Post by Vagabond on Feb 12, 2015 20:52:15 GMT
Leaving the hills for a while and heading down to the coast, some may find this of interest. From The Cheap Magazine, printed and published at Haddington 1814 by George Miller and Son.
The Lifeboat
"The particular construction of this boat, is minutely described by Dr Gregory in his Encyclopedia, and according to that author, it originated in the following circumstances. `In September 1789 the ship Adventure of Newcastle was stranded on the Herd Sand, on the south side of Tynemouth Haven in the midst of tremendous breakers; and all the crew dropped from the rigging one by one, in the presence of thousands of spectators; not one of whom could be prevailed upon by any reward, to venture out to her assistance in any boat or cobble of the common construction.
On this occasion the gentlemen of South Shields called a meeting of the inhabitants, at which a committee was appointed, and premiums were offered for plans of a boat, which should be the best calculated to brave the dangers of the sea, particularly of broken water. Many proposals were offered; but the preference was unanimously given to that of MR GREATHEAD, who was immediately directed to build a boat at the expense of the committee.
This boat went off on the 30th January 1790, and so well has it answered every expectation, in the most tremendous broken sea, that since that time not fewer than two hundred lives have been saved at the entrance of the Tyne alone, which otherwise must have been lost. MR GREATHEAD stated before a committee of the House of Commons, that he had conceived the principle of the invention of the life-boat from the properties of a spheriod, which, "if divided into quarters, each quarter is elliptical and nearly resembles the half of a wooden bowl, having a curvature with projecting ends: this thrown into the sea or broken water, cannot be upset, nor lie with the bottom upwards." And the following Description, of and Instructions for managing the Life-Boats, invented and built by that gentleman, were communicated by him to one of the original Dunbar Life-Boat committee, who reprinted and distributed a number of copies for the information of sea-faring men and others on that part of the coast."
Description of, and Instructions for managing the Life-Boats
"These boats are built of two sizes, one to row with ten oars, the other with eight..."
To be continued
The Lifeboat
"The particular construction of this boat, is minutely described by Dr Gregory in his Encyclopedia, and according to that author, it originated in the following circumstances. `In September 1789 the ship Adventure of Newcastle was stranded on the Herd Sand, on the south side of Tynemouth Haven in the midst of tremendous breakers; and all the crew dropped from the rigging one by one, in the presence of thousands of spectators; not one of whom could be prevailed upon by any reward, to venture out to her assistance in any boat or cobble of the common construction.
On this occasion the gentlemen of South Shields called a meeting of the inhabitants, at which a committee was appointed, and premiums were offered for plans of a boat, which should be the best calculated to brave the dangers of the sea, particularly of broken water. Many proposals were offered; but the preference was unanimously given to that of MR GREATHEAD, who was immediately directed to build a boat at the expense of the committee.
This boat went off on the 30th January 1790, and so well has it answered every expectation, in the most tremendous broken sea, that since that time not fewer than two hundred lives have been saved at the entrance of the Tyne alone, which otherwise must have been lost. MR GREATHEAD stated before a committee of the House of Commons, that he had conceived the principle of the invention of the life-boat from the properties of a spheriod, which, "if divided into quarters, each quarter is elliptical and nearly resembles the half of a wooden bowl, having a curvature with projecting ends: this thrown into the sea or broken water, cannot be upset, nor lie with the bottom upwards." And the following Description, of and Instructions for managing the Life-Boats, invented and built by that gentleman, were communicated by him to one of the original Dunbar Life-Boat committee, who reprinted and distributed a number of copies for the information of sea-faring men and others on that part of the coast."
Description of, and Instructions for managing the Life-Boats
"These boats are built of two sizes, one to row with ten oars, the other with eight..."
To be continued