Wreck Report for 'Galatea', 1880

(No. 827.)

"GALATEA."

The Merchant Shipping Acts, 1854 to 1876.

IN the matter of the formal Investigation held at Westminster on the 17th December 1880, before H. C. ROTHERY, Esquire, Wreck Commissioner, assisted by Rear Admiral POWELL, C.B., and Captain COMYN as Assessors, into the circumstances attending the foundering of the British sailing ship "GATATEA," of Liverpool, and the loss of the lives of twenty-one of her crew, off Cape Clear, on the 16th ultimo, whilst on a voyage from Liverpool to Bombay.

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 loss of the vessel was due to an empty space having been left in the after part of the 'tween decks, into which when the vessel fell over on her side, the cargo shifted, thus keeping her down on her beam ends; and that, when in this position, the point of the steel main-topsail yard fell on the leeside of the deck, making a hole in it, through which the water found its way into the vessel, and gradually filled her till she sank, the pumps having been disabled by the fallen rigging.

2. That the vessel, when she left Liverpool, was in a good and seaworthy condition.

3. That the vessel was very fully laden.

4. That the cargo was not properly stowed, inasmuch as there should have been a bulkhead abaft the coals in the 'tween decks to prevent them from shifting into the empty space aft; but that the vessel, as laden, had sufficient stability, and would no doubt have righted again had the cargo not shifted over to port.

5. That, having regard to the form of the vessel, and independently of the question of stability, the vessel had hardly a sufficient freeboard, especially for a winter voyage.

6. That, under the circumstances, the managing owner is not in default.

The Court was not asked to make any order as to costs.

Dated the 17th December 1880.

 

(Signed)

H. C. ROTHERY,

 

 

Wreck Commissioner.

We concur in the above report.

 

(Signed)

R. ASHMORE POWELL,

Assessors.

 

 

D.R. COMYN,

 

Annex to the Report.

This case Was heard at Westminster on the 17th instant, when Mr. Mansell Jones appeared for the Board of Trade and Mr. Clarkson for the owners of the "Galatea." Eleven witnesses having been produced by the Board of Trade and examined, Mr. Mansell Jones asked the opinion of the Court upon the following questions:-

1. What was the cause of the loss of the "Galatea"?

2. Whether, when she left Liverpool, she was in a good and seaworthy condition?

3. Whether she was overladen?

4. Whether the cargo was properly stowed, and whether, as laden, the ship had sufficient stability?

5. Whether, having regard to the form of the vessel, and independently of the question of stability, she had sufficient freeboard for a winter voyage?

6. Whether the managing owner is in default?

Mr. Clarkson having recalled the stevedore then addressed the Court on behalf of the owner, and Mr. Mansell Jones having replied for the Board of Trade, the Court proceeded to give judgment on the questions on which its opinion had been asked. The circumstances of the case are as follow:-

