Ardrossan - On This Day In History

Published stories from each town's past.
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Re: Ardrossan - On This Day In History

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GLASGOW HERALD
11 NOVEMBER 1899

GLASGOW SHIP ASHORE AT ARDROSSAN

About nine o’clock last night intelligence reached Ardrossan from West Kilbride that a large ship was ashore in a dangerous position a little to the south of Seamill.

A strong gale was blowing from the north-west, and a heavy sea was running.

The rocket apparatus was got out without loss of time, and the men left Ardrossan per brake.

The ship lay about three miles north of Ardrossan, about half a mile from the shore, and her lights were clearly visible from the harbour. She lay on the seaward point of a reef known as the Limpet Craig, one of many rocky ridges that run out into the sea between Ardrossan and West Kilbride.

She proved to be a four-masted vessel, and stood high out of the water.

The highway as it approaches Seamill leaves the shore line, but a way was made through the fields to a point slightly to windward of the stranded vessel.

The rocket apparatus was adjusted, but the men laboured for hours without being able to send a line to the vessel.

About eleven o’clock a small boat, manned by the second mate and four men, put out from the stranded ship, and succeeded in reaching the shore. They were helped to land in a very exhausted state. The small boat had a perilous passage. Her rudder was carried away, and she was otherwise badly damaged. The men received the attention necessary from the members of the Rocket Brigade and the people on shore.

William Murray, Glasgow, the second mate, interviewed, said – The ship is the OBERON, of Glasgow, Captain Gully, master. She left Liverpool for Glasgow on Thursday afternoon with a general cargo, and under tow of the tugboat FLYING COOT. She passed Whiting Bay about two o’clock yesterday afternoon in heavy weather and made the Cumbraes about six o’clock in the evening. Every effort was made by the tugboat to keep the ship well to sea, but she gradually drove on to the southern shore. The tow boat slipped her cable, and the OBERON drifted before the wind.

Finding his ship in rocky shallows, Captain Gully dropped anchor and waited for assistance. The ship lies in a dangerous position, and is quite obviously aground. Besides the five landed from the small boat the OBERON carries some ten men. The captain and the mate have their wives with them, and one child each.

For the most part the crew had shipped at Liverpool for the run to Glasgow.

Unless the storm increases in severity or something unforeseen happens there is reasonable hope of all on board being brought safely to land.

Mr. Kean, farmer at Chapelton, showed great kindness to the men brought ashore, and offered every convenience in his power to the Rocket Brigade.
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Re: Ardrossan - On This Day In History

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GLASGOW HERALD
12 NOVEMBER 1852

MARRIAGE

At 58 Abbotsford Place, Glasgow, on the 9th instant, by the Rev. James McKay, Ardrossan, Patrick MacBeth Halley, Esquire, to Catherine, eldest daughter of George Maclerie, Esquire.
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GLASGOW HERALD
12 NOVEMBER 1892

NEW TUG FOR ARDROSSAN HARBOUR

The powerful and speedy double-engined paddle tug WELSHMAN, of Hull, has just been purchased by the Ardrossan Harbour Company, and placed by them at their works there.

Coming round via the Caledonian Canal, she made the passage from Oban to Ardrossan – 130 or 140 miles – in eleven hours.
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GLASGOW HERALD
13 NOVEMBER 1893

SALTCOATS AND ARDROSSAN ST. JOHN’S R.A. LODGE, No. 320

The annual election of office bearers in connection with this lodge has just taken place.

It resulted as follows:-

Brother John Macdonald, R.W.M.;
Brother George Bowie, J.P.M.;
Brother Edward Aird, D.M.;
Brother George Jamieson, S.M.;
Brother John Bowes, S.W.;
Brother Alexander Murchie, J.W.;
Brother James Bell, S.D.;
Brother D. A. McAllan, J.D.;
Brother D. Mack, Treasurer; and
Brother James Rankine, Secretary.
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Re: Ardrossan - On This Day In History

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GLASGOW HERALD
13 NOVEMBER 1899

THE WRECK OF THE OBERON – GALLANT RESCUE BY LIFEBOAT CREW

The four-masted ship OBERON, 1110 tons and owned by J. Fairlie, Glasgow, lies on the Limpet Craig, a dangerous reef with smaller ridges of rock in its immediate vicinity, about 3½ miles north of Ardrossan.

The OBERON has about 1000 tons of general cargo on board. The tugboat FLYING COOT, which had the OBERON on tow from Liverpool and was unable to keep the vessel headed up the firth in the gale that raged on Friday night, lay in Ardrossan harbour on Saturday in some hope of being of assistance in towing the vessel off in the event of the wind and weather making an attempt practicable. The tug proceeded to Greenock after being compelled to cast off the OBERON, and having reported there, returned to Ardrossan.

Lying in the midst of rocky shallows, and being gradually driven further on to the reef, hope of saving the OBERON in such weather as prevailed all day on Saturday is lessening. Approaching her at any state of the tide is an enterprise attended with considerable danger on account of the rocky nature of the shore. She lies several miles out of the course followed by vessels passing up or down the estuary, and boatmen well acquainted with it reckon the Chapelton shore the most treacherous on the North Ayrshire coast.

The performance of the Ardrossan lifeboat in rescuing the eight men, two women, and two children who remained on board the OBERON after the plucky and successful attempt of the second mate, William Murray, and four seamen to reach the shore in a small boat, has occasioned unbounded satisfaction in the neighbourhood.

