decided to put about and run to- wards the Mumbles. Whether tii* cox- •wain intended calling at Mumbles for a tug we do not know; he never told us." And &o. under close reef canvas, the mn for Mumbles was commenced. It aight have been half-past one; it might have been two o'clock—that is as near as the crew can gauge—when the first disas- ter befel the lifeboat. A huge sea came under the starboard quarter, and, as one of them put it, lifted us out of the water and turned us dean over." For a minute or two, thirteen men were under the craft struggling for their lives. Wm. Harris alone was left in the boat. He had gripped a seat, and as whe righted was lifted back into the life- boat. He aided some of his comrades back. Another member of the crew, speaking as. to this point, said:— "While she was keel up I felt the ropes around my feet, and knew, of course, what, had happened. I must haTe got hold of a life-line, and I held on to that until she came up." The boat was keel uppermost for some trine, her sail holding her under water -until the mast snapped with the strain and was carrie d clear. When the boat righted it was found that William Eynon. the second coxswain. and kis brother-in-law, Geo. Harry, had been lost. Some of the crew say they saw nne of the men some ten or fifteen yards ».v-ay,' but, in any case, efforts to recover them 'Raited. There were now eleven men left aboard and it was decided, when hope of picking up their comrades had to be abandoned, to continue the run for Mumbles. ThQre was no sail to aid them now, and the worn Sind battered crew had to take to He oars. 'L ett, than half-an-hour after the first catastrophe the crew were to learn that tihey were by no mean6 at the end of their troubles. Another huge wave astruck the hoftt nn, and for a minute or two the whole of the crew were, stunned. Then fciipy w.ere again struggling ia Uw water under an 'upturne d boat: and when she righted it was f01U1d that a third member:1 of the crcw—this time William Gibbe— had been washed away. Gallant William! Crippled in body though he was. he had the heart of a lion. There was nothing on earth, and no sea that ever ebbed or flowed, that Coxswain Gibbs would not face. He died, perhaps, as he would have wished, battling with the ele- ments in the hope of lifct. He is go lie to his reward, for has not the poet said of another and less clean living hero of the waters— lie saw his duty a durned euro thing, And he did it thar and then; And Christ ain't agoiu* to be too hard On a man that died for Lien." There is no room for tears as to the manner of Coxswain Gibb' death, nor for the fact that he went to his account, un- ho use led and upaneled; the only cause for grief is that there is one good and brave man less in the world. And ww without the coxsw:Ú.il.. è 1111 with only seven oars lefc, for rhe rest had been carried a ay, tho run to the Mumbles Head was resumed. It was still Lglit. The waves had lost none of ¡'e;r fury. Then, as the darkness fell, and with the Mumbles Head still some four or fire miles off, the survivors were in a sorry plight. The double catastrophe had robbed them, not only of skipper and comrades, but of their lamp, their i-ocr kets, and such sluall comforts as a life- boat generally carries. Here with every- thing iost save courage, the indomitable ten dropped anchor. In the gathering gloom they saw the Mumbles lifeboat pass a bare few hundred yards away. A signal, had they had one to give, would l ave saved them a night of suffering and anguish, but there was not so much as a match aboard that cquld be struck. Such supplies as they had in their pockets had 01 course ken saturated. Thlll there parsed these weary men what they took to lie a tug boat. Doubt- loss it was the gallant pilot cutter Beau- fort, but in any case they could not speak her. Still another steamer passed, this time within hailing distance. But all eifoits to attract her attention failed. It was a night that might have made a stout iieart quail, but there was no quail- ing in the strong hearts of tho ten men [ ot Porteynon. Then, on the morning tide, the. final i effort to reach Mumbles was made—this time with success. It was half-past, seven or eight o'clock on Sunday morning when 11 he wear)- crew rounded the pier, brought, their boat up, on the Mumbles Beach. There was a warm welcome among the iisherfolk of Souihead who had them- selves experienced similar triais on two occasions. Preparations were made to take them to the premises which were formerly those of the Bristol Channel Yacht Club. Major Harrison, however, and his men extended a hearty welcome to them, and it was accordingly to the I acht Cafe where I found them that they were taken. Nothing more could pos- sibly have been done to the storm-tossed mariners than was done here. Bruises were treated, lacerated hands handaged, half-frozen bodies rubbed, and dry clotll- mg provided by the soldiers under the supervision, of Dr. J. Cyril Curtis, of Southend, Mumbles. The crew, who had had nothing to eat tor 24 hours, were pro- vided with the necessary stimulants and ( food by orders of the doctor. ? ( i c)(,Lor. Before I left the premises, soldierly kindheartedness was again evinced by a whip-round, which realised nearly t2 ]Os. Sliortly after 3 p.m. on Sunday the men were taken back to Porteynon by motor.
