Wandsworth Gallery

Shields Daily News Friday, 8 January 1897:

“During the whole of yesterday (7 January 1897) a strong SE gale prevailed on the NE coast causing great disturbance of the sea at the mouth of the Tyne. A large number of vessels entered the harbour in safety but received a terrible buffeting, especially when passing the Black Middens.

All went well until about 8.30 when a large screw-steamer was espied labouring heavily between the piers. She seemed to be struggling hard against the terrible seas & kept swaying from side to side in an ominous manner. The vessel eventually got out of her course & was driven into the broken water fringing the Black Middens. She was steadily swept toward the rocks & eventually struck the outer edge with great violence-the noise of the impact being distinctly heard above the raging elements. The coastguard-who had been watching her movements from the sighting of her lights outside the harbour, immediately gave the usual signal which was responded to by the HMS Medusa with promptitude. The members of the First Division of the Volunteer Life Brigade speedily got out the rocket apparatus & carried it out as far out onto the rocks as possible. It was immediately adjusted & a line was sent over the ill-fated vessel. Mr E Jones, chief officer of the coastguard, his staff & the Brigade, who were under the command of Mr John Anderson, captain of the Division, worked like Trojans, but eventually the rope got foul of the rocks & had to be cut. Another rocket was fired but it failed to reach the steamer, which was lying stern on about 200 yards distant from those on shore. The work of rescuing was attended by great difficulty. In the first place the men had to carry the apparatus across slippery & rugged rocks & in doing so, not a few suffered injury-some to such an extent that they were obliged to return to the house & subject themselves to medical treatment. Then again the gale was dead against them & this interfered with the firing of the rocket. The only thing that favoured the workers was the fact that the tide was ebbing & this enabled the men to draw nearer & nearer the vessel.

About 9.30 a terrible crash was heard-as though some of the steamer’s plates had snapped & this made the people on shore very anxious indeed. Another rocket was fired right into the teeth of the wind & looked as though it would reach its mark, but the gale caught the line, twisted it from its course, & it fell into the water beyond the stern. Soon after 10 o’clock another attempt was made & this time the men were successful. Still things did not work out smoothly. There was an abundance of helpers, the rocks being thickly peopled with sturdy men ready & willing to augment the ranks of the rescuers if necessary. Occasionally some of the more curious got too near the workers & rather hampered them in their movements. There was a long delay & the onlookers began to think that the crew had decided to remain on their vessel overnight. The real reason was, however, that the whip, line had become entangled in some manner. The howling of the wind & the roar of the seas tearing over the vessel & the jagged rocks prevented the voices of those on board & those on shore being heard. Occasionally shouts could be heard from the vessel borne on the wind, which was driving towards the shore, but it was impossible to make them out & the coastguard & the Brigade were forced to work in the dark in a double sense, hoping that as soon as possible the lines would be properly adjusted.

Although the men had been working strenuously for upwards of two hours, they did not relax their efforts, but worked manfully on. Several walked into the surging waters up to their necks almost, heedless of the danger they were placing themselves in, & with lanterns closely examined the lines as far as they were able. Eventually a ringing cheer rent the air, announcing the fact that at last communications with the vessel had been established. The breeches buoy was at once got under way & was sent off to the vessel & a minute or so later the first man was dragged through the surf & safely landed. He was just a boy—evidently the engineer’s steward. He had received a severe wetting, but beyond that he looked little the worse for his perilous experience. He was immediately taken charge of by two men & assisted over the rocks to the Brigade house where he was kindly treated. The work now proceeded smartly, one man after another being brought to land with commendable quickness. By midnight the whole of the crew had been landed safely. A dog belonging to the chief engineer was also brought to shore.”

It was ascertained that the vessel was the screw, steamer Wandsworth of London, commanded by Captain Watkins & carrying 22 hands. She had been a month on a voyage from Benisaf & was on a voyage to Jarrow with iron-ore.