SS Hebe image from Bergens Sjofartsmuseum
Preston Herald, Saturday 16 December 1911.
The Ribble
Estuary.
Tempestuous seas raged round the West Coast, Monday [11 December
1911], and thrilling scenes were witnessed from the shores of Lytham,
and St. Annes. The Norwegian steamship Hebe, voyaging from
Skelleftea, the Baltic, to Preston, with many tons of wood pulp, was
driven onto the Horse Bank, which lies in the Ribble Estuary between
Southport and St. Annes. With the aid of glasses, she could be seen
plainly from all the three seaside resorts, and when the fact became
known, thousands people lined the shore. Heavy seas were breaking
over her, and her bows were under water. The lifeboats of Lytham and
St. Annes were launched after strenuous efforts, both boats having to
be hauled by horses to convenient launching places. The Lytham boat had
to face the flood tide, and she was taken in tow by the Preston
Corporation tug. The St. Annes boat returned after struggle of about
four hours, and the crew reported that neither they, nor the boat,
could get near the wreck. Meanwhile Southport lifeboat, seeing signals
from the disabled vessel, set out with a crew of thirteen
Coxswain Robinson.
ONLY JUST IN TIME.
To reach the vessel they had to make a very
long journey owing to the fact that they had to round the south of the
Horse Bank, and it was over two hours later before they reached the
vessel which proved the Norwegian vessel Hebe. The rough seas made
rescue operations extremely difficult, but ultimately they succeeded in
getting all the occupants of the wrecked steamship. They consisted of
the captain, fifteen other Norwegians, three Englishmen, and two
Germans. The two youngest members were making their first trip.
Succour had just reached the distressed crew in time, for, when the
lifeboat reached them, they were on the bridge; the deck being under
water. Had there been any delay they must have been swept away or
starved to death. They were landed at Southport pier about two o'clock,
and at an Hotel, the Mayor, Councillor Reynolds, entertained them, while
the lifeboatmen were entertained by Sir George Pilkington, the High
Sheriff. This is the most important piece of rescue work performed by
the Southport lifeboat crew since the great disaster on December 10,
1886. [Stranding of barque Mexico with the loss
of 27 lifeboatmen: 14 out of 16 from the Southport lifeboat and all 13
from the St Annes lifeboat]
LIFEBOAT'S BRAVE ATTEMPTS.
The splendid rescue by the
Southport crew should not be allowed entirely to eclipse the brave attempts
made in the face of heavy seas and strong wind by the lifeboatmen of Lytham and St. Annes.
Some difficulty was had in launching the boats from this side. The tide having
only begun to run, there was little water, and both boats had to be taken some
distance along the shore before launching places were found. The men say they
have been out in much rougher weather, but that they have never had to fight
against such a strong combination of wind and tide. Sails were almost useless.
Rowing meant tremendous labour and little progress. A tug belonging Preston
Corporation assisted both boats in turn, but she was unable to tow them
near to the wreck because the water was so shallow as the bank was approached.
Henry Melling, second coxswain of the St. Annes lifeboat, who was in charge of the crew in the
absence of the coxswain, said that his boat was unable to use her sails, but, with the
assistance given by the tug, she got within a mile of the wreck, when the Southport
Boat was seen to sail round the bank and take off the crew. When he had
a clear view of her, he said, the steamer seemed to be bumping badly
onto the bank. She soon settled down firmly. He saw her deck covered.
The Southport lifeboat was only just in time. I don't think the crew would have
been saved, if another half hour had gone by. Soon after the crew had been
taken off, and before we turned back, the tide had covered her decks.
Lady Macara, who, with Sir Charles Macara, takes a great interest in lifeboat
work, watched the work of the lifeboat crews through a telescope, and as soon
as the men returned, she saw that they were entertained at an hotel.
INTERVIEW WITH SECOND ENGINEER.
Mr George Foster, who belongs to Kendal, and is of the vessel, told
the terrible tale of the North Sea, where they had boisterous weather and had to throw
a portion of the cargo overboard. They found it necessary to work without sleep for
nearly three days, and in two days the ship made only four miles headway. Rounding
the coast of Scotland, they were overtaken by the weather, and were plunged
into the gale off the Lancashire coast. About six o'clock on Monday morning, the
vessel struck on the Horse Bank, off Southport. Great seas constantly broke
over her. Everything was washed away, and the cabins and other open
portions filled by raging seas, that, but for the timely arrival of the
Southport lifeboat, they must have gone down with the doomed ship. They were
taken off by means of rope, which two of their men had thrown.
(The steamer Hebe is of 2218 tons gross register and belongs to Messrs.
Harloff and Rødseth of Bergen. The vessel's value is £15,500, and her cargo
represents an additional £6,000.)
Evening Telegrath, Dundee, 15 December 1911.
Engineer's sad Homecoming after Daring Swim in Attempt to Secure His
Belongings.
Mr George Foster, the second engineer of the steamship Hebe, which
was wrecked at Southport on Monday, and one of those brought ashore by the
Southport lifeboat, made a daring swim yesterday to the wreck in an attempt to
secure his property. He went out in a small boat, but the waves were so
dangerous that the craft dare not approach the wreck. Foster, however,
stripped off his clothes, dived into the sea. and succeeded in boarding the
vessel. He found almost everything had been washed away. The cabin fixtures
were broken, and he only secured, as a result of his swim, some insurance
policies. A sad feature of Mr Foster's homecoming is that, on reaching Preston
on Monday night after his perilous experience, he was met with the news that
his father had died at Eccles on November 16.
A buoy was placed to mark the position of the wreck, which remained visible at low water for many years. The buoy was removed about 1975. The wreck is now (2020) charted at 53°42.668N, 3°7.133W, on the 2m depth line, just north of the current entrance channel into the Ribble.
For a recent sonar survey see here.