OLD STORIES of RESCUES
by
DEAL BOATMEN
Skardons World
A Gallant Rescue on the Goodwin's
Friday 5th April 1889
The story of five Deal boatmen who manned the galley-punt "Hope" and went forth in a storm during the night to rescue the shipwrecked crew of the Barque "Leonidas" presents some features of more than common interest; In most cases of this kind the task is simply of making for the wreck and lend a hand where possible; but the "Leonidas, heavily laden with coal from Newcastle, had gone aground on the Goodwin Sands in a sea which left her captain and crew-14 in number-no chance for life save taking their boat for a hopeless struggle against wind and waves.
To add to their troubles, a snow storm had swept down upon them. It was in weather such as this that the rescuer's at last contrived to find them after they had been knocking about for three hours, and when their boat was on the very point of sinking.
The work of getting the shipwrecked men aboard the "Hope" was of great difficulty and danger, but even after this their troubles were far from ended. Hour after hour the occupants of the overcrowded galley-punt wrestled with the howling blasts and rolling seas, and but for the incessant pumping and bailing, not a soul could possibly have reached the land.
It was at half past 10 in the morning - just seven hours and a half after leaving the Goodwin's -- that the "Hope", amidst the blinding snow and thunders of the sea upon the pebbly beach, finally landed her human freight, wet, sore, and feeble from long exposure to the bitter weather. The names of the rescuers are: William Adams; James May; Henry Marsh; Thomas May; and William Foster.
Article published in the Albury Banner and Wodonga Express NSW Australia 1889
Shipwreck on the Goodwin Sands
Saturday 6th July 1844
On Saturday night a most distressing shipwreck took place on the Goodwin Sands, in the total loss of a brig called the "Shepherdess" of two hundred tons burden, Mr Turner, master belonging to Bideford, whilst on her passage from Newcastle to Plymouth laden wit coals.
When off the north sand head of the Goodwin's there came a tremendous gale of wind, which almost immediately drove the vessel on the sands, and she fell instantly over on her beam ends. The occurrence being perceived by the crews of several luggers belonging to Deal, Ramsgate and Broadstairs, who are generally cruising about that dangerous part of the coast in order to render immediate assistance to vessels in distress, they quickly bore down towards her, but the gale still increasing, accompanied by a heavy fall of snow and hail, made it utterly impossible for them to go alongside the wreck; in fact, it was anticipated that their boats could not outlive the storm, the sea was running as high as the mast -head. The crew, consisting of Capt. Turner, eight seamen and an apprentice, remained for seven hours, and conceiving that it was next to impossibility of being saved, shook hands fervently with each other, and resigned themselves to that fate which apparently awaited them, as the vessel was sinking into the body of the sands.
The conduct pursued by the crews of the luggers, who are better known as "Deal Boatmen," deserves the highest commendation. they continued cruising about the wreck, waiting for an opportunity to run alongside of her; and in doing which their craft often appeared as if buried amidst the boiling surf, so tempestuous was the state of the ocean.
The cries of the unfortunate fellows, who were still in the rigging, are described to have been of the most heart-rendering description, imploring for assistance in the most piteous manner. At last, about four o'clock in the morning, one of the luggers succeeded in running so close alongside the brig as to enable Captain Turner to jump from the rigging on board of her; but in the next moment the lugger was carried away from the wreck, and thereby prevented the same means of escape to the remaining nine poor creatures in the rigging. It was then determined upon to throw ropes from the lugger, and bid the suffering crew to tie ends round their bodies, whereby they might be hauled onboard. Fortunately they acted as desired; and having thrown themselves overboard, they were eventually dragged into the lugger, although in a most deplorable state of exhaustion. One of them, however, had a most remarkable escape, the rope broke, and he was carried a considerable distance, to where he could be recovered. The luggers then returned to their respective stations with the unfortunate sufferers, and landed them in perfect safety, when every attention was afforded them that their destitute condition required. The loss of the brig is stated to be upwards of £2200. The last accounts state that the wreck had entirely disappeared under the sands out of site.
From the Working Man's Guardian; Parramatta, NSW Australia July 1844
A Collies Grave
Saturday 12th December 1908
Deal Boatmen, figured in a notable funeral which took place on the Goodwin Sands. A fine collie dog belonging to some visitors at Deal. Having died, the owners arranged with a local undertaker to make it a coffin lined with lead, and bearing a plate with the animal's name on it. In this coffin the collie's body was taken out to the Goodwin Sand's by boat and crew and buried.
From the Young Chronicle NSW Australia 1908
Fight with a Gale
Friday 23rd November 1923
Crew of Schooner Saved by Boatmen
Experiences during the rough weather in the channel attended the voyage of the three-masted schooner "Fiances and Jane," on voyage from London to Southampton with a cargo of cement.
When off Beachy Head the vessel was caught in a sudden squall, and the crew were unable to navigate her. The Vessel became unmanageable, and being at the mercy of the waves she was blown back from Beachy Head up into the channel. All her sails were carried away, and her masts were turned overboard, and when off Dover she began to list badly.
An attempt by the worn-out grew to get "Frances and Jane" into Dover Harbour failed owing to the heavy sea. The disabled and crippled condition of the ship was observed by Deal Boatmen, who boarded her in the Downs and, by continuous pumping, kept her afloat and took her into Ramsgate harbour.
From the Daily Herald, Adelaide, SA Australia
Towed to Sea
A Vigorous Shark
A thrilling fight with a shark in the Channel during the night was described by two Deal Boatmen named Philpott and Thomas, when they landed the fish at Deal recently. "We were mackerel fishing near Folkestone, "said Philpott, "when, about midnight, we felt our nets and boat being towed out into the Channel, right in the track of passing steamers. "Realising our danger, we started hauling our nets. As we did so the monster lashed and struggled furiously. When we brought him alongside he had coiled himself completely in the nets. He nearly drove us over-board, but we dumped the sails and nets on top of him, and so kept him quiet. "When we reached Deal this morning he was dead. "The shark measured 6ft. and weighed 2two and a half cwt.
