The Sun.
London, England, 1847-10-15 00:00:00

TWO VESSELS WRECKED.

Yesterday morning, between the hours of eight
and nine o'clock, two brigs made their appearance in
the offing, and many a glass and anxious eye was
turned towards them. By ten o'clock a considerable
concourse was assembled at the lower Lighthouse,
and groups were standing on the highest hillocks, en-
during the

"Pitiless pelting of the storm."
all anxiously waiting to see if the vessels would
" take the water," and what would be the result. In
the meanwhile the life-boat had been launched, and
was lying inside of the breakers on the bar, which,
like foam-crested hills, were rising, roaring, and fol-
lowed each other in terrific majesty, the sea having
been lashed into fury by two days and nights of an
easterly gale. When we reached the shore one of the
vessels seemed to be about three miles off, and the
other about one. The nearest stood to the south-
ward, and went in behind the Ness, but
soon re-appeared, tossing amid the fury of
the tempest. About half-past eleven o'clock
a heavy shower of rain darkened the heavens still
more deeply, and nothing could be seen but the
roaring ocean, as far as the eye could reach to sea-
ward. When this cleared away, both vessels were
seen, in about the line of the river mouth, and the
most intense anxiety was manifested in every counte-
nance, for, if the attempt was not made to take the
water before the top of the flood, all hope was gone,
it being impossible for either of the vessels to get
round the headlands of Montrose Bay, or even remain
many hours longer off the shore. Shortly after 12,
,
however, all suspense was at an end, for then the
nearest stood for the harbour. " There," said an
experienced captain that was standing near us—
there, my boy, it is the best thing you could have
done ; keep her well to the south'ard, and there is no
danger." The words were hardly out of his mouth
when the vessel veered her head to the northward—a
thing which seemed to be altogether unaccountable,
as there was no safety but only in the attempt to take
the harbour before the turn of the tide. "He has
made a fatal mistake," said the old captain ; " that
vessel is lost." The truth of this soon became appa-
rent to all, for she ran, or rather was tossed before the
wind and sea, until she struck the ground a little to
the northward of the Annat. When the life-boat men
saw her approaching fate, they directed their course
to the northward. Their tiny barque, if we may so
speak, appeared like a speck amid the foaming waters.
Sometimes she seemed to be standing on end, then
she sunk beneath the wave as if she had been
swallowed up in its foam. As she drew near the
ship the anxiety of the multitude became intense.
A rope was thrown, but it either broke or was
not reached by the boatmen, and to the surprise of
all they began to row to the shore. When within
hearing "more oars" was the cry, two or three
having been broken when alongside the ship. Hun-
dreds ran for oars, and, in a short time, the boat was
again breasting the breakers, urged forward by the
wishes of thousands, and the nervous arms of a da-
ring crew, in whose minds the value of human life
seemed to have banished every idea of fear. After a
dreadful struggle they reached the 4 k of the vessel,
which was known by this time to be the Patriot, of
Aberdeen, laden with flax, for Montrose. As her
drenched and exhausted crew jumped into the life-
boat, one after another, the assembled multitude shook
in breathless fear in case any one might miss the
boat, and meet a watery grave. When the cheer
rose in the boat, 'intimating that all were safe, the
spectators seemed to breathe more freely, and re-
sponded to it with a feeling of heartfelt joy, which was
apparent in every countenance. What we have said
of the one vessel is applicable in almost every parti
cular regarding the other, the Prompt, of Staton
Sluice. As if doomed to follow the same fate, she
steered directly towards the Patriot, seemingly with
no intention of taking the harbour of Montrose.
She struck the ground a few hundred yards
to the north of the Patriot, and for some
time rolled so dreadfully that many expected her
pasts would fall by the board, and that she would go