From Macmillan's Magazine.

THE RAMSGATE LIFE-BOAT: A RESCUE.*

CHAPTER I.

A WRECK OFF MARGATE.

THE night of Sunday, the twelfth of February, in the present year, was what sailors call a very dirty night. Heavy masses of clouds skirted the horizon as the sun set; and, as the night drew on, violent gusts of wind swept along, accompanied with snow-squalls. It was a dangerous time for vessels in the channel, and it proved fatal to one at least.

Before the light broke on Monday morning, the thirteenth, the Margate lugger, Eclipse, put out to sea to cruise around the sands and shoals in the neighborhood of Margate, on the look-out for any disasters that might have occurred during the night. The crew soon discovered that a vessel was ashore on the Margate Sands, and directly made for her. She proved to be the Spanish brig Samaritano, of one hundred and seventy tons, bound from Antwerp to Santander, and laden with a valuable and miscellaneous cargo. Her crew consisted of Modeste Crispo, captain, and cleven men. It seems that during a violent squall of snow and wind the vessel was driven on the sands, at about half-past five in the morning; the crew attempted to put off in the ship's boats, but in vain; the oars were broken in the attempt, and the boats stove in.

crashed over her; and the men, fearing that she would be forced on her broadside, cut the weather rigging of the mainmast, and it was speedily swept overboard. All hands now sought refuge in the forerigging. Nineteen lives had then no other hope between them and a terrible death than the few shrouds of that shaking mast. The wind swept by them with hurricane force; each wave that broke upon the vessel sprang up into columns of foam, and drenched them to the skin; the air was full of spray and sleet, which froze upon them as it fell. And thus they waited, hour after hour, and no help came, until one and all despaired of life.

In the mean while, news of the wreck had spread like wildfire through Margate. In spite of the gale and blinding snow-squalls, many struggled to the cliff, and with spyglasses tried to penetrate the flying scud, or to gain through the breaks in the storm, glimpses of the wreck.

As soon as they saw the peril the crew of the brig were in, the smaller of the two Margate life-boats was manned and made to the rescue. But all the efforts of her crew were in vain; the gale was furious, and the seas broke over and filled the boat. This her gallant crew heeded little at first, for they had every confidence in the powers of the boat to ride safely through any storm, her air-tight compartments preventing her from sinking; but to their dismay they found that she was losing her buoyancy and fast becoming unmanageable; she was filling with water, which came up to the men's waists. The air-boxes had evidently filled; and they remembered, too late, that the valves with which each box is provided, in order to let out any water that may leak in, had in the excitement of starting

The lugger, Eclipse, as she was running for the brig, spoke a Whitstable smack, and borrowed two of her men and her boat. They boarded the vessel as the tide went down, and hoped to be able to get her off at high water. For this purpose six Margate boatmen and two of the Whitstable men were left on board. been left unscrewed. Their boat was then But, with the rising tide, the gale came on again in all its fury, and they soon gave up no longer a life-boat, and the struggle became all hopes of saving the vessel. They hoisted one for their own safety. Although then their boat on board, and all hands began to within a quarter of a mile of the brig, there feel that it was no longer a question of saving was no help for it; the boat was unmanagethe vessel, but of saving their own lives. The able, and the only chance of life left to the sea began to break furiously over the wreck, boatmen was to run her ashore as soon as poslifting her, and then bumping her with crush-sible on the nearest part of the coast. It was ing force upon the sands. Her timbers did not long withstand this trial of their strength; a hole was soon knocked in her; she filled with water, and settled down upon the sand. The waves began now to break over the deck: the boat was speedily knocked to pieces and swept overboard; the hatches were forced up; and some of the cargo floated on deck, and was washed away. The brig began to roll fearfully as the waves one after another

The following narrative is by one who had the best local opportunities of being accurate, and of receiving accounts of every detail of the rescue from the lips of the men who were engaged in it.

doubtful whether they would be able to do even this, and it was not until after four hours'

hausted men.

