"AMAZON," (S.S.)
The Merchant Shipping Acts, 1854 to 1876.
IN the matter of the formal investigation held at Westminster, on the 27th and
28th February 1878, before H. C. ROTHERY, Esquire, Wreck Commissioner, assisted
by Captain PICKARD, R.N., and Captain BEASLEY, as Assessors, into the
circumstances attending the stranding and loss of the British steamship
"AMAZON," of Liverpool, near Azamor Point, on the North-west Coast of Morocco,
on the 1st January last.
Report of Court.
The Court, having carefully inquired into the circumstances of the
above-mentioned shipping casualty, finds, for the reasons stated in the annexed
judgment, that the stranding and loss of the said vessel "Amazon" were due to
the negligent navigation thereof by her master, Thomas Hay, and that he is to
blame for having laid the vessel on a course, from Casa Blanca to Mazighan,
which would almost necessarily take him on Azamor Point; for not having used the
patent log, which be had on board, to ascertain the distance run; for not having
made proper arrangements for keeping a good look-out; and for having taken his
own station during the night of the 31st December last on the poop instead-of on
the bridge of his vessel, he being the only officer on deck and in charge of the
vessel.
For these wrongful acts and defaults the Court orders the certificate of Thomas
Hay, the late master of the "Amazon," to be suspended for three calendar months
from this date, but recommends that during the. period of such suspension he be
allowed a first mate's certificate.
The Court makes no order as to costs. Dated the 28th day of February 1878.
H. C. ROTHERY, Wreck Commissioner.
We concur in the above report.
BENJN. S. PICKARD, R.N.,Assessors.
THOS. BEASLEY,
Judgment.
The Commissioner.-The facts of this case are extremely simple. The "Amazon,"
which was an iron screw steamer of 673 tons gross and 528 tons net register, and
fitted with two engines of 90 horse-power, was built at Stockton in the year
1865, and at the time of the casualty which is the subject of the present
inquiry she was the property of the Mersey Steamship Company, Limited. She left
London on the 20th day of December last, bound on a voyage to Gibraltar, and
thence to the Coast of Morocco, and having on board a cargo of about 500 tons of
goods. Her crew consisted of 22 hands all told; she had four boats, two of which
were lifeboats, and appears to have been generally well fitted for the voyage.
She arrived at Gibraltar, and thence proceeded on her usual course to the ports
on the Morocco Coast. She left Casa Blanca at midnight of the 31st, bound to
Mazighan, a port some 40 or 50 miles further south. At first her course was
north-west, for the purpose of obtaining an offing, and after continuing on that
course for about 40 minutes her head was laid to the west. Up to this time the
captain and chief officer had been on deck, and there was a look-out man and a
man at the wheel. At 12.40, however, the master went below, leaving orders with
the mate to call him at 4 o'clock, and in the meantime to continue that course.
At 4.10 the master came on deck, and relieved the mate, and he then altered the
vessel's course to west and by south According to the master, that course was
continued until about ten minutes to five, when, to use his own words, making
quite sure that they had passed Azamor Point, he altered the course to west and
by south southerly. According to the man at the wheel, the west by south course
was continued for only half an hour, and her course was then laid
west-southwest. At about ten minutes after five the vessel touched the ground,
and the master immediately ordered the helm to be put to port, and being himself
on the poop he gave the man a hand to heave it over. The vessel, however, after
touching two or three times became fast, and although the engines were kept
going ahead, for the purpose, if possible, of forcing her off the reef, she
could not be moved Owing to the swell then setting in from the north-west, she
humped heavily, and soon began to make water, upon Which the master ordered the
boats to be got out. At about 6.30 the passengers and crew were ordered to get
into the boats, the master fearing that the boilers might blow up, and at 8 a.m.
two of the boats were sent off with orders to go to Mazighan, but the master
with six of the men remained in another of the boats until 9 a.m. Just before he
left the master went on board, and found from nine to ten feet of water in the
engine-room and the engines adrift, and believing it to be hopeless to attempt
to save the vessel, he left for the purpose of going to Mazighan, taking the
mail bags with him. When half-way across the bay, he fell in with a French
steamer, called "Les Vosges," which was going to their assistance, and the
master having made arrangements with the steamer, as to the terms on which she
was to give her assistance, returned in her to the wreck. On their arrival,
however, it was found impossible to do anything with her, and after saving a few
chests of tea, and two boxes of specie, they were obliged to leave her, and she
ultimately went to pieces, and was totally lost.
