Wreck Report for 'Lebu', 1881

(No. 1144.)

"LEBU."

The Merchant Shipping Acts, 1854 to 1876.

IN the matter of a formal Investigation held at St. George's Hall, Liverpool, on the 8th and 9th days of November 1881, before THOS. STAMFORD RAFFLES, Esquire, Stipendiary Magistrate, assisted by Captains WHITE, R.N., WILSON, and HARLAND, into the circumstances attending the abandonment of the British sailing ship "LEBU," in Douglas Bay, on the 20th October last, and the loss of life which thereafter ensued.

Report of Court.

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 said ship was abandoned in Douglas Bay, having been cast off by the tug owing to stress of weather; and that the master, officers, and crew were justified in leaving her, and that the loss of life which ensued was owing to the accidental capsizing of a life boat, and that every effort was made to save life.

Dated this 9th day of November 1881.

 

(Signed)

T. S. RAFFLES, Judge.

We concur in the above report.

 

(Signed)

ED. WHITE, R.N.,

 

 

 

J. P. WILSON,

Assessors.

 

 

ROBERT HARLAND,

 

Annex to the Report.

The "Lebu" is an iron ship built at Dundee in 1868, registered at Liverpool of 725.71 tons, and owned by Mr. Stephen Williamson of that port, who is managing owner, and several others. She was commanded by Mr. William Kilgour, who held a certificate of competency No. 03313, and she had a crew of 14 hands all told. She was at Maryport in the month of October last, and having discharged there a cargo of grain she took in 280 tons of ballast, and sailed thence on the 19th of that month at 8.45 p.m. for Cardiff, having on board in addition to her crew two female passengers, wives of the first mate and steward. Her draught of water on leaving was 11 ft. 5 in. forward and 10 ft. 8 in. aft, her usual trim being about 6 inches by the head. The vessel was in good condition, having been surveyed by Lloyd's surveyor on the day before leaving Maryport. According to the evidence of the first mate, Mr. Norman McLeod, who narrated the circumstances of the voyage, the master having unfortunately been drowned, the "Lebu" left Maryport between 8 and 9 p.m. on the 19th in tow of the steam tug "Iron King," of Liverpool, the weather at that time being fine, with a light breeze from S.E., and apparently nothing to lead them to anticipate the bad weather which speedily came on. About 2 a.m. on the 20th it began to get squally, the wind becoming more easterly till it got to E.S.E., from which quarter it blew steadily. About 3 a.m. she was towing very heavily, and laying considerably over, when they began to move everything they could from the between decks into the hold to stiffen her. This steadied the ship, which came upright. No canvas was set, as they did not consider it desirable, as it would have set the ship to leeward. At 4 a.m., their course being S.S.W., it was blowing a whole gale (No. 10). At 6 a.m. the course was altered to S. by W., the same weather continuing, Douglas Head then bearing W.N.W., distant about 12 miles. The tug was making very little headway, but continued to tow them, the weather becoming still worse, and the sea heavier, till about 9 a.m., when the master of the tug hailed the "Lebu," and said he could do no more for them as his boat was sinking.