battling with the sea and gale that they succeeded in getting ashore in Westgate Bay. There the coast-guard were ready to receive them, and did their best to revive the exthat the first life-boat had become disabled, As soon as it was discovered the big life-boat (The Friend of all Nations) was got ready. With much trouble it was dragged round to the other side of the pier, and there launched. Away she started, her brave crew doing their utmost to battle with the gale, and work their way out to the brig; but all their efforts were in vain. The tre

mendous wind and sea overpowered them; | cue; and, although there was much anxiety the tiller gave way; and, after a hard strug- and excitement as to the result of the attempt gle, this life-boat was driven ashore about a the Margate boatmen would make, no one mile from the town.

had the least idea that the services of the With both their life-boats wrecked, the Ramsgate boat would be required. Thus Margate people gave up all hopes of saving time passed on, until twelve o'clock, when the crew of the vessel. There seemed no most of the men went away to dinner, leavhope for it; they must be content to let them ing a few only on watch. Shortly after perish within their sight. But this should not twelve, the coast-guard man from Margate be the case until every possible effort had hastened breathless to the pier and to the been made; and two luggers, The Nelson and harbor-master's office, saying, in answer to The Lively, undaunted by the fate of the life- eager inquiries, as he hurried on, that the two boats, put off to the rescue. The fate of one Margate life-boats had been wrecked, and was soon settled; a fearful squall of wind that the Ramsgate boat was wanted. The harcaught her before she had got many hundred bor-master immediately gave the order to man yards clear of the pier, and swept her fore- the life-boat. No sooner had the words passed mast out of her; and her crew, in turn, had his lips than the sailors who had crowded around to make every possible effort to avoid being the door of the office in expectation of the ordriven on the shore-rocks and wrecked. The der, rushed away to the boat. First come, first Lively was more fortunate; she got to sea, but in; not a moment's hesitation, not a thought could not cross the sand, or get to the wreck. of further clothing! The news soon spread; The Margate people began to despair; and, each boatman as he heard it made a hasty when the tidings passed among the crowd snatch at his south-wester cap and bag of water that the lieutenant of the Margate coast-guard proof overalls, and raced down to the boat had sent an express to Ramsgate for the and for some time boatman after boatman was Ramsgate steamer and life-boat, it was to be seen rushing down the pier hoping to thought impossible, on the one hand, that they could make their way round the North Foreland in the teeth of so tremendous a gale, or, on the other, that the ship could hold together, or the crew live, exposed as they were in the rigging, during the time it would of necessity take for the steamer and boat to get to them.

We now change the scene to Ramsgate.

CHAPTER II.

MAKING FOR THE WRECK.

find a place still vacant for him. If the race had been to save their own lives, instead of to risk them, it could scarcely have been more hotly contested. Some of those who had won the race, and were in the boat, were ill-prepared with clothing for the hardships they would have to endure; for, if they had not their things at hand, they would not delay a moment to obtain them, fearing that the crew might be made up before they got there. These were supplied by the generosity of their friends, who had come down better prepared although too late for the enterprise; the cork FROM an early hour on the Monday morn- jackets were thrown into the boat, and put on ing, groups of boatmen had assembled on the by the men. The powerful steam-tug, Aid, pier at Ramsgate, occasionally joined by some belonging to the harbor, and which has her of the most hardy of the townspeople, or by a steam up night and day ready for any cmerstray visitor, attracted out by the wild scene gency that may arise, got her steam to full that the storm presented. In the intervals power, and, with her brave and skilful masbetween the snow-squalls, they could faintly ter, Daniel Reading, in command, took the discern a vessel or two in the distance run-boat in tow, and made her way out of the harning before the gale; and they were all keenly bor. James Hogben, who, with Reading, has on the look-out for signals of distress, that they might put off to the rescue. But no such signal was given. Every now and then, as the wind boomed by, some landsman thought it the report of a gun from one or other of the three light-vessels which guard the dangerous Goodwin Sands; but the boatmen shook their heads, and those who with spy-glasses kept a look-out in the direction of the light-vessels confirmed them in their disbelief.

been in many a wild scene of danger, commanded the life-boat. It was nearly low water at the time, but the force of the gale was such that a good deal of spray was dashing over the pier, and the snow, which was falling in blinding squalls, had drifted and eddied in every protected nook and corner, making it hard work for the excited crowd who had assembled to see the life-boat start, to battle their way through the drifts and against the wind, snow, and foam, to the head About nine o'clock, tidings came that a brig of the pier. There at last they assembled, was ashore on the Woolpack Sands, off Mar- and many a heart failed as they saw the gate. It was, of course, concluded that the steamer and boat clear the pier and encountwo Margate life-boats would go to the res-ter the first rush of the wind and sea outside.

