The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-28 00:00:00

, THURSDAY: r EVENING, DECEMBER 28, 1865

scale of payment should be adhered to, and that it
is only in cases of a very extraordinary character
that it should be departed from. •We will illustrate
our view by a case. Some years ago a very credit-
able and daring service was performed by- the crew
of a lifeboat on the English coast by rescuing the
crew of an American ship. A gentleman who hap-
pened to be on a visit to the place at the time wrote
an enthusiastic letter to a leading journal, appeal-
ing to the public to subscribe for the reward of the
lifeboat's crew, which appeal was so liberally re-
sponded to that a considerable amount was contri-
buted. The matter was then taken up by the Ame-
rican Consul, who, thinking that his own country-
men were bound in honour to contribute as much
as the English public, appealed to them in the same
cause, and the result was that the two appeals pro-
duced a very large sum, amounting to several hun-
dred pounds, and this money was divided amongst
the few men who manned the boat.

Now, we should be sorry to grudge any poor,
hard-working man such a windfall ; but there are
important interests involved in the issue. In the
first place, as will be evident to most persons, so
magnificent a reward would in similar cases, as it
was in this case, be dependent on the accident of
there being an enthusiastic correspondent on the spot
ready to plead in behalf of the lifeboat's crew ; and
therefore other lifeboat men, at other places, might at
about the same time, as happened in this instance,
perform equally meritorious services, yet receive
only the ordinary scale of payment as above described.
The result might therefore be to cause discontent, or
at least disappointment and a sense of neglect,
amongst less fortunate boatmen elsewhere, whilst
it would probably also induce them to depreciate
the payments made them on other occasions. But
the worst result of all would, perhaps, in most cases
be to increase the mercenary feeling.
On the other hand, however, there are cases of
so extraordinary a character that some special mark
of approbation or admiration is called for in addi-
tion to that rewarded by the institution on its usual
scale, and in such cases a local contribution may be
appropriately and beneficially resorted to. We shall
again illustrate this view with a case.
At daylight on the morning of the 20th October
last, the wind blowing strong from N.N.E., with a
heavy ground sea, a vessel was observed on shore
on the western spit of Hayle Bar, from three to four
miles distant from St. Ives. The sea was making
a complete breach over her, and the crew were sup-
posed to be in the rigging. The St. Ives lifeboat
of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution was at
once launched. In crossing the bar with the drogue
or drag-bag in tow, which carried her safely over
two heavy surfs, a tremendous sea broke over the
stern, and the drogue-rope breaking from the im-
mense strain on it, she flew before the crest of the
surf in almost a perpendicular position, and run-
ning her bow under water broached to and upset.
She soon, however, righted, and all managed to get
on board. Two oars, grapnel, anchor, and rope
were lost, and two crutches broken. Rowing four
oars only, the crew contrived to get her under the
lee of the vessel, which was the French brig Provi-
dence, of Granville, 98 tons register, Captain
Challit, from Cardiff for Dieppe, with 138 tons
of coal. With a heavy sea and strong under-
current, however, they found it impossible to get
alongside. Nearly an hour passed in signalling
to the French crew to send a rope by means of
a spar or raft; when this at last was done, the cox-
swain signalled to haul on board the life-buoy, in-
tending to take the men off through the water, but
he could not make himself understood. Two of the
crew now endeavoured to reach the lifeboat pay
means of the connecting rope ; one was being drag-
ged on board and the other was within four or five
yards, when a fearful sea broke on the broadside of
the boat and upset her a second time. She righted
instantly, but the poor fellow who was on the rope
lost his hold, and was never seen again. The other
held fast to the boat, and the crew once more got
into her without accident. The communication with
the vessel had not been broken, and the lifeboat
again hauled up as near as possible to her. The
captain and remaining two men then took to their
boat, when the second wave capsized them. Through
a fearful sea the lifeboat was hastily hauled ahead,
and the three men were most fortunately picked up.
The crew of the lifeboat landed at Ilayle thoroughly
exhausted. A more heroic service has, perhaps,
never been rendered by any boat. In admiration
of it a local contribution was raised to present a
suitable acknowledgment of their bravery and en-
durance to the lifeboat's crew, in addition to the
fourfold reward of the Lifeboat Institution. The
amount collected exceeded £lOO, giving to each man
between £l2 and £l3, and we feel sure that none
will be found to say that it was not well deserved.
Apart, however, from the pecuniary question, is
the ideal one—that of praise or blame; and unless
they possess the most sordid minds, in whose eyes
gold is the embodiment of all good, who is there
amongst us that is uninfluenced by, or indifferent to,
the good opinion of his fellow-men? But to the really
valued, praise must not be exaggerated, or it will run
risk of being despised, even by those who are the
recipients of it, yet who know it to be more than
they are entitled to. Excessive praise and admira-
tion, therefore, and the honorary awards of medals
and votes of thanks, should also be reserved for
cases of a striking and exceptional character, when
great courage, determination, or endurance have
been displayed.
On the other hand, however, great mischief may
be done, and much pain inflicted, by hastily attach-
ing blame to men who may have exerted themselves
to the utmost of their power to save the lives of their
fellow-creatures, yet who have been unsuccessful.
For what can be more galling, or more likely to in-
duce a man to decline engaging in so hazardous a
work as the going to a wreck through a raging surf,
than upbraiding him with cowardice or inefficiency,
when he may know himself to have done all that it
was possible to do. When his services are again
craved by the drowning men in the stranded or
foundering ship, while the weeping wife and little
ones are perhaps likewise appealing to him to remain
at home,—if he be then reminded of the bitterness
of spirit with which he heard his last brave but un-
successful efforts depreciated, and himself reviled
by those who had safely watched them from the
shore, can we, or ought we, to feel surprised if that
reflection should throw its weight into the scale, and
ho should leave to others the task which his manhood
would otherwise have prompted him to perform.
Yet such injudicious and unfeeling conduct is not
uncommon on the part of, it may be, well-meaning
persons ; but who never having had their foot in a
lifeboat in a heavy surf, and being quite ignorant
of the terrific force with which it will often break
over and overwhelm both boat and crew, expect
impossibilities, and make themselves judges in the
case.

