Ships in 1849 built of wood, propelled by sails, were guided by only the most rudimentary navigational tools. The first barometer was not invented until 1844 and another ten years passed before Admiral FITZROY devised a method to predict storms and forecast the weather. Although Samuel MORSE, had developed the dot-and-dash code by 1838, and the electric telegraph had been invented in 1846, sailing ships were not equipped with anything so sophisticated and were unable to send out SOS signals until much later. Even assuming that passengers and crew could survive the immediate impact with icebergs and the freezing waters, the only hope for rescue would lay in a chance encounter with another ship, for there were no radios to send out distress calls. Proximity to land was often gauged by watching the flight of birds and the flotsam floating in the water and courses could be altered by the prevailing winds and weather. Four ships are known to have gone down after hitting the ice in 1849, per Edward Laxton, in his book "The Famine Ships" (1997), and a large number of emigrants lost their lives, either drowned or were crushed by the ice. One amazing rescue was recorded involving a very small, Irish-owned ship, the "Hannah," a 175-ton brig wrecked on the 26th day of a voyage from Newry, in Ulster (Co. Down). Their ship went aground on the leading edge of the iceberg in darkness at four in the morning. Captain SHAW and the first and second mates, expecting the ship to capsize instantly, apparently abandoned their passengers, seized a lifeboat and made their escape. In fact, 40 minutes elapsed before the ship sank, allowing many passengers and crew to clamber onto the ice! They huddled together clad only in their night-shirts for over 15 hours until miraculously, a ship appeared and the captain of the "Nicaragua" made an inspired rescue mission. Over 129 were saved and conveyed to safety,! eventually reaching Canada. Many had suffered severe frostbite. For his part in the rescue, Captain MARSHALL of the "Nicaragua" was awarded 43 pounds 13 shillings. The incident was reported in LLoyd's of London, where shipping movements around the world are collated, and several newspapers covered the dramatic rescue. The "ILN" reported that "the emigrants chiefly consisted of agricultural labourers and their wives and children, that upon impact their "their screams for help rent the air and it was with difficulty that the remainder of the crew could induce the frantic creature to comprehend the only chance left of saving their lives." It further stated - "Fortunately, the ice was firm under the ship's bows and the seamen convincing them to its security, many got on.... Men, women and children, with nothing on but their night attire, were scrambling over the mass of ice. Many of the poor creatures slipped between the huge masses and were either crushed to death or met with a watery grave. The last to leave the wreck were some of the! crew who contrived to save a small portion of spirits and a few blankets...The seamen who were among them humanely gave up what covering they had to the women, some of whom had been shockingly wounded and bruised. Thus were they exposed the whole of that day until five o'clock in the afternoon, when a vessel hove in sight and bore down to the edge of the field of ice. It proved to be the barque "Nicaragua," also bound for Quebec, under Captain Marshall.... In the course of two hours he and his crew succeeded in getting ahold of about 50 of the poor creatures and placing them on board his vessel. The remainder stood crouched together in another part of the ice some distance off, inaccessible from the position of the ship. Captain Marshall had all sails clewed up and got a rope fastened to a piece of ice, and with the long-boat pushed off with his men to the spot. After considerable difficulty he succeeded in getting to the edge, where they remained huddled together. T! he whole were saved." It was later estimated that a total 50-60 had perished. "As soon as he succeeded in getting all on board, the ship was got underway and proceeded in the direction of Cape Ray. Every comfort that his means afforded was placed at the sufferers' disposal. The next day, meeting the barque "Broom," of Glasgow, 27 of the poor creatures were transferred to that vessel; and in the course of the following day 49 of the survivors were placed on three other vessels. The "Nicaragua" reached Quebec on the 10th of last month (May). The fate of the master and the others who took to the life-boat and abandoned the emigrants, is not known." A later issue revealed that the master and part of the crew of the "Hannah" who left when the ship was floundering with 200 passengers, were "picked up four days after the melancholy event and landed in Quebec." Though the editor called for the deserters to be charged, they apparently escaped unpunished as no official record exists of any disciplinary action, per Mr. Laxton.