Rescue of the Winchester
The packet ship Winchester, under Captain Moore, had sailed from Liverpool bound for Boston when a violent gale struck on April 17th. Francis McGuire was swept overboard while close-reefing the foretopsail and drowned. As sails and masts were lost, three more men followed: William Young, Patrick Boyden, and Charles Wigging. By the 18th, the ship was a complete wreck with all hands working the pumps.
What could have been a total disaster was averted through the heroic efforts of multiple rescue ships over the following days. The British ship Jane, the brig Edward, and the ship Mary & Caroline assisted in offloading some 300 passengers. On May 2nd, the U.S. mail steamer Washington under Captain Fitch completed the rescue, saving the remaining 446 souls—including Captain Moore—in less than an hour without a single accident.
The event inspired Song of the Steamship Washington, written on board immediately after the rescue.