Glasgow Steamer Ashore
Casualty at the Mouth of the Tyne
About, six o'clock Saturday morning, the firing of signals at the mouth, of the Tyne took place, indicating that a vessel was distress. It transpired that the steamer Perth, of Glasgow, was ashore about midway between the South Pier and the groyne at the river mouth. Laden with a general cargo, the vessel was a passage from Leith to Amsterdam and in the early hours of the morning she was found to have sprung a leak. The vessel was brought within the piers, and ran upon the Herd Sand.
In response to the signals, the South Shields lifeboat Tom Perry and the Henry Vernon, motor lifeboat, from North Shields, proceeded to render assistance, while the coastguardmen and some members the Volunteer Life Brigade were soon in attendance with their apparatus, and sent a rocket and line over the ship. Their services, however, were not required, as, the weather being fine and the sea smooth, the crew decided to remain board.
The Perth is a steamer of 653 tons gross register.
COASTGUARDMEN'S NARROW ESCAPE
While two members of the coastguard, Joseph Boyd, chief officer, and John Bradish, leading boatman who had gone to the vessel in a boat, were making the return journey, they had a narrow escape from drowning. The craft got among the broken water and capsized, and Bradish got underneath it. Fortunately, his feet touched bottom, and, by giving the side of the boat a powerful lift with his shoulder, he managed to effect his escape, and reach the shore. Meanwhile, Boyd had gained a footing and waded on to the sands, the two men also getting the boat out of the sea.
THE STEAMER RE-FLOATED
The Perth was re-floated yesterday afternoon, and taken into the river to be docked.
Source: Newcastle Journal 1 February 1915