Wreck Report for 'Acacia', 1881

(No. 1175.)

"ACACIA" (S.S.)

The Merchant Shipping Acts, 1854 to 1876.

IN the matter of a formal Investigation held at Glasgow on the 9th day of December 1881, before WILLIAM MAC LEAN and JOHN MARSHALL, Esquires, two of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace for Lanarkshire, assisted by Captains PARFITT and PARISH, Nautical Assessors, into the circumstances attending the material damage sustained by the British steamship "ACACIA," of Port Glasgow, through stranding at Hesseloen, Bornholm, on or about the 20th day of September 1881.

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 course, east by south, set and steered, was safe and proper if not continued for a greater distance than 55 miles from the lightship; that a safe and proper alteration was made in the course at 3 a.m. of the 20th of September, at which time nearly the full distance to Bornholm Island had been run by the log; that the master was not justified in putting the vessel back on the E. by S. course; that no measures were then taken by him to ascertain and verify the position of the vessel; that a cast of the lead at that time would not have enabled him to do so, but had he taken a cast when he saw the light at midnight it might have shewn him his position; that a proper look-out was kept; that prompt and proper measures were taken when breakers ahead were reported and seen to prevent the vessel stranding; that the vessel was navigated with proper and seamanlike care, except the continuance of the E. by S. course after 5 a.m., which the Court attributes to an error in judgment on the part of the master. The Court does not consider him, nor any of the officers, in default, and makes no order as to costs.

Dated at Glasgow this 9th day of December 1881,

 

(Signed)

WILLIAM MAC LEAN, J.P.

 

 

JN. MARSHALL, J.P.

We concur in the above report.

 

(Signed)

WM. PARFITT.

 

 

ALFRED PARISH, R.N.R.

Annex to the Report.

The "Acacia," official number 77,228, is an iron screw steamship, built at Port Glasgow in 1879, of the gross tonnage of 427.90 tons, and net 268.75 tons, fitted with two compound direct-acting engines of 80 horse-power combined.

At the time of this casualty she was the property of Mr. George Kerr, of Port Glasgow, and was commanded by Mr. John Higgins, who holds a certificate of competency, No. 93,547. The vessel left Maryport on the 13th of September last, bound for Riga, with a cargo of 450 tons of pig iron, and a crew of 13 hands all told, and drawing 12 feet 11 inches aft, and 11 feet 11 inches forward, and as it appears from the evidence, she was in good condition and well equipped for the voyage. All went well up to 5 p.m. of the 19th September, when she had passed through the Sound and discharged her pilot. At 6.45 p.m. Falsterbow Lightship bore E. by N. 3 miles distant, and a course was then set by the master E. by S. The patent log was put over at 8 p.m.; the weather at the time was somewhat thick, with a moderate breeze from W.N.W. and a short cross sea. At midnight it had become thicker, but a light was seen at 11.4.5 p.m., bearing N. by W., which the master supposed to be Ysted Light, and estimated to be distant between 7 and 8 miles. At 3 a.m. the patent log was hauled in, and shewed a distance of 62 miles. The speed of the vessel up to this time had been, according to the master, 7 to 8 knots per hour. The weather had now become a dense fog, and the vessel was turned round in the opposite direction. The engines were slowed, and she proceeded in a westerly direction at the rate of three knots an hour, until 5 a.m. The fog then lifted a little, and the master determined to proceed on his voyage. The vessel was again turned round and put on the E. by S. course, at half speed, until about 5.45 a.m., when an object was seen on the starboard beam, which was taken for a small boat, and very soon after breakers were seen ahead. The engines were at once turned astern full speed, but before the vessel's way could be stopped she grounded on the beach at a place which turned out to have been Hesseloen, on the west side of the island of Bornholm. The lead had not been used throughout the previous night. A portion of the cargo was then jettisoned, and the vessel was got off, then making little or no water, and proceeded on her voyage. But the next day, encountering a head sea, she commenced to make water, and the master bore up and ran back again under the lee of Bornholm Island, and took her into Rönne harbour, with 5 feet water in her hold. A diver was there employed, and two cracks were found in her bottom plates. She was then taken to Copenhagen, where she was repaired. The course and distance from Falsterbow Light to the north point of Bornholm Island is E. by S., 68 miles. As the patent log was put over at 8 p.m., at which time the vessel must have been at least 5 miles to the eastward of Falsterbow Light, and as it shewed 62 miles at 3 a.m., seven hours after, the vessel must have been going nearly nine knots an hour, or faster than the master estimated, and she must have run by that time some 67 miles. It is obvious, therefore, that at the time the master turned the ship round; at 3 a.m., she must have been then very close to the shore, which was obscured by the dense fog, and having run back only a distance of some six miles, and then again proceeded on the original course of E. by S. at half speed, which would give the vessel a rate of full six knots an hour, the fact of the vessel getting on shore where and when she did is not to be wondered at. The master appears to have placed too much dependence on his hopes of being able to see the land in good time, as the fog had commenced to lift, and the daylight was coming on. He erred also in continuing on a course E. by S., which was heading him on to the island, when, having run his full distance, he might have known that he was past and clear of Sandhammer, and that he might then have safely shaped a course more to the northward. These are serious errors of judgment, but there was no want of personal care and attention, and the Court was not disposed to consider them as amounting to default, and therefore did not deal with his certificate.

Mr. Douglas, solicitor on behalf of the Board of Trade, submitted the following questions for the opinion of the Court, viz.:—

Whether a safe and proper course was set and steered after passing Falsterbow Lightship, and whether due and proper allowance was made for tide and currents?

Whether a safe and proper alteration was made in the course at 3 o'clock a.m. on the 20th of September, and whether due and proper allowance was made for tide and currents?

Whether the master was justified in putting the vessel back on her course at 5 o'clock same morning, and whether due allowance was then made for tide and currents?

Whether proper measures were then taken to ascertain and verify the position of the vessel?

Whether the not using of the lead was justified, especially having regard to the thick state of the weather?

Whether a proper look-out was kept?

Whether prompt and proper measures were taken when breakers ahead were reported and seen to prevent the vessel stranding?

Whether the vessel was navigated with proper and seamanlike care?

Whether the master and the officers, or any of them, are or is in default?

These questions are answered in the report.

 

(Signed)

WILLIAM MAC LEAN, J.P.

 

 

JN. MARSHALL, J.P.

We concur.

 

(Signed)

WM. PARFITT.

 

 

ALFRED PARISH, R.N.R.

L 367. 945. 150.—12/81. Wt. 203. E. & S.