We beg to remind all such, that under some cir-
cumstances of wind and sea combined human
strength is not sufficient to force any boat ahead,
whilst never has a boat been built, and probably
never will be, that would not also be liable, under
some circumstances, to upset.
We will relate one case amongst others which
during the present winter have given rise to animad-
version on lifeboats' crews because their gallant ef-
forts have not been crowned with success, and which
case will not only serve to illustrate our subject,
but will, we trust, induce anyone who may read it
to withhold a hasty judgment in any such case
should they have the pain to witness one.
At about half-past seven p.m., on the 23rd of
November last, a vessel was seen in distress at the
north side of Blackpool. The lifeboat of the Na-
tional Lifeboat Institution was conveyed with all
expedition opposite the scene of danger, and in a
few minutes was launched into a raging sea. So
strong a surf had the crew to encounter, that the
lifeboat filled three times in succession, and was
with difficulty forced ahead against the wind and
waves. After hard pulling she was got within a
hundred and fifty yards of the perishing ship, but
at this point so complete a gale set in for half an
hour, that three races of sea broke over the men
and smashed four of their oars. The lifeboat was
then backed into shallow water, and rowed up to
windward, in order to make a second attempt, but
they could not get so near as before. Driven back
again, they by-and-by made a third noble effort,
and now saw a light held forth from the im-

perilled ship, but found it utterly impossible to
make advance against the heavy head ma that
was rolling, and which for two hours and a half
had been filling their boat as they boldly fought with
the waves. The crew being then exhausted, and
seeing all their efforts to be futile, came ashore. No
sooner had they done so than the vessel capsized
and broke to pieces ; one side of her was washed up,
and the cries of struggling sailors were distinctly
heard. The lifeboat was again put to sea in the hope
of picking up men that might be on rafts, or other-
wise trying to escape, but nothing living could be
found. It was now nearly midnight, and the life-
boat had become locked between two cliffs on the
beach, from which position she was unable to get
away without damage until six o'clock on the fol-
lowing morning. All the crew of the ill-fated ship
were lost. The vessel was the brig Favourite, of
Liverpool. She was loaded with palm-oil and seeds,
and had a crew of 10 men. The wreck was about
a mile from shore. In expression of approval of
their exertions, although unsuccessful, the institu-
tion paid the crew of the lifeboat, 13 in number, a
double reward of £26, or £2 each.