Coastguard Cutter

The Coastguard Cutter 2.6

-> Tony on January 01 2015
The Coastguard Cutter 2.6
January / February 2015. Issue 6.

LX222. Capture of Smuggler by the "Essex" 1824.
The ‘Essex’ on her passage from Plymouth to her station at Kingstown to receive convicts, captured a large lugger laden with tobacco, gin etc. a cargo said to be of immense value. The ‘Essex’ was going large up the Irish channel, when between Wicklow Head and the Kish light in the night, and the weather being very thick, she ran on board of the lugger, which was then lying to, and carried away her bow-sprit; the people on board the ‘Essex’ at this juncture hailed the lugger, and desired her to surrender, at the same time opening her ports, and threatening to blow her out of the water if she did not instantly comply. This stratagem had the desired effect, and the lugger, intimidated by the formidable appearance of the ‘Essex’, immediately yielded to a vessel of such apparent superior force and heavy metel, although the frigate at the time had neither guns, shot or powder on board. The lugger proves to be from Flushing, mounts 10 guns, and has a complement of 30 or 40 men. She was brought into Kingstown harbour.
Reference; Freemans Journal Saturday 21 February 1824.



G180. Coastguard. 1834
It is with great pleasure we allude to the praiseworthy exertions of Mr.Prosser, Chief Officer of the Coastguard at Nannywater, near Balbriggan, and his crew, who have been the means of rescuing a little girl from drowning and of restoring to life a man apparently drowned. On the 23rd.inst, a countryman named Dowlan, and a little girl, in attempting to cross the Nannywater, with a horse and car, before the tide had sufficiently ebbed, were taken down into deep water by the current, when Mr.Prosser and part of his crew hearing of the accident, instantly rendered assistance, and succeeded in saving the little girl who was floating down the stream. The unfortunate man had sunk, but was picked up about 10 minutes afterwards apparently drowned. He was immediately carried to yhe watch-house, and after rubbing his body with spirits for upwards of an hour, applying hot water in jars, and wrapping him up in warm blankets, his gallant deliverers had the inexpressible pleasure of seeing their exertions successful, and the patient restored to life. He was the next morning sufficiently recovered to return to his home, a distance of 8 or 9 miles. The horse was drowned. (Hibernian United Service Journal)
Reference: Saunders News-Letter Tuesday 2nd.September 1834.



98E Disastrous Shipwreck.1835
The barque Bellona, of Liverpool, T.Simpson master, bound to Maranham, South America, with specie on board was driven on shore near Newcastle, on Thursday afternoon, at 6 oclock, having her sails all split, she was anchored in the bay previously, but parted her chain-cable etc. Most fortunately her crew were saved. Mr.Adams, Chief Officer of the Coastguard at Newcastle, together with his men, rendered essential service. The vessel is expected to be got off the next spring tides, should the weather at all moderate. (Newry Telegraph)
Reference: Dublin Evening Mail 11th.November 1835.



207E.Smuggling. 1843
Smuggling, we are told is almost as brisk a trade as before, and at least one operation happened recently in tobacco. A sailor, it is stated, sauntering up the Commercial Road a week or two ago was overtaken by a car, carrying from the docks apparently some old ship's ropes and amongst them a hawser of unusual size; Jack recognizing in it an old ship acquaintance hailed the car, which having brought to, he jumped in, and forthwith commenced cutting off about 18 inches of the hawser: the car man remonstrated: Jack laughed, and letting him into the secret, showed him that within the old hawser was capital negro-head tobacco. It is needless to say that the hawser was delivered a few feet short, but in all events, duty free. (Morning Herald)
Reference; Evening Freeman. 14th.October 1843.



180E. The Navy 1854 ( Goodbye Ireland the Crimean War calls)
" The Coastguard force is being collected from the respective Stations and berthed on board the ships fitting out at the port. Clothing, hammocks, kit etc. are to be provided for this fine and most proficient body of gunners and sailors. Here is the nucleus of the complements of ten efficient ships of line. No country in the world - Russia included - can match the ability, skill, steadiness and pluck of these fine fellows".
Reference; Daily Express Saturday 11th.February 1854.



185E Drowning.1862
Dr.Kirwan, City Coroner held an inquest yesterday, at the rere of North great Charles Street, on the body of Edward Metcalfe, aged 21 years, who was drowned while bathing at Wharf, North Wall on Saturday. The jury returned a verdict of "Simple Drowning" and expressed their best thanks to Acting Inspector John Frainey, 14c, and Constable George Martin, 66c, for the extraordinary exertion, humanity and zeal they evinced to save life. They also tendered to Mr. Alexander Stewart, their best thanks and recommended the consideration of this retired Coastguard Officers noble conduct on this occasion to the Government authorities.
Reference; Morning News Tuesday 3rd.June 1862.



