Wreck Report for 'Ceasarea', 1888

(No. 3541.)

"CÆSAREA" (S.S.)

The Merchant Shipping Acts, 1854 to 1876.

IN the matter of a formal Investigation held at Cardiff, on the 24th and 25th days of May 1888, before THOMAS WILLIAM LEWIS, Esquire, a Stipendiary Magistrate for the Borough of Cardiff, assisted by Captain DRAGE and Captain CUNINGHAME, into the circumstances attending the stranding of the British ship "CÆSAREA," near Hartland Point, on the 8th May instant.

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 ship went ashore near Hartland Point in a dense fog, and that the disaster was due to the over-confidence of the master, Mr. John Blampied, and to his neglecting to take proper precautions to ascertain his true position after sighting the land.

The Court finds the master in default, but in dealing with his certificate gives every consideration to his long and good service as a master for forty years, and suspends it for one month only.

Dated this 26th day of May 1888.

 

(Signed)

T. W. LEWIS, Judge.

We concur in the above report.

 

(Signed)

Z. B. DRAGE,

ANDW. CUNINGHAME,

Assessors.

Annex to the Report.

This case was heard at Cardiff on the 24th May 1888, when Mr. Waldron appeared for the Board of Trade, and Mr. Vachell for the master and owners of the ship.

The "Cæsarea" was an iron screw steamship, built at Newcastle-on-Tyne in the year 1873. Her dimensions were: length 210.38, main breadth 30.2, depth 18 feet.

She was of 1009.64 gross and 645.96 registered tonnage. She was fitted with two direct-acting compound surface-condensing engines of 98 horse-power. She was registered at the Port of Cardiff, and her official number was 68,147. Her owners were Messrs. Hacquoil, of Cardiff, and others; Mr. Thomas Peter Hacquoil being the managing owner.

She was provided with four compasses-one standard, one steering on bridge, one in chart-room, and one spare. The maker's name was not given. They were said to have been last adjusted at Cardiff about sixteen months ago by Mr. Williams. The deviation card was lost in the ship. The master stated that he had every confidence in the compasses, and had tested them on several occasions, and had done so on the night of the 7th by observation of the North Star. He states there was one point easterly deviation on a north-easterly course.

The pumps appear to have been sufficient and in good working order.

The ship left Bilbao, bound for Cardiff with a cargo of 1,300 tons of iron ore, on the 5th day of May 1888, with a crew of 16 hands all told. She was under the command of Mr. John Blampied, who has acted as master since 1848, and held a certificate as master, dated June 1852. This is his first mishap during this long period.

The vessel appears to have been in good order and well found. Her draught was 17 ft. 7 in. aft and 17 ft. 1 in. forward while in partly fresh water at Bilbao, and the bar of her load-line disc was level with the water, giving her a freeboard of 2 ft. 1/2 in.

The weather on her departure from Bilbao was fine and calm. On the 6th the weather remained fine, but became foggy at times.

At 1.45 p.m. on the 7th soundings were taken in 35 fathoms, and the Longships were sighted at 3 p.m. After passing the Longships a N.E. course was steered. Cape Cornwall was abeam about 4 p.m., bearing E.S.E. The course was then altered to N.E. 1/2 E. nothing to the eastward. No land was seen after passing Cape Cornwall until she struck. From 5 to 7 p.m. the speed was reduced on account of fog.

At 7 p.m. the course was changed to N.E., and at 8.30 p.m. to N.E. 1/2 E., which was kept until midnight, then it was altered again to N.E. 1/4 E. At that time the master supposed he was about five miles from Hartland Point. He expected to make Hartland Light. The fog was not very thick then, but the light was not seen. They were also in expectation of hearing the fog-horn at Hartland Point, but that was not heard.

About 12.20 a.m. on the 8th the ship ran into a dense fog-bank. The master had just ordered soundings to be taken, and stopped the ship for the purpose. The mate had the lead in his hand ready for use, when the man on the look-out reported land on the starboard bow.

It was noticed simultaneously by the master, who ordered the helm to be put hard-a-starboard, but at the same moment the ship went ashore at a spot subsequently found to be about a mile distant from Hartland Lighthouse.

The engines were stopped and reversed full speed, but without the slightest effect. The vessel filled with great rapidity, the water rising above the top of the cylinders in seven or eight minutes, the water coming in a large volume apparently from a hole underneath the engines. The crew were compelled to take to the boats without delay, and little or nothing of their clothes was saved. They were picked up and landed at Ilfracombe. The ship has since become a total wreck.

About twenty minutes after the boats left the wreck the fog-horn was heard and Hartland Light seen. Up to the time when the vessel was stopped for the purpose of heaving the lead, a few minutes before she struck, she had gone for four hours at full speed, the fog having to a considerable extent cleared.

With regard to the signals the principal keeper was examined upon the point, and stated that the fog-horn was kept constantly sounding from 10 p.m. on the 7th to 8.30 a.m. on the 9th.

The following questions were submitted to 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 ship?

3. When and by whom were they made, and when and by whom were they last adjusted?

4. 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?

5. Whether proper measures were taken to ascertain and verify the position of the vessel when the Longships were sighted in the afternoon of the 7th May, and from time to time thereafter?

6. Whether safe and proper courses were thereafter steered, and whether due and proper allowance was made for tide and currents?

7. Whether, having regard to the state of the weather, the vessel was navigated at too great a rate of speed?

8. Whether the lead was used with sufficient frequency?

9. Whether at and after midnight of the 7th-8th May the fog-horn on Hartland Point was sounding, and if so, how was it that it was not heard on board the "Cæsarea"?

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

11. Whether the master and officers are, or either of them is, in default?

And the Court was asked to deal with the master's certificate.

The following answers were given to the foregoing questions.

1. The over-confidence of the master, and his neglect to take proper precautions to ascertain his true position after sighting the land.

2 and 3. She had four compasses, viz., a standard, a steering compass on the bridge, a tell-tale in the chartroom, and a spare one below. They were in good order and sufficient for the safe navigation of the ship. The maker's name was not given. They were last adjusted at Cardiff about sixteen months ago by Mr. Williams.

4. The master stated that he ascertained the deviation of his compasses from time to time, but no reliance can be placed upon the observation which the second mate stated that he made on the evening of the 7th.

5. No proper measures were taken to ascertain and verify the position of the vessel. Single bearings were taken on passing the Longships, the Brisons, and Cape Cornwall, and estimates were made by the eye of the distances of each.

6. In the assumed position of the ship after the departure taken from Cape Cornwall the courses steered by the master were safe and proper. Proper allowance appears to have been made for tide and currents.

7. The vessel was navigated at too great a rate of speed, especially at and after midnight.

8. The lead was not used with sufficient frequency, for, in the absence of other means of ascertaining his position, it could not have failed to have warned him that he was nearer the land than he supposed.

9. The fog-horn was, according to the evidence of the principal keeper, sounding at and after midnight of the 7th-8th of May, and the reasons why it was not heard on board the steamer may have been that the conditions of wind and atmosphere were unfavourable to the transmission of sound in the direction of the steamer.

10. The Court is of opinion that the ship was not navigated with proper and seamanlike care.

11. The master is alone in default.

 

(Signed)

T. W. LEWIS, Judge.

 

 

 

Z. B. DRAGE,

ANDW. CUNINGHAME,

Assessors.

54010-33. 180.-6/88. Wt. 23. E. & S.