After the witnesses from on board the ship had been examined, the Board of Trade
preferred charges against the master, not for anything that had occurred after
the casualty or for not having done his best to save the property, but for
having put the vessel aground.
Now the way in which the master accounts for the vessel getting aground is this:
he says that there must have been an easterly current, which both retarded his
progress forward and set in him towards the -shore. Here, then, we have our old
friend, the unknown and unsuspected current, a current which was never known or
heard of before, and which has never been known or: heard of since; a kind of
sea god, which seems to delight in leading poor mariners astray, and casting
them on the shore, notwithstanding all the precautions which skill and care can
devise. Let us see then what care and what precautions this gentleman took in
order to perform his voyage in safety.
It seems that the course of trade in which this vessel was engaged was running
down the Coast of Morocco, going in and out of the small ports, and there
discharging and taking in cargo; and as the ports were at no great distance from
each other, her voyages from one port to another were necessarily short. it was
no doubt convenient that those voyages should be made as far as possible in the
night, so that the seamen might be available during the day to take in and
discharge cargo at the different ports. And with this view the practice after
leaving Gibraltar was, when the vessel was under weigh, to have on deck only the
officer of the watch, the man at the wheel, and what may be called a standing
look-out man. The standing look-out man was named Hogan, who has been produced
before us, and of whom we have been able to judge from the character of the
evidence which he has given. He seems, as was observed by Mr. Scott, to have
been a kind of Jack of all trades; he was not only the look-out man, but he was
the lamp trimmer, he trimmed the binnacle lamps, and I presume also the lamps of
the steamer, and he did odd jobs for the master. His watch, whether the vessel
was under weigh or in port, was every night from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Such seems to
have been the state of affairs on the voyage from Casa Blanca to Mazighan.
Hogan, the look-out man, was on the bridge, or ought to have been there; but in
addition to his other duties it seems that he was required a little before 5
o'clock to go. and fetch his coffee. Now we have had it from the cook that the
coffee was ready in the galley at about a quarter to five, and that shortly
after Hogan came down to the galley to get his coffee. it is clear that he did
not at once return to the bridge, for the cook has told us that he saw him
standing at the door of the next cabin, The man at the wheel said that he saw
Hogan go into the steward's cabin, and I think he said for the purpose of
lighting his lamp also. But however this may be, Hogan certainly was not on the
bridge at the time the vessel took the ground. He tells us that he was at the
time in the alley-way going to the bridge.
But where during all this time was the master after he came on deck at 4
o'clock? Instead of being at his proper place on the bridge he was on the poop,
where it was quite impossible for him to keep any look-out ahead; where it was
impossible to give any orders to the engine-room; and for what purpose he should
have placed himself on the poop it is difficult to say. Mr. Bruce has suggested
that he would then be near the steering compass, the compass by which he
regulated the course of the vessel. There was, however, a compass on the bridge,
and if he had only compared the two compasses he would have seen easily, whilst
on the bridge, whether the man at the wheel was keeping his course or not. His
proper place was on the bridge, and had he been there he would have seen whether
Hogan was, or was not, on the bridge looking out. If Hogan had not been on the
bridge looking out the master himself would have been in a position to look-out,
but from the poop it was impossible for him to do so.
The condition of affairs then on board this vessel at the time of the casualty
was, it must be admitted, anything but satisfactory. At the same time, it must
be remembered that the fact that Hogan was not keeping a good look-out, and that
the master was on the poop, would not alone have placed the vessel ashore; and
we must, however, now consider where the courses steered by this vessel from the
time of leaving Casa Blanca would probably have placed her.
It seems that on leaving Casa Blanca the vessel was steered for 40 minutes on a
north-west course, the captain told us for the purpose of getting an offing; but
it will be seen on looking at the chart that from the anchorage off Casa Blanca
the coast trends for some two miles or more in a north-west direction. He was
consequently running parallel with the coast, at any rate for about two miles or
so. The offing then which he got, when he laid his course to the west, would be
only from three to four miles, the distance which he had run from the anchorage
at Casa Blanca being, according to his own account, between five and six miles.
