Brenda - Wreck Report 1885

Wreck Report October 1885:

‘Before Mr HC Romney, the Wreck Commissioner, with Assessors, Admiral Powell R.N., Captain Ronaldson & Captain Beasley. The official inquiry into the collision between the regular London to Havre packet of the General Steam Navigation Company and an inward-bound steamship from the Persian Gulf, as to-day continued, and the examination of the witnesses was concluded. We append a summary of the evidence on the two latter days' hearing. Mr. Mansel Jones appeared for the Solicitor to the Board of Trade (Mr W Murton); Sir Walter Phillimore & Mr Aspinall for the owners & officers of the Dolphin; Dr. Raikes for the owners and officers of BRENDA; Mr. Stokes for the representatives of Mr. Leech, a passenger who was drowned; & Mr W Thomas for the pilot of BRENDA. Joseph Bush, Iook-out man of the Dolphin, said he went on the forecastle at 1am. The weather was dark but clear. No ships were visible. The first ship's light he saw was a white light, which he reported and was answered. The light was a point on the starboard bow. He was standing amidships. The light appeared to get a little broader on the starboard bow. He did not remember seeing the green light at all; he might have seen it. He saw the red light; he saw that before he saw the vessel. The red light was two points on the starboard bow-broader than the white when first seen. He reported the red light, -when he saw it 200 or 300 yards off. On seeing the red light he ran down from the forecastle head and called out to the people below to come up as there was danger of a collision. After calling the hands he ran aft and got as far as the port alley-way when the collision occurred and knocked him off his feet. The master ordered to port the helm & get the boats out, & witness went to the after port-boat. It is the custom of their steamers to report every light they see. He never reported a green light (of BRENDA). It requires four or five men to get the after boat out. There were some firemen and other men at work too. He did not know whether any one was simultaneously working at the lifeboat in front; it would take six for her-three to the tackle at each end. The boats were not fastened to the chocks-but only lashed to the rail to prevent them from capsizing. Cutting the line would not release a boat, the tackles would hold her. The tackles to the after boat were cut. The second mate was superintending the launching of the after boat. The captain and the chief mate were on the bridge. Peter Scott, second engineer of the Dolphin, said he had no certificate. Be took the engine -watch at midnight-relieving the chief engineer. She was going full speed. About 1.30am he had from the deck the order ‘Stand by below’ He had no other order till after the collision. The order then was "keep her going." Previously to the collision he did not hear the captain shout anything down the sky-light. He kept the engines going full speed as long as he could. The chief officer ordered him into the jolly boat to take charge. 'When told to ‘stand by’ he was all attention to hear the next order, and would have, he thought, heard any order if any had been given. John Phillipps said he was a passenger on the Dolphin. He was in his berth on the starboard side, just at the point whore the Brenda struck the Dolphin. He was thrown out on the floor, and went up on deck. He looked to the stern and saw a large steamer 400 yards off at right angles. He returned to his berth; the side was stove in. His berth was above the water line. A seaman came with a lantern to inspect the damage. Witness called the sailor into his berth where the man examined the breakage and shouted out ‘It’s all right; it's above the water line; we can go on to Dover.’ Witness then dressed, but, before completing, saw the water coming up through the cabin floor. He went up partly dressed and worked with others at a boat; but they could not get it off. He went forward for a life-buoy which he had seen, came aft again to the boat & went down with the ship. The last thing he saw as he sank was the boat with men in it above him still attached to the davits. On his rising, the boat had got clear. He floated away 11 miles on the buoy & a piece of wreckage, and was picked up by a smack beyond Dover. No attention was given to the life-boat but 11 or 15 men with him were working at the after boat. The beat was on the deck; a large heavy boat. Four or five of them put their shoulders to it, and there were two or three men at each tackle. There was nobody in the boat then. He did not see any officer, nor hear any one giving orders. There was no one at work at the lifeboat. The whole attention was directed to the quarter boat; 13 or 14 were there. He saw four or six cork life-buoys on the lower bridge between the funnel and the engine-room grating, where he found his, forward of the tunnel. Ho saw no other life-belts or jackets. William Ralph said he held a license under the Trinity House from Dungeness to Gravesend. He boarded and took charge of BRENDA at 9 30 p.m. of the 17th. They passed the South Foreland at 12.30, 1 ¼ mile off, steering N by ½ NE. The tide was running to westward. After passing the Foreland a mile he shaped a course NE by E. He continued on that course six or seven minutes, going nine knots, full speed. On getting the South Fore land lights in line and the South Sand Head light bearing E by S, he shaped a course for the Downs NE by N 1/2 N. They were then about a mile from the South Sand Head and about two from the South Foreland. It was then about 12.55. He continued at full speed on that course till 1.15. At 1.15 he gave half-speed on the same course, there being a squall of rain, he continued at half-speed for about five minutes. Up to that