The "Galatea" was a three-masted iron sailing ship, of 1,477 tons register, belonging to the Port of Liverpool. She was built at Govan, near Glasgow, in the year 1868, by the eminent shipbuilding firm of Messrs. Randolph, Elder, and Co., now Messrs. John Elder and Co., and at the time of her loss was the property of Mr. Robert Elly Graves, of No. 9, Baltic Buildings, Red Cross Street Liverpool, Mr. Graves being the managing owner. In the early part of November last she was lying in the Birkenhead Docks, having recently taken in a cargo of 2,049 tons of coal. The cargo was stowed by a regular stevedore, 1,400 tons of it being placed in the lower hold, and the remaining 649 tons in the 'tween decks; and we were told that both in the lower hold and in the 'tween decks the coals were trimmed chock up to the beams amidships and in the wings, but that they sloped off both forward and aft, leaving an empty space at each end. Forward, both in the lower hold and in the 'tween decks, the coals abutted against the bulkhead of the chain locker, which was just abaft the foremast, and being also built up in steps, they were secured from shifting in that direction. The after ends of the coals in the lower hold were also secured from shifting by the empty space being filled up with dunnage; but in the 'tween decks no such precautions were taken, the after-end of the coals being sloped off, according to the stevedore, at an angle of 60º, the foot of the slope being about 19 feet from the after-bulkhead; and in the empty space thus left were stored some potatoes and other ship's provisions, not however nearly sufficient to fill it. With the cargo thus stowed, the vessel left the Birkenhead Docks at about 2.30 p.m. of the 8th of November last, in tow of a steam-tug, and with a crew of 29 hands all told, bound to Bombay; and on the evening of the following day she passed Tuskar, when she cast off, and proceeded under sail, the wind blowing a strong breeze from the S.W. For the next few days the weather continued to be very boisterous, and at about 1 a.m. of the 16th the vessel was under lower topsails and main trysail, close hauled on the starboard tack, the wind blowing a gale from the W.S.W., with a heavy cross sea from the N.W., when she was struck by a sudden squall, which threw her over on her port side, with the rail under water. Upon this the master gave orders to take in the fore and mizen topsails; but seeing that this produced no effect, he ordered the mizen topsail to be again set, to bring her head more to the wind. The vessel, however, still continuing with her rail under, the water reaching as far as the coamings of the main hatchway, orders were given to cut away the fore topmast, which was done; but as this had no effect, the master then ordered the mizen mast and main topmast to be cut away. On this being done, the lower main topsail yard, which was of steel, fell with its end downwards, and striking the lee side of the deck, where it was covered with water, made a hole in it, through which the water poured into the vessel; and as the pumps had been disabled by the falling rigging, it was found impossible to free her, and it therefore became necessary to abandon her. Orders were accordingly given by the master to launch the starboard lifeboat, it being impossible to clear the port lifeboat, which was hampered by the fallen shrouds. With great difficulty they succeeded in getting the boat over the port or lee side; and she had no sooner touched the water, than she capsized. She righted again, however, almost immediately with the two men in her, and although it was a time when it might have been expected that every one would be looking out to save his own life, there being but one boat available, and the vessel fast settling down, the master and second officer behaved in a most gallant and self-denying manner; for the former at once ordered the apprentices first to get into the boat, and we have it from Thorpe, one of the apprentices, who was saved, that he was himself pushed into the boat by Mr. Dawson, the second officer. In all, eight of the hands succeeded in getting into the boat, and for a time they held on to the ship; but finding that the wreckage alongside was damaging the boat, and that she was already half full of water, they were at length obliged to cut the painter to get clear; and when they were at a distance of about 300 yards, the vessel disappeared, and there can be no doubt that she sank with the rest of the crew. Daylight was now approaching, and they could do nothing but run before the wind and sea, the boat being half full of water; and at about 11.30 a.m. of the same day they fell in with and were picked up by a Norwegian vessel called the "Brilliant," which transferred them on the following day to the "Falcon," whence they were landed from a fishing smack a little before daylight of the 18th at Plymouth.

Such, briefly, are the circumstances of this unfortunate case, in which no less than 21 lives have been lost, and the first question on which our opinion has been asked is, "What was the cause of the loss of the 'Galatea?'" It is admitted by Mr. Clarkson that, when the vessel was thrown over by the violence of the squall on to her port side, some portion of the cargo probably shifted; and the evidence of the two seamen, who were in the after part of the vessel, and who stated that when the vessel went over, they heard a kind of rumbling noise, as though the cargo had shifted, whilst no such noise was heard by the seamen forward, renders it most probable that the shifting was into the empty space in the after part of the 'tween decks. What then occurred was probably this; when the vessel was blown over on to her port side by the violence of the gale, a portion of the cargo from the starboard side shifted into the empty space in the after part of the 'tween decks, and falling to port kept the vessel down on her beam ends, even after the fore and mizen topsails had been taken in. In this position, with the water up to the coamings of the main hatchway, the point of the steel lower main-topsail yard pierced the lee side of the deck, and let the water into the hold, and the pumps being disabled, she filled and went down. This in our opinion was the cause of the casualty.

The second question which we are asked is, "Whether, " when she left Liverpool, she was in good and sea- " worthy condition?" It has been already stated that the vessel was built in 1868 by the Firm of Messrs. Randolph, Elder, and Co., now Messrs. John Elder and Co., of Govan, near Glasgow. She was built, we are told, under special survey, and was classed at Lloyd's double A star, that being the highest class which a vessel could then have. She was specially surveyed in the year 1877, the last annual survey on her being in December, 1879, and it is in our opinion quite clear, from the evidence of Mr. Lumsden, the manager for the builders, of Mr. Graves, the owner, and indeed of all the witnesses, that the vessel, when she left the Mersey in November last, was in a thoroughly good and seaworthy condition.

