(No. 3640.)
"ALBERTINA." (S.S.)
The Merchant Shipping Acts, 1854 to 1876.
IN the matter of a formal Investigation held at the Town Hall, North Shields, on the 19th and 20th days of October 1888, before S. A. MORRISON and A. H. HILL, Esquires, assisted by Captains PARFITT and BRAGG (Nautical Assessors), and Mr. J. H. HALLETT (Engineer Assessor), into the circumstances attending the stranding of the S.S. "ALBERTINA," near Donaghadee, County Down, on the 22nd day of September 1888.
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 stranding of the "Albertina" was caused by the master going at full speed through thick weather without verifying his position from time to time, relying solely on the courses set, and the dead reckoning by patent log, and the Court finds the master, George Blackburn, alone in default, and suspends his certificate, No. 91,038, for a period of three calendar months from the date hereof.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1888.
(Signed)
SAMUEL A. MORRISON,
Justies.
ALFRED HENRY HILL,
We concur in the above report.
(Signed)
WM. PARFITT,
Assessors.
J. THRELFALL BRAGG,
J. H. HALLETT, Engineer Assessor.
Annex to the Report.
This is an investigation into the circumstances attending the stranding of the s.s. "Albertina," of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, near Donaghadee, County Down, on the 22nd of September 1888, held at the Town Hall, North Shields, before Samuel Allen Morrison and Alfred Henry Hill, Esquires, two of her Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the Borough of Tynemouth, assisted by Captains Parfitt and Bragg (Nautical Assessors), and Mr. J. H. Hallett (Engineer Assessor). Mr. Burton appeared for the Board of Trade, and Mr. Temperley represented the master and owners. The "Albertina," official No. 86,086, is a screw steamer, built of iron at Sunderland in 1882 by D. Baxter and Co., of the following dimensions:-length, 185 feet; breadth, 30.3; and depth, 13 feet. She is schooner-rigged, and fitted with triple expansion engines of 90 horse power (combined), of 730.58 gross and 469.88 registered tonnage, and is owned by Fisher, Renwick, & Co. and several others, Mr. Renwick having been appointed managing owner on the 15th day of September 1882. From the evidence adduced before the Court, it appears that the "Albertina" left Archangel on the 10th of September 1888, at 4 a.m., with a cargo of deals, consisting of 294 standards, including the deck load, having a crew of 15 hands all told and 2 passengers, under the command of George Blackburn, who holds a certificate of competency, No. 91,038, bound for Gloucester, the vessel drawing 13 ft. forward, and 14 ft. 6 in. aft, well found and in good condition. She was supplied with three compasses, a standard compass on the upper bridge, a steering compass on the lower bridge, and a spare one not in use. They were adjusted in June 1888, at North Shields, by Morton, of Sunderland, and the master stated that he from time to time ascertained the errors and applied the proper corrections to the courses, although on the courses steered he bad not found more than two degrees of deviation, but the deviation card supplied to the ship by the adjuster shewed that on all the courses steered there was a 1/4 of a point easterly deviation, and the courses hereinafter detailed as magnetic were in reality the compass courses steered, the master deeming the two degrees of deviation to be of no moment. All went well until the 22nd of September. At 4 a.m. of that day the Skerryvore Light bore E. magnetic, estimated distance six to eight miles, the course being S by W. The master then went below, leaving directions with the 2nd officer that when the light bore two points abaft the port beam, he was to alter the course to S 1/4 E., which order was carried out. At 7 a.m. the master returned on deck and the same course was continued until 9 a.m. when the vessel passed through the Races of Oversay, one of the men reporting land on the port side, the weather then being hazy, light northerly air, the vessel going full-speed, about 8 1/2 knots, the course was then altered to S.S.E. magnetic. At 12.30 p.m. the mate reported land on the port side. At 1 p.m. the course was changed to S. by E. magnetic. At 3.30 p.m. it was altered to S. magnetic, and the run of the vessel was marked off on the chart taken from the taffrail record of the patent log, and the master estimated his position to be 8 to 9 miles E. of the "Maiders," that course was continued until the vessel stranded about 6.10 p m. During the day the weather was more or less thick, and an hour before the stranding no doubt a dense fog existed, the master admitting that he was blowing his whistle atinter-vals and heard the whistle of another vessel immediately before stranding, which turned out to be a steam yacht, which craft he narrowly avoided by putting his helm hard-a-starboard, those on board the yacht then shouted to the "Albertina" that she was running ashore, whereupon the master put the telegraph to stop and full-speed astern, but as he found the propeller was not revolving, he sent one of the seamen to the engine-room skylight to shout down "give her all you can," but this was misunderstood, as the chief engineer thought it was "let her stand;" whichever way it was does not appear to matter much, so far as the stranding was concerned, as the vessel by that time was ashore. Part of the deck load was jettisoned that evening, assistance was sent for, and on the foliowing morning a steam-tug arrived, more cargo was jettisoned, the vessel being holed in No. 1 and No. 2 holds. Kedges were carried out aft, and by heaving on the kedges, using their own steam, and with the assistance of the steam-tug towing, the "Albertina" floated off. She then proceeded to Belfast with her own steam and in tow, being three feet by the head, then drawing 15 ft. forward and 12 ft. aft. She arrived at Belfast at 3 p.m., where she was temporarily repaired, and afterwards completed her voyage to Gloucester, where she discharged her cargo. The damage done to the vessel was material. When passing Skerryvore the master made n o attempt to verify the distance off Skerryvore Light, and afterwards on two occasions when the Islay and Cantyre land was sighted some distance off and pointed out to him, he neglected to avail himself of these opportunities to verify his position by approaching nearer to the land, which at these points was perfectly safe to approach. Had he done this he could not have failed to notice that the courses steered would carry him dangerously to the westward, and this neglect was no doubt the primary cause which led up to the casualty. The Court also considers that the master should not have run his vessel at full speed in such weather as he experienced, especially towards the latter part of the day, when a dense fog bank existed; and this is proved beyond doubt, not only by the whistling of the steam yacht with which he narrowly escaped collision, but also by his own action in blowing his own whistle. In addition to this, two light-house keepers from Mew Island proved the state of the weather to be a dense fog from 1.50 p.m. of the 22nd to 2.10 a.m. of the 23rd, and during that time their fog-horn was regularly sounded, but how it was not heard by those on board the "Albertina" is unaccounted for. The Court considered that the use of the lead (having regard to the soundings that would have been obtained) was not absolutely necessary, and therefore acquited the master of any neglect on that point, but by not verifying his position by the means at his disposal when land was twice reported, and by running full speed in a fog, relying entirely on his unverified courses in narrow and dangerous waters, was a grave default in navigating, and the Court therefore found him in default, and suspended his certificate.