IThe Porteynon Crew. 1
The Porteynon Crew. The composition of the crew was M I followa:— Lost. William Gibbs, coxswain, bachelor, aged 1;1. William Eynon, second coxswain, married, leaves a wife and two daughters, aged respectively 21 and 19. Eynon was the village blacksmith, and 51 years of age. George Harry, one of the crew, married, two boys aged 14 and 12, and two girls aged 10 and 8 years. He was 45 years of age. Saves. J Captain George Eynon. William Grove (senior). Onsi«w Grove. William Grove (junior). Leonard Jehkin3. James Jenkins. John Jenkins. Willi-am Howell. William Harris, John Morris. John Morris a.nd William Grove (junior) were both volunteers, and it was their first time to do duty )n flit-, lifeboat. The latter, as already stated, is a trooper in Lhe Glamorgan Yeomanry, ———- S. R. W.
HEROIC EFFORTS TO RESCUE COMRADES…
HEROIC EFFORTS TO RESCUE COMRADES When the. news of the Porteynon life- boat's terrible experience became knowu in Swan-sea, our representative made a special iournev to the little' village on the Gower vast. The remnant of the gallant crew had just arrived by motor 'bus, and several of these lecounted their thrilling experiences described fully elsewhere—to our representative. Weather beaten and dishevelled, and clad in their temporary khaki suits, they presented an appearance which clearly showed they had been through a most trying ordeal. The village folk gave tho gallant crew a full-hearted welcome, and-as they told, in subdued accents, the fate of the three men who had been engulfed by the merci- less seas, tears tilled the eyes of the listeners, who had known The men like so many brothers. Deep sympathy was felt for the bereaved relatives, but a special pang of sorrow was evinced at the loss of brave old Billy Gibbs. He was a feariess son cf the sea, and when duty called, as on this occasion, he, with the other brave -ated a moment to fellows, never hesitated a moment to respond, nor thought of self. Billy," as those who knew him well- and who did not in Gower?—had a record of work with the lifeboat of which auy man might feel justly proud. One of h:3 most thrilling experiences, which nearly cost him his life, happened 33 years ago. A Newport trader was in peril off this dangerous part of the coast, and one of the crew got washed overboard. Gibbs, with wonderful courage, swam out to the man. who was on the point of drowning, and clutched him by the hand. It was really a death grip, but Billy, who was an adept in saving life at sea, had nearly got his man in a position to save him. when a huge wave swept over them and tore the drowning man from his grasp. Gibbs himself was dashed against a rock and badly cut, but managed to save himself. In a chat with our representative, Leonard Jenkins, one of the survivors of I the lifeboat, graphically recalled the ter- rible experiences which the crew went I through in their 23 hours' battle against I the tumultuous seas. We were all thrown into the water save Harris," he ,-aid, when the boat capsized the first time, Ten of us managed to get back. Poor George Hairy we did not see again, and Bill Eynon clung to the boat until sheer exhaustion made him relax his hold. About half an hour later ] our boat again capsized, and we had another struggle for life. I had to swim some 30 feet for it, and just as I was j nearing the upturned waft, a huge wave eame and righted her. I then 68,W that the mast had been. snapped off at the bottom, and everything in her, save eight of the oars, washed away. When we had I pulled ourselves together we found poor Billy Gibbs was missing. In fact, he was never seen at all after that second cajisizing." Jenkins went on to relate the efforts of the crew in getting the damaged boat into the haven. of the Mumbles. "We had &nly eight oars left," he said, and we pulled for aU we were worth. Tho whole of the crew kept quite cool throughout their trying experience," he added. After Coxswain Gibbs went under George Beynon took charge of the boat. The exact time of the launching of the lifeboat on Saturday was 11.45 a..m., and after 20 minutes she was lost sight of in the haze. There was a persistent rumour in Swan- sea on Sunday afternoon that the three- master steamer which was in difficulties off Oxwich Head on Saturday had been wrecked. A Leader" reporter made special enquiries on the spot, but found that, happily, the news was not true. He was informed by C-oasfcgu-ard F. W. Cole that the steamer was lying two mile* south-east of Oxwich Point in comparative safety. She sent out calls for assistance on Saturday morning, and, a trawler was making her way towards her when she sighted the Porteynon lifeboat going to I the rescue. The rocket brigade was in readiness for action at Pennard, and re- I mained at their posts from 12 noon on Saturday till two o'clock on Sunday. The wind then mediated, and they then came back to their homes. Inquiries on Monday morning elicited the information that the steamer Dun- vegan, of Glasgr. has now been towed from off Oxwich Head to the Mumbles Roads.