It appeared from the evidence of Mr. Thomas Jenkinson, master of the tug "Iron King," holding no certificate, that he was sent from Liverpool, on the morning of the 19th, to tow the "Lebu" to Cardiff, his vessel and machinery being at that time in good order. She arrived at Maryport about 4.30 p.m., and found the "Lebu" ready for sea. The tug took her in tow, as already mentioned, and the master agreed in opinion with the mate of the "Lebu" that there was at that time nothing to lead them to anticipate the storm which so speedily came on. The tug was laden with coals for the voyage to Cardiff, which made about 18 inches difference from her ordinary draught, and when about 2 a.m. the gale commenced, the sea hit her heavily on her port side, and two of the planks of the starboard paddle box were washed out. About 6 a.m. the master stated that every time the tug lurched to leeward the galley filled with water, and when to windward all the water came on deck, and poured down the stokehole grating. They covered it with tarpaulin, and put a plank on the top, stopping it as well as they could; but they still took in a great deal of water, and soon after 8 a.m. the engineer reported to the master he could do no more, the stokehole plates being at that time covered, and the wing fire being put out when the vessel lurched. Soon after this, as already mentioned, the tug master hailed the "Lebu." He turned the vessel round, thinking she would do better on the other tack for Belfast Lough. The master of the ship told him that he would rather have her head to the westward, with the view of reaching Douglas, but the master of the tug said he did not hear him, and slipped the hawser, and made for Douglas, where he arrived soon after 10 p.m.; the water, according to his statement and that of the engineer, being within 6 inches of putting all the fires out. The master of the "Lebu" found that he could not clear the land on the tack the tug had left him on, and he hoisted a signal of distress, and meantime set sail, to try to get her round, but she would only pay off to about N. and come back to N.E. He then set his main top mast staysail, but had to haul it down immediately, and tried every manœuvre possible, without effect, the ship drifting gradually towards the land till he dropped anchor in 18 fathoms, first letting go the port anchor and then the starboard anchor, veering out the port anchor to 100 fathoms and the starboard anchor to 83 fathoms. After dragging about a mile this brought the vessel up, Manghold Head at that time bearing N.E. by N., distant 8 to 9 miles, and Douglas Head W., distant 4 to 4 1/2 miles. About 10.30 a.m. they saw the lifeboat coming out to their assistance. It came within about 2 miles of them, but the master of the ship being apparently, according to the mate, under the impression that the storm was somewhat abating, hauled down the signal of distress about 11 a.m., and the lifeboat returned to Douglas. Instead of improving the weather got worse, and the distress signal was again hoisted about 3 p.m. The mate, who had been below to take some rest, came up about 4.30 p.m., and saw the lifeboat coming out again, and it reached them about 5..50 p.m. They were hailed from the lifeboat, and asked if they were going to leave the ship. The master said "No," but asked them to stay by them during the night. The coxswain of the lifeboat said it was against the rules—they came to save life, and would take them off if they would come. The master said no one wanted to leave, but some of the crew interfered and demanded to go in the lifeboat, and eventually first the two women were put into the boat and then the crew followed, and after some further delay, the mate and the master got into the lifeboat, the weather being then very bad and the barometer having fallen nearly an inch, the master saying to the mate that he would return to the vessel when the weather moderated, which he expected it would do shortly. This lifeboat was No. 1, the "Two Sisters," of 2 1/2 tons, the larger boat, which had come out earlier in the day, of 4 1/2 tons, No. 2, the "John Turner Turner," being aground in the harbour, her moorings having been carried away by the violence of the gale, so that they were obliged to take the smaller boat. She was calculated to hold 25, and carried 13 hands, and she received 16 on board from the "Lebu," so that she had in all on leaving the ship 29 souls in her. The coxswain stated that in such weather and darkness coming on, it would not have been safe to have made two trips from the shore to the vessel. When on their way to the shore, and about two miles off and in comparatively smooth water, a heavy sea struck the boat and immediately capsized her, throwing every one into the water. The boat at once righted herself, and 18 persons, including the two females, got back into her; but, unfortunately, four of the crew of the lifeboat were drowned and seven of the ship's crew, one of whom was the master, Mr. William Kilgour, though all the witnesses concurred that every effort was made to discover and save them. They reached Douglas about 8 p.m. The storm lasted for four days, and it was not till the 25th that they could return to the vessel, which had continued to ride out the gale. They went out to her on that day in the "United Sates," a powerful tug which had been sent to their assistance from Liverpool in answer to their telegrams from Douglas. On reaching the "Lebu" they found the ship had been cut adrift and was in tow of the tug "Black Prince," four of her crew being on board. They gave chase, and on coming up to her, boarded her, slipped the ropes of the "Black Prince," and took the ship to Cardiff, where she now lies uninjured and having made no water. They reached Cardiff on the 27th October.