Q28. Luggage plundered 1866.
To the Editor of the Irish Times.
Sir,- Your issue of yesterday contains a letter from Mr.William Haughton respecting the wreck of the Ceres, to the concluding paragraph to which I am compelled to give a complete contradiction. Mr.Haughton says “that the luggage belonging to Dr.Heard was broken open and rifled of everything valuable,” I can say most positively, and of my own knowledge, that nothing was stolen from the luggage in question. It is true that the boxes were broken open, but they were broken by the sea, and they were delivered to Dr.Heard in exactly the same state as they were in when they were washed up on the strand, everything necessary was done to protect Dr.Heard’s property; he was afforded every facility for its recovery, and I am forced to say that it was most ungracious of that gentleman to make this unfounded complaint, considering the kind manner in which he was treated in the locality when he was unfortunate enough to be wrecked. This “most respectable gentleman” who gave Mr.Haughton the information as to the plundering of the cargo and the want of protection of it, has grossly misinformed him. The Chief Officer of Coastguard, Mr.Walsh, agent for Lloyds, and myselff, were at the scene of the wreck from a short time after it occurred, and made arrangements of the most effectual kind to protect the property. We performed a nost trying and laborious duty, extending over several days, I think, with success, but, certainly, to the best of our abilities, and without any regard to our own comfort, and it is very annoying to find a man like Mr.Houghton rushing into print to discredit our actions on hearsay evidence, - I am, sir, your obedient servant John Fanning.

Acting Receiver of Wreck, Custom House, Wexford. 17th November 1866.

Reference; The Irish Times 19 November 1866.



Q52. Explosion of Paraffin and Loss of Life. 1870.
A dreadful accident occurred last wek near Cleggan in the county Galway. It appears that twenty poor persons met at night in a house at Aughrasmore, distant some 10 miles from Clifden, and belonging to man named Heffernan. The object of their assembling was to divide a barrel of paraffin that had been washed ashore. Probably fearing the arrival of the Coastguard, they bolted both doors of the house and barricaded them, leaving no means of ingress or exit, even for themselves except through a small window. They then set to work, when as it is supposed, the inflammable vapour arising from the barrel communicated with the flame of the candle held by on of the parties, and in an instant the oil becoming ignited, an explosion occurred. Michael king, aged about 17 years, and a relative of Heffernan’s who happened to be leaning over the cask was literally blown to piecess, and the limbs and trunk of the unfortunate young man reduced to a cinder in the burning oil; not a vestige of the body remained. A poor woman named Mary King was dreadfully injured, while of the remainder not fewer than 10 people have been frightfully burnt.
Reference; The Irish Times 18 January 1870.



O339. Gallant Coastguards Conduct. 1903.
Buncrana, Sunday. The schooner Jack Snipe put into Lough Swilly on Thursday, short of supplies, and anchored on the east side of the lough, near the pier. During the height of the gale on Saturday night the anchors dragged and the schooner was in great danger of beaching. At nine o’clock five Coastguards from Buncrana Station put off in a boat, boarded her, and slipping one and lifting the other anchor, and, notwithstanding the terrific sea running, got the schooner under weigh to a safe anchorage. In returning the boat was carried on the crest of an immense wave for a long distance, and finally swamped. The Coastguards, sticking to the boat, got to the lee side of the pier after terrible exertion, and all were saved. The names of the Coastguards are - Chief boatman Barnes, Pritchard, Butler, Cresswell, and Banks. Banks left a sick bed at the call of duty. It was midnight before they succeeded in getting ashore, having had a terrible struggle of three hours. The schooner has a valuable cargo of cement for Ballina, Co. mayo.
Reference; The Irish Times 23 November 1903.



H82. H.M.S.Melampus. 1903
The Kingstown Guardship ‘Melampus’, in accordance with the new Admiralty regulations has been completely repainted. The task which occupied a large number of hands during the past fortnight, was completed on Friday of last week. The vessel is now a dull grey colour from end to end, with the funnels of a somewhat darker shade. In her new suit it cannot be said that the cruiser is an attractive object in the harbour, and especially in these dull wintry days the effect is gloomy in the extreme. By April 1st. according to the new regulations every ship in the service will have put on the new grey coat.
Reference; Wicklow News-Letter 24th.January 1903.

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