Ardeer factory:transport by sea of explosives etc

[Myrfin]

Ardeer factory:transport by sea of explosives etc.
I am interested in the transport by sea of the products from The Nobel factory in the years 1875-1926. The factory sent ‘wet guncotton’ to Essex for use by The British Explosives Syndicate (BES; A company formed by George McRoberts and other Glasgow Businessmen). This guncotton was dried in ovens by BES and made into Nitro-glycerine based explosives. I am interested in anything that can throw light on the shipping of goods from the Ardeer factory. Did the material go direct to the River Thames or via other staging ports (I think that this is unlikely in England since there was a major mistrust of nitro-glycerine explosives made other than in England and the fact that the British War Office were trying get a monopoly of explosives manufacture ). I would be grateful if anyone can help, regards Myrfin

[knxyl]

I don't know if this is any help. My uncle was an engineer on the "Lady Gertrude Cochrane" one of the five or so ICI boats. I know he had travelled to Hamburg but I was too young to pay much attention to his trips.
He drowned at Milford Haven in 1950 or 51. The ship had put in there and he had gone ashore but the harbour was badly lit and it is believed he tripped. After his accident lights were installed. He was due to retire and had never learned to swim. Margaret

[Myrfin]

Hi Margaret, thank you for posting this,It is small details when put together with others that make and contribute to recorded history. It would be useful to mention his name and place him in the record book. If you want to see a picture of The Lady Gertrude Cochrane, there is a photo of her in 1952 in Archive, The Quarterly Journal for British Industrial and Transport History (Lightmoor press) , regards Myrfin.

[morag]

I don't know if this is any help. My uncle was an engineer on the "Lady Gertrude Cochrane" one of the five or so ICI boats. I know he had travelled to Hamburg but I was too young to pay much attention to his trips.
He drowned at Milford Haven in 1950 or 51. The ship had put in there and he had gone ashore but the harbour was badly lit and it is believed he tripped. After his accident lights were installed. He was due to retire and had never learned to swim. Margaret

Hi Margaret, my dad worked on the " Ladies McGowan, Anstruther and Dorothy" , frequently put in at Milford Haven and Waterford among other ports up and down the coast. Sorry for your loss, safety for the men wasn't the factor it is now. I'm not sure of when dad started work therem wonder if they knew each other?

[knxyl]

Morag,
My uncle was Edward Murray. When I read your letter I remembered he used to mention going to Loch Striven. What was your Dad's name? Margaret

[morag]

Hi Margaret, my dad was Arthur Rogers, he may have been on the boats later than your uncle. I know he was there in the mid fifties but not when he started.
Morag

[Jim McCreadie]

I am unable to vouch for the accuracy of the following data which was sourced at http://www.steamindex.com/archive/arch2.htm

The Explosive Boats of Irvine Harbour. Alastair Weir. 2-16.
Alfred Nobel with John Downie established his eponymous explosives factory on the Ardeer Peninsular in Ayrshire. The Chief Chemist was Alarik Liedbech. It was formed as the British Dynamite Company in 1871 and on 13 January 1873 the first nitroglycerine was manufactured. It later became the Nobel Explosives Co. Transporting the output was a major problem as the railways were not willing to handle it and Ardrossan Harbour would not permit loading whilst the Arran ferries were berthed. Thus much of the output was loaded from the beach into rowing boats (and this procedure is illustrated). Whilst these were experienced a floating magazine was maintained in Lamlash Bay. In 1926 the factory became a part of Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI). The early fleet is described. A separate port was established at Garnock Wharf in 1905 and this served the factory until production ended in the 1980s. See letter from Author (Issue 23 page 48) apologising for "death attributed to P.N. Thomas. Illus.: ships Alfred Nobel with Marmion and Lizzie c1900; Lady Gertrude Cochrane at Garnock Wharf in 1906/7; map 1908; pages 6-7: Garnock Wharf with Lady Dorothy (6 lower shows "electric crane" see letter from John Porter Issue 21 page 36 which argues that was a steam crane; page 7 shows NBR gunpowder van; Lady Tennant at Oban post-1913; Lady Anstruther; Lady Dorothy arriving Bristol in 1930; Lady Anstruther entering Irvine Harbour with tug George Brown; page 10 lower Lady Dorothy at Irvine at end of WW2 with Automatic Tidal Marker in background (see 7 page 29) See letter in Issue 22 page 55 from Victor C. Darnell which corrects caption: Carley floats not Carey; Lady Anstruther with machine guns (old lifeboat station at Irvine in background); Lady Dorothy on Weaver Navigation at Northwich during WW2 ; 12 upper: Lady Gertrude Cochrane transshipping explosives to Greek vessel (see letter by Roy Fenton (Issue 21 p. 36: Kypros was British-owned by Moss Hutchinson: picture taken by George Osborn on 26 June 1952); 12 middle Lady Anstruther with Garonne in Loch Ridden on 7 June 1953 see letter by John Porter (21-36) Loch Riddon and Garrone may have been laid up, Lady McGowan; Lady Dorothy and paddle tug George Brown leave Irvine Harbour for last time towed by Garnock in January 1957 (to Troon for breaking up); motor vessel Lady Anstruther off Irvine on 18 August 1962; Lady Roslin (built Ardrossan Dockyard) at Irvine on 15 April 1963; Lady McGowan negotiating Garnock hole in early 1970s; Lady Roslin aground on Ardeer bank; Lady Helen at Ardeer Wharf with nylon plant in background.

