Wreck Report for 'Ilen', 1880

(No. 682.)

"ILEN." (S.S.)

The Merchant Shipping Acts, 1854 to 1876.

IN the matter of the formal Investigation held at Westminster, on the 20th of July 1880, before H. C. ROTHERY, Esquire, Wreck Commissioner, assisted by Captain CURLING and Captain VAUX, as Assessors, into the circumstances attending the stranding and loss of the steamship "ILEN," of London, on Cape La Hague, on the 18th of June 1880.

Report of Court.

The Court having carefully inquired into the circumstances of the above-mentioned shipping casualty, finds, for the reasons annexed-

1. That the vessel's compasses when she left Littlehampton were in good and proper order.

2. That proper courses were steered.

3. That no blame attaches to the master for not having taken more frequent casts of the lead.

4. That the master did not sufficiently reduce the speed of his vessel when the weather became thick, and that in this respect the vessel was not navigated with proper and seamanlike care and skill.

For this wrongful act and default the Court orders the certificate of William Pearson Davidson, the master, to be suspended for three months from this day.

The Court makes no order as to costs.

Dated this 20th day of July 1880.

 

(Signed)

H. C. ROTHERY,

 

 

Wreck Commissioner.

We concur in the above report.

 

(Signed)

WILLM. CURLING,

Assessors.

 

 

C. VAUX,

 

Annex to the Report.

This case was heard at Westminster, on the 20th of July instant, when Mr. Snagge appeared for the Board of Trade, Mr. Wood Hill for the owner, and Mr. Cottingham for the master of the "Ilen." Three witnesses having been produced by the Board of Trade and examined, Mr. Snagge asked the opinion of the Court upon the following question:-

" 1. What was the cause of the stranding of the " vessel?

" 2. Whether, when she left Littlehampton, the com- " passes were in good and proper order? and whether " the master took proper measures then and thereafter " for the purpose of ascertaining their deviation?

" 3. Whether a proper course was set and steered after " leaving the Owers Light Ship, and whether due and "proper allowance was made for tide and currents?

" 4. Whether the alteration made in the course at " 1 a.m. was a safe and proper alteration, and whether " proper allowance was then made for tide and currents?

" 5. Whether the lead was used with sufficient fre- " quency?

" 6. Whether, when the weather became thick with " fog, the master properly reduced the speed of the " vessel from time to time?

" 7. Whether, with flowing tide six hours with the " vessel, due allowance was made in taking distance by " the log?

" 8. Whether the vessel was navigated with proper " and seamanlike care and skill?

"9. Whether the master is in default?"

Mr. Snagge also stated that "the Board of Trade are " of opinion that the master's certificate ought to be " dealt with."

Mr. Cottingham having produced two witnesses, addressed the Court on behalf of the master, and Mr. Snagge having been heard in reply, the Court proceeded to give judgment on the questions on which its opinion had been asked. The circumstances of the case are as follows:-

The "Ilen" was an iron screw steamship, belonging to the port of London, of 226 tons gross, and 138 tons net register, and was fitted with compound engines of 60 house-power. She was built at Cork in the year 1873, and at the time of her loss was the property of Mr. James Casey, of No. 10, Philpot Lane, in the City of London, merchant. She left Littlehampton for Jersey at 4 p.m. on the 17th of June Inst, with water ballast and empties, and having a crew of ten hands all told, and a Jersey pilot, whose duty it would be to take charge of the vessel after they had passed Cape La Hague. On leaving, the course steered was S.W. to pass the Owers Light Ship, which they appear to have done at about 5.30 p.m., leaving it on the starboard hand at the distance of about a quarter of a mile, whence a S.W. by W. course was steered to make Cape La Hague. Nothing particular occurred until about 10 p.m., the vessel all the time going full speed, and making, we are told, from 8 to 9 knots an hour. At about 10 o'clock, according to the chief engineer, the valve of the circulating pump was carried away, upon which the vessel was stopped for from three-quarters of an hour to an hour, a new valve was fixed, and the vessel then again proceeded on her course. In the meantime, however, a fog had set in, and accordingly the engines, we are told, were not set on at full speed, but, to use the captain's words, whenever they had an opportunity they let her go faster. At about 1 a.m. the course was altered to S.W. by W. 1/2 W., but no other alteration was made after that time, and at 25 minutes to 4 o'clock a cast of the lead was taken, which, we are told, gave 33 fathoms, and at 10 minutes to four o'clock another cast was taken, which gave 35 fathoms. At this time the patent log, which had been set when they were off the Owers, was hauled in, and they had just had time to see that it registered 65 miles, when the vessel struck. The spot where they took the ground was afterwards discovered to be a little to the eastward of Cape La Hague, with the lighthouse about two points on the starboard bow, distant about half to three-quarters of a mile. It was the top of high water, and notwithstanding all their efforts it was found impossible to get her off. After a time the people from the shore came off, and with their assistance all the crew were safely landed, but the vessel was totally lost.

