Wreck report for 'Emlynmor', 1928

FOR OFFICIAL USE

No. 7860.

"EMLYNMOR" (S.S.).

THE MERCHANT SHIPPPING ACT, 1894.

REPORT OF COURT.

In the matter of a formal investigation held at the Moot Hall, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, on the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 10th, and 11th days of September, 1928, before JOHN DUGUID WALKER and DAVID THOMAS HOBKIRK, Esquires, two of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace, acting in and for the City and County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, assisted by Commander L. W. BAYLDON, R.N.R., and Captain D. F. MACDONALD, O.B.E., A.I.N.A. (Nautical Assessors), and Major S. H. HAMBLING, M.I.N.A. (Naval Architect Assessor), into the circumstances attending the presumed loss of the British Steamship "Emlynmor" of Cardiff, official number 143,576, with all hands, being last reported as passing Dungeness on the 24th October, 1927.

The Court having carefully inquired into the circumstances attending the above-mentioned shipping casualty, finds for the reasons stated in the Annex hereto, that the loss of the vessel, with all hands, was probably due to the vessel encountering heavy weather on, or after, rounding Land's End, and being unable to free herself of water on the decks which must have got below, the vessel at the time being unable to maintain steam; but in the absence of any direct evidence, the Court is unable to determine the exact cause of the casualty. The Court considers converted vessels of the "Kil" type unsatisfactory, and is of opinion that the "Emlynmor" was not in a seaworthy condition particularly as regards her freeing-ports, ventilators, stokehold-casing doors and steaming power.

Dated this 11th day of September, 1928.

We concur in the above Report.

ANNEX TO REPORT.

This was an inquiry into the circumstances attending the loss, with all hands, of the British steamship "Emlynmor" of Cardiff, and was held at the Moot Hall. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, on the 5th, 6th. 7th, 8th, 10th, and 11th days of September, 1928, before John Duguid Walker and David Thomas Hobkirk, Esquires, assisted by Commander L. W. Bayldon, R.N.R., and Captain D. F. Macdonald, O.B.E., A.I.N.A. (Nautical Assessors), and Major S. H. Hambling, M.I.N.A. (Naval Architect Assessor). Mr. Burton appeared for the Board of Trade, and Mr. Clifford Temperley represented the owners. There were originally no parties to the inquiry, but Mr. Temperley applied for the owners to be made parties, to which the Court acceded.

The "Emlynmor," official number 143,576, was a steel single-screw steamship, built originally for the Admiralty, and forming one of the "Kil" class of vessels, by Smith's Dock Company at South-bank-on-Tees in the year 1919, and was of the following dimensions: Length 170 feet, breadth 30 feet, and depth in hold 15.75 feet. She was schooner-rigged and fitted with one inverted direct-acting triple-expansion engine of 94 horse-power, constructed by Smith's Dock Company at South Bank in the year 1918.

She was of 606.43 gross, and 270.22 net registered tonnage, and was owned by The Emlyn Line, Limited. Mr. John Emlyn Emlyn-Jones, of 4, Dock Chambers, Cardiff, being designated Manager on the 23rd February, 1921.

As already stated, she was originally built for the Admiralty, from whom she was purchased, at the close of the War, and, on the 23rd February, 1921, was transferred by the Mostyn Steamship Company, Limited, her then owners, to the present owners, the Emlyn Line, Limited.

When in His Majesty's service the vessel was known as the "Kilmanahan," afterwards, on her purchase from the Admiralty, as the "Manahan," and was subsequently renamed the "Emlynmor," her present designation. After being acquired from the Admiralty, the vessel was converted for cargo-carrying purposes, the following being the details of her reconstruction: The forward boiler was removed, the casings and uptakes being modified to suit the one boiler remaining. The forward cross-bunker, stores and accommodation spaces were removed to form the forehold. The pantry, officers' cabins and ward room were removed from abaft the machinery spaces to form the after-hold. The wire-less-house was also removed from the boiler room casing top. An open forecastle 30 feet 8 inches in length and 6 feet 5 inches high was erected, the after end being partially closed by two wing-houses, the clear opening at the after-end of the forecastle being about 11 feet in width.

A short bridge-house of steel was erected, partly covering the boiler-room casing, its length being 26 feet 2 inches and height 7 feet: there was a doorway in the bridge-front, port side, closed by a steel hinged watertight door; at the after-end of the bridge-house were two hinged wooden doors giving access to the engineers' accommodation on the port side, and to the officers' accommodation on the starboard side. The galley was fitted at the after-end of the engine-room casing, the means of access being two steel doors, one on each side of the vessel. The original mast was removed, and two masts with derricks fitted. Two steam winches were fitted, one on top of the galley and the other on the forecastle deck.

The forward-hold was 54 feet 8 inches in length, with a hatchway 39 feet in length, 19 feet wide for 25½ feet, tapering to 15 feet wide at the fore-end. The coamings were 48 inches high, stiffened by a horizontal bulb angle.