RETURN Or THE SURVIVORS. I…
RETURN Or THE SURVIVORS. I We of the Fourth Estate find ourselves in some queer places at times and going on all sorts of errands in quest of "copy" or "stories? embracing the whole gamut of human ex?rionce—pathos, humour or comedy. At halt-past three on Sunday afternoon I was enjoying a quiet road be- fore the fireside, oblivious of the blister- ing elements outside. An hour later I found myself hurrying post-haste in a taxi to Oxwich Bay, where it was re- ported a steamer had fallen a victim to the raging gale. From there I went, on to Port ynon., an(1 saw the gallant sur- vivors of the lifeboat, The Daughter's Offering." Those who are familiar with the road from Swansea to Oxwich but have only travelled over it in the sum- mer. have a poOl" conception of whal-I a journey over it is like on a winter's evening, with the rain and wind beating down on every hand, and the taxi going at the rate of well, I won't give I the driver away. We shot over Fairwood Common, looking bleak and cheerl ess in its barren vastness, and down into the well-wooded district of Partmill. Then darkness began to settle over the land- scape, blo' ting out the cheerless prospect. There was nothing else to do but to settle down to a good pipe and resign one. telf to the tender care of the chauffeur. The rest: tif thi, journey was a black blank. Onward dashed the taxi. eating up space, bumping over rough places in the road-atvci there were plenty, in all conscience—and splashing through big puddles, heedless of everything but time lamd the goal before us. A merry rnn of three quarters of an hour brought: us to Oxwich. The peace- ful village folk, whose curiosity had been aroused by the lights of the taxi, were "very eommunictttive, and after a few en- quiries I was satisfied that no calamity of the kind I had hurried down for had happened. The steamer oil the head had been in difficulties, but was now safe, or comparatively But the furious gale had caused many anxious moments to her crew and the gallant rocket brigade composed of the men of Orwich, who had kept a faithful vigil on the shore from noon on the Saturday till the small hOllTS of Sunday morning, ready to render aid any moment it might be required. Onward we sped to Port Eynon. up steep hills, round sharp corners and down I dark lanes, where it seemed impossible for two vehicles to pass, the blackness of the night beinrj relieved now and then by the headlights bringing into sharp con- trast a whitewashed cottage on the road- side. At Port Eynon an inky pall hung over this picturesque village, and the wind which had moaned and shrieked all day before was hushed, as though Nature herself had paused in her violence to mourn for the little eommunity who had been plunged so swiftly into deep grief by a catastrophe almost, without parallel in the annals of Gower. We pulled np at the village inn and, entering. I found a number of the survivors of the ill-fated life-boat narrating their awful experiences to a sad-faced little crowd of people iround the kitchen fira They all looked storm-beaten and dis- hevelled, but undaunted in spirit. They had discarded their own sea-soaked clothes, and looked queer in their make- shift khaki outfits. Bandages on their hands concealed cuts sustained in saving *h em selves after their boat capsized. As oie listened to this gallant ten, one thought here, if ever, was a handful of supermen who had gone through as ter- rible an ordeal, if not worse, than our brave soldiers in the trenches. And what of f'?o three who perished in the juM'?itess "fa' Words are too pefry to describe their valour. They were heroes an-the whole thirteen. As the survivors told of the fate of their departed comrades, and how they died, tears filled the eyes of the womenfolk and the men felt, as deeply sorrowful, if they concealed l thcir feeling3. One of the younger members of the crew. seated in a comer, was the centre l of a deeply intere&ted JitUe company as, with a bright face, he told in his own way and in his own words a simple, but- manly, acoouni of the struggles against tumultu- ous seas and death in those long and wearv twenty-two hours when they were exposed to the full force of fh- ga} Many stories of gallant rescues mnst, I thought, have been told around that hios- pitable kitchen fire, but Done comparable with this. "Billy" Gibbs could have kept the company interested for a whole even- ing with his good store of 6torits of the S. but now his voice was silent, and th-ere was a great void in the little social circle of Port Eynon.' Going round the village to the relatives' houses was a pathetic business, and, in the pitch-black night, a very risky under- taking to a stranger unaccompanied by a guide. In fact, on <.ucL a night it was an j im?s?ibility, for there W?S not a ray of light from amy of the dwellings to relieve the all-pervading darkness, and one could not see an inch ahead. I was escorted round by an obliging old salt. I gripped his arm, and resigned myself like a blind man to his care. In fact, this was the only safe mode of passage through such inky darkness. In my wanderings I came across an old coxswain of the Port Eynon lifeboat, Mr. Sam Hughes—a relation of Billy of tfhat ilk—and was interested to learn he had himself been in charge of the boat for ,()mp twenty years, having re- signed his post six or seven years ago. I left the village feeling that if ever deeds of valour deserved to be inscribed in golden letters on the scroll of honour, to be read for ever by posterity, the gallant act of the crew of The Daughter's Sacrifice" should certainly find a foremost: place thereon. J. C. C.