“It was now quite certain that the ship was embayed, and every exertion was made to work her off the shore; but finding she lost ground every tack, she was brought to an anchor in 25 fathoms, at five P.M. with the best bower anchor veered away to two cable’s length. By their anchor, the ship rode in a most tremendous sea, and as heavy a gale as was ever experienced, until 4 A.M. of the 29th, when the cable parted. The small bower anchor was then let go, and veered away to two cable’s length, which held her until 8 A.M. when that also parted; and as the last resource, in order to preserve the lives of as many as possible, the foretop sail was cut, and the ship run on shore, on the sand which forms the bar between the Loe Pool (about three miles from Helston) and the sea. The tide had ebbed about an hour when she struck; on taking the ground, she broached to with her broadside to the beach, and most happily heeled into the shore; had she, on the contrary, heeled off, not a soul could have escaped alive.
“Now commenced a most heart-rending scene to some hundreds of spectators who had been in anxious suspence, and who exerted themselves to the utmost, at the imminent risk of their lives, to save those of their drowning fellow-men. Many of those who were most forward in quitting the ship, lost their lives, being swept away by the tremendous sea, which entirely went over the wreck. The main-mast formed a floating raft from the ship to the shore, and the greater part of those who escaped passed by this medium.”
Some of the officers who were fortunately saved have given us the following further particulars of this unfortunate event.
“The Anson sailed from Falmouth on Christmas-eve, on her station off the Black-rocks, as one of the look-out frigates of the Channel fleet. In the violent storm of Monday, blowing about W. to S.W. she stood across the entrance of the channel, towards Scilly, made the Land’s End, which they mistook for the Lizard, and bore up, as they thought, for Falmouth. Still doubtful, however, in the evening of Monday, Captain Lydiard stood off again to the southward; when a consultation being held, it was once more resolved to bear up for Falmouth. Running eastward and northward, still under the fatal persuasion, that the Lizard was on the north-west of them, they did not discover their mistake till the man on the look-out a-head, called out “breakers!” The ship was instantaneously broached-to, and the best bower let go, which happily brought her up; but the rapidity with which the cable had veered out, made it impossible to serve it, and it soon parted in the hawse-hole. The sheet anchor was then let go, which also brought up the ship; but after riding end-on for a short time, this cable parted from the same cause, about eight in the morning, and the ship went plump on shore, upon the ridge of sand which separates the Loe Pool from the bay. Never did the sea run more tremendously high. It broke over the ship’s masts, which soon went by the board; the main-mast forming a floating raft from the ship to the shore; and the greater part of those who escaped, passed by this medium. One of the men saved, reports, that Captain Lydiard was near him on the main-mast; but he seemed to have lost the use of his faculties, with horror of the scene, and soon disappeared.”