Wreck Report for 'Albion' and 'Orsino', 1888

(No. 3687.)

"ALBION" AND "ORSINO" (S.S.)

The Merchant Shipping Acts, 1854 to 1876.

IN the matter of a formal Investigation held at the Mayor's Court, Town Hall, Cardiff, on the 21st, 22nd, and 24th days of December 1888, before THOMAS WILLIAM LEWIS, Esquire, Stipendiary Magistrate, assisted by Admiral PICKARD and Captains ANDERSON and HARLAND as Nautical Assessors, into the circumstances attending the loss of the British sailing ship "ALBION," of Deal, through collision with the British steamship "ORSINO," of London, off the Bolt Head, Devonshire, on the 21st May 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 "Albion" was run down by the "Orsino" while lying becalmed off Bolt Head, on the Devonshire coast, and that the casualty was due to the negligence of second officer, James Macpherson Lamb, in not keeping out of the way of the "Albion." The Court therefore finds him in default, and suspends his certificate for twelve calendar months.

Dated this 24th day of December 1888.

 

(Signed)

T. W. LEWIS, Judge.

We concur in the above report.

 

(Signed)

BENJ. S. PICKARD,

 

 

 

ABSM. ANDERSON,

Assessors.

 

 

ROBERT HARLAND,

 

Annex to the Report.

This case was appointed to be heard on the 21st De. cember, and the Court assembled at the Town Hall, Cardiff, on that day, but the "Orsino" not having arrived the inquiry was adjourned to the 22nd.

On that day Mr. Waldron appeared for the Board of Trade, and Mr. Ingledew for the master and second officer of the "Orsino." The survivors of the crew of the "Albion" were present, but were not represented by counsel or solicitor.

Six witnesses were called and examined on behalf of the Board of Trade, and at the conclusion of their evidence, certain questions were submitted for the opinion of the Court, and it was stated that in the opinion of the Board of Trade, the certificate of the second officer of the "Orsino" ought to be dealt with.

The" Orsino "is an iron screw steamship, of 2,047 gross, and 1,342 registered tonnage, built at South wich, Sunderland, in 1880, and fitted with engines of 200 horsepower. She is registered at the Port of London, and owned by Mr. Hugh Roberts, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, and others, Mr. Roberts being the managing owner.

The "Albion" was an unregistered half-decked-boat, 38 feet in length and rigged as a lugger, belonging to Deal. She had a carrying capacity of 12 tons, and was owned by Mr. William Frost Speare, of 21, Wellington Street, Deal, and was hired and manned by six hands, and the arrangement was that Mr. Speare should take 2/8 ths of the earnings, and the crew should share the remainder between them equally.

The lugger was used by the six men in their occupation of hovellers. None of them were qualified pilots, but their business was to assist masters of ships in working their vessels, and in the absence of qualified pilots advising him as to the navigation-practically indeed acting as pilots.

The "Orsino" left London in ballast bound for Cardiff on the 19th May last, with a draught of water of 13 feet aft and 9 feet forward, and was under the command of Mr. Owen Evans, who holds a certificate of competency as master, her second officer being Lewis Macpherson Lamb, who held a certificate of competency as second mate, and which certificate has since been raised to first mate. When off Bolt Head, on the Devonshire coast, at 2 a.m. of the 21st May, the "Orsino" ran down and sunk the lugger "Albion."

The "Albion" it seems left Deal on the 7th May last for a Channel cruise with her full crew of six hands. On the 13th May, through stress of weather, she put into Dartmouth. In the meantime one of the hands had left her to go on board a vessel which they had fallen in with. On the 20th May she left Dartmouth with her 5 remaining hands, and on the early morning of the 21st May was lying becalmed off Bolt Head, about 12 miles from the Start Light, which bore E., the lugger's head being W.N.W. It was admitted, she was not provided with the lights required by the Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. The only appliances of the kind which they had on board, were a lantern 18 inches square showing a white light, and a flare-up. It was stated by the people of the "Albion," that it was not customary to carry other lights, and that the regulation green and red, obliged as they are to be so much under ships' bows, would be useless and even dangerous. The lugger carried a small boat on board stowed on chocks, 14 feet in length.

At 2 a.m. on the 21st, the lugger had a white light, the lantern referred to, exhibited over the stern. One of the hands, Lambert, stood up on the starboard quarter and showed it to a passing steamer. The "Orsino" was first seen at 1.45 a.m. at a distance estimated to be from 3 to 4 miles, her masthead and afterwards her red light being distinctly visible. Thereupon the light was shown by Lambert standing up.

The weather was, according to the witnesses for the "Albion," clear and moonlight. As the steamship came closer, without any change of course, another hand showed the flare-up light. At this time three hands, namely, Pritchard, Files, and Lambert were on deck, and Axon and Kirkcaldy below in the cabin forward. Upon seeing the close approach of the "Orsino" Pritchard, who was on the deck forward with the flare-up, called through the hatchway to the hands below, and they both quickly came on deck only partly dressed.

Two of the hands then lifted the small boat out of the chocks ready to be put overboard, but before she could be thrown over the steamship with the bluff of her port bow struck the lugger on the starboard quarter, causing her to sink. Two of the hands, Kirkcaldy and Axon, managed to get into their small boat, and Pritchard was fortunate enough to get hold of a spar and was picked up by his shipmates.