"She seemed to go out under water," said one old fellow; "I wouldn't have gone in her for the universe;" and those who did not know the heroism that such scenes called forth in the breasts of our watermen, could not help wondering somewhat at the eagerness that had been displayed to get a place in the boatand this although they knew that the two Margate life-boats had been already wrecked in the attempt to get the short distance which separated Margate from the wreck, while they would have to battle their way through the gale for ten or twelve miles before they could get even in sight of the vessel. It says nothing against the daring or skill of the Margate boatmen, or the efficiency of their boats that they failed. In such a gale, success was almost impossible without the aid of steam. With it they would probably have succeeded; without it the Ramsgate boat would certainly

have failed.

and, although it could not penetrate their waterproof clothing, it chilled them to the bone. for, as it fell, it froze. So bitter was the cold that their very mittens were frozen to their hands. After a tremendous struggle the steamer seemed to be making head against the storm; they were well clear of the pier, settled to their work, and getting on gallantly. They passed through the cud channel, and had passed the black and white buoys, so well known to Ramsgate visitors, when a fearful sea came heading towards them. It met and broke over the steamer, buried her in foam, and swept along. The life-boat rose to it, and then, as she felt the strain on the rope, plunged into it stem on, and was for a moment nearly buried. The men were almost washed out of her; but at that moment the tow-rope gave way to the tremendous strain; the boat, lifted with a jerk, was flung round by the force of the wave, and for a moment As soon as the steamer and boat got clear scemed at the mercy of the sea which broke of the pier they felt the full force of the storm, over her amidships. "Oars out!" was the and it seemed almost doubtful whether they cry as soon as the men had got their breath. could make any progress against it. Getting They labored and labored to get the boat's out of the force of the tide as it swept round head to the wind, but in vain; the force of the pier, they began to move ahead, and the gale was too much for them, and, in spite were soon ploughing their way through a per- of all their efforts, they drifted fast to the fect sea of foam. The steamer, with engines Broke Shoal, over which the sea was beating working full power, plunged along; every heavily; but the steamer, which throughout wave, as it broke over her bows, flying up, was handled most admirably, both as regards sent its spray mast high, and deluged the deck skill and bravery, was put round as swiftly as with a tide of water, which, as it swept aft, possible, and very cleverly brought within a gave the men on board enough to do to hold yard or two to windward of the boat as she on. The life-boat was towing astern, with lay athwart the sea. They threw a hauling fifty fathom of five-inch hawser-an enor-line on board, to which was attached a branmously strong rope, about the thickness of a new hawser, and again took the boat in tow. man's wrist. Her crew already experienced The tide was still flowing, and, as it rose, the dangers and discomforts they were ready to submit to without a murmur, perhaps for many hours, in their effort to save life. It would be hard to give a description to enable one to realize their position in the boat. The use of a life-boat is, that it will live where other boats would of necessity founder; they are made for, and generally only used on, occasions of extreme danger and peril, for terrible storms and wild seas. The water flows in the boat and over it, and it still floats. Some huge rolling wave will break over it and for a moment bury it, but it rises in its buoyancy, and shakes itself free; beaten down on its broadside by the waves and wind, it rises on keel again, and defies them to do their worst. Such was the noble boat of which we are writing. The waves that broke over her drenched and deluged, and did every thing but drown her. The men, from the moment of their clearing the pier to that of their return, were up to their knees in water. They bent forward as much as they could, each with a firm hold upon the boat. The spray and waves beat and broke upon their backs;

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the wind came up in heavier and heavier gusts, bringing with it a blinding snow and sleet, which, with the foam, flew through the boat, still freezing as it fell, till the men looked, as one remarked at the time, like a body of ice. They could not look to windward for the drifting snow and heavy seas continually running over them; but not one heart failed, not one repented of winning the race to the life-boat. Off Broadstairs they suddenly felt the way of the boat stop. The rope broken again," was the first thought of all; but, on looking round, as they were then enabled to do, the boat being no longer forced through the seas, they discovered to their utter dismay that the steamer had stopped. They thought that her machinery had broken down, and at once despaired of saving the lives of the shipwrecked; but soon they discovered, to their joy, that the steamer had merely stopped to let out more cable, fearful lest it might break again, as they fought their way round the North Foreland. It was another hour's struggle before they reached the North Foreland. There the sea was running tremendously high.

