Wreck Report for 'Christina', 1888

(No. 26.)

"CHRISTINA."

The Merchant Shipping Act, 1854.

IN the matter of an Investigation held before W. H. NEATE, Esq., and Captain WM. PARFITT, Inspectors 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 sailing ship "CHRISTINA," O.N. 59,358.

Report.

SIR,

 

Board of Trade Surveyor's Office, Cardiff,

7th January 1889.

In obedience to the instructions of the Board of Trade, dated 19th December 1888, we have inquired into the nature and causes of the accident or damage sustained or caused to the "Christina," official number 59,358, whilst on a voyage from Swansea to Cape Town, and we now have to report as follows:-

The "Christina" was a British sailing ship, built of wood at St. Andrews, N.B., in the year 1875. Her length was 140 ft., her breadth 32 ft., and her depth 18.35 ft. She was rigged as a barque, and she was registered at the Port of St. Andrews, N.B., her official number being 59,358, and her tonnage, after deducting 12.92 tons for crew spaces, was 563.94 registered.

She was owned by Mr. John Watson, of St. Andrews, N.B., and from an affidavit made by that gentleman it appears that Mr. Forster, part owner of the vessel, by whom the ship's accounts were kept, always transacted the business of the vessel, and that gentleman also made an affidavit stating that the vessel was built in 1875 at a cost of about 5,000l., and that she was subsequently rebuilt, an extra deck was added, and she was converted into a barque at a cost of about 2,000l. She was again repaired at Swansea as hereinafter described, and Mr. Forster considers that when she left that port she was worth 10,000$. The insurance effected upon the vessel and freight was for about 6,000$., 1,600$ owner's risk.

Mr. Foster refers to a Captain Morrisey, who represented at Swansea the agents of the vessel at Liverpool, but it appears that Captain Morrisey is now in Canada.

On the 31st March last the vessel left Cardiff with a cargo of coal, bound for Cape Town. She experienced some heavy weather, sprung a leak, and returned to Swansea, where she arrived on the 6th April. The whole of the cargo was discharged and sold to a Mr. W. B. Westlake, a contractor of Swansea, who shipped it as bunker coal on board other vessels, and he stated that no part of it was at any time re-shipped on board the "Christina."

After discharging her cargo, the vessel went into dock for repairs. Her metal was stripped off. Her bottom was examined, and found to be in good condition. Some defective bolts were taken out and replaced by new ones, and the vessel was recaulked, but the metal was not replaced. Mr. Gwyn, a foreman shipwright, who superintended the repairs, stated that the vessel was perfectly tight, and did not make an inch of water during the following two or three days. The hold was clean swept and perfectly dry before any cargo was shipped. Her ceiling was about 16 inches from the bottom; the pump-well was amidships abaft the main hatch, in the deepest part of the ship, and she had two pumps abaft the main hatch, worked by cranks.

When the vessel was in dock, Mr. Delacour, foreman rigger, fitted her with new fore and main masts, new fore topmast, new spanker boom, and new standing and running rigging throughout. He also supplied a new lifeboat, which was carried on skids abaft the foremast on the starboard side. She carried a pinnace, about 20 feet long, on skids on the port side, and a jolly boat, about 15 feet long, on the main hatchway.

The vessel had two decks, the upper one being of light construction, and was added to the vessel after she was built, and above this deck the whole of the crew were berthed, viz., the master and mate in a house abaft the mizen mast, the 2nd mate in a small house abaft the mainmast, and abaft the foremast was a house, on the port side of which the crew were berthed, the galley and cooks' berths being on the starboard side. There was a small stove in the master's cabin, standing about 6 inches from the woodwork, and protected from it by a sheet of iron. There was no stove in the 2nd mate's berth, and the galley stove on the starboard side of the crew house was about 7 or 8 inches from the woodwork and protected from it by iron sheathing.

Access to the hold was obtained through the hatchways, and also through a hatch in the master's cabin, the latter giving access to the lazarette aft. which was not in any way separated from the 'tween decks.

Mr. Dixon, Board of Trade surveyor at Swansea, saw the vessel after the repairs were effected, and he was satisfied as to her seaworthiness. He corroborated the evidence of Mr. Delacour as to the boats, and he stated that the vessel was fitted with cowl-head ventilators 10 inches in diameter, one aft and one forward.

Mr. James J. Ellery, clerk to Messrs. Angel & Co., who acted as agents for the vessel in Swansea, stated that the cost of the repairs was 417l., in addition to 273l. paid for ships' expenses at Swansea.

Mr. T. J. Hooper, foreman trimmer, and Mr. C.. Hooper, foreman contractor, stated that after the vessel was repaired she shipped an entirely fresh cargo of ocean steam coal. The cargo was large and in good condition, and the lower hold was nearly filled, a space of 15 to 20 tons being left between the main and after hatchways. The lower hold was full of coal right aft. A great deal of space was left in the 'tween decks fore and aft, but the vessel was nearly full amidships.

Mr. Thomas H. Evans, assistant manager to the Ocean Coal Co., stated that 778 tons of coal from the Ocean Colliery were supplied for shipment on board the "Christina" at Swansea. The coal was wrought in the upper 4-ft. and 9-ft. seams, and it was despatched from the colliery on the 3rd and 4th May, and was shipped on the 4th and 5th May, in fine weather.

Mr. Evans stated that the coal is not liable to spontaneous combustion, it only contains 0.54% of sulphur, and brasses are most carefully eliminated before it is sent from the pit.

