Wreck Report for 'Bride', 1888

(No. 3694.)

"BRIDE" (S.S.)

The Merchant Shipping Acts, 1854 to 1876.

IN the matter of a formal Investigation held at the Town Hall, Hull, on the 27th, 28th, and 29th days of December 1888, before E. C. TWISS, Esquire, Stipendiary Magistrate, assisted by Captain METHVEN and Captain BRAGG, into the circumstances attending the stranding of the British steamship "BRIDE," of Hull, about 4. miles N.W. by N. 3/4 N. of Storjungfrun Light, Gulf of Bothnia, on the 10th of November last, whereby she sustained material damage.

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 said stranding was attributable to the master having been misled by the soundings obtained from time to time and almost immediately up to the casualty. The fact that the shoal soundings expected by the master were never obtained, was no doubt owing to the vessel having been steered a little to the westward of the line the master assumed he was proceeding on. The Court finds that no blame whatever attaches to the chief officer, but considers that the master committed an error of judgment in attempting to look for, at night time, an anchorage in the position he did without the assistance of a pilot. The Court is not asked to make any order as to costs.

Dated this 29th day of December 1888.

 

(Signed)

E. C. TWISS, Judge.

We concur in the above report.

 

(Signed)

R. METHVEN,

J. THRELFALL BRAGG,

Assessors.

Annex to the Report.

This Investigation was held at the Town Hall, Hull, on the 27th, 28th, and 29th of December instant, when Mr. Saxelbye represented the Board of Trade, and Mr. A. M. Jackson appeared on behalf of the master, Mr. Laverack on behalf of the chief officer, and the second engineer appeared in person, whilst Mr. Hearfield watched the case on behalf of the owners of the vessel.

The "Bride," official number 53,292, is an iron screw steamer, built at Hull, at which port she is registered in 1886, her dimensions being:-length 252 1/10 ft., breadth 30 1/10 ft., and depth of hold 15 9/10 ft., and her tonnage 795.60 tons net register. She is owned by Mr. Joseph Atkinson, at Hull, and others, the former being managing owner, having being so appointed in November 1880.

The "Bride" left Iggesund on the 10th of November last, with a cargo of 250 tons of iron and 25 standards of deals, bound for Nyhaum to complete her cargo. She was under the command of Mr. Anderson Graham, who has held a certificate of competency, as master, since 1867, with a crew of 18 hands all told. There were three compasses on board; the pole, by which courses were set, on the upper bridge, the steering compass in the wheel-house below, and another steering compass aft. They were last adjusted in April 1887 by Messrs. Castle and Pagan, of Hull, and a deviation card of the pole compass was supplied to the vessel and was, in the course of the inquiry, handed in. The Court was informed that the pole compass was about 33 ft. above the top of the iron which formed a part of the vessel's cargo, and was not, in the opinion of the master, affected by it. On leaving Iggesund her draught of water was 7 ft. forward and 13 ft. 6 in. aft.

