We have a very painful duty to perform this week. It is to record a series of terrible disasters to the shipping of this port, involving the loss not only of two vessels, and damage to others, that, worst of all, the sacrifice of no less than five precious lives. November is usually a terrible month, but after the bitter experiences of 1897 it was hoped that this year November would not prove calamitous. We have not had another flood, but disasters have occurred that bring grief to many inhabitants of this town.

To start with we have to report the loss of the ketch "Sir Robert Peel," and the drowning of Mr. Frederick Kemp, the owner, and Fredk. Wm. Shilling, the third hand of the vessel. She left Burnham at four o'clock on Saturday afternoon, with a cargo of oyster brood for the Whitstable Oyster Company, having on board, in addition to Mr. Kemp, who was sailing as mate, and the third hand Shilling, already mentioned, the master, Mr. Harry Waters, and his brother-in-law, Mr. John F. Arnold, a passenger.

All went well until the vessel arrived off the Maplin light, at about a quarter to twelve in the night, when a steamer, which proved to be the Dawdon, of Sunderland, ran into her port side, she being on the starboard tack, literally cutting her in two. At the moment of the collision all on board the ketch went forward, and within a few minutes she sank. All four were therefore thrown into the water, and nothing more was seen of Mr. Kemp or Shilling. Both the captain and his brother-in-law had a marvellous escape. The former, it appears, succeeded in swimming until he was picked up by the steamer's boat, in which, however, there were only two hands, so they were unable to render any very great assistance. At the time the ketch foundered Mr. Arnold was sitting on the port rail and all at once he found himself in the water. Like the captain, he is a good swimmer, and after swimming about for some time he fell in with a bed and a small hatch, which had floated out of the ketch. To the bed he clung until he, too, was picked up by the steamer's boat. They rowed about for some time in the hope of seeing something of Mr. Kemp and Shilling, but without avail, and they then made for the steamer.

Mr. Kemp and Shilling were wearing their heavy sea boots and clothing, so it was practically impossible for them to save themselves by swimming, whereas Waters and Arnold had on comparatively light apparel.

The steamer was prompt in lowering its boat, though the treatment the survivors received on board was certainly not of the best. They state that they had to ask for dry clothes, and in fact for anything that was supplied to them. There were landed at Gravesend at half-past 11 o'clock on Sunday morning, whence they took train to London, and arrived at Whitstable in the evening.

The late Mr. Frederick Kemp was 62 years of age, and he leaves a widow, four sons, and four daughters. He was held in high esteem in Whitstable, his native town, and it is needless to say that the greatest sympathy is felt for his family in their sad bereavement. He was an expert in oyster culture, and for six years prior to the early part of the present year he was manager of the Medina oyster fishery at Cowes, for Mr. Max Ullman.

Mrs. Hayward, wife of Dr. Hayward, was the first to convey the intelligence of the terrible calamity to Mrs. Kemp, her sister, while Dr. Hayward himself telegraphed to her sons, and next day two of them arrived at Whitstable with their brother-in-law, Mr. Crisp.

Mr. Leonard Kemp has offered a reward of £5 for the recovery of the body of his unfortunate brother.

Frederick William Shilling, who resided in Harbour Place, was 31 years of age, and he leaves a widow and three young children.

On Monday morning last the barge "Why Not," belonging to the Whitstable Shipping Company, returned to Whitstable having received damage to her hull through being run down by the screw steamer "Abbotshall," of and from Kirkculdy for London. The collision occurred on Sunday night or early on Monday morning.

The crew had a narrow escape but eventually they got away, and the wind being favourable they arrived at Whitstable in safety as already stated. Captain J.R. Daniels has taken the matter in hand on behalf of the Shipping Company. It is understood that the schooner was wholly to blame for the collision.

The brigantine "Craigh Alvah," also belonging to the Whistable Shipping Company, whilst on her passage from London to the Tyne, with a cargo of burnt ore, met the full force of the north-easterly gale which prevailed on Monday last, and when off Cromer lost her foremast and gear, and became unmangeable.

