At the close of 1902, the 50th anniversary year of the shipwreck, appeared The Story of the "Birkenhead" a work which received everywhere a warm and patriotic welcome as commemorating an event the memory and moral of which will never die. The circulation of the book naturally led to further discoveries in connection with a subject of such attractive and worldwide interest. Each additional piece of information or clue, as it came to hand, was carefully sifted or followed up. For more than two years this process of ingathering and investigating went steadily on. It involved an immense correspondence. It extended to all parts of the United Kingdom, to the Cape, and to districts of South Africa. Not only did Military materials accumulate, but on the Naval side also new matter of value to the subject and its associations began early to collect. It was then that W. H. Matthews, the son of a late Naval survivor, with whom the story, more particularly in its maritime aspects, had been a lifelong study, joined forces with the author of the first book, and the work of research and absorption was continued in unison with the happiest results. Fresh ground has been broken in many directions, and paths are now trod the existence of which was not before suspected.
