The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-29 00:00:00

DISTRESSING SHIPWRECK,

CASTLETOWN, ISLE OF MAN, Marc)-, 27.
Last night at 20 minutes to 7 o'clock (re'ports Mr.
11. C. Gill) a messenger came to me fraam Port St.
Mary, stating that a echooner had bean struck by a
squall off Port Iron, and was th en lying on her
beam-ends disabled, and requesting the lifeboat of
the National Instil ntion might ba, Dent off Cu her.
We decided that the moat speedy way would be to
take the boat overland, and accordingly we premed
six horses and got off by 7 o'clock. The distance
from Castletown to Port Iron is ETD miles.
When we arrived at the latter place we were assured
that the schocner had gone down about two hours
previously, but as this information was supposed to
be doubtful, and as the people s'aongly urged the
propriety of sailing the boat an the`chance of pick-
ing up some of the crew who might still be floating,
even if the vessel had• gene down, the boat was
launched by five nY.nutes past 8. I acconaT,anied
the men, and too',; with me the harbour-master of
Port St. Mari to point out the position as near as
might be ".vhere the vessel had last been seen. We
went rant in a north-westerly direction for about 4
nill,es and a half, the wind blowing strongly from
the N.W., and there being a very heavy sea on.
In fact, it was such a sea as lam convinced no boat
but a lifeboat could have existed in many minutes.
We then cruised about the track which it was sup-
posed the schooner or her crew might be on
for about an hour, showing a light, and looking out
in all directions, but without any success. The
boat's head wee then turned towards the Calf of
Man, which we rounded, still being, as our crew
thought, on a favourable tract—a strong tide having
set in in that direction. sufficient to carry along any
wreck or floating brady. All our efforts, however,
were in vain,and, we were obliged to return without
having effected any good. We first took the boat
into Port St. Mary, where we arrived about 12
o'clock., hoping to find the carriage and horses
thera. In this we were mistaken; they had re-
t-arned to Castletown. And after the men had been
hospitably entertained by one of the inhabitants,
they rowed the lifeboat home to Castletown, where
they arrived shortly after two o'clock this morn-
ing. I regret to have to relate a tale of
such ill success, but the men did everthing
in, their power, and exhibited a degree of
patience, perseverance, and bravery, such as asto-
nished me. They say their boat is beyond all praise.
I have ascertained that the schooner in question
was the Vixen, of Peel, in this island, Sohn Sans-
burg, master. Crew of five men, and captain's wife
on board, from Bordeaux to Belfast, with Indian
corn, in bulk. She called into Port St. Mary,
about two o'clock yesterday, to take the master's
wife on board. It is stated to•day, and beyond all
doubt that the vessel and all her crew went down.
This valuable lifeboat was instrumental on the 11th
inst. during a heavy gale of wind in saving four
persons from the smack Water Lilly, the vessel soon
afterwards becoming a total wreck. Altogether the
lifeboat has within the last six years rescued 27
shipwrecked persons.