Now from the Point of Dar-el-Beida to Azamor Point the coast runs west half
south, or west three-quarters south, between west half south and west
three-quarters south. Now we have been told by Captains Nash and Asplatt, the
two masters who were called by Mr. Bruce to speak for the master, and who are
both in the service of the Mersey Steamship Company, that they always allowed
half a point for the set of the north-west swell; and which Captain Hay himself
told us he always found to exist, whichever way the wind was. If, then, the
master laid his course west, allowing half a point for the set of the swell, he
would be running directly parallel to the coast, so that when he got off Azamor
Point, he would have been no further from the coast than he was at Dar-el-Beida,
namely, from three to four miles. Now the captain has told us that a west
course, or as might more properly be said, a west half south course, allowing
for the set of the swell, was continued until ten minutes after four, or for
three and a half hours; and as he supposed that the vessel was going at the rate
of 8 1/2 knots an hour, this would make very nearly 30 miles. But the distance
from Dar-el-Beida to Azamor Point by the chart is about 36 miles; it is clear,
therefore, from the master's own statement, that at 4.10, when he laid his
course west and by south, he was still six miles short of Azamor Point, and at a
distance we may suppose of from three to four miles. But the coast, it will be
seen, projects somewhat at Azamor Point, so that when he laid his course west
and by south he was then heading for the Point. At ten minntes to 5 o'clock,
after having continued his course for about half an hour or more, he laid her
west and by south southerly, or according to the man at the wheel,
west-south-west. And here it must be remembered that the captain has told us
that although on a west course the steering compass was true, on a west by south
course there was a westerly deviation which continued to increase up to
south-west. Consequently, when this vessel was laid west and by south, and still
more when she was laid west by south-southerly, or west-south-west, she was
heading still more to the south than the magnetic course would indicate, and
therefore more for the reef off Azamor Point, and this too at a time when the
master felt quite sure that he had passed Azamor Point. It seems to us that the
courses which this gentleman steered were the very courses which would as a
matter of course have landed him on Azamor Point.
We were told, however, as an excuse for the master getting on this reef, that it
is not correctly laid down on the charts, and that instead of being only
three-quarters of a mile from the point, as shown on the charts, it extends some
two miles from it. Captain Nash told us that on two occasions, on going down the
coast, he had found himself nearer to it than he anticipated, and had observed
breakers on his starboard bow, off Azamor Point, when, as he thought, he was
about two miles off the shore, and had great difficulty in clearing it. Captain
Asplatt also told us that on one occasion, when he was about two miles and a
half off Azamor Point, he found 8 fathoms of water where the chart marked 15
fathoms; he added, however, that the soundings gave not rock but mud. It is
certainly somewhat difficult to reconcile the evidence of those two gentlemen on
this point. We are, however, quite ready to believe that this coast, being an
unfrequented one, has probably not been surveyed with that care with which other
parts have been surveyed. We were told that the last survey made was by
Lieutenant Arlett in the year 1835, but if so it only behoved the master to
exercise greater care and caution in approaching Azamor Point, if he knew or
believed that the charts in his possession were not accurate But on referring to
the chart we find in fact that there are corrections down to October 1876.
I was, however, much struck with a remark made by Captain Nash, I think it was
as to the cause of his having got on those two occasions so near to the land at
Azamor Point. He told us that he had been very anxious to get to Mazighan at
daylight, and for that reason went rather nearer to Azamor Point than prudence
would have dictated
Is it possible that Captain Hay also may have wished to arrive at Mazighan at
daylight, and for that reason have kept rather nearer than was prudent to Azamor
Point? Captain Asplatt told us that what he did, when he had run as he supposed
as far as Azamor Point, was to lay the ship's head off the shore and wait till
daylight. Had this master done the same thing, estimating at the same time
somewhat more accurately the distance run, this casualty probably would not have
occurred.
