Wreck Report for 'Arctic', 1881

(No. 1192.)

"ARCTIC."

REPORT of a Naval Court held at Her Britannic Majesty's Consulate General, New York, on Tuesday the 29th day of November 1881.

Present:

J. PIERREPONT EDWARDS, Esq., Her Britannic Majesty's Consul, New York, President.

WILLIAM HENRY PERCY HAINS (% 1,140), Master of the steamship "Gallia," of Liverpool, official number 78,837.

GEORGE D. SPICER. (% 88,954), Master of the ship "E. J. Spicer," of Parrsboro', N.S., official number 80,369.

The "Arctic" was a wooden vessel, built in Nova Scotia, was about seven years old, and at the time of her departure from Trieste on her last voyage was properly found, supplied, and manned.

She sailed from Trieste on the 1st September with an assorted cargo of mustard seed, orange peel, &c., and prosecuted her voyage with variable winds and weather until the 21st instant, when she was in about latitude 38º and longitude 66º. At this time the weather became thick, with almost continuous rain. There was a strong easterly wind blowing, and the ship was put under shortened sail. The lead was hove at proper intervals, and all precautions taken to avoid accident. From this time it had been impossible to obtain any observation owing to the state of the weather, and the vessel was sailed by dead reckoning. At about 7 o'clock p.m. of the 23rd, the "Arctic" stranded on Squan Beach, on the New Jersey coast.

The master and crew were with difficulty rescued by the persons employed at the life saving station at that place.

About three hours later the "Arctic" was seen to be on fire, and was subsequently destroyed.

The stranding of the "Arctic" was, in our opinion, unavoidable under the circumstances, and was due to the fact that no observations had been possible for two days previous thereto.

Those on board seem to have taken all reasonable steps to avoid such an occurrence.

We have carefully considered the circumstance of the subsequent destruction of the vessel by fire, which at first might seem suspicious, but we are of opinion that this was purely accidental. A lamp filled with kerosene oil, which was burning in the galley when the vessel first struck, was overturned by the shock, and although it was believed that the fire caused thereby had been effectually extinguished, we see reason for thinking that such was not the case, and that the fire which had been thus produced continued to smoulder, and after the abandonment of the vessel broke out afresh. As there was no person at hand to extinguish the fire in the beginning, it finally destroyed the ship. Our opinion as to the origin of the fire is confirmed by the fact that, as seen from the shore, it first broke out in the neighbourhood of the galley. There were no lights burning on board when the crew and master went on shore. There was probably some fire still in the galley stove, but this appears to have been properly secured.

We do not find that there were any circumstances which should reflect disadvantageously upon the conduct of the master and crew either before or subsequent to the loss of the vessel. When the fire was first perceived after leaving the ship the master made every possible effort to return to his vessel, but was prevented from so doing by those in charge of the life saving station, as it was considered by them that he would have been only needlessly endangering his life in doing so.

New York, 29th November 1881.

 

(Signed)

J. PIERREPONT EDWARDS, H.B.M. Consul.

 

 

W. H. P. HAINS, Master of steamship "Gallia."

 

 

GEO. D. SPICER, Master of "E. J. Spicer."

L 367. 963. 70.—12/81. Wt. 203. E. & S