WRECKS AND RESCUES 273 



the cliffs. Amongst the crowd were the wives and 

 children of the lifeboat men, who, with two exceptions, 

 were all married, and of these two one was a widower. 

 By the most tremendous exertions on the part of the 

 enfeebled crew the lifeboat was got fifty yards away 

 from the pier and was in the very midst of the wild 

 welter of waters. Suddenly and unexpectedly she was 

 caught by a huge snarling cross-sea and instantly 

 capsized and either hurled her men into the sea or 

 buried them under her. So swiftly did the accident 

 occur that the watchers ashore scarcely realised what 

 had happened. It was three o'clock in the afternoon, 

 too, and the short winter's day was drawing to a close. 

 The coastguard had the rocket apparatus ready, and 

 when it was seen that the lifeboat had capsized, a rocket 

 was fired ; but the line broke and blew away to lee- 

 ward. There was no hope for the men, twelve of 

 whom perished almost immediately, although they were 

 furnished with life-belts. The only man who was saved 

 by being thrown ashore was wearing a cork jacket, 

 which had been sent to Whitby as a pattern. This 

 survivor was Henry Freeman, who, after a long and 

 splendid career as coxswain of a later Whitby lifeboat, 

 died on i3th December 1904. Ten women were made 

 widows and forty-six children were orphaned by the 

 disaster. 



The Scarborough lifeboat disaster was attended by 

 circumstances which have made it memorable in local 

 history. In November 1861 a heavy gale was blowing. 

 The Coup land, a schooner, tried unsuccessfully to make 

 the harbour, but she was swept towards the Spa, in 

 front of which she struck. So heavy was the sea that 

 18 