The direction of the wind was dead against the lifeboat reaching the wreck.

The storm was marked by periodic gusts of great fury. Yet the lifeboat behaved as well as if the wind had been of no more than ordinary force, while the coolness and alertness of the crew is attested by the prompt use of the axe in preventing the bowman from being carried overboard in the coil of the cable between the lifeboat and the tug. As it was, the bowman, Michael Coogan, had his leg broken. The excellence of the boat and the ability of the men to handle her is furnished by the fact that every soul on board the OBERON was taken off in safety in the teeth of the gale.

The occurrence was not without sensational incidents other than the accident to Coogan.

The ship’s boat, in which the second mate Murray and four seamen, adventured the perilous passage from the OBERON to the shore, had several marvellous escapes from being swamped. When the boat touched the higher ridge from which the rocket apparatus was being worked, one of the inmates, clambering up the rock with the assistance of the brigade men, slipped back into the water. He was disappearing under the boat’s keel when one of the brigade jumped into the water and dragged him from what would in all probability have been his grave.

The captain had his wife sailing with him, and the mate had his. Each of them had a child, both the children being young. One of the youngsters, a little thing some three years old, was being swung over the side of the OBERON into the lifeboat, when a heavy squall struck them, and the child was carried away before the wind right to the bow of the larger vessel. Happily it escaped unhurt.

Coxswain Wyllie, of the lifeboat, in attempting to fend the little one off the side of the OBERON narrowly escaped being thrown into the sea.

The local Lifeboat Committee deserve all credit for the completeness of the arrangements they made for the comfort of the rescued.
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GLASGOW HERALD
14 NOVEMBER 1893

VESSEL SPOKEN

CLONCAIRD, Ardrossan for Monte Video, November 2, 15N, 27W.
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GLASGOW HERALD
14 NOVEMBER 1893

RAILWAY ACCIDENT

Shortly after six o’clock last night a man named WILLIAM LOWRIE, employed as a fireman on board the steamer IMBRO, presently lying in Ardrossan harbour, was found lying in an unconscious state on the crossing between the station and the harbour.

Medical examination revealed the fact that his foot was severely crushed and broken.

He was removed to the Glasgow Infirmary.

Lowrie belongs to Dundee.
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GLASGOW HERALD
14 NOVEMBER 1895

MUNICIPAL MEETING – ARDROSSAN

Provost Young presiding.

A memorial was read, which had been drawn up agreeably to a resolution passed at a public meeting of ratepayers, asking Commissioners to reconsider their scheme for the erection of a monumental fountain at the Cross.

Mr. John Boyd moved that in compliance with the memorial, the resolution to proceed with the erection of the fountain be rescinded. Mr. Harvey seconded.

Mr. Bennett moved an amendment that the work be carried out in the usual course. Mr. Kirkhope seconded.

Subsequently the amendment was withdrawn.

Upon reconsideration it was resolved not to erect the fountain, but to erect a drinking trough for cattle, with a font attached, at a suitable point in Glasgow Street.

Mr. Kirkhope gave notice of motion asking the Commissioners to approach a proprietor in Glasgow Street for permission to form an additional approach to the Cannon Hill.
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GLASGOW HERALD
14 NOVEMBER 1899

THE WRECK OF THE OBERON

Salvage work on the sailing ship OBERON, wrecked about three and a half miles north of Ardrossan, has now begun.

The Glasgow representative of the London Salvage Association was in Ardrossan yesterday, and arranged for the salvage of the vessel.

The OBERON has slipped off the reef and drifted inshore. She now lies but a short distance from the land, although the rocks in the neighbourhood make approach from either the landward or the seaward side very difficult.

The present intention is to proceed to the northward and drop down on the wreck in a small boat.

The OBERON has been built in three compartments, each of them being watertight, and water tanks being amidships. The vessel is making water chiefly in the compartment furthest aft, but details are awanting till the diver has examined the ship’s bottom.
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GLASGOW HERALD
15 NOVEMBER 1892

ARDROSSAN INDEPENDENT CHURCH

The congregation of this church celebrated their jubilee on Sabbath – the Rev. William Adamson, D.D., Edinburgh, preaching at all diets of worship.

In the evening Dr. Adamson addressed a large congregation on the inception of the Evangelical Union, its doctrine and work, and the relation of Ardrossan Independent Church to the Union.

A soiree was held last night.
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GLASGOW HERALD
16 NOVEMBER 1888

MUNICIPAL MEETING – ARDROSSAN

At a meeting of Ardrossan Commissioners offers for the extension of the present gas works were submitted, and it was resolved to accept that of Messrs Laidlaw, Sons & Caine Limited, amounting to £2124.

Further correspondence with the Lanarkshire & Ayrshire Railway Company in regard to the Montgomerie Street encroachment was submitted, and it appeared the Railway Company were not disposed to meet the views of the Commissioners with regard to the widening of the street.

The clerk was instructed to communicate further with the company on the subject.
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GLASGOW HERALD
16 NOVEMBER 1891

SHIPBUILDING

On Saturday the Grangemouth Dockyard Company launched from their shipbuilding yard at Grangemouth a handsomely modelled steam barque of 1200 tons.

The Dockyard Company have a large amount of work on hand at present, principally for Norwegian and German accounts, and their various yards at Grangemouth, Alloa, and Ardrossan are fully employed.
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