This then brings me to another point in the case namely, the want of care shown
by the master in estimating his correct position. It seems that Captain Hay had
a patent log on board, which he was in the habit of using at other times, but
not when on the Coast of Morocco, the voyages, he tells us, from port to port
being so short. On the other hand, Captain Asplatt told us that he always uses
his patent log when off the Coast of Morocco, because, although it may not
always indicate with certainty the distance run, it is in his opinion the best
mode of ascertaining the distance. He told us that in a run of about 30 miles he
should never expect that the patent log would give an error of more than two
miles. And now how did Captain Hay estimate the distance run? He estimated it by
the number of revolutions of the engine, which he said he was able to count as
he lay in his cot. Now, perhaps, a more fallacious mode of estimating the speed
of a vessel could hardly have been conceived. A vessel may be making 74
revolutions in a minute, and yet the velocity of a vessel through the water
might be very different at different times, according as she was by the stern or
by the head, according to whether there was or was not a swell, according to the
state and direction of the wind, and a variety of other matters. It is a very
fallacious test, and certainly did not relieve the master from using the better
test which he had on board, namely, the patent log. No doubt it would not have
shown him the existence of a current, if there had been any such, as the current
would act equally upon the ship as on the log, but it would have shown him
within narrow limits the distance run through the water, and would have shown
him pretty clearly that he had not passed Azamor Point when he put the vessel's
head so confidently first to west by south, and then to west by south-southerly,
if not to west-south-west.
A further charge has been made against the master, that the vessel was ill
supplied with compasses. Prima facie, no doubt, that is a charge rather against
the owners than against the master; at the same time it is the duty of the
master to see that he has sufficient compasses on board, and that those
compasses are in proper working order before he commences the voyage. In this
case it appears that the vessel had two compasses, a steering compass just
before the wheel, and a compass on the bridge. She had also a spare compass
below, but of which we can take no account. She had no standard compass. Now it
is unnecessary to say that a compass just before the wheel is certainly not in
such a position as would insure its accuracy. Compasses are much more liable to
error when placed at either extremity of a ship. A compass, too, just before the
wheel is liable to be affected by the vibration of the screw. We do not think,
therefore, that it was a very right thing for this vessel to go to sea without a
standard or a pole compass.
Our judgment, however, is not founded so much upon the want of proper compasses,
as upon other facts of the case; the more so as it does not appear that the loss
of this vessel is in any way due to any error in her compasses. What we blame
the master for is, that having on board a sufficient crew, consisting of
himself, two mates, a boatswain, a carpenter, and seven able seamen, he should
have had in going from port to port on the Coast of Morocco only the officer of
the watch, the standing look-out man, and the man at the helm, the rest of the
crew being below. This was probably done with the view of economizing labour,
and of employing the hands when they got into port in discharging and taking in
cargo. No doubt this would be a saving to the owners, but he had no right
whatever thus to risk the property entrusted to his charge, and the lives of all
on board. We think, too, that the master was to blame for not having made better
arrangements in regard to the look-out, and for taking his station upon the poop
instead of on the bridge. We think also that he was to blame for having shaped a
course which would bring him much nearer to Azamor Point than he ought to have
been: and for not using the means which he had on board, namely, the patent log,
to ascertain with accuracy the distance run. Had he done so, and had he
consulted his chart, before laying the vessel's head west by south, he would
have known that he could not have been past Azamor Point, and that in laying a
course west by south, and afterwards west-south-west, he was running directly on
the reef. For all these reasons we think the master was greatly to blame.
Now it has been contended by Mr. Bruce that the master has been guilty only of
an error in judgment, but we cannot so regard it. We think that he has been
guilty of great carelessness in shaving these corners and headlands, which
appears to be only too common with the captains of the vessels belonging to this
company, if we may judge from the evidence of the two masters who have been
produced before us.
We have also fully considered the strong testimonials in his favour, which the
captain has produced, and we have come to the conclusion that it will be our
duty to suspend this gentleman's certificate for three months. Had it not been
for the high testimonials he has produced, and for the very fair and open way in
which he gave his evidence, we should have visited him with a much more severe
punishment. We trust that the punishment which we have thought it our duty to
inflict upon him will teach him to exercise greater care and caution in the
navigation of his ship, should the Mersey Steam Shipping Company, whose
confidence in him seems to be unshaken, again take him into their service. We
shall also recommend to the Board of Trade that during the period of his
suspension he should be allowed a chief mate's certificate, for there is no
charge whatever against him except that of carelessness in the navigation of the
vessel.
(Signed)H. C. ROTHERY,
Wreck Commissioner.
W. 195. 60.-3/78, Wt. 3011.