After leaving, the vessel proceeded on her voyage until 5.55 p.m., when the pilot was discharged off Agon, and a course S. 1/2 W. by the pole or S. by W. westerly magnetic was then set, and she continued upon that course at full speed, at a rate of 8 or 9 knots, until 7.50 p.m., when the Lilljungfrun Light bore W.N.W. and the Storjungfrun Light S.W. by pole compass. The course was then altered to S.W. by pole or S.W. S. magnetic and Storjungfrun Light was approached within half a mile. At this time the wind was light from the N.W., the weather clear and frosty, and the sea smooth. The vessel was then steered to the westward for about ten minutes, in the meantime signals were made for a pilot, but receiving no response, and no pilot coming off, the master determined to anchor until daylight, knowing that the navigation into Nyhaum was at night dangerous. At about 8.15 p.m. he gave orders to the chief officer to go and attend to the lead saying, "that he would attend to the lights, and that they would have to go two or three miles before they brought the ship up." When Storjungfrun Light bore S. by E. the vessel was stopped for a cast of the lead, and the chief officer took a sounding and reported "13 fathoms, doubtful," seeing that there was too much way on and the lead light. Thereupon the deep-sea lead was, by orders of the master, bent on and the engines put easy astern, and a sounding was then taken in 15 fathoms. It was now about 8.30 p.m., and the engines were stopped for 15 or 20 minutes, a light having been seen astern, which the master took for a pilot's light. After having made a signal by placing a light over the bow and whistling and waiting, as before-mentioned, the light referred to disappeared and the vessel was then kept easy ahead on a N.N.W. course, the lead being kept constantly going, in fact the chief officer stated that during the 50 minutes preceding the stranding he took from 10 to 14 casts. The ship was kept going easy ahead until 9.15 p.m. when she was stopped, the master expecting that he was about half a mile distant from the island under the lee of which he proposed to anchor, and he went below to consult his chart as to what water he might expect to find, and on reference to it he found that he should have 5, 7, or 9 fathoms. He then returned to the bridge and asked the chief officer what soundings he had, and he replied 15 fathoms. The engines were again moved easy ahead and the helm ported, bringing the vessel's head to about N.E., and some two or three minutes afterwards she was felt to touch, and was at once brought up between two rocks, where she remained fast. The telegraph was at once put "astern," but she did not move, and the engines were then stopped. By the order of the master the chief officer next took soundings round the vessel, and he reported from 16 feet to 18 feet all round, except near the fore rigging, where they found only 7 feet. Water was now reported rushing into the fore-hold, and all pumps were put on, and a boat with the chief officer and three hands were sent off to Storjungfrun Island for assistance.

At daylight the master took bearings of the Storjungfrun Lighthouse, and it bore S.E. by S. 3/4 S., distant about four miles; the island N.W. by W. 1/2 W., distant some four cable's length; and the Storgrund Beacon S.W. by S., distant about three cable's length. On the following day-Sunday-the "Neptune" Salvage Company sent two steam salvage boats and two or three steam tugs with some shoremen from Nyhaum, and on the 12th and 13th from 180 to 200 tons of iron were discharged into lighters, and at about 1 p.m. on the 13th the vessel was towed off and taken into Ljusne, where she arrived at about 2 p.m. It was here ascertained that two plates on the starboard and one on the port bow had been stove in, and after temporary repairs she proceeded under her own steam, on the 15th, for Stockholm, where she arrived on the following day. Here further repairs were carried out, and the "Bride" then returned to Nyhaum, and having taken in here and at Ljusne the remainder of her cargo, she started for Hull, where she arrived on the 7th of December instant.

In the course of his evidence the chief officer informed the Court that he never obtained soundings in less than 15 fathoms, with the exception of the doubtful one of 13, and that the last sounding, 2 or 3 minutes before the casualty, was in 15 fathoms, with a soft muddy bottom. When sounding round the ship after she had stranded he found a ledge of rock on the port side about 7 ft. or 8 ft below the water, and on the starboard side before the poop deck a rock just awash and about 3 ft. in circumference, and he stated that he did not think it could have been observed at nighttime by the look-out man who was stationed on the forecastle head, though it might have been by day.

When he arrived at Storjungfrun Island, on the morning of the 11th, seeking for assistance, he first went to the lighthouse and found no one there; he then proceeded to the lighthouse-keeper's cottage and knocked him up, and the latter went and called up the pilots, who all appear to have been in bed, for it was only after some time that four or five of them appeared on the scene, and one of them was then only partly dressed. He further stated that they were talking with one another in their own language, which he was unable to understand, and appeared from their demeanour to be finding fault with one of their body. It may be mentioned that the master, Mr. Graham, has been for more than thirty years in the employ of the owners of the "Bride," that he has been in the vessel ever since she was launched in 1866, and for more than twenty-one years her master.

The managing owner, Mr. Joseph Atkinson, was called, and gave him the highest possible character that could be desired; and he informed the Court that at the present moment he retains the fullest confidence of his firm.