Now the first question on which our opinion has been asked is, what was the cause of the stranding? According to the captain, the casualty was due to the fog, and to an error in the patent log; but how the fog could have caused the casualty, unless the master had overrun his distance, it is not easy to see; nor can we see how the error in the log, if indeed there was any such error, could have contributed to it, as the master never consulted it until the vessel was just about to take the ground. Let us see whether we cannot find some more reasonable explanation of the casualty than this.

And, first, as regards her compasses, which is one of the questions on which our opinion has been asked. Now, there is no evidence whatever that there was anything wrong with the vessel's compasses; indeed, the facts would seem to shew that they were not at all wrong, for a course S.W. by w. from the Owers until about 1 a.m., and then 1/2 a point more to the westward. would, if continued far enough, have landed her nearly at the spot where she took the ground, due allowance being made for the fact that it was the top of high water when she passed the Owers, which would set her somewhat to the westward. Nor, indeed, have we any fault to find with the courses steered, for those courses took her to a spot where, if the weather had been clear, it would have been quite proper for her to have been, namely, a little to the east of Cape La Hague; and, as it would have been broad daylight when she got there, a very little alteration of the course would have taken her safely round the point and into the Race of Alderney, when the Jersey pilot would at once have taken charge of her; and it was very important that she should not get too far over to the west side of the straits between Cape La Hague and Alderney. So far, therefore, as the compasses and the courses steered are concerned, we have nothing to complain of.

Another question upon which our opinion has been asked is, "Whether or not the lead was used with suffi- " cient frequency?" It will be seen that the soundings between the Owers and Cape La Hague would afford the master very little information as to the position of his vessel, for over towards the French coast they are remarkably even, and the fact of his having got from 30 to 35 fathoms would not shew whether he was in mid-channel or over on the French coast, there being deep water close to Cape La Hague. We do not therefore blame him for not having sounded more frequently.

It appears to us, however, that the most important question is, "Whether, when the weather became thick " with fog, the master properly reduced the speed of " the vessel?" He told us that he had been a great number of times between the Owers and Cape La Hague, and that he had always found that it took him two tides to run the distance; that he, therefore, never made any allowance for the tide, believing that what the ebb tide would carry him to the westward, would be compensated by what the flood would carry him to the eastward. He also told us that as, on the present occasion, it was high water when he passed the Owers, and high water again when he took the ground, the tides could have had no effect on the distance run; and that, as it was 75 miles from the Owers to Cape La Hague, and the log shewed only 65 miles run, he must have been set by some unknown current about 10 miles on his course. As a fact the distance from the Owers to the point where the vessel took the ground, which is a little short of Cape La Hague lighthouse, is between 73 and 74 miles. Now from 5.30 to 10, or for 4 1/2 hours, we are told that the vessel was going at the rate of from 8 to 9 miles an hour; taking it at 9 miles, that would give us 40 miles as the distance run up to 10 o'clock. From 10 to 11 o'clock, or for about an hour, the vessel was stopped, and then from 11 to 4 o'clock, or for the remaining 5 hours, during which it was foggy, and sometimes intensely foggy, the vessel was going, we are told, at half speed, and sometimes dead slow; but during those 5 hours she got over from 33 to 34 miles at the very least, or very nearly 7 knots an hour. The only conclusion, then, to which we can come, is that during those last five hours, when, we are told, the weather was very thick and foggy, the vessel must have been going nearly, if not quite, at full speed. Or take it in another way; she was from 5.30 p.m. to 4 a.m. doing the distance from the Owers to where she struck; of this time she was stopped for 1 hour, leaving 9 1/2 hours to do the 73 to 74 miles, which is very nearly 8 miles an hour for the whole distance, and which, according to the master, was her full speed. In our opinion the casualty is entirely due to the master having continued his course nearly, if not quite, at full speed for longer than he ought to have done; and, this too, with the weather so thick that he could not see the land and the lighthouse on Cape La Hague when he was within half a mile of it.

In our opinion the master has been guilty of great negligence in the navigation of his vessel, and it is to that, and to that alone, that the casualty is due.

Under these circumstances we have been asked to deal with the master's certificate; and, in our opinion, we are bound to do so. At the same time we are ready to pay every attention to the recommendation to mercy which has been made to us by the learned counsel for the Board of Trade, and we shall therefore order his certificate to be suspended for only three months, which is the shortest time for which we can do so without making these proceedings a farce.

Application was thereupon made by Mr. Wood Hill for costs on behalf of the owners, on the ground that they had received notice of the investigation, and had been made thereby parties to the proceedings; and that. having been charged with sending the vessel to sea with her compasses in an unfit state, they were entitled to the costs of clearing themselves of that charge. I was, however, of opinion that no costs could be allowed, for, although it had not been shewn that they had sent their vessel to sea with her compasses in an inefficient state, they had appointed a master, by whose negligence the vessel had been lost, with imminent risk to the lives of all on board; and they must therefore bear their fair share of the responsibility for having made such an appointment. It did not appear to me that the owners had improperly received notice of the proceedings; on the contrary, it would have been very improper if they had not received any such notice.

 

(Signed)

H. C. ROTHERY,

 

 

Wreck Commissioner.

We concur.

 

(Signed)

WILLM. CURLING,

Assessors.

 

 

C. VAUX,

 

L 367. 452. 200.-8/80. Wt. 47. E. & S.