time he had seen no ship’s lights. When the squall had passed he saw the red light of a vessel nearly ahead, a little on the port bow. He ported half a point, steadied on the original course NE by N ½ N & passed the red light 200 or 300 yards off, red to red. She was a schooner. When about passing the schooner they saw the lights of the steamers, two masthead lights & two red lights. The first was about two points on his port bow, & the second a little less. Witness did not alter his course till the Dolphin showed her green light. The first steamer was about passing him, about a quarter of a mile inside, port to port, when witness altered his course. The second vessel was then nearly three points on his port bow, showing a red and masthead light. While passing the first vessel the second steamer showed her green light, and then witness ported, then hard, aported, but never shut out the green. He gave one blast of the whistle on porting. The Dolphin shut out her red. Witness ordered the engines to be stopped and full speed astern, which order was carried out, and gave three blasts of the whistle. That was all done after she had opened her green and shut out her red. When he gave the order full speed astern witness did not see the approaching vessel, but only her green and mast-head lights. BRENDA had stopped her way down to half speed, going two or two-and-a-half knots, before the collision. The two vessels met at right angles. The going astern sent his vessel's head off to starboard; she was still under a hard-aport helm. The master of the Brenda was on the lower bridge, witness on the upper. The helmsman was just below the upper bridge, between the two bridges, and took his orders from witness. The second mate stood by witness on the upper bridge and worked the telegraph to the engine-room. After the collision the master called all hands to get the boats ready and swung out, told the carpenter to sound the well, & left the bridge to ascertain the damage that was done. The Brenda was stopped by witness's order as soon as the Dolphin had passed her bows. The master returned, said the bows were knocked away, the fore compartment full of water, the ship was making water-17in in the well. Witness consulted with the master, and they resolved to get as near in shore as possible, and proceed back to Dover. The engines had stopped and the vessel was heading SE. The collision occurred Deal pier bearing WNW, nearly two miles off the Gull light NE by N. They remained with the engines stationary 15 or 20 minutes. At the time of the collision the head was E by N. While they remained stationary she was drifting to the southward: The weather was clear, not raining. He saw the shore lights. They did not hear any hailing from the Dolphin, not a word. They did not see any rockets. Ho was not watching her, but often looked round. He knew he had struck her abaft the sponson at right angles. He had been on the pilot station nine years. Not many paddle steamers go through the Downs, they are mostly passenger boats. His own vessel was heavily laden, drawing 18ft 8in aft. He did not think the other vessel was seriously injured from its passing on, not stopping. They had struck a slanting blow, not mathematically quite at right angles. BRENDA’S boats were not lowered. He did not think the other vessel was very seriously damaged. It was not till they nearly got back to Dover that he ascertained they would keep the water under. The captain proposed to beach the vessel. Witness opposed it, wanting to save the ship, but kept near shore. At Dover 200 tons of cargo was discharged out of the fore compartment, a temporary wooden bulkhead was put in before the collision bulkhead and one aft of it. The space between was filled up with cement. They proceeded to London on the 19th. The paddle-boat ought to have reversed her engines as he did. With a screw the maneuver is less affective. Sir Walter Phillimore-Was any order whatever given for the purpose of rendering assistance to the other vessel?-The boats were got ready. That was for both vessels. They looked about for the other vessel with glasses; they could not see her long after she had passed their bow. The Dolphin seemed to port her helm and come down their starboard side-heading for the shore & that was the last they saw of her. To find her, he way would have been to go in towards the shore, but that would not have been wise; they were in a dangerous state themselves. John Burgess stated that he was master of the Lady Beatrix, & was in his vessel near the two steamers at the time of the collision, the crash of which he heard, but did not think it as serious as it proved. He also saw other vessels in the neighborhood. The Dolphin was astern of him at first-but overtook him and passed from his starboard to his port quarter right under his vessels’ stern. After the collision he watched her steam towards the shore, but saw no signals of distress and so continued on his voyage. When near the Foreland it was reported to him that a rocket had gone up. He considered that BRENDA was coming in an awkward position; possibly it was that which induced the Dolphin to starboard. He thought she ought to have kept her course or ported. He heard no whistle before the collision. There was a drizzling shower. The questions for the Court were put in; they mainly referred to the rules for preventing collisions and especially to articles 15, 16, 13, 19 and 22. The opinion of the Board of Trade was formally expressed that the certificates of the two masters and also of the first officer of the Dolphin should be dealt with. The Court was also asked whether blame attached to the pilot of BRENDA. The inquiry was adjourned till tomorrow (Tuesday) when the speeches of counsel are to be continued.

