Wreck Report for 'Alice', 1888

OFFICIAL COPY.

(No. 20.)

"ALICE" (S.S.)

The Merchant Shipping Acts, 1854 to 1876.

IN the matter of an Investigation held at North Shields on the 26th day of September 1888, before LEIGHTON MILLS, Esquire, Inspector appointed by the Board of Trade, to inquire into and report upon the nature and causes of the accident or damage sustained by the British S.S. "ALICE," of Newcastle, off St. Abb's Head, on or about the 30th day of August last, whereby loss of life ensued.

Report.

Board of Trade Office,

North Shields,

2nd October 1888.

SIR,

IN pursuance of the instructions conveyed to me in your "Appointment as Inspector," I have inquired into the nature and causes of the accident or damage sustained by the British steam-tug "Alice," of Newcastle, off St. Abb's Head, on the 30th day of August last, whereby loss of life ensued, and beg to report as follows:-

The "Alice" is a British steamship, built of wood at North Shields in the year 1876. Her length is 83 feet, her breadth 17.6 feet, and her depth 9.05 feet.

She is rigged as a sloop, and she is fitted with one engine of 28 horse-power nominal. She is registered at the Port of Newcastle-on-Tyne, her official number being 70,259, and her tonnage. after deducting 62.94 tons for propelling power and crew spaces, was 11.42 tons registered.

She was owned by Messrs. A. Wilkinson, R. Forster, and George Forster, Mr. R. Forster, of Scotswood-on-Tyne, being the manager of the vessel.

The vessel was fitted with two common flue boilers, built in the year 1876, and about six years since they were taken out of the vessel and thoroughly repaired all over.

Since this time the boilers appear to have been in good working order, not requiring any large repairs, but whenever a thin place was discovered a patch was put on by a boiler maker.

Mr. Forster, the owner of the vessel, stated that the boilers were made in 1876, and they were taken out and repaired in 1882. They were usually worked at a pressure of twenty-eight pounds.

The original cost of the vessel was 2,6001., and she is now insured for 800l.

Patrick Cannon, the engineman, stated that he had been three years fireman, and two years engineman on board the vessel. The boilers were connected by a steam pipe from one to the other, and as there were no stop valves the pressure indicated was the same on both boilers, twenty-six lbs.

It was not the practice to try the density of the water at any time, and there was no salinometer on board. The boilers were cleaned out from time to time at periods of about six weeks, and they were refilled with sea water twice a week, and the engineman blew them down twice in each watch.

The boilers were cleaned out about six weeks ago, and the engineman stated that at that time they were in good order and there were no leaks, but this was not from his own knowledge, as he was not personally in the flues. It was his duty to see that there were no leaks, and he was empowered by the owner to employ a boiler maker to do any required repairs.

According to his evidence the fourth hand cleaned out the port boiler flues, and the cook the starboard boiler flues, and both were asked by him if there were any leaks, and they replied there were none.

The vessel left Newhaven on the 29th August last with a crew of seven hands bound for St. Abb's Head for the purpose of trawling, and she arrived there and remained trawling in the vicinity until the 30th August. About 1 a.m., the weather being fine, the vessel was proceeding through the water at about two and a half miles an hour, towing the trawl. About 1.10 a.m. the second fisherman went down and attended to the fires, and about 1.20 a.m. the master put the damper down, and called the hands to haul up the trawl. Shortly afterwards, Magnus Sinclair, the fireman went below to clean the fires. He had apparently opened the door of the port furnace, and put in the slice to clean out the fire, when an explosion took place within the furnace, scattering the fire, and Sinclair was severely burnt.

The engineman rushed down to the stokehole, and found the wing fire door of the port boiler open and the fire looking dead. He found the slice in the fire, shewing that Sinclair had commenced to clean it. The engineman opened the other door of the same boiler, and found the bricks of the upper part of the bridge blown against the fire door; the engine was standing, and there was twenty-two pounds of steam on the steam gauge. He tried the water, and found the water gauge glass more than full in the port boiler, and level with the top of the glass in the starboard boiler.

The vessel's trawl was hove up, and she proceeded to Newhaven, the engines working as usual, though the engineman heard a hissing sound as from a leak in the midship flue behind the bridge, but this ceased in about three hours as the vessel proceeded. At Newhaven the master ascertained that the best way of conveying Sinclair to the Edinburgh Infirmary was by train from Leith. The fish having been landed at Newhaven, and left in charge of the head fisherman, the vessel proceeded on to Leith, when Sinclair was landed and taken to Edinburgh Infirmary, where he died on the 1st September.

On the 30th August the vessel returned to the fishing ground, returning again to Newhaven and Leith on the 1st of September. When off Newhaven, another explosion occurred in the same boiler, and a cloud of steam came up the stokehole hatchway, but no one being below no one was injured. The engineman went below, and upon opening the doors he found the fires looking dull, but he did not observe any damage. The vessel then proceeded into Leith Harbour, where she was examined by Mr. Edward Lewis, Board of Trade Surveyor, and he found, upon taking down the bridges in the port boiler, that the flues were filled with soot, dirt, and salt, the latter in dense masses. This was cleaned out, and Mr. Lewis then examined the boiler, but could find no trace of a leak until water was run in, when a leaky landing was found in the circular portion of the flue at the back end, and nearly opposite the midship fire, and from which the water came trickling down in a very small stream. The bottoms of both flues were thin under the bridges, the plates at those places requiring renewal or doubling, otherwise the boiler was in fair condition and well stayed, with the exception of some, which required renewing.

The cause of this casualty appears to have been due to a small leak and consequent deposit of hard salt in the flues, which accumulated until it covered the leak, and under which the steam became pent up until its elastic force burst the crust of salt, and, the damper being down, the explosion spent its force in the wing furnace, causing the flames to attack Sinclair, who was standing at the open furnace door.

The owner of the boat does not appear to have made an examination of the flues himself since January last, and the engineman did not examine them inside himself the last time they were cleaned out, viz., six weeks before the explosion, as I think he should have done. As the owner said, and the engineman admitted it, that he had the owner's leave to call in a boiler maker when. ever anything was required. The engineman, however, trusted to the report of the fourth hand and the cook, who cleaned the boilers, that all was right.

This explosion is only one more case shewing the care required in the employment of steam boilers, and more particularly the need of frequent and careful examination. In this case it is likely the insignificance of the leak was cause of the greater danger, as a larger escape would most likely have kept itself free, and so prevented the formation of a "salt-chamber."

I am, Sir,

Your most obedient servant,

L. MILLS, Inspector.

The Assistant Secretary,

Marine Department,

Board of Trade.

LONDON:

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1888.

Price Twopence.

54010-133. 875.-10/88. Wt. 23. E. & S.