Page:VCH Cornwall 1.djvu/614

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A HISTORY OF CORNWALL others. The forts and batteries built in Cornwall in 1862, and subsequently, as part of the western defences of Plymouth, belong to the history of the fortifications of that town. New fortifications at the Scillies are now (1905) approaching completion. In 1795, and succeeding years, a chain of signal stations was established round the British coast for the purpose of conveying intelligence, but Maker church tower had been in use as a look- out post long previously. On the signal post there a red flag at the pole and two blue ones at the outriggers signified that the enemy was in sight. Besides Maker, other locations were Nealand, near West Looe, the Dodman, Gribben Head, Black Head, Manacles Point, Landewednock, Penhale, Trevescan, St. Levan, Purdenneck, Mount's Bay, St. Anthony (Falmouth), Tregony Hill, and St. Martin's Head (Scilly). 1 None of these was a semaphore telegraph, as were some of the more eastern stations. The most noticeable wrecks that have occurred in Cornish waters are : H.M.S. Hind, 8, on ii December, 1668, in Broad Sound ; H.M.S. Pembroke, 32, 23 February, 1693-4, on the Lizard ; H.M.S. Colchester, 44, 1 6 January, 1703-4, in Whitsand Bay, Land's End ; H.M.SS. Association, go, Eagle, 70, Romney, 50, Firebrand and Phoenix, fireships, 22 October, 1707, on the Gilstoneand other Scilly reefs ; 3 H.M.S. Worcester, prize, 14, on 6 October, 1708, off the Land's End ; H.M.S. Royal Ann, galley, 40, on the Lizard, 10 November, 1721 ; H.M.S. Lizard, 14, on 27 February, 1747-8, in Broad Sound; H.M.S. Savage, 14, in 1748, on the Lizard; 3 the Falmouth packet Hanover (from Lisbon), in December, 1760, at Padstow ; 4 the French man-of-war L'Apollon, in May, 1773, off the Land's End; 5 H.M.S. Nimble, cutter, in Mount's Bay, 1780; the Nancy, East India packet, in March, 1784, on the Scillies ; 6 H.M.S. Colossus, 74, on the Scillies, 9 Decem- ber, 1798; H.M.S. Fearless, 14, in Cawsand Bay, 19 January, 1804; H.M.S. Anson, 44, in Mount's Bay, 27 December, 1807 ; r H.M.S. Primrose, 18, and the Despatch, transport, on the Manacles, 22 January, 1809 ; 8 H.M.S. Wildboar, 10, on the Runnelstone, 15 February, 1810 ; H.M.S. Bloodhound, 12, on Trevose Head, in 1811; the Queen, transport, on Trefusis Point, 14 January, 1814 ;" H.M.S. Whiting, 4, off Padstow, on 21 September, 1816 ; H.M.S. Forester, 10, St. Martin's Island, 13 February, 1833 ; 10 the Ranger, packet, on Trefusis Point, 15 February, 1838 j 11 the Thames, on the Scillies, 4 January, 1841 ; 12 the Brigand, on the Scillies, 12 October, 1842 ; the Jessie Logan,Ezst Indiaman, at Boscastle, November, 1843 ; the Nile, on the Stones, off Godrevy, November, 1854 ; 13 the John, emigrant ship, on the Manacles, i May, 1855 ; I4 the Ocean Home, run down off the Lizard in 1856 ; 16 the Bencoolen, at Bude Haven, 19 October, 1862 ; 16 the lifeboat at Polpear (Lizard) wrecked and three men drowned, 8 January, 1866 ; the Devon, govern- ment lighter, on the Brisons, 23 October, 1868 ; 17 the Delaware, on the Scillies, 20 December, 1871 ; 18 the Schiller, on the Retarriers, 7 May, 1875 ; 19 the Mosel, at Church Cove, 9 August, 1882 ; the Alliance, at Boscastle, 7 December, 1884 ; 20 the Suffolk, on the Lizard, 28 September, 1886 ; the Brankelow, at Gunwalloe, 21 April, 1890 ; 21 the Camiola, on the Sevenstones, i Octo- ber, 1892 ; H.M.SS. Lynx and Thrasher, near the Dodman, 29 September, 1897 ; the Mohegan, on the Manacles, 14 October, 1898 ; 22 the Paris, on the Manacles, 21 May, 1899 ; 23 the Padstow steam lifeboat, James Stevens, No. 4, capsized 1 1 April, 1 900 ; 24 the Khyber, at Porthgwarra Cove, on 14 February, igos. 25 In 1816, eight years after its introduction on the east coast, Manley's mortar apparatus was sent for use at the Lizard Point and at the Manacles. The first lifeboat established (by Lloyd's) was at Mount's Bay, in 1803 or shortly afterwards. 1 Admir. Sec. Misc. dxci. 1 No one was saved from the Association or Eagle, one man from the Romney, and twenty-five from the firebrand. The Phoenix was afterwards got afloat again. 3 None saved. * She had got into the Bristol Channel by mistake ; sixty lives lost. 5 None saved. 6 Her fate was only known by some letter bags being washed up. 7 Sixty lives lost. One man saved from the Primrose ; 120 drowned. Altogether 214 bodies were recovered. Upwards of 300 lives lost. 10 Afterwards got off. " She was carried 1 50 ft. above high-water mark. 3 Mistook the St. Agnes Light for the Longships ; sixty-one drowned. 3 No survivors. Five vessels wrecked on the Scillies this year. " 200 lives lost. 15 Seventy-five drowned. Twenty-seven drowned. In January of this year four ships were lost on the Land's End, and another in Mount's Bay, with all on board them. 17 Sixteen drowned. 18 Forty-five drowned. 19 3 1 2 drowned. " Twenty drowned. 21 Compasses had been tampered with by the crew. " One hundred and six drowned. 23 Afterwards got off. " Eight drowned. K Twenty-three drowned. 510