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The following account is from the Gibraltar Chronicle, February 16th
1865: GALLANT RESCUE OF A DROWNING MAN
An inquest was held yesterday afternoon on board her Majesty's
ship, Liffey, now coaling alongside the New Mole, upon the bodies of
Richard Barnwell and Cornelius Taylor, two privates of the Royal
Marine Corps belonging to that ship. It appeared from the evidence
that Dockyard Constable Gee on Tuesday night, about a quarter past
nine (the night being very dark, wet and somewhat gusty), heard a
cry of "Man overboard" proceeding from the water and on going to the
spot with his lantern saw one man standing on the ring which is
fixed in the sea wall supporting another in the water. Gee gave help
and a petty officer from the Liffey and a boat from the merchant
vessel Nepaul came to their assistance and the man was saved. About
10 o'clock Gee heard again the cry of "Man overboard" and about the
same moment, Lieutenant Dundas of the 2nd Battalion, 15th Regiment,
returning from visiting the guard at the New Mole heard voices. He
was in advance of the constable, whose lantern just sufficed to
throw a light upon the water and show to Lieutenant Dundas three men
in the water, about 15 yards from the sea wall, two of whom were
swimming, one towards the shore another going out and a third man
between them sinking. He unhesitatingly threw of his sword, jumped
in and swam towards the drowning man, whom he seized by his shell
jacket and drew him towards the shore in a passive state, when, with
the assistance of the Nepaul's boat and men on the Mole, this man
was saved as well as the man who was swimming in. The body of the
other, the deceased Barnwell was not discovered till about half past
seven the next morning, and while searching for it, the body of the
deceased Taylor was brought up first, who, from the evidence of a
private of the Marines named Williams, must have fallen into the
water at the time he was standing on the ring, and in the confusion
of the moment been overlooked It further appeared that the deceased
as well as some 14 or 15 more men belonging to the Liffey, having
been on shore since half past five in the afternoon, were returning
to their ship more or less in a state of intoxication, and the night
being very dark and rainy, they mistook their way and walked over
the sea wall into the water just where the Mole is curved a little
astern of the Liffey. The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental
death" and added their verdict "that the dark state of Her Majecty's
Dockyard on wintry nights should be referred to the consideration of
the proper naval authorities, as there are no lamps in the
neighbourhood of the shipping lying alongside the Mole." The coroner
commented on the nobel impulse which had prompted Lieutenant Henry L
Dundas to cast himself into the dark waters to save the life of a
drowning fellow creature, only guided by a ray of light from a
lantern, and the jury most cordially concurred in his remarks. (The
young officer referred to, is a son of the Rev. George Dundas of
Nottingham and a grandson of Major Dundas of this city.)
"H.M.S Liffey, Gibraltar, February 15th 1865"
Sir- I have the honour to request that you will convey to Mr
Dundas, Ensign of the 15th Regiment, who was office of the guard,
the expression of the sincere thanks, admiration and gratitude of
myself, the officers and the ship's company, for his gallant conduct
in saving two marines of this ship from drowning on the night of the
14th inst. It appears Mr Dundas was going his rounds when he heard
some men struggling in the water; he at once jumped in and assisted
one to a place where he could support himself, and then saved the
second. Before he could return to the third, the man had
unfortunately sunk. It appears that these men were returning on
board from leave, and the night being very dark, walked over the
mole into the water, and but for Mr Dundas's gallant and timely
assistance would have been probably drowned. I beg you will bring
this to the notice of his Excellency the Governor. - I have the
honour to be, sir, your obedient servant, George Parker Captain,
15th Regiment, Gibraltar. |