The Dolphin was an iron paddle steam- ship of 625 tons gross register, with engines of 100-horse power, built at Blackwall in 1855. She left London on September 17 at 5 pm, with 23 hands and 16 passengers, bound for Havre. At 1.15am of the 18th she was off the Gull lightship-and was put on a course for the Foreland-making 9 to 10 knots-the night clear. The captain seeing no vessel in the way, and having been nine hours on deck, went into his cabin to change his clothes, leaving the chief officer in charge. A drizzling rain then came on. In 15 minutes the masthead light of a steamer, which afterwards proved to be the BRENDA, was seen a point on the starboard bow. A minute or one and a half minute afterwards the green light was seen; they starboarded half a point. When about 200 yards off the other steamer showed her red light; the orders " starboard" and 'hard a-star- board" were given, the captain came out and ordered the engines full speed ahead but the BRENDA came into collision and turned the Dolphin's head towards shore. Finding she was fast sinking, the master kept the engines full speed ahead towards the shore. In five minutes her stern sank ten minutes later the bow went down, leaving the mast and funnel out of the water. The second mate with a number of hands had gone aft to try and get the quarter- boat on the port side out, the starboard boats having been jammed by the collision. Before the boat was launched the ship sank aft, and the boat floated off with 11 in her. 13 or 14 afterwards got into the jolly-boat, which was forward. There were no oars in this boat, but they paddled with boards which they took from the bottom of the boat. Ultimately they met a shore boat. The captain, chief officer and two others took refuge on the mast and one passenger got on the funnel. They were rescued next morning by the Kingsdown lifeboat. One passenger floated on a life-buoy past Dover and was picked up by a smack. Of the 39 persons who were on board 8 were drowned. BRENDA ‘Sstory was that she being an iron screw of West Hartlepool of 1,670 tons gross register, 150 horse power, built at Hartlepool in 1881, belonged to Mr. Fritz Herskind and others. She left Bussorah on August 13 with 21 hands and a general cargo. At 9 30 pm of September 17 she arrived off Dungeness and took on her pilot, William Ralph. On bringing the North Foreland lights in one, two miles distant, the course was NE by N ½ N at 12.55am of the 18th at 1.15am a thick squall of rain came on; they put her half speed. About five minutes afterwards the squall cleared and full speed was resumed. The red light of a schooner was observed, the helm was ported half a point, and having passed the schooner they resumed their course. The masthead and red lights of two vessels were now seen ahead. When the aftermost was three points on the port bow she was suddenly observed to show her green light. ‘Port,’ ‘hard a, port’ ‘stop,’ and ‘reverse full speed’ were the orders given. It was too late, and the Brenda struck the Dolphin's quarter, wrenching her own stem from port to starboard and filling the fore compartment with water. The soundings were at first three, and then 17 afterwards 21 inches. The captain feared the vessel would founder, and wanted her put on shore; the pilot, however, ran her along the shore with a view of beaching her if the water did gain, and so got to Dover, where she discharged 200 tons of cargo, had the collision bulk, head strengthened, and went on next day to London. The Board of Trade had asked certain questions, which the Court would proceed to answer. The statements from the two ships as to the position in which the lights on each were seen were utterly inconsistent; one or other of the parties, if not both, must have stated that which was untrue. One fact was certain. The Dolphin passed to the westward of the Gull lightship, from 150 yards to a quarter of a mile off. From that point till she sighted BRENDA’S lights she steered SW by S. This course made it almost impossible to suppose that BRENDA could have shown her green light on the starboard bow. For, if so, BRENDA must have been on a course so far towards the shore that it was impossible to conceive she could have taken it. According to BRENDA she was on a course on which she could not have shown her green light to a vessel which had passed to she west of the Gull lightship. But her pilot had assumed it was three miles from the South Sandhead light to the South Foreland: in fact, it was three & a half; and the course given by the witnesses for BRENDA must be corrected accordingly. The learned Commissioner then indicated lines on which the real courses of the two vessels would intersect, and said the Court found as facts that when the Dolphin sighted BRENDA she sighted her green light on her port bow, and BRENDA when she sighted the Dolphin saw her red light upon the starboard bow. The Court were strongly confirmed in this view by the evidence of the master of the Lady Beatrix, who passed the Gull lightship five minutes before the Dolphin did, and saw the green light of BRENDA on his port bow. Assuming BRENDA & Dolphin were approaching in this way, it was the duty of BRENDA, having the Dolphin on her starboard side, to get out of the way of the Dolphin, and it was the duty of the Dolphin to keep her course, and, if necessary, stop and reverse full speed. It was BRENDA’S duty to get out of the way in good time, and as this was a narrow channel, as the assessors told him, the proper course was to pass port side to port side. She ought to have done this in sufficient time to indicate to the Dolphin what her course was. The Dolphin seeing the