Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-12-10 00:00:00

GALLANT RESCUE OF THE CREW OF A
LIVERPOOL SHIP.

The following gallant action? accomplished by Capt.
Hermel, of the French clipper Luzitano, by which the
captain and crew of the Birkenhead, of Liverpool, were
saved from impending death, has been reported to the
French Government. The fact is more remarkable as a
British vessel had previously passed near the Birken-
head, and, although her dangerous position was evident,
the other ship continued on her voyage without afford-
ing any assistance. The following is the report made
by Captain Hermel
On the 24th November, about seven in the morning,
during a violent gale, the wind blowing from the west,
I perceived a ship at a short distance steering -badly,
and endeavouring to move towards the south. I found
that this vessel had lost all her masts but her lower
ones. I immediately steered towards the vessel. When
I was sufficiently near she hoisted the union flag
reversed. The captain hailed me, and prayed me to
take him and his crew on board, as his ship was about
to founder. In fact, I saw that his deck was broken
up, and that the sea was breaking over her on all
aides. I lay to as close as possible to the ship in
distress, and at half-pas'. eight I had the satisfaction to
receive the crew, consisting of twenty-three men, on
board. The captain told me his name was Edward
Phelan, of Waterford, his ship, the Birkenhead, measured
883 tons, and belonged to M. J. Wilson, of Liverpool.
He was on his passage from Quebec to Liverpool with a
cargo of timber. The Birkenhead, being iu 45.40 north
latitude and 40.20 west longitude from the meridian of
Paris, sprung a leak, making five•feet of water an hour,
the wind blowing fresh from the north-west. Finding that
the water was gaining on the vessel, although all bands
were employed at the pumps, the captain commanded a reef
to be taken in the mizen sail. While this operation
was going on the deck was burst up by the cargo, while
the stern and the bows were seriously damaged by the
shifting of the large logs of timber. In this critical
position Captain Phelan cut away his upper masts,
leaving only the lower ones, with which he expected
to make the Azores, but he found it almost impossible
to make the Birkenhead answer her helm. Thus 'the
crew were exposed to the greatest danger for twelve
days, until I met them, when they had made only
eighty leagues. They had passed the northeri
islands of the Azores, and I am convinced that
Captain Phelan could not have made the island' of 'St.
Michael, for the west and south-westerly winds *ere
driving his ship to the east, although he was making
every effort to steer to the' south. He was then 42.15
north latitude, and 32 west longitude. When I received
the crew they were reduced to their last glass of water,
and the small quantity of provisions which they bad
saved from the sea was nearly exhausted. Moreover, the
weather being extremely severe, the men suffered terribly
from cold and damp. Six days before I fell in. with the
Birkenhead, a ship of her nation passed close by, but the
captain did not think proper to stop to assist his unfor-
tunate countrymen. A violent tempest arose from the
south-west shortly after the crew arrived on board the
Luzitano, and lasted for twelve hours. ,Captain Phelan is
of opinion that his ship must have gone to pieces during
the storm.