Fatal Lifeboat Disaster.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3097, 7 January 1889, Page 3

Fatal Lifeboat Disaster.

A shocking accident, resulting in the loss of four- men, happened to the" Gorleston lifeboat Mugo on Saturday evening, November 10th. The Eefuge, in company- with another Gorleston lifeboat, named the friend of all nations, went to the assistance! of the steamer Akaba, bound to' Dundee with 8009 tons of jute. The Refuge left some, of her. men on dfeard the Akaba to assist in navibutwbile alongside the lifeboat was dashed agiinst the big steamer's side, and lost her rudder in the collision. . The beat with the roiuiiining stven tf lit crew, was , taken io tow. Wbfn entering YarV mouth. Harbrr, the boat became detached from the ing, and drifting

upon (ho North Sand, waa.stvuok by a ■lieavyVaye'nridcapsized.''' Henry Smith, chief boatman of the Coastguard, was on the beach at'the' time, and with great-courage, risking his owii life, lie managed to recue two of the crew, named Boiiney and Woods. A 4hird man »named George Jacobs, was gallantly rescued by it Coastguard boatman, named Norton, while clinging to the lifeboat's sternpost. Another, named Aaron Rebrge, was waslied ashore dead, and the following morning the body of a second man, named Samuel' George was washed ashore. 1 Two other men weio drowned. The weather at the time was very bad, the wind blowing strongly from the south-east, and a heavy sea running, l'ho state of the weather may be imagined from-the fact that while the Refuge was lying alongside the steamer Akaba, a sea lifted her stern right on to the deck of tho steamer, and it was a wonder that she was not then capsized. It was at that time that her rudder was carried away, rendering her useless for salvage service, and making it necessary for her to return to harbor. The Akaba was subsequently taken in charge by two powerful tugs from London.