green light of BRENDA a little on her port bow, and fearing collision, starboarded; and apparently at about the same time BRENDA ported and so they came together. The Dolphin in starboarding to the green light a little on her port bow violated the rules, for it was her duty to keep her course, and if she feared collision to stop and reverse. She did neither. But when the helms of these vessels were altered they were very near together. If so, it was clear that BRENDA, whose duty it was to keep out of the way, had not ported early enough. The Dolphin was to blame for having starboarded and for not having stopped when she saw BRENDA coming across her course; and BRENDA was also to blame for not porting early enough and bringing her red light to bear on the Dolphin. As to the absence of the master of the Dolphin from the deck, he said he had been nine hours on deck, and that ho went into his cabin for 10 or 12 minutes. It was said that he had no right to leave the deck at all. The Court could not but think it unfortunate that he should have chosen that moment to leave the deck, just when they were approaching the Downs, when it was to be expected they would meet a great number of vessels; but the captain, though holding a pilot's certificate, was not required to remain on deck continually without ever going into his cabin for any purposes at all. It was also unfortunate that the mate did not call him when the weather changed for the worse. There was no reason to suppose a good look-out was not kept on board BRENDA. They saw the lights of the Dolphin in sufficient time. As regards the Dolphin, it was true the mate ought to have been on the upper bridge; he was on the lower bridge, where he could not have kept so good a look, out. On the other hand, there was no reason to believe there was not a proper look-out forward. The disaster was not due to want of proper look, out, but to wrong maneuvers on the part of both. Neither vessel was navigated with proper and seamanlike care. Apart altogether from the opinion to which the Court had come, BRENDA had put herself entirely out of court by stating that she did not port till she saw that the other vessel had starboarded, which must necessarily bring the two vessels together. Seeing that she struck the Dolphin at 20ft. to 25ft. of the stern, it was clear that if she had continued her course when she saw that the Dolphin had starboarded and had not then ported she would have gone clear. So also the Dolphin was to blame for not keeping her course or stopping and reversing.  As to the loss of life and efforts to save life, it seemed that the Dolphin, being an old vessel, was not fitted with those appliances for launching boats with which many vessels were now equipped. She had two boats on each side and a jolly-boat, and although the jolly-boat was launched, neither the quarter-boat nor the forward lifeboat was. But they had very little time to launch the boats, and the Court did not think there was any ground check for blame on the ground that no officer was told off to the boat, for the second officer was told off. On board these comparatively sma1l vessels, with changing crews, it might perhaps be difficult, although it would be better to tell off an officer to each boat. In this case all efforts were made to get the boats out and 25 of the crew and passengers were saved by them. With reference to the statute of 1873, which orders ships to stand by after a collision, if they can do so without danger to themselves, and holds those in charge responsible for the collision if they fail to stand by without reasonable cause to the contrary, it was true that BRENDA after the collision, knowing, as she must have, that she had seriously injured the Dolphin, did not lower any boat to go to the Dolphin's assistance. It was said that seven or eight rockets were sent up from the Dolphin, &, although two or three may have failed, several were successful and were seen. None of those rockets were said to have been seen on BRENDA, and none were seen by the master of the Lady Beatrix, although his attention would be directed to the Dolphin. In justification of the conduct of BRENDA, it was said that she saw none of these rockets and was herself in danger. Although at first she had only three inches of water in her, it rose, and could only be kept down by setting the engine son. The Assessors thought the master did perfectly right in setting the main engines on, and that had he not done so the ship would probably have foundered. There was no blame to BRENDA or the Dolphin either for not standing by under the Act of Parliament. The Court saw nothing to blame in the conduct of the master of either vessel. The navigation of BRENDA was in the hands of the pilot. The whole blame for the casualty rested with the mate of the Dolphin in not stopping and reversing when he saw there was danger of collision, and with the pilot of BRENDA in not porting his helm in good time, according to his own story, in not porting till he saw the other had starboarded. Seeing, however, that the first mate had behaved after the casualty in a gallant manner, refusing to go off in the jolly-boat although there was room for him, and that his error might be called an error of judgment, although a very grave one, the Court would not deal with his certificate, over the pilot's certificate the Court, of course, had no jurisdiction. Mr. Thomas, on the part of the pilot, asked the Court to express an opinion whether his certificate ought to be dealt with (by the Trinity House). The Commissioner, however, declined to express an opinion.’

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