On the evidence being concluded, Mr. Paxton, for the Board of Trade, asked the following questions:—

1. Whether, when the "Lebu" left Maryport, she was in good and seaworthy condition, and whether she was sufficiently and properly ballasted, having regard to the nature of the voyage?

2. Whether, when the "Iron King" left Maryport, she was in good and seaworthy condition; whether her pumps were sufficient and in good order; whether all the deck openings were provided with proper covers, which could be readily fixed and secured in heavy weather; and, whether she was too deeply laden with the coal she had on board?

3. What was the cause of her making so much water, and whether every possible effort was made to keep it under?

4. Whether the master of the "Iron King" was justified in casting off the "Lebu"?

5. Whether he was asked by the master of the "Lebu" to bring the barque's head round to the W., and, if so, could he have done so?

6. Whether, when the "Lebu" was cast off, proper measures were taken to set sail, and to get the vessel's head round, and could a drogue or sea anchor have been used for that purpose?

7. Whether, when the vessel was brought up, the master, officers, and crew, were justified in abandoning her? If they were so justified, did the survivors return to the ship at the earliest available moment and take proper precautions to ensure her safety?

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

9. What was the cause of the capsizing of the lifeboat, and whether every possible effort was made to save life thereafter?

10. Whether the lifeboat was navigated in a proper and seamanlike way, and whether blame attaches to the coxswain?

In answer to the first question, the Court were of opinion that the "Lebu" was in good condition when she left Maryport, so far as her hull and equipments were concerned. But the Court thought that it would have been more prudent had they taken on board a larger quantity of ballast. No doubt they expected to have been towed the whole distance to Cardiff, and had the weather continued fine the vessel in all probability would have arrived safely. The Court also thought that she should have had all her heavy sails bent, and especially considering the season of the year.

As to the second and third questions, the Court were of opinion that the "Iron King" was in good condition when she left Maryport, and was well found in pumps, which were in good working order, but they thought that the deck openings should have been fitted with proper covers for bad weather. This was made apparent when the gale came on, and the water found its way to so serious an extent through the openings into the stokehole. The Court thought that the tug was not too deeply laden.

As to the fourth and fifth questions, the Court considered that the master of the tug was justified in casting off the ship under the circumstances. According to the evidence the master of the ship asked the master of the tug to tow her head round, but the tug being too windward the request was not heard, and it was doubtful if the tug in her then condition could have done so.

As to the sixth question, proper measures seem to have been taken on board the "Lebu" so far as practicable.

In answer to the seventh question, the Court could not say that the master, officers, and crew of the "Lebu" were not justified in leaving her as they did. It was true that the vessel rode out the gale in safety, but when she was abandoned the state of the weather was such that appearances were very much against her doing so; and the crew having left the ship, believing that it was necessary to do so for the safety of life, the master and his officers had apparently no alternative than to leave her also. The survivors appeared to have returned as soon as the weather moderated, though apparently not at "the earliest available moment," as the "Black Prince" was before them.

The eighth question has been already answered in the judgment.

As to the ninth and tenth questions, the capsizing of the lifeboat appeared to have occurred in comparatively smooth water, and the sea came upon them quite unexpectedly. The drogue, though not in use, seemed to have been in readiness. Had it been over it might possibly have prevented her capsizing. Every effort seemed to have been made to save life after the accident, and the Court did not consider that any blame attached to the coxswain or crew of the lifeboat.

 

(Signed)

T. S. RAFFLES, Judge.

We concur in this report.

 

(Signed)

ED. WHITE, R.N.,

 

 

 

J. P. WILSON,

Assessors.

 

 

ROBERT HARLAND,

 

L 367. 914. 150.—11/81. Wt. 203. E. & S.