Heroes of the Goodwin SandsTreanor, Thomas Stanley
History
Heroes of the Goodwin Sands
Treanor, Thomas Stanley
Goodwin Sands (England); Lifesaving -- Great Britain; Shipwrecks
humanity on the other, in every sense worthy to be known to the British
public. I got the whole narrative direct from the chief mate, Mr.
William Meldrum Lloyd, and it shall be related here as nearly as
possible in his own words.
No. 1.--_The Mate's Account_.
'Our ship was the Indian Chief, of 1238 tons register; our skipper's
name was Fraser, and we were bound with a general cargo to Yokohama.
There were twenty-nine souls on board, counting the North-country
pilot. We were four days out from Middlesbrough, but it had been thick
weather ever since the afternoon of the Sunday on which we sailed. All
had gone well with us, however, so far, and on Wednesday morning, at
half-past two, we made the Knock Light. You must know, sir, that
hereabouts the water is just a network of shoals; for to the southward
lies the Knock, and close over against it stretches the Long Sand, and
beyond, down to the westward, is the Sunk Sand. Shortly after the
Knock Light had hove in sight, the wind shifted to the eastward and
brought a squall of rain. We were under all plain sail at the time,
with the exception of the royals, which were furled, and the main sail
that hung in the buntlines. The Long Sand was to leeward, and finding
that we were drifting that way the order was given to put the ship
about. It was very dark, the wind breezing up sharper and sharper, and
cold as death. The helm was put down, but the main braces fouled, and
before they could be cleared the vessel had missed stays and was in
irons. We then went to work to wear the ship, but there was much
confusion, the vessel heeling over, and all of us knew that the Sands
were close aboard. The ship paid off, but at a critical moment the
spanker-boom sheet fouled the wheel; still, we managed to get the
vessel round, but scarcely were the braces belayed and the ship on the
starboard tack, when she struck the ground broadside on. She was a
soft-wood built ship, and she trembled, sir, as though she would go to
pieces at once like a pack of cards. Sheets and halliards were let go,
but no man durst venture aloft. Every moment threatened to bring the
spars crushing about us, and the thundering and beating of the canvas
made the masts buckle and jump like fishing-rods. We then kindled a
great flare and sent up rockets, and our signals were answered by the
Sunk Lightship and the Knock. We could see one another's faces in the
light of the big blaze, and sung out cheerily to keep our hearts up;
and, indeed, sir, although we all knew that our ship was hard and fast
and likely to leave her bones on that sand, we none of us reckoned upon
dying. The sky had cleared, the easterly wind made the stars sharp and
bright, and it was comforting to watch the lightships' rockets rushing
up and bursting into smoke and sparks over our heads, for they made us
see that our position was known, and they were as good as an assurance
that help would come along soon and that we need not lose heart. But
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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