IRISH HEROISM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 23 November 1907, Page 6

IRISH HEROISM.

FRENCH SAILORS TIHULLNC-LY ■ RESCUED. FORTY-EIGHT HOURS ON THE ROCKS. Of all the tales of great heroism of the sea, there are lew equal to the record of the French barque Leou Xlli., which went ashore ou the rocks of the fishing hamlet of Quilty, County Clare, Ireland, at the beginning of last month. The work of rescue was heroically curried out under the most advcrsti circumstances. All the attempts made on the iirst day to reach the wreck were fruitless, for no small craft could live for a minute in the seas that'were l'unniiijj along the roughest of rough coasts. At daybreak the sailors were still clinging to the rigging, and signalling for assistance. , ~..

The seas were calmer, and the lirst attempt at rescue was made at 7 o'clock, when three fishermen put out in a canoe, only to be beaten back. The next effort was made by the coastguards in their tiny lifeboat, with the only result that one of the crew was washed overboard. Throughout the morning canoes kept making attempts to reach the vessel. The fishermen behaved heroically, risking their lives every time thev trusted themselves out. Shortly before 2 o'clock the sailors could be seen attempting to launch a raft. This failed, but another attempt made a little later succeeded, and the raft was launched with two men on board.

Amid a thrilling scene of excitement ashore, the raft could be seen being carried along on a wave. Canoes at once put out to meet the raft, and succeeded in taking the sailors ashore. These were taken to the village, where arrangements had been made for their reception. A thrilling incident followed the next attempt. Three fishermen named Clancy, Connors, and Stack put out in a canoe. They managed to get close to the wreck, and a sailor jumped overboard. When they were trying j,o pick him up, a wave struck the frail craft and capsized it. The four men could be seen struggling in (.he water, and for the moment it looked as if there was no hope for them.

There was dead silence among the. watchers, when a woman—the wife of one of the fishermen—shrieked, '"Oh. won't ye save him?" The lifeboat, with two coastguards and local volunteers, put out, and managed to Have not only the crew of the canoe, lait the sailor, who was then in mi exhausted condition, and could not have kept afloat another minute. Those on shore recognised that it would be futile to attempt to take the lifelxmt close to the wrecked ship, and get the men oir by a rope, and it was agreed that the only prospect of saving the crew was to get them to jump, and trust to being picked up and towed ashore liv the canoes, which hold only three persons.

In spite of the 'experiences of the first eunoe, three other fishermen' named Boyle, IHnerncy, and Ciinnooaii sot out to make the attempt. A lull in the storm aided them, and thev managed to pick up another sailor who jumped overboard. They landed tiro more in the samp fashion, in spite of the seas that were running against them. Bv this time the crew of the first' canoe had recovered from their immersion, and set out again. They also rescued several men. The Frenchmen onboard the wreck behaved very pluckily, and threw ■themselves into the sea whenever the canoes approached within reasonable distance. Before the title turned thirteen men in all had been taken ashore. Several times flic canoes put out, and were driven back, but nothing daunted them, and their exploit forms a remarkable chapter in the history of Irish heroism.