The gale was still increasing; the snow, the distress flying in the rigging, the ensign union slect, and spray rushed by with hurricane downwards; she was doubtless the vessel they speed. Although it was only the early after- were in search of. But still it was a question noon, the air was so darkened with the storm, that it seemed a dull twilight. The captain of the boat was steering; he peered out between his coat-collar and cap, but looked in vain for the steamer. He knew that she was all right, for the rope kept tight; but many times, although she was only one hundred yards, ahead, he could see nothing of her. Still less able were the men on board the steamboat to see the life-boat. Often did they anxiously look astern and watch for a break in the drift and scud to see that she was all right; for, although they still felt the strain upon the rope, she might be towing along bottom up, or with every man washed out of her, for any thing they could tell. Several times the fear that the life-boat was gone came over the master of the steamer. Still steamer and boat battled stoutly and successfully against the storm.

As soon as they were round the North Foreland, the snow-squall cleared, and they sighted Margate, all anxiously looking for the wreck; but nothing of her was to be seen. They saw a lugger riding just clear of the pier, with foremast gone, and anchor down, to prevent her being driven ashore by the gale. They next sighted the Margate lifeboat, abandoned and washed ashore, in Westgate Bay, looking a complete wreck, the waves breaking over her. A little beyond this, they caught sight of the second life-boat, also ashore; and then they learnt to realize to the full the gallant efforts that had been made to save the shipwrecked, and the destruction that had been wrought, as effort after effort had been overcome by the fury of the gale.

But where was the wreck? They could see nothing of her: had she been beaten to picces, all lives lost, and were they too late? A heavy mass of cloud and snow-storm rolled on to windward of them, in the direction of the Margate Sands, and they could not make out any signs of the wreck there. There was just a chance that it was the Woolpack Sand that she was on. They thought it the more likely, as the first intelligence which came of the wreck declared that such was the case; and accordingly, they determined to make for the Woolpack Sand, which was about three miles further on. They had scarcely decided upon this, when, most providentially, there was a break in the drift of snow to windward, and they suddenly caught sight of the wreck. But for this sudden clearance in the storm they would have proceeded on, and, before they could have found out their mistake and got back, every soul must have perished. The master of the steamboat made out the flag of

how they could get to her, as she was on the other side of the sand. To tow the boat round the sand would be a long job in the face of such a gale; and for the boat to make across the sand seemed almost impossible, so tremendous was the sea which was running over it. Nevertheless, there was no hesitation on the part of the life-boat crew. It seemed a forlorn hope, a rushing upon destruction, to attempt to sail through such a surf and sea ; but to go round the sands would occasion a delay which they could not bear to think of. Without hesitation, then, they cast off the towrope, and were about setting sail, when they found that the tide was running so furiously that it would be necessary for them to be towed at least three miles to the eastward, before they would be sufficiently far to windward to fetch the wreck. It was a hard struggle to get the tow-rope on board again, and a heavy disappointment to all to find that an hour or so more of their precious time must be consumed before they conld get to the rescue of their perishing brother scamen; but there was no help for it; and away they went again in tow of the steamer. The snowsquall came on, and they lost sight of the vessel; but all were anxiously on the look-out; and now and then in a lift of the squall they could catch a glimpse of her. They could sce that she was almost buried in the sea, which broke over her in great clouds of foam; and again many and weary were the doubts and speculations as to whether or no any one on board the wreck could still be alive.

