“On the 26th of January, 1842, about one P.M., a vessel was observed to be in great distress, on the sand called the Inner Newcome, the wind at the time blowing a hurricane, and the sea running “mountains high.” The Lowestoft life-boat with a crew of nineteen men, commanded by Lieut. T. S. Carter, R.N., assisted by Mr. H. B. Disney, Trinity pilot, was most promptly launched, and proceeded to her relief. By the greatest exertion and skill, a communication, by means of a life line was established with the distressed men, who had fled to the rigging for safety; the sea at the time making quite over the life-boat, and filling her with water. Mr. Disney was washed overboard, but providentially did not loose his hold of the safety line, and was again drawn into the boat. Seven out of the eight men on board the wreck were hauled through the surf into the life-boat, a distance of perhaps twenty yards. At this time, the anchor of the life-boat came home, and with great difficulty and danger, the boat was sheered under the bowsprit of the wreck, when the cable was cut, and she then proceeded to the shore full of water, landing her own crew and the rescued men in safety. Lieut. Carter was carried in a very exhausted state to a house near, where the usual means having been resorted to, he was, after a few hours, so far restored as to be able to return to his residence in a chaise.
“Meantime, the Pakefield life-boat, manned by a crew endowed with the same high courage and good seamanship, which had characterized their neighbours, made further effort to save the poor fellow who was left on the wreck, and had the happiness of rescuing him from a watery grave. [29]
“Our Society, assisted by our brave seamen, has again the high satisfaction of being made the means of saving the lives of eight fellow creatures; and at a Committee meeting summoned for that purpose, on the morning of the following day, gave its “mite” of reward to the crews of the boats engaged in the perilous service, and their hearty thanks to Lieut. Carter and Mr. Disney. The Lowestoft life-boat sustained damage to a considerable amount.
“The Suffolk Humane Society (President, Sir T. S. Gooch, Bart.,) maintains and keeps in repair the two life-boats, and gives a stated sum to the crews whenever called into service, out of funds raised entirely by private subscriptions from Lowestoft and its neighbourhood, but which cannot afford adequate reward to the men for their intrepid service.”
The preceding quotations have sufficiently shewn the value of the Life-boat, and of that society by which it is maintained; no other eloquence, than that of such facts, is needed to commend the society to the kind consideration of the generous and humane.
Connected with the life-boat there are other contrivances, the object of which is, to render assistance to the shipwrecked mariner, when boats cannot approach sufficiently near: they are known as
CAPTAIN MANBY’S APPARATUS.
In a note in his 69th page, Gillingwater says: “The most probable method of rescuing seamen from those unfortunate situations, that I can think of, is that of a kite. When the storm is so abated that a boat is able to approach pretty near the wreck, let a line (which may soon after easily convey a strong rope) be carried by the kite over the vessel, and then let fall. Thus a communication may be obtained between the wreck and the boat, and by that means, the seaman may be drawn through the water from the ship to the boat.” Now, that which the kind hearted man threw out as a possibility, has been shewn to be practicable; a communication is obtained by means of this apparatus; a rope is attached to a ball which is projected from a mortar, and thrown over the vessel in distress: the apparatus is kept in the boat house, which is situated on the beach, near the lower part of the town. During the summer season, visiters are sometimes gratified by a sight of the method in which this apparatus effects its object.
We now direct attention to various improvements and benevolent devices.—The Light-houses, Harbour, etc.
THE LIGHT-HOUSES
are at once highly useful, and present striking objects of interest to the visiter.
The Upper Light-house is a neat and ornamental building, situated at the northern extremity of the High street, on a commanding eminence, and may be seen to advantage by a person entering the town from the Yarmouth side. It was erected in 1676, by the Brethren of the Trinity House, and subsequently repaired and improved in the years 1778, 1825, and 1840. It is fitted up with large plated reflectors in a lantern of plate glass.