With regard to the chief engineer, the Court, with the assistance of Mr. Hallett, the engineer assessor, was of opinion that no blame attached to him, there being no doubt that he promptly stopped the engines and reversed the gear, only hesitating to give the engines steam, in consequence of a verbal order which came through the skylight transmitted by a foreign seaman, who, no doubt, was anything but clear in the delivery of the same.
At the conclusion of the evidence the following questions were submitted to the Court on behalf of the Board of Trade:-
1. What number of compasses had the vessel on board, where were they placed, and were they in good order and sufficient for the safe navigation of the vessel?
2. When, and by whom, were they made, and when, and by whom, were they last adjusted?
3. Did the master ascertain the deviation of his compasses by observation from time to time, were the errors of the compasses correctly ascertained, and the proper corrections to the courses applied?
4. Whether safe and proper measures were taken to ascertain and verify the position of the vessel at or about 4 a.m. of the 22nd September, and from time to time thereafter?
5. Whether at or about 4 a.m. of the 22nd September a safe and proper course was set and thereafter steered, and whether due and proper allowance was made for tide and currents?
6. Whether safe and proper alterations were made in the course at or about 9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3.30 p.m. of the 22nd September and thereafter steered, and whether due and proper allowance was made for tide and currents?
7. What was the cause of the stranding of the vessel?
8. Whether, having regard to the thick state of the weather, the vessel was navigated at too great a rate of speed?
9. Whether the total neglect of the lead was justifiable?
10. Whether a good and proper look-out was kept?
11. Whether the fog signal on Mew Island was sounded during the afternoon and evening of the 22nd ultimo, and if so, how was it that it was not heard by those on board the ship?
12. Whether the master, when he received the warning that the ship was running into danger, took prompt and proper measures to keep her off the shore?
13. Whether his orders to the engine-room were promptly obeyed, and if not, what was the cause thereof?
14. Whether the vessel was navigated with proper and seamanlike care?
15. Whether the master, chief officer, and chief engineer, are, or either of them is, in default?
In the opinion of the Board of Trade the certificate of George Blackburn, the master, should be dealt with.
Judgment.
1. There were three compasses on board, viz., a spare one, a standard compass on the upper bridge, and a steering compass on the lower bridge; they were in good order and sufficient for navigation.
2. The compasses were by Morton, of Sunderland, and were adjusted by him at Shields in June 1888, but there was no evidence as to the date of their manufacture.
3. The master stated that he ascertained the deviation of his compasses by observation, and applied corrections to the courses from time to time.
4. No measures were taken to ascertain and verify the position of the vessel at 4 a.m. of the 22nd of September, and from time to time thereafter.
5. The proper course was not set and steered at and after 4 a.m. of the 22nd of September, as it carried the vessel too far to the westward. As the ebb and flood tides balanced up to 9 a.m., the course was not affected by tide or current.
6. The courses set and steered at and after 9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3.30 p.m. of the 22nd of September were none of them proper courses, all of them tending to carry the vessel too far to the westward; and throughoat this period due and proper allowance was not made for the strong ebb tide setting on the vessel's port bow, and which, after 3.30 p.m., would force her over towards Belfast Loch.
7. The stranding of the "Albertina" was caused by the master going at full speed through thick weather, without verifying his position from time to time, relying solely on the courses set and the dead reckoning by patent log.
8. The vessel was navigated at too great a rate of speed during the dense fog which prevailed immediately before the stranding.
9. As the lead alone would not have accurately determined the position of the vessel, the Court does not consider the master to blame for not having used it.
10. A good and proper look-out was kept.
11. The fog signal on Mew Island was sounded during the afternoon and evening of the 22nd of September, but the Court cannot account for those on board not hearing it.
12. The master took proper measures to keep the vessel off the shore when he was warned of his danger.
13. The orders to the engine-room were promptly obeyed so far as they were understood, but there appears to have been a misunderstanding as to the exact purport of a verbal order transmitted by one of the seamen from the skylight, and which order followed close on that given by telegraph to go astern, causing the engineer to refrain from carrying out the order by telegraph to go astern.
14. The vessel was not navigated with proper and seamanlike care.
15. The Court finds the master alone in default, and suspends his certificate, No. 91,038, for a period of three calendar months from the date hereof.
(Signed)
SAMUEL A. MORRISON,
Justices.
ALFRED HENRY HILL,
We concur in the above judgment.
(Signed)
WM. PARFITT,
Assessors.
J. THRELFALL BRAGG,
J. H. HALLETT, Engineer Assessor.
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1888.
Price Twopence.
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