Jim McCreadie
Fremantle
Western Australia

[Penny Tray]

I was having another look at ARDROSSAN photographs on the Aberdeen University Photographic Archive and noted that the photographer had captured very early images of the MARMION and ALFRED NOBEL berthed in the harbour. These vessels were previously mentioned by Jim McCreadie.

There presence maybe suggests that there was a movement of explosives via Ardrossan Harbour?

I sent a PM to Myrfin who retains a interest in this subject.

This is the Aberdeen Univesity site I'm referring to. Put ARDROSSAN in the search facility. There is an excellent zoom facility.

http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R

[morag]

My dad worked for ICI..usually he'd be away 2weeks..coastal runs. Once though he was away about 6 months-transporting explosive material to India...what lies on the bottom of the ocean and shivers? Me..a nervous wreck.You really don't need this kind of grief as a young girl.

[Penny Tray]

Morag,

How about the following rose tinted spectacle account of the 'factory' which appeared in an 1883 newspaper? I think it must have been written by Alfred Nobel's PR people as opposed to a journalist. It's not exactly how things evolved and having family who worked there must indeed have been very stressful, especially when that sickening booooooom resounded through the Threetowns and beyond.

“On the coast of Ayrshire, a few miles south of Ardrossan, are located the works of the British Dynamite Company. Though not in any way offensive, as regards odours, nor inimical to health or injurious to either animal or vegetable life, yet they are located one mile from the nearest village, no doubt with a view of reducing the loss of life in the event of an explosion, though so perfect are the police regulations of the place itself that the danger is almost nil.

Some 250 men and women are employed in the works, and when they enter the gates in the morning they become prisoners for the day; but their healthy contented faces are cheery voices give ample evidence that they like the work and do not fret at their voluntary confinement. The day’s work is commenced by all hands changing their ordinary clothing for a uniform differing for each gang, and each distinctive of the special work to be performed by this particular gang. This uniform plays an important part in the safety precautions of the establishment. Realising that accidents occur in dangerous occupations on account of someone undertaking to do something which he is not thoroughly familiar, the management have adopted these distinctive uniforms (in one instance bright red), so that the police can tell at a glance whether any one is out of his or her province.

Four men from the county police force, paid by the company, are constantly patrolling the premises (which cover an area of a square mile), and they can neither speak nor be spoken to. The superintendent is a man intimately acquainted with all the theoretical and practical aspects of the question of manufacture besides which, at irregular and uncertain intervals, a Government official visits the place to see that the acts of Parliament to the manufacture of dynamite are faithfully carried out.

The process followed in the manufacture is based on the discovery of Mr. Nobel, that by the use of an inert substance the power of the explosive is not lessened, while the risk attending its application is reduced. The substance used is a porous, siliceous earth, resembling flour, into which nitro-glycerine is poured and by it absorbed, when the compound is passed through various processes, each with a view of lessening the danger of handling. It is then made into cartridges of various lengths and power. The cartridge material, divested of the agency of a detonator, may be handled and subjected to percussion without explosion. There are limits as to the quantity which may be sent out at any one time; and there are rules laid down for the arrangement no less than for the size of the cases holding the material.

That it is a profitable undertaking in which the company are engaged is apparent from the high premium on the original shares; and that their product has become a “resource of civilisation” is shown by the demand for it from every part of the globe where man, warring with nature, is uprooting the stumps of trees that hinder the progress of their plough, levelling the rock that comes between him and a straight path, unloosening from its firm foundation the stone that is to build his house, breaking the seam of the coal that is to cook his dinner, or making deep and navigable the stream that gives him communication with his neighbour.”

[John Donnelly]

Does any-one remember the closed green trucks that used to be seen coming from Ardeer?

I was always led to believe that they were transporting explosives, probably taking supplies to local mines and quarries.

At the time, as a child / youth, I never gave it a thought, but now ........

JD.

[morag]

Living at the 'tap' end was not familiar with the trucks ..just the regular explosions which rattled and broke, sometimes windows. Most of my relatives worked there, 2 uncles were injured in explosions, I think the damage done was referred to the yellow powder, one never recovered his health. I've mentioned before our stockings 'melting ' at St.Micks in Irvine.