From the Guardian and Express, WA, Australia
The Deal Boatmen
Saturday 10th April 1880
An English paper to hand by the last mail contains the following soul stirring account of an heroic deed performed by simple but brave men, who probably had not the faintest idea that they were doing anything more than a simple act of duty.
About one o'clock on Sunday December 28th, a gun fired from the South Sand Lightship, on the Goodwin's, distant about seven miles from Deal, which gave warning that a ship was on the dreaded sands. It was blowing a whole gale from the South-West, and vessels even in the comparative shelter of the Downs were riding to both anchors. It was a gale to stop your breath, or as the sailors say, "to blow your teeth down your throat." As the various congregations were streaming out of church, umbrellas were blown inside out, and children clung to their parents for shelter from the wind and blinding spray along the beach. Justly then, in answer to the boom of a distant gun, the bell rang to man the lifeboat, and the Deal Boatmen gallantly answered to the summoned, a rush was made for the lifebelts. The coxswain, Robert Wild, has for fifteen years held the yoke-lines through the surf on the sands, and knows the power of the boat, to save.
Fourteen men besides the coxswain were the crew, and with a mightily rush they launched the good boat down the steep beech to the rescue.
There were three vessels on the Goodwin's. The crew of one took to their boats, and not being in the worst part of the sands got safe round the North Foreland to Margate. Another schooner, supposed to be the "Dane"; disappeared, and was lost with all hands.
The third, a German Barque the "Leda" with a crew of nineteen all told, was stuck fast in the worst part of the sands, near the Fork Spit, on which even on a fine day the writer has encountered a dangerous and peculiar tumble of seas. The barques main and mizzen masts by this time were gone, and the crew were clinging to the weather bulwarks, while sheets of solid water made a clean breach over them -- so much so that from cold and long exposure, the captain was almost exhausted. The Deal lifeboat, the Van Kook, fetched a little to windward of the devoted barque, and dropping anchor, veered down on her. One cable being too short, another was bent on to it, and closer and closer came the lifeboat. If the cable parted and the lifeboat struck the ship with full force, not a man would probably have survived to tell the tale, or if they got to leeward of the barque the crew of the wreck would have been lost, as the lifeboat could not have worked up to the weather, to drop down as before. No friendly steam tug was at hand to help the lifeboat to windward in case of failure in this their first attempt, and both the crew in distress and their rescuers were well aware the stake at issue, and, that this was the last chance, But the lifeboat crew said "We're bound to save them and with all the coolness of the race you'll daring all that men do dare to do, they concentrated their energies on getting close enough to the wreck to throw their line, and yet to keep far enough off to ensure the boat's safety.
They were now hustled and beaten by tremendous seas breaking into and over them, and no other boat could have lived here a moment in the caldron of water seething and raging around them. Not withstanding the self emptying power of the wondrous boat the seas broke into her in such quick succession that she was filled, and remained full up to her thwarts while alongside the vessel, and as each swell came on board the coxswain sang out, "Look out, men" and they grasped the thwarts and held on with both hands, breathless for dear life.
One sea hurled the lifeboat against the ship, and stove in her fore airbox, so that the safety of them all made it necessary to sheer off. Another sea prostrated two men under her thwart. The lifeboat throw line was at last got on board the barque, and communication was established, and the crew were drawn onboard the lifeboat through the raging waves by one's or two's, as the sea permitted.
Thus saved from the jaws of death, so astonished was the rescued crew at the submerged condition of the lifeboat and the awful turmoil of water around them that some of them wished to go back to their perishing vessel, but the coxswain and crew knew the powers of their gallant boat, up foresail, and cut the cable, and with its goodly freight of thirty four souls, the lifeboat hurled like a feather, sometimes dead before the wind, and the next moment, taken aback, plunged into the surf for home. One of the rescued crew had twice before been saved by the same boat, the "Van Kook" and encouraged his comrades with recital of his previous deliverances. some rum, which was brought for the use of the lifeboat crew was generously given by them, and all used by the perishing men of the barque . And so at last, sodden through and through, exhausted but gloriously successful, they landed the staggering and grateful Germans on Deal beach, where, despite the storm, crowds met them with wondering and thankful hearts.
The names of the men who on this occasion manned the lifeboat deserve to be mentioned;
Robert Wilds (coxswain) 2- Thomas Cribben; 3- Thomas Parsons; 4- George Pain; 5- Charles Hall; 6- Thomas Roberts. 7- Robert Redsull; 8- Richard Roberts (second Coxswain) 9- William Baker; 10- John Hayward. 11- Edward Pain. 12- George Philpott. 13- W. Marsh. 14- M. Adams. 15- H. Foster
A service of exceptional risks, gallantry, and success seems to acknowledgement of their noble persevering services
From the Week; Brisbane, QLD, Australia 1880
Four Vessels on the Goodwin's
Saturday 2nd November 1919
Four small vessels were wrecked on the Goodwin Sands in a Violent gale on Saturday night. Deal lifeboatmen saw a wave wash away six people who were clinging to the rigging of one craft, and all of them perished. The lifeboat picked up two sailors who were clinging to an upturned boat.
The lifeboat was again called out, and rescued two men who were clinging to a wreck. They saw another wreck, of which all the crew perished. A steamer picked up a boat load of survivors off Deal. No Details are available
From the Observer Adelaide, SA, Australia 1919