Three: Captain A. W. Bremner, Master of the Guion Mail Steamer Nevada Egypt and Sudan 188...

Three: Captain A. W. Bremner, Master of the Guion Mail Steamer Nevada Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, no clasp (Mr. A. W. Bremner, “Nevada”); Khedive’s Star, dated 1882, unnamed as issued, both with contemporary top silver brooch bars; Lloyd’s Medal for Saving Life at Sea, 1st type large silver medal, 73mm, glazed as issued with frosted finish (Capt. A. W. Bremner of the Guion Mail Steamer “Nevada” 24th Dec. 1884) contained in its damaged presentation case, generally nearly extremely fine and rare (3) £1,000-£1,400 --- Arthur Wellesley Bremner was Master of the M.V. Nevada, hired by the British Government as a Transport Vessel during the Egyptian War of 1882. One hundred and five such vessels were hired during the war, only the Master of the ship being eligible for the medal; consequently each medal is therefore unique for that vessel. Captain Bremner was awarded Lloyd’s Silver Medal ‘as an honorary acknowledgement of his extraordinary exertions on the occasion of the fire on board the Nevada in October 1884 on a voyage from New York to Liverpool.’ The date inscribed on the medal relates to the entry in the Committee Minutes Book in relation to the letter received by the Committee from the London Provincial Marine Insurance Co., dated 11 December, respecting the Captain of the Nevada. The fire on the S.S. Nevada ‘The first outbreak occurred on 15 October, about 475 miles from Queenstown. It broke out among cotton and hops in the steerage deck amidships leading to the forward stoke-hole. The captain immediately ordered the main hatches to be taken off and the cargo to be shifted for the purpose of getting at the fire. The work was continued with very great difficulty until two o'clock on the following morning, when all the fire that could be got at from the forward end was extinguished. He then closed the main hatches, and lifting the after ones, passed two branches down. The men had to go about 60 feet from the hatch along the deck before getting to the fire; but they succeeded in doing this, and after about three hours’ hard battling managed to subdue it. This all happened on the starboard side of the vessel only, and the port side was apparently cool and all right. After this the men were engaged until noon of Thursday, 16 October, lifting the smouldering bales and throwing them overboard. At two o'clock on that afternoon fire was discovered in the bales on the port side. They struggled with it until six in the evening, when they were driven out by the smoke, which was very thick, and then, as a last resource, the captain was obliged to batten all down and turn on the steam jets. He also had water poured in through some holes he had had cut in the ion deck, immediately above the burning bales, and eventually cooled the ship down. On the Wednesday afternoon all engaged in extinguishing the fire suffered terribly from the smoke, and some officers and seamen became unconscious. Captain Bremner himself was three times in that state, and it required the united efforts of the ship’s surgeon and a lady nurse who was a passenger on board to bring him to by artificial respiration. When the upper-deck hatches were battened down the smoke was driven into the coal-bunkers through the coaling-hatches, which were on the same deck as the fire, thus making it extremely difficult for the trimmers to get coal, and the engineers had themselves to enter the bunkers for the purpose of encouraging the men. Captain Bremner spoke in the highest terms of the behaviour of all ranks on board during that anxious time. He also expressed his gratitude to the passengers for their orderly behaviour and their valuable assistance. Captain Shaw, of the Metropolitan Fire Birgade, who carried out the subsequent investigation, added that he had thoroughly investigated all the circumstances connected with the fire, and he considered that the whole proceeding, after the first alarm was raised, was a most satisfactory example of the highest qualities which could distinguish the commander of a vessel and his crew. They seemed to have shown a perfect combination of energy, skill, discipline, courage, persistency, and endurance, and to present a noble example for all persons who found themselves suddenly called upon to deal with frightful difficulties. Captain Bremner, having shaken hands with the various officers, said he should always look back to the eulogistic terms used by Captain Shaw on that occasion as among the happiest recollections of his life.’ (The Star, Guernsey, 13 November 1884 refers). Fewer than 50 of these large silver medals were awarded between 1837 and December 1896, when the small silver medal was introduced. Sold with copied research.