These were the facts of the case, as gathered from the witnesses that were called, and at the close of their examination Mr. Saxelbye submitted the following questions for the opinion of the Court:-

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

2. What number of compasses had she on board, where were they placed, and were they in good order and sufficient for the safe navigation of the vessel?

3. When and by whom were they last adjusted?

4. Whether they were affected by the cargo carried by the vessel on the 10th November last?

5. Whether the master ascertained the errors of his compasses by observation or otherwise from time to time, and if so were such errors correctly ascertained and proper corrections to the courses applied?

6. Whether proper measures were taken to ascertain and verify the position of the vessel from time to time on the evening of the 10th November?

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

8. Whether the ledge or shoal upon which the vessel struck is properly marked upon the chart with which the vessel was navigated and upon the Admiralty charts produced by the Board of Trade?

9. Whether the master was justified in approaching so near to land without a pilot and in the dark?

10. Whether a good, proper, and sufficient look-out was kept?

11. Whether the lead was used with sufficient frequency?

12. Whether the vessel was navigated with proper and seamanlike care?

13. Whether the master and chief officer are, or either of them is, in default?

The Board of Trade is of opinion that the certificate of the master should be dealt with.

Mr. Laverack then addressed the Court on behalf of the chief officer, and Mr. Jackson having followed for the master, Mr. Saxelbye replied on the part of the Board of Trade, and the judgment of the Court was then given in the replies to the various questions as follows:-

1. The stranding of the vessel was attributable to the master having been misled by the soundings obtained from time to time and almost immediately up to the casualty. The fact that the shoal soundings expected by the master were never obtained, no doubt was due to the vessel having been steered a little to the westward of the line the master assumed he was proceeding on.

2. There were three compasses on board, viz., the pole, above the upper bridge, by which all courses were set, the steering compass in the wheel-house below, and another steering compass aft. According to the evidence they were all in good order and sufficient for the safe navigation of the vessel.

3. They were last adjusted in April 1887 by Messrs. Castle and Pagan, of Hull.

4. There is no reason to believe that they were in any way affected by the cargo of the vessel on the 10th of November last.

5. The Court has been told by the master that upon this particular voyage, and the preceding one, he had no opportunity of ascertaining the errors of his compasses by observations, but it was stated by him that he had from time to time by transit bearings checked the deviation of the compass on the course he was running, and there seems no reason to doubt but that he correctly ascertained the errors and applied proper corrections therefor.

6. Proper measures were taken from time to time to ascertain and verify the position of the vessel on the evening of the 10th of November last.

7. Up to the time of the vessel taking a departure from Storjungfrun Island the courses set and steered were safe and proper, but in the opinion of the Court from this point the master ought to have steered a little more northerly than he did, in order to get the shoal water he was seeking. Allowance for tide and currents was not called for, seeing that the wind was light and the Gulf of Bothnia a tideless sea.

8. The Court is satisfied that the ledge or shoal upon which the vessel struck is properly marked on the chart with which the vessel was navigated, and also on the Admiralty chart produced.

9. It was imprudent on the part of the master to proceed to seek at night an anchorage in soundings so close to the shore without the aid of a pilot.

10. A good and sufficient look-out was kept.

11. The lead was certainly used with sufficient frequency.

12. As has already been observed, the master, in the opinion of the Court, acted somewhat imprudently in endeavouring under the circumstances to seek an anchorage where he did without a pilot, but in all other respects the vessel was navigated with proper and seamanlike care.

13. The Court finds that no blame whatever attaches to the chief officer, but considers that the master committed an error of judgment in attempting to look for, at night time, an anchorage in the position he did without the assistance of a pilot.

 

(Signed)

E. C. TWISS, Judge.

We concur.

 

(Signed)

R. METHVEN,

J. THRELFALL BRAGG,

Assessors.

54010-208. 180.-1/89. Wt. 23. E. & S.