he
captain therefore resolved to attempt the passage himself. He did so.
Three heavy seas struck the steamer so severely as to divert her from
her course, and she ran on the rocks close to the Friendship, so close
that the cries of her crew could be heard above the whistling winds and
thundering waves. As soon as she struck, the indescribable
circumstances of a dread disaster began. The huge billows that had
hitherto passed onward, heaving her upwards, now burst over her with
inconceivable violence and crushed her down, sweeping the decks
continuously--they rocked her fiercely to and fro; they ground her sides
upon the cruel rocks; they lifted her on their powerful crests, let her
fall bodily on the rocks, stove in her bottom, and, rushing into the
hold, extinguished the engine fires. The sound of her rending planks
and timbers was mingled with the piercing cries of the female passengers
and the gruff shouting of the men, as they staggered to and fro, vainly
attempting to do something, they knew not what, to avert their doom.

It was pitch dark by this time, yet not so dark but that the sharp eyes
of earnest daring men on shore had noted the catastrophe. The men of
the coastguard, under Mr Lawrence Byrne, their chief officer, got out
the rocket apparatus and succeeded in sending a line over the wreck.
Unfortunately, however, owing to mismanagement of those on board the
steamer, it proved ineffective. They had fastened the hawser of the
apparatus to the forecastle instead of high up on the mast, so that the
ropes became hopelessly entangled on the rocks. Before this
entanglement occurred, however, two men had been hauled ashore to show
the possibility of escape and to give the ladies courage. Then a lady
ventured into the sling-lifebuoy, or cradle, with a sailor, but they
stuck fast during the transit, and while being hauled back to the wreck,
fell out and were drowned. A fireman then made the attempt. Again the
cradle stuck, but the man was strong and went hand over hand along the
hawser to the shore, where Mr Byrne rushed into the surf and caught
hold of him. The rescuer nearly lost his life in the attempt. He was
overtaken by a huge wave, and was on the point of being washed away when
he caught hold of a gentleman who ran into the surf to save him.

The rocket apparatus having thus failed, owing to the simple mistake of
those in the wreck having fastened the hawser _too low_ on their vessel,
the crew atte