For twenty minutes or so they battled against the wind and tide. The gale, which had been steadily increasing since the morn ing, came on heavier than ever; and the sca was running so furiously, that even the new rope with which the boat was being towed could not resist the increasing strain, and suddenly parted with a tremendous jerk. There was no thought of picking up the cable again. They could stand no further delay, and one and all rejoiced to hear the captain give orders to set the sail.

could see spreading itself before them, stand- part of the hull visible; the mainmast was ing out in the gloom, a barrier-wall of foam; gone; the foresail and foretopsail was blown for, as the waves broke on the sand, and adrift; and great columns of foam were mountclashed together in their recoil, they mounted ing up, flying over her foremast and bow. up in columns of foam, which was caught by They saw a Margate lugger lying at anchor, the wind, and carried away in white stream- just clear of the sand, and made close to her. ing clouds of spray, and the fearful roar of As they shot by, they could just make out the beating waves could be heard above the through the roar of the storm a hail-"Eight gale. But straight for the breakers they of our men on board;" and on they flew into made. No wavering, no hesitation, not a a sea which would in a moment have swamped heart failed! the lugger, noble boat though she was. Approaching the wreck, it was with terrible anxiety they strained their sight, trying to discover whether there were still any men left in the tangled mass of rigging, over which the sea was breaking so furiously. By degrees they made them out. "I see one, two, three! The rigging is full of them!" was the cry; and, with a cheer of triumph at being still in time, they settled to their work.

The boat, although under only her doublereefed foresail and mizen, as little sail as she could could possibly carry, was driven on by the hurricane force of the wind. On through the outer range of breakers she plunged, and then came indeed a struggle for life. The waves no longer rolled on in foaming ranks, but leaped and clashed and battled together in a raging boil of sea. They broke over the boat; the surf poured in first The wreck of the mainmast, and the treon one side and then on the other; some mendous wash of the sea over the vessel, prewaves rushed over the boat, threatening to vented their going to the lee of the wreck. sweep every man out of her. "Look out, my This increased the danger tenfold, as the men! hold on! hold on!" was the cry when result proved. About forty yards from the this happened; and each man threw himself wreck, they lowered their sails, and cast the down with his breast on the thwart, and, with anchor over the side. The moment for which both arms clasped round it, hugged it, and the boat had so gallantly battled for four held to it against the tear and wrestle of the hours, and the shipwrecked waited, in almost wave, while the rush of water poured over despair, for eight, had at last arrived. No their backs and heads and buried them in its shouting, no whisper beyond the necessary flood. Down for a moment boat and men all orders; the suspense and risk are too terriseemed to sink; but the splendid boat rose in ble! Yard by yard the cable is cautiously her buoyancy and freed herself of the water paid out, and the great rolling seas are which had for a moment buried her, and her allowed to carry the boat little by little to crew breathed again. A cry of triumph arose the vessel. The waves break over them from them—“All right! all right! now she for a moment bury the boat; and then, as goes through it; hold on, my boys!" A mo- they break upon the vessel, the spray hides ment's lull; she glided on the crest of a huge the men, lashed to the rigging, from their wave, or only smaller ones tried their strength sight. They hoist up the sail a little to help against her; then the monster fellows came the boat sheer, and soon a huge wave lifts heading on; again the warning cry was given, them; they let out a yard or two more cable "Look out! hold on, hold on!" Thus, until by the run, and she is alongside the wreck! they got clear of the sands, the fearful strug- With a cry, three men jump from the riggle was often repeated. But at last it ended, ging, and are saved. The next instant they and they got into deep water, leaving the see a huge wave rolling towards them, and breakers behind them. They had then only might and main, hand over hand, all haul in the huge rolling waves to contend with, and the cable, and draw the boat away from the they seemed but as little in comparison to the wreck, and thus escape being washed against broken water they had just passed through her, and perhaps over her, to certain destrucand escaped from. The boat was put before tion. Again they watch their chance and the wind, and every man was on the look-out get alongside. This time they manage to for the wreck. For a time it remained so remain a little longer than before; and, one thick that there was no chance of finding her, after another, thirteen of the shipwrecked when again, the second time, a sudden break leap from the rigging to the boat; and away in the storm revealed her. She was about she is again. "Are they all saved?" No; half a mile to leeward. They shifted their three of the Spaniards are still left in the foresail with some difficulty, and again made rigging; they seem almost dead, and can in for the sands to the vessel. The appear- scarcely unlash themselves from the shrouds, ance of the wreck made even the boatmen and crawl down, ready for the return of the shudder. She had settled down by the stern boat. This time the peril is greater than upon the sands, the sea making a clear breach ever. They have to go quite close to the over her. The starboard-bow was the only vessel, for the men are too weak to leap;