The third question on which our opinion is asked is, "Whether she was overladen?" it seems that she had on board 2,049 tons of coal, and that, according to the Board of Trade Surveyor, her draught on leaving the Birkenhead Docks was 21 feet 7 inches. On getting into salt water she would rise about 4 inches, and the would then draw about 21 feet 3 inches, which we are told would give her a freeboard of about 4 feet 11 inches. We were told by the builders' manager that she was constructed to carry 2,100 tons, on a draught of 21 feet 6 inches, so that with only 2,049 tons, and drawing about 21 feet 3 inches, she would appear not to have been over laden. The Assessors, however, are of opinion that a freeboard of 4 feet 11 inches for a vessel of her size was hardly enough; and although they are not prepared to say that she was overladen, they think that she was very fully laden.

The fourth question which we are asked is, "Whether " the cargo was properly stowed; and whether, as " laden, the ship had sufficient stability?" We have already described the manner in which the cargo was stowed, and the probability that, when the vessel was thrown on her side, the cargo shifted into the empty space which had been left in the after part of the 'tween decks; but it was said by Mr. Clarkson that this could not have been avoided, and that neither shifting boards nor anything else would have prevented the cargo from falling into the empty space aft when the vessel went over. It appears to us, however, that shifting boards would at any rate have prevented the cargo on the starboard side from falling over to the port side; but what would have been better still, would have been a temporary bulkhead just abaft the coal in the 'tween decks, so that however much she might have heeled over, the cargo, being, as it were, confined in a closed compartment, could not have fallen into the empty space aft. Had this been-done the vessel would no doubt, as soon as the pressure was taken off, have righted, and this casualty would probably not have occurred. Whilst then we are prepared to admit that she was stowed in the usual manner, we are of opinion that she was not properly stowed. The vessel, as laden, had, no doubt, sufficient stability, and if only the cargo could have been prevented from shifting into the empty space in the after part of the 'tween decks, we have little doubt that she would, as soon as the pressure was taken off, have at once righted; but the weight of the cargo on the port side kept her down, even after the fore and mizen topsails had been taken in.

The fifth question which we are asked, is, "Whether, " having regard to the form of the vessel, and inde- " pendently of the question of stability, she had suffi- " cient freeboard for a winter voyage?" Mr. Graves has told us that the load line was placed at 4 feet 4 inches below the deck, but that he took care that she was never laden down to it. He said that his practice was to allow a freeboard of about 5 feet, being about 2 1/2 inches for every foot depth of hold. According to Mr. Martell's rule however, this vessel, having a co-efficient of fineness of 53, should, as a flush-decked ship, with a depth of hold of 23.3 feet, have had a freeboard of 5 feet 8 1/2 inches. Some allowance indeed would have to be made for the poop aft; and something also perhaps for the extra strength and superior character of the vessel. Still however, after making all due allowances, the Assessors think that the freeboard was barely sufficient for a vessel of her size, especially for a winter voyage.

The last question on which our opinion has been asked is, "Whether the managing owner is in de- " fault?" The vessel, as we have said, was not only a first class ship, but was kept up apparently in first class condition. Mr. Graves has told us that, when he first became possessed of her, which he did on the division of his father's property in the year 1873, he took her over at the estimated value of 24,000l. Allowing for depreciation since that time at the rate of 3 per cent. per annum, he thinks that her present market value would be about 19,000l.; and he tells us that she was insured for only 16,000l. He would therefore have the greatest interest in seeing that she was sent to sea in such a condition as to be likely to perform her voyage in safety. Whilst then we are of opinion that she was very fully laden, especially for a winter voyage, we are bound in justice to Mr. Graves to say, that she was not loaded to the depth for which she was designed by her builders, and which the builders' manager considered to be a safe depth; and that during the seven years that Mr. Graves has owned her, she has generally been laden as deeply, and has always before performed her voyages with safety. And as regards the stowage of the cargo, Mr. Graves seems to have taken all due precautions to see that it should be properly stowed; he employed a skilled stevedore of large experience, who stowed her in the way to which he was accustomed, and which he no doubt believed to be sufficient. Although then we are of opinion that the vessel was very deeply laden, and that the mode of stowing the cargo was defective, we do not think that Mr. Graves is in any way to blame for it.

No application was made by either party for any order as to costs.

 

(Signed)

H. C. ROTHERY,

 

 

Wreck Commissioner.

We concur.

 

(Signed)

R. ASHMORE POWELL,

Assessors.

 

 

D.R. COMYN,

 

L 367. 597. 200.-12/80. Wt. 47. E. & S.