On Friday afternoon, Mr. W.W.LUMB, Coroner for West Cumberland, held
an inquest at the police-station, Maryport, on the body of JAMES
HENNEY, who was lost out of the lifeboat on Thursday night.  The first
witness called was THOMAS CRADDOCK (sic), residing at Adam’s Place,
Whitehaven, who deposed:

“I have been a Seaman for twenty years. I know the deceased, who was
31 years old, and was my brother-in-law. He had been a Seaman for 15
years. Last night during the gale word came by telegraph from
Workington that there was a ship ashore there and we were to send the
Whitehaven lifeboat. The lifeboat crew were at once got together, and
thirteen men got into the boat, that being the full crew. JAMES MORRIS
was Captain of the boat. We left Whitehaven at a quarter to seven. We
were in our ordinary clothes, but we had a cork lifejacket on. We set
sail on getting outside, and afterwards showed signal lights. We got
an answer from the shore near Workington but none from the vessel. We
could see the vessel after a bit, and found she was a barque. We went
to within 100 yards of her, and were then about 300 or 400 yards from
the shore. We tried to get to the barque but could not, and we let go
out anchor. While at anchor, the sea broke over us several times, and
when we were in the trough we were capsized, being still at anchor.
All except two were thrown out of the boat. That was close upon nine
o’ clock. The deceased HENNEY fell out of the boat with the rest of
us, but I did not see that he struck himself against anything. While I
was hanging with my feet fast in a rowlock, I heard a voice to
windward, crying for help. I don’t think HENNEY was drowned, but the
cold killed him. Had he not been hurt, it would have been impossible
for him to get ashore at Workington, owing to the tide. After we had
tried to find HENNEY, and failed, we came on to Maryport.”

The Coroner:
“When deceased got to the water, could he see the lights at
Workington?”
“Yes, he could see the reflection from the furnaces.”
“How far was he from the land?”
“About half a mile.”
“If nothing had happened to him, do you think he could have made his
way to Workington?”
“No, it was impossible, owing to the sea and tide.”
“Supposing he was conscious, which way do you think he would have
gone?”
“This way owing to the sea”
“Could he have made his way to the shore?”
“He might have done, but the sea would naturally fetch him towards the
shore.”

Witness added that when they found that they could render the deceased
no assistance, they got the anchor up and made for Maryport, which
place they reached about a quarter past ten. WILLIAM RUSSELL had his
thigh put out, but the remainder of the crew received no hurt.

The Coroner:
“I was told today there should have been a steamer with you.”

Witness: “We could get no steamers out; it was almost low water”

In reply to the question put by the foreman, Witness said, they did
not make out the vessel in distress, until they got abreast of
Workington. The boat behaved very well until it got full of water.
Three seas hit her in succession, and filled her with water before she
capsized. Deceased (who was aft oar on the starboard side) tried to
get a smoke on the way. – JOSEPH THORNDALE deposed to have found the
body on the shore near the tan yard at Maryport at a few minutes to
six o’ clock that (Friday) morning. He gave information to P.C.
MILLER, and the body was removed to the infirmary. – The Coroner, in
summing up said it would be impossible to find thirteen more
courageous men than those who went out in the Whitehaven Lifeboat that
Thursday evening. He happened to be a little outside Whitehaven that
evening, and he thought that he had never before experienced such a
night. He believed it got very much worse later on. But, in spite of
the weather, those thirteen courageous men went out in the Lifeboat to
do their duty. They got as near as they possibly could to the Barque
in distress when no less than eleven of them were thrown overboard. He
might be wrong, but his impression was that when the deceased went
over board he was stunned by some portion of the boat striking him. On
the other hand CRADDOCK (sic) (who had told his story in a clear and
forcible manner) was of opinion that the poor man was starved to
death. He however doubted that very much. As the Jury were aware there
was a large wound on the deceased’s forehead, and the blow that was
inflicted might have stunned or even killed him. But in whatever way
it happened he met with his death whilst doing his duty in the most
faithful manner. – In reply to the foreman, the witness, who was in
the boat with deceased, said that one of the crew was a collier. With
that exception, they were all Mariners. In his opinion it should be
made known that no one but sailors would be rewarded for services
rendered in the Lifeboat. – The Coroner remarked that this was a very
important question, and he was glad it was asked. The Jury at once
returned a verdict of “Accidental death.”

The body of HENNEY was conveyed to Whitehaven by the 5 20 p.m. train
on the Friday afternoon, and the arrival was borne from the station to
his residence at Catherine Place, West Strand, by members of the Royal
Naval Reserve.