Wreck Report for 'Glenelg', 1884

(No. 2298.)

"GLENELG" (S.S.)

The Merchant Shipping Acts, 1854 to 1876.

IN the matter of the formal Investigation held at the Sessions House, Westminster, on the 29th of August 1884, before H. C. ROTHERY, Esquire, Wreck Commissioner, assisted by Captains RONALDSON and PARFITT, as Assessors, into the circumstances attending the stranding of the steamship "GLENELG" on a rock off Ushant, on the 29th of July 1884.

Report of Court.

The Court, having carefully inquired into the circumstances of the above-mentioned shipping casualty, finds, for the reasons annexed, that the stranding of the said ship was due to the negligent navigation thereof by Bowden Quartly, the master, in having laid her on a course to pass too close to Ushant, and without making any allowance for the tide. Looking, however, to the high character which he has received from the managing owner, and to the length of time that he has been in the service of the company, the Court will not deal with his certificate.

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

Dated this 29th day of August 1884.

 

(Signed)

H. C. ROTHERY,

Wreck Commissioner.

We concur in the above report.

 

(Signed)

A. RONALDSON,

WM. PARFITT,

Assessors.

Annex to the Report.

This case was heard at Westminster on the 29th of August 1884, when Mr. McConnell appeared for the Board of Trade, Mr. Gully, Q.C., for the owners, and Mr. Nelson for the master of the "Glenelg." The master and the manager of the company having been produced as witnesses, and examined, Mr. McConnell handed in a statement of the questions upon which the Board of Trade desired the opinion of the Court. Mr. Nelson then addressed the Court on behalf of the master, and Mr. McConnell 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 follow:—

The "Glenelg" was an iron screw steamship, belonging to the Port of Glasgow, of 3,034 tons gross, and 1,956 tons net register, and was fitted with engines of 530 horse power. She was built at Govan, near Glasgow, in the year 1883, and at the time of her loss was the property of the Glen Company, Mr. James McGregor, of No. 1, East India Avenue, London, being the managing owner. She left London at about 5 a.m. of the 28th of July last for Penang and the China ports, viâ the Suez Canal, with a crew of 65 hands, 7 passengers, and about 3,000 tons of general merchandize; and at noon of the following day had arrived in latitude 49° 41' north and longitude 3° west. Thence a W. by S. 1/2 S. course magnetic was steered until 8 p.m., when, the weather being clear and fine, and there being no appearance of Ushant, the course was altered a point to the south to make the island, the master intending to take his departure from it; and from that time she was kept on a S.W. by W. 1/2 W. course magnetic, making 10 1/2 to 10 3/4 knots until 9.30 p.m., when they suddenly entered a thick bank of fog, upon which the engines were at once put at half speed, and the vessel's head hauled out to W. by S. magnetic. Finding that she had still a good deal of Way upon her, the master ordered the engines to be stopped until she had completely lost her way, and having then laid her with her head to the westward, he ordered the engines to go on slowly ahead. Scarcely, however, had they been set in motion before rocks were reported ahead, upon which the master at once ordered the helm to be put hard a port and the engines to be stopped, but at the same instant the vessel took the ground. On sounding it was found that there were 17 fathoms at the fore rigging, and that there was no bottom at twenty fathoms aft; and as the vessel was fast filling, the fore and main holds having been stove, the captain, fearing lest she should slip off into deep water, ordered all the boats to be got out, and all hands to get into them. They lay alongside until 4 a.m. the following morning, when they pulled alongside, and some of the people from the shore having boarded her, they found that they had struck on a small rock called Kingy, lying to the northward of Ushant, and distant from the island about a mile. The vessel was at this time full of water, and was lying over on her starboard side, gunwale under, and during the following night she broke in half. In the meantime the crew and passengers had been sent ashore, and have since returned to this country. No lives were lost, but the vessel became a total wreck and was lost, together with the cargo.

These being the facts of the case, the Board of Trade have put to us the following questions, viz.:—

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

2. Whether safe and proper courses were set and steered, and due allowance made for tide and currents?

And 3. Does any blame attach to the master?

The master has fairly enough admitted that the cause of the stranding was the alteration of the vessel's course a point to the southward at 8 p.m., namely, from W. by S. 1/2 S. magnetic to S.W. by W. 1/2 W. magnetic; he said that he estimated that that course would have taken him about 5 or 6 miles to the westward of Ushant, and so it would, if it had been made good. The master, however, told us that it was about an hour after high water when they took ground, and as it was about 10 p.m. when they grounded, they must previous to 9 p.m. have had the flood tide setting them to the eastward of their course, and for this the master admitted that he had made no allowance. This in our opinion is quite sufficient to account for her getting aground where she did, and the master has candidly admitted that he is alone to blame for the casualty.

The fourth question which we are asked is, "What " was the value of the vessel and the insurances " effected?" She was built in the year 1883, and cost, we are told, 68,000l. From that, however, the owners have made a deduction of 4,000l. for depreciation during the past year, leaving 64,000l. as the value at the time of her loss; and this, we are told, was insured for 42,000l. The freight was not insured at all.

Lastly, the Board of Trade have stated that in their opinion the certificate of the master should be dealt with. No doubt the master is very greatly to blame for having put the vessel on a course to pass so close to Ushant, without making any allowance for the tide. At the same time he has candidly admitted his fault, and has given his evidence in a very fair and straightforward way. The manager to the owners has also given him a very high character for sobriety and attention to his duty; and has told us that he has been for nearly eleven years in their service, for more than 3 years as mate, and for more than 7 years as master, and that during the whole of that time he has conducted himself in a most exemplary way, and has never met with any accident before. Seeing too that the learned counsel for the Board of Trade does not press for the suspension of his certificate, we are disposed to take a lenient view of the case; and although the master is in our opinion very greatly to blame, his neglect having led to the loss of a very valuable vessel and cargo, we shall under the circumstances not deal with his certificate.

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

 

(Signed)

H. C. ROTHERY,

Wreck Commissioner.

We concur.

 

(Signed)

A. RONAIDSON,

WM. PARFITT,

Assessors.

170.—9/84. Wt. 36. E. & S.