The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-13 00:00:00

TILE WHITS UN-

WEEK GALES.

In our last paper we contrasted the behaviour of
the Yarmouth beachmen, in that dreadful Whit-
Monday storm, with the conduct of the Ramsgate
boatmen on Valentine's eve, and we have reason to
believe that the contrast has had a telling effect on
the public mind. It is not the first time that Yar-
mouth beachmen have recently acted in a manner
calculated to forfeit the reputation which they once
enjoyed for their devotedness in endeavouring to
save the lives of their fellow-creatures. It cannot
be alleged in their excuse that the superior con-
struction of Beeching's lifeboat gave an advan-
tage to the Ramsgate men, for, besides the
facts mentioned by our correspondent " Huma-
nitas" as to the direction of the wind and the posi-
tion of the ships on Whit-Monday, it is a fact, of
which some perhaps may not be aware, that a few
months ago the Royal National Lifeboat Institu-
tion sent down a large boat somewhat similar to
that at Ramsgate, to be tried by the Yarmouth
beachmen against their own boats, for which they
had been clamorous ; but shame to say ! they re-
fused to enter the boats without a promise of sixty
pounds, afterwards moderately reduced to forty
pounds, for a few hours' work ! Yet these men
have had extra rewards for their services from the
Royal Institution on more than occasion. At
Lowestoft and Pakefield, where the boats
are of the same class, there have been no
complaints; but the boatmen are always ready to
extend a helping hand to a brother seaman in
danger. In the very same storm of Whit-
Monday we find the Lowestoft boat render-
ing her services to three vessels—the Scotia,
of Sunderland ; the Three Brothers, of Goole ;
and the Thomas, of Blakeney. The whole
crew of the first, six in number, were saved,
and five out of six in the second, the mate
having been washed overboard before the boat
reache her. In the third case, the Yarmouth
steam-tug having come up, towed the vessel into
Lowestoft harbour; and the lifeboat, after re-
maining afloat for six hours, and seeing no more
lives in danger, returned to the beach. The
Pakefield boat did its part also. The Robert
and Mary, of Blyth, having hoisted a signal of
distress, this boat was launched to her assistance,
but the Kessingland boat arrived before her, and
saved the crew. After the Pakefield boat had re-
turned, two other vessels were seen driving over
the Corton Sands with signals of distress, and a
fresh crew proceeded to their assistance ; but un-
happily one of them, a sloop, went down before
they could reach her; they then hauled up to the
other, the Mason, of Goole, and the weather being
somewhat moderated, remained by her until she
was placed in safety, although the lifeboat itself
had sustained considerable damage from the fury of
the storm.

Again, on the following Sunday morning, the
crew of a Gibraltar vessel was saved by the bravery
of the Pakefield beachmen, who had unsuccessfully
attempted to reach her, until a line was thrown
over her by the mortar, which the crew, being:
Maltese, did not know how to take advantage of,
but by which the beachmen hauled their yawl to
the stranded vessel, and took off the seven hands
and a pilot in an exhausted state, amidst the shouts
of some hundreds who had watched the operation
with the greatest anxiety from the shore.
Now wo believe that there are to be found, on
Yarmouth beach, men as alive to the impulses of
humanity and true English courage, as at Lowes-
toft, Pakefield, or Kesiingland; and our confident
hope is that the Local Committee, to whom
we are glad to see that the General Board of the
National Institution has referred the matter—will
be able to make such a choice of men, or such regu-
lations foh the employment of those who offer them-
selves in future, as will roll away the reproach
which at this moment rests upon the good old port
of Great Yarmouth. She has sorrow enough in the
visitation with which Providence has seen fit to
afflict her fishermen and their wives and children ;
let her not have to mourn in addition to lives and
property, the loss of the character of her mariners.
—Bury and Norwich Post of this day.