Lifeboats were sent out to her, and eventually she was taken into Great Yarmouth by the steamer "Gleaner," being accompanied by the Palling lifeboat, as apprehensions were entertained that it would be necessary to take her crew out of her before she reached the harbour. She was leaking, and had lost some of her sails and rigging.

There was no agreement for the assistance rendered by the steamer and lifeboat, and Captain J.R. Daniels has proceeded to Yarmouth to make arrangements for settlement and repairs.

We now come to another total wreck and loss of three lives. The vessel was another of the Whistable Shipping Company's fleet, the schooner "Flirt," which only last week we reported as having been launched after undergoing extensive repairs and strengthening. On going to Gravesend she took in a cargo of burnt ore for Topham, and left at the end of the week. She had a fair passage down until Wednesday, when she encountered the tremendous southerly gale that was prevailing in the Channel, and ran ashore at Burton Bradstock, a short distance from Bridport.

Thinking it was a hopeless case four of the crew, viz., the Master, Captain J. Chadwick, the mate, Mark Rigden, brother of Captain Thomas Rigden, diver, an able seaman, Neat, and an apprentice, whose name is unknown, jumped overboard in the hope of reaching the shore, which was about a mile distant; and of these all but Neat were drowned. Two other members of the crew, named Sharpe and Knight , remained on board the vessel and were rescued. The "Flirt" has since become a total wreck.

Both Captain Chadwick and the mate, Mark Rigden, were highly respectable men, and intelligent in their vocations. The captain was 35 years of age and leaves a widow and one child; Rigden was about 22 years of age and unmarried.

A strong gale from the North, with heavy seas, was experienced here on Wednesday last. Fortunately the tides were at dead neap; had they been otherwise the consequences might have been very serious. Still the morning tide was abnormally high for a neap, and for a time much anxiety was felt as to the result. Several small boats were sunk at their moorings, the yawl, Ann, belonging to Mr. H. J. Ougham, of the Royal Naval Reserve, was totally wrecked, and the groynes opposite to the Neptune were partly washed away, putting the house in peril.

This vessel has become a total wreck, but the cargo of copper ore has been forwarded to Topsham, its destination. The body of one of the three unfortunate men who left the vessel, when she went ashore at Burton, and wre drowned, has been recovered. It is that of the mate, Mark Rigden. It was found on Thursday in last week near Bridport, about two miles from the scene of the catastrophe.

An inquest was held at Bridport on Friday, and a verdict of "Acidentally Drowned" was returned. Mr. A. W. Daniels, Assitant Manager of the Whitstable Shipping Company, attended the enquiry and when it was over he made arrangements for the conveyance of the body to Whitstable for internment.

It arrived here on Friday, and the funeral took place at the cemetery on Tuesday. As a mark of respect for the deceased a large number of sailors and others attended the obsequies.

On Sunday evening last, the first Sunday in Advent, The Vicar of Seasalter (Rev. W. Blissard) preached from Isaiah xxiii., 20, on "Preparedness of Death," and the discourse was singularly appropriate in view of the sad disasters of the previous week. In the course of his remarks the rev. gentleman, who spoke with considerable emotion, very feelingly referred to the death of Mr. Frederick Kemp, who with Frederick William Shilling, was drowned on the night of the 19th November through his ketch, the "Sir Robert Peel," being run down by a steamer off the Maplin Light.

The late Mr. Kemp had been a worshipper in the church for many years, and in the truest sense of the word, was always prepared for the end. Some had carelessly spoken of him as a "holy man," but his whole life was consistent with such a high ideal. During the service the hymns, "A few more years shall roll" and "Safe home, safe home in port," were sung, and at the close the organist played the Dead March in "Saul," the whole of the large congregation remaining standing.

It should aslo be mentioned that the two survivors of the "Sir John Peel" disater, viz., Mr. Harry Waters and his brother-in law, Mr. J. P. Arnold, were present at the service and publicly returned thanks to Almight God for their providential escape from an untimely death by drowning.