1907 - Baltic wrecked on Mousehole Island in the parish of Penzance
Crew to the rescue - consisting of Messrs. William Stanley Drew, Richard Thomas, Luther Harvey, Harry Harvey, Richard Harry and Charles Harry.
The crew were all fishermen, except for Richard Thomas.
Mousehole Island - which the Baltic struck
Mousehole island can be viewed from Mousehole harbour wall
RESCUE BY MOUSEHOLE FISHERMAN - view with Adobe Acrobat Reader.
The following reports have all been transcribed from newspapers published at the time:-
MOUSEHOLE FISHERMEN’S GALLANT RESCUE medals for the gallant six - view with Adobe Acrobat Reader.
MOUSEHOLE FISHERMEN HONOURED were presented with £2 each, subscribed by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.- view with Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Mousehole
The ketch Baltic, which went ashore on Mousehole Island and which was thought would become a total wreck, was taken off by the Salvage Company on Monday and towed into Penzance harbour.
The Weslyan Day School was crowded on Monday evening, when medals were presented Messrs. W. S. Drew, Harry Harvey, Luther Harvey, Richard Harry, Richard Thomas, and J. Harry for their bravery in rescuing the crew of the Baltic. A full report of the proceedings will be found in another column.
Penzance lifeboat station 1907
The wreck of the Baltic again raises the question of the suitability of the Penzance lifeboat station. After the lifeboat had been got out from her house on Friday night, a delay, which might have been fatal, resulted through the tide being out. The lifeboat was being taken out across the harbour for launching when the wheels of the carriage stuck in the mud, though ten horses were employed to drag the carriage and the boat out. Considerable time was accordingly lost, and it was only through the splendid help which a large number of voluntary helpers gave that the lifeboat was launched when it was. Meanwhile, fortunately, the wrecked people had been rescued. This incident, however, shows the necessity there is for better means to launch the boat at the state of low tide. This question has exercised the thought of the local branch and of officers of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, and there are numerous difficulties to be faced, but these it may be possible to surmount. Valuable assistance at the time of the wreck was rendered at Mousehole by P.C. Whell.
The last vessel wrecked on Mousehole Island previous to the Baltic, was the Maggie Maxwell (Capt.Nankervis, of Penzance), some forty years ago. She was an iron vessel and built at Roberts’ yard, Newlyn.