Mr. T. J. Robson, Government Inspector of Mines, stated that the coal wrought in the upper 4-ft. and 9-ft. seams of the Ocean Coal Company's collieries is practically free from impurities. Where pyrites occur, they are picked out by the colliers and thrown into the gob as they are required to send up clean coal, and they are fined for sending up brasses, stones, or other impurities. The coal is carefully examined in its passage over the screens into the wagon on the surface, and all visible impurities are picked out, so that the coal as shipped is comparatively pure. This coal freely gives out explosive gas, which may not have been all thrown off 11 days after loading. That it may have small quantities of pyrites left after loaded, but it is remarkably free from sulphur, and that he would be much surprised to hear that spontaneous combustion had occurred in it.

Mr. Delacour states that when the vessel arrived at Swansea her stores of beef and pork were stowed on the top of the coals aft, a barrel of tar, a barrel of pitch, a barrel of paraffin, and some tins of paint and oil with some wooden fender planks were stowed on the coals forward; but before she sailed, these stores were all brought aft, in order to bring the ship in trim-the pitch, tar, and paraffin, together with a bale of oakum, some baskets, &c., being left on the top of the coals in front of the lazarette between decks.

A deposition taken at Dundee was put in from McMackinlay, master of the "Arara," and from this it appears that on the 17th May last, in lat. 45° N., long. 8.45 W., about 3.20 p.m., a vessel was seen on fire. The "Arara" bore down and found that the vessel was the "Christina," under two lower topsails, with all masts standing, and she was on fire from the mizenmast to the taffrail. The fire appeared to have originated in the cabin or below it, but it did not appear to have been long in progress. No boats were to be seen. The bulwarks on the port side between the main rigging had been cut away level with the deck, evidently with the object of launching a boat.

The main hatch was still in position, but the after hatch was not observed and there did not appear to have been any explosion.

On the 16th and 17th May the weather was clear, with moderate westerly winds and sea, and the master of the "Arara" was unable to form any opinion as to the crew not having been heard of.

From returns published by the Board of Trade, it appears that from 1876 to 1886 fires occurred in the cargoes of two vessels laden with coal from the Ocean Colliery, viz.:-

Date.

Name of

Vessel.

Date of

loading

and

weather.

Date

of

Casualty.

Nature of Casualty.

1881

"Arthur"

19 Aug.

Fine.

21 Aug.

 

1883

"Rockhurst"

-

Wet.

Dec.

Spontaneous combustion.

There was no evidence as to the cause of the fire on board the "Arthur;" but from the report of, and evidence given before the Court of Inquiry held at Port Elizabeth in the case of the "Rockhurst," it would appear that the cargo of that vessel had become spontaneously ignited, and the master threw overboard some 80 tons of coal to enable him to reach the seat of the fire.

Explosions of coal gas occurred on board several vessels laden with this coal during the same period, and the following vessels similarly laden were reported as missing:-

Name of Vessel.

Result of Inquiry.

"Scythia," 1879

Foundered in gale.

"St. Columba," 1883

No evidence.

"Conqueror," 1883

No evidence.

"Alliance," 1884

Foundered.

In neither of these cases did the Court in any way attribute the supposed loss of the vessel either to spontaneous combustion in the coal or to explosion of gas emanating therefrom. In the case of the "Conqueror," the late Wreck Commissioner dealt with the nature and properties of this coal at some length, and the Court found that the coal was not liable to spontaneous combustion, and that it gave off a large quantity of gas in working, but the gas passes off in the course of a few days.

It will be observed that the vessel left Swansea on the 9th May with a crew of 10 hands, and as nothing has since been heard of them it is feared that they have all perished.

The principal elements mentioned by the Royal Commission of 1876 as conducive to spontaneous combustion, are the breakage of coal in its transport from the pit to the ship's hold, the shipment of pyritic coal in a wet condition, and ventilation through the body of the cargo; and from the evidence in this case it would appear that these elements are wanting.

The coal was shipped comparatively free from pyrites, it was carefully handled and shipped large, and there was no ventilation through the body of the cargo.

The evidence of the master of the "Arara" tended to show that the fire was burning between the mizen mast and the taffrail, and it appeared to have originated in the cabin or below it.

In the absence of any of the crew, it would appear to be difficult to arrive at any definite conclusion as to the cause of the fire on board this vessel; but having regard to the evidence given as to the nature and properties of the coal wrought in the Ocean Company's collieries, the position of the lazarette, and the probable necessity for a light being used by some of the crew, provided them for the purpose of obtaining stores, and to the fact that tar, pitch, paraffin, and bales of oakum were stowed upon the coals immediately in front of it-on reviewing the foregoing evidence-

We come to the conclusion that the vessel was in good order and condition on leaving Swansea; that she was amply supplied with boats; that the cargo was properly stowed and the ventilation properly applied; and that the cause of the fire on board may possibly have been an explosion, but more probably an ignition somewhere near the master's cabin, but whether accidental or intentional it is impossible to say. If an explosion, it must have been very slight and local. If an accidental ignition, it appears strange that the crew should have left the vessel in the state she was when fallen in with by the "Arara," as she was not disabled, except that fire was burning aft. The weather was fine, with a fair wind for the port of Ferrol, only 80 miles distant; moreover, the burning ship was the best possible signal that could have been given to attract others to their rescue. Therefore, why desert the ship? As far as can be judged from the bulwarks being cut away, some time must have elapsed before the boats left, during which little or no effort could have been made to extinguish a fire, which when seen after the boats had got out of sight had gained so little hold as to appear to have not been long in progress.

We are, Sir,

Your obedient servants,

W. H. NEATE.

WM. PARFITT.

The Assistant Secretary,

Marine Department,

Board of Trade,

London.

54010-220. 180.-1/89. Wt. 23. E. & S.