The other two men, Files and Lambert, were never seen or heard of again. The survivors rowed for some time among the floating wreckage of the lugger in quest of their missing comrades, and then pulled towards the steamer, which was hove to, and, meeting the boat of the latter, proceeded together to the "Orsino," where the shipwrecked men were hospitably received and kindly treated, and were taken on to Cardiff. The surviving man who was on the deck of the "Albion " when the collision occurred, states very positively that he showed the flare up light when the steamer was halt a mile distant, and that he kept showing it for five minutes. The "Orsino's" green or starboard light was never seen by the people of the lugger.

The case for the "Orsino" is, that at 1.30 a.m. on the 21st the master, who had been on deck continuously since leaving London, feeling tired went into the chartroom to rest, leaving the second mate, whom he considered a competent and reliable officer, in charge, with instructions that he should be called if any emergency arose or a fog came on.

Shortly after 2 a.m. he was called by the second officer, who told him that he had run over a fishing boat. The master immediately went on deck and found the vessel stopped and her helm hard-a-starboard He states that the weather was clear but somewhat hazy on the horizon, and Start Light was in view. Looking over the starboard side he saw some wreckage, apparently a mast or spar, and he heard shouts from a boat. The steamer had turned round slightly, and the boat seemed to be on her port quarter. The "Orsino's" boat was got out as soon as possible in 5 or 6 minutes, according to the second mate, and went in search of the wreck, and in ten minutes or so fell in with the "Albion's" boat. The statement of the second officer is, that shortly after 2 a.m., being in charge of the ship, which was going at full speed, he saw a flare-up light ahead, close under his starboard bow, and at once rang the telegraph to stop the engines; and while doing so the man stationed on the forecastle head on the look-out (one Macdonald, who was discharged from the vessel about 4 months ago), reported the same light ahead. Thinking that the light was, if anything, a little on his starboard bow, he ordered the helm hard-a-starboard, and in a second or two after that, the "Orsino" came into collision with the vessel ahead of her.

He added that he never saw the white light which the "Albon's" people declare they exhibited.

He alleges that there was a haze over the water, although not overhead, and imagines that the light might have been thereby concealed. In support of this view, he mentioned that about 1.30 a.m. they had passed a brigantine, and saw her sails before he saw her lights, which he thought was due to the haze; the lights he saw at a distance of 100 yards. The "Orsino" passed the brigantine at no greater distance than a hundred feet. We are clearly of opinion that a very bad lookout was kept on board the "Orsino." The absence of the look-out man Macdonald is to be regretted. The second officer very candidly admits that when he found fault with the man for not reporting the flare-up light sooner, the latter retorted that he had reported it three times before he was answered.

The "Orsino" was steering W. 3/4 N., and when the helm was starboarded was just beginning to move off her course, when the collision took place.

There is no doubt the "Orsino's" masthead and side lights were in their place, and burning brightly at the time. It may be added that no life-buoy was thrown over, although some were on board, and further, that the engines were not reversed after the collision.

The following questions were submitted to the Court:-

1. Whether both vessels complied with the Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea?

2. Whether the "Albion" was a duly licensed pilot boat, and if so, under what authority?

3. Whether the "Albion" exhibited the lights required by the Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, and if not, whether the neglect to do so contributed to the casualty?

4. Whether a good and proper look-out was kept on board both vessels?

5. Whether both vessels were navigated with proper and seamanlike care?

6. Whether every possible effort was made by those on board the "Orsino" to save life?

7. Whether the hovellers on board the "Albion," or any one of them, and the master and second officer of the "Orsino" are, or either of them is, in default?

The following answers were given to the foregoing questions:-

1. The "Albion" was not provided with proper lights as required by such Regulations, carrying only a flare-up light and a square lantern showing a white light, but in other respects there was no infringement of the Regulations.

The "Orsino" was provided with the necessary lights, but failed to comply with Articles 17 and 18 of such Regulations, inasmuch as she did not keep out of the way of the "Albion," and did not reverse as well as stop when a collision was imminent.

2. The "Albion" was not a duly licensed pilot boat.

3. The "Albion," although not provided with red and green lights, complied with Article 11 by showing a white light from her stern, the neglect to exhibit red and green lights did not in the opinion of the Court in any way contribute to the casualty.

4. A good and proper look-out was kept on board the "Albion," but not on board the "Orsino."

5. As far as the "Albion" was concerned, she was becalmed and practically unmanageable; she could do nothing to get out of the way of the steamship.

As to the "Orsino," a proper look-out was not kept, and although she stopped she did not reverse her engines as she ought to have done, and did not keep out of the way of the "Albion;" in these respects therefore she was not navigated with proper and seamanlike care.

6. Praiseworthy efforts were made by those on board the "Orsino" to save life; it would have been better if such efforts had been supplemented by throwing life buoys overboard and reversing the engines.

7. The hovellers, save for the omission to carry the red and green lights required by the Regulations, are not in default. in the case of the "Orsino" the master is free from blame, but the Court for the reasons above indicated, finds the second officer in default, and adjudges that his certificate be suspended for twelve calendar months.

 

(Signed)

T. W. LEWIS.

 

 

BENJN. S. PICKARD.

 

 

ABSM. ANDERSON.

 

 

ROBERT HARLAND.

 

54010-201. 180.-12/88. Wt. 23. E. & S.