The after-hold was 37 feet in length with a hatchway 23 feet 6 inches in length, 11 feet wide. The coamings were 54 inches high, stiffened by a horizontal bulb angle.

The hatch-covers were of 2½ inch pine supported by transverse shifting beams, seven in number in the fore hatchway and four in number in the after hatchway. Two mushroom ventilators, 7 inches diameter, with 18 inch coamings, were fitted each side to ventilate the forward-hold.

The bulwarks in the fore-well were 41 feet 6 inches in length and 3 feet in height, the bulwarks abaft the bridge being approximately 74 feet in length: and the height varied from 3 feet at the fore-end to 5 feet at the after-end.

Freeing-ports, two in number each side, 18 inches by 14 inches, were cut in the bulwarks in the fore-well, and four in number each side, 18 inches by 14 inches, were cut in the after-bulwarks. These freeing-ports were fitted with hinged covers of the balanced type.

The access to the engine-room was through a hinged steel watertight door at the after-end of the engine-room casing, and situated in the galley.

Access to the boiler-room was through two hinged steel watertight doors situated each side of the boiler-room fiddley, and opening on to the weather-deck. These doors were not protected by the bridge-house, and were exposed to seas shipped on the after-deck.

There were six transverse watertight bulkheads. Two were forward of the forehold, one between fore-hold and boiler-room, one between the cross-bunker and engine-room, one separating, the engine-room from the after-hold, and the other bulkhead at the after-end of the after-hold.

Ordinary floors were fitted throughout with the exception of a cellular double-bottom tank situated under the engines for feed water.

She carried lifeboats, light, and fog, and distress-signals, in accordance with the Board of Trade regulations and requirements. The two boats were carried in davits abreast the engine-room casing on a sparred deck.

The main machinery was as originally fitted for the Admiralty, and was a single inverted direct acting triple-expansion engine, 16 inches by 24 inches by 44 inches by 26 inches stroke, of N.H.P. 94.

The various pumps were separate units and driven independently of the main engine.

There was a single cylindrical multitubular steel boiler, with forced draft, working pressure 200 lbs. per square inch.

This vessel was not inclined for stability, and no steps were taken to ascertain statical stability.

The freeboard assigned by the British Corporation was 1 foot 10½ inches from centre of disc to statutory deckline, with 3½ inches allowance for fresh water, 2 inches allowance for Indian summer, 2 inches increase for winter, and 4 inches increase for North Atlantic winter.

After her conversion, the vessel was engaged in the home and foreign trade, and the following are detailed particulars of her voyages immediately preceding that forming the subject of this inquiry:-

21st May, 1927, Cardiff for Brest, Coal:

26th May, 1927, Fowey for Grangtemouth.

4th June, 1927, Methil for Brest. Coal:

7th July, 1927, Port Talbot for Brest, Coal and Fuel:

12th July, 1927, Port Talbot for St. Brieuc, Coal:

22nd July, 1927, Port Talbot for Fécamp, Coal:

30th July, 1927, Middlesbrough to Pembroke Dock, Tank Material, &c.:

11th August, 1927, Cardiff to Sarpsborg, Coal:

24th August, 1927, Edsvik for Dunkirk, Paving Stones:

3rd September, 1927, Newcastle for Hovik, Coal:

10th September, 1927, Kragero for London, Macadam:

22nd September, 1927, London for Stettin, Scrap:

7th October, 1927, Danzig for London, Sleepers and Crossings:

The vessel was chartered on the 13th August, 1927, by Messrs. Furness Withy & Co., Ltd., of Middlesbrough, in order to carry a cargo in the holds of not less than 620 tons of heavy deadweight tank material, and, when so loaded, was to proceed direct to Hobbs' Point Pier at Pembroke, South Wales.

The loading was commenced on the 21st and completed about noon oil the 22nd of October, the cargo consisting of about 618 tons of tank material, of which 532 tons were plates, and 86 tons angles and small parts used in the construction of tanks, 400 feet of dunnage being used in chocking and packing the cargo, of which 460 tons were placed in the forehold and 158 tons in the after-hold. The loading was supervised by the chief officer with the assistance of the stevedore foreman, Mr. J. W. Toms, who stated that, when he left the vessel half an hour after she was loaded, the after-hatches were on and battened down, the crew were putting on the fore-hatches, and that, with the exception of a slight list the vessel looked all right, in good trim, and down by the stern. Mr. George Bruce, wharf watcher, stated that he went on board the "Emlynmor" at 1.15 p.m. on 22nd October a few minutes after loading had been completed, and saw the Nos. 1 and 2 hatches on and covered with tarpaulins and battened down, also the fore-hatch had lashings across; the vessel did not appear to have any list, and cast off from the wharf at 3 p.m. Mr. V. E. Young, coxswain of the Board of Trade launch, acting under the surveyor, stated that it was his duty to take the draft of ships leaving Middlesbrough, and that, on 22nd October, 1927, at noon, he took the draft of the "Emlynmor" which was 13 feet 11 inches forward and 16 feet aft, making a mean of 14 feet 11 inches. He also stated that the whole of the disc was submerged, one inch on the starboard side, that the bar of the disc on the port side was 3 inches above the water line, and that the density of the water at the quay at 9 a.m. was 1017 in comparison to salt at 1026.

At 3 p.m. the vessel sailed, during ordinary weather conditions, under the command of the master, Mr. T. Butler, who held a foreign-going master's certificate, No. 0015646. He was his own pilot, there being no compulsory pilotage in the Tees, and the crew consisted of 13 hands all told, the following being their names and ratings:-

There was no wireless on board this small vessel, and nothing was seen or heard of her till she signalled off Dungeness, in fine clear weather at 8.45 p.m. on 24th October, apparently all well. From Middlesbrough the average speed up to this time was about 5½ knots. At this speed, she would have passed the Wolf Rock Lighthouse at about midnight of the 26th October, and would have encountered, according to the Meteorological and Trinity House reports and ships' reports, S.W. gales with fog.

Nothing, however, has been seen or heard of the vessel, or her crew, since passing Dungeness, and no bodies, boats, or life-saving appliances have been reported.

In the absence of any direct evidence, it is, of course, impossible to determine definitely the cause of the casualty.

Had it been a case of collision, or running ashore, there must have been some evidence, or trace of the disaster, and it is most unlikely that the vessel struck any floating wreckage or mine.

Indeed, the only suggestion was stress of weather, and the evidence adduced, both oral and documentary, tended to support that theory, especially when considered in connection with the history of the vessel.

Five witnesses were called who had served in the "Emlynmor," in various capacities, for short periods between August, 1925, and April, 1927, viz.: W. G. Perkins, N. P. Blake, F. J. Stone, J. Deere, and A. J. Whitford.

Perkins stated that he had had 45 years' experience as a sea-going engineer. He joined the "Emlynmor," as Chief Engineer, on 14th December, 1925, and remained in her for six weeks. He stated that he considered the stokehold too cramped, and, although the main-engine worked all right, the fan-engine was continually breaking down. He described a voyage he made in the vessel to the Mediterranean; and, on the return passage, the vessel struck bad weather in the Bay of Biscay, rolling and pitching very heavily. She took a good deal of water on deck, so much so that his berth was never dry, and water penetrated into the boiler-room through the fiddley doors, which, although shut, were not watertight owing to the rubber hating deteriorated and he reported these and other defects to the superintendent engineer.

He further stated that he left the ship because there was too much work for two engineers, and that he did not consider the vessel good enough to go to sea in.

Captain N. P. Blake was temporary master from December, 1925, to 27th February, 1926, practically during the time Perkins was chief engineer. He described the "Emlynmor" as a "wet ship" but stated the water got away quickly, and the vessel was a good sea boat. Stone, who was boatswain and acting second mate from 31st August, 1925, to 19th October, 1925, from 10th December, 1925, to 27th February, 1926, and from 12th April, 1926, to 10th May,, 1926, said she was a "good little sea boat." and that he never saw her ship any water.

Deere joined the vessel on the 12th December, 1926, as boatswain and acting 2nd mate, left her on the 28th January, 1927, rejoined her on the 7th March, 1927, and left her finally on the 7th April. While describing the ship generally as a good boat, he stated she shipped a good deal of water at times, especially aft, that she laboured heavily, and that the engine-room and stokehold doors had to be fastened and secured with chocks to prevent flooding, and that the vessel cleared herself with difficulty. He stated that the wash-ports jammed occasionally, and that he was accustomed to put a piece of rope through them to keep them open, that the bilge-pump on the port-side was not in working order, and that the fan for the forced draught was continually breaking down. Whitford who joined as 2nd engineer on 29th December, 1926, and left on 3rd March. 1927, said that the fan only worked for six hours while he was in the ship, and that the vessel rolled heavily in bad weather, and that the after-end was full of water in a beam sea.

The managing owner stated lie had never received any reports as to the unseaworthiness of the vessel. and that the masters had verbally expressed their views to him that she behaved well in heavy weather. It may be noted that nearly £8.000 was spent in repairs to the vessel since August, 1921.

Now, in the opinion of the Court, such evidence as was given in favour of the seaworthiness and good behaviour of the vessel, is discounted by the following extracts from the deck log books from February, 1926, to June, 1927:-

These were the only log-books produced, and none of the engineers' logs were available, though they would have been of great service.

The evidence afforded by the logs as to the condition and behaviour of the vessel, especially in bad weather, is what may be expected when the following points are considered in connection with her original design and reconstruction for cargo-carrying purposes:-

At the conclusion of the evidence, the following questions were submitted on behalf of the Board of Trade, Mr. Temperley addressed the Court for his clients, and Mr. Burton replied:-

To which the Court replied as follows:-

We concur:

Issued by the Board of Trade in London,

on Friday, the 26th day of October, 1928.)

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1928.

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