Re: Ardrossan - On This Day In History
Posted: Sun Jan 05, 2020 10:17 am
GLASGOW HERALD
5 JANUARY 1895
THE LOSS OF THE LOVEN
A public inquiry, at the instance of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, with the concurrence of the Committee of the Ardrossan Branch, was held yesterday in the Town Hall, Ardrossan, as to the causes which prevented the lifeboat CHARLES SKIRROW, from reaching the wreck of the brig LOVEN, of Christiania, off Horse Island, during the storm on Saturday, 22nd December.
It will be remembered that a volunteer crew secured a rowing boat and succeeded in rescuing the first mate, the second mate, and an able seaman, while the captain and a steward and three men were drowned.
Mr. Cunninghame Graham, deputy chief inspector of lifeboats presided at the inquiry, and was assisted by Mr. Keppel Foote, district inspector of lifeboats, and the district committee.
There was a large attendance of the public.
The chairman in opening the proceedings, said that he had been instructed by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution to hold an inquiry into the action of the Ardrossan lifeboat on the 22nd December, when, as was well known to them all, she was unable to reach the wreck of the LOVEN to rescue the crew. The Lifeboat Institution courted the fullest publicity in all its actions. It was supported by the public, and it was due to them that all its actions should be made known to them, and that there should be no concealment. This remark applied whether the criticism was favourable or unfavourable to the institution. The present case had called forth considerable comment in the public press. It was true the correspondence had been anonymous and the local committee at Ardrossan were the first to see the necessity of having an investigation. For several days past advertisements had been put in the papers requesting those who had interested themselves in the matter by writing to the papers to come forward and assist in the inquiry, but, unfortunately, none of them had done so, and it rested with him and his colleagues to obtain from the best available sources the fullest account possible of what took place on the day of the wreck. It was their purpose to bring out all the facts of what took place by examining witnesses, no matter whether it was to the advantage or disadvantage of the Lifeboat Institution. After the evidence had been taken a report would be issued.
CAPTAIN D. MURPHY, coxswain of the lifeboat was the first witness. He stated that he had followed the occupation of a seaman for forty years, and previous to joining the service of the Lifeboat Institution had had experience of shops’ lifeboats.
On the 22nd of December he was on duty at the pilot-house, and left shortly after nine o’clock for breakfast. The direction of the wind at that time was north-west, and it was blowing a perfect hurricane. It was nearly high tide.
After breakfast he went to the New Dock and heard a rumour that a vessel was ashore on the Horse Island. He then made signals for the lifeboat crew to assemble and when the men arrived he told them to stand by in readiness, as he did not know whether or not there were any people on the vessel.
He was told that Mr. Craig, the harbour manager, and Captain Shields, the harbourmaster, desired to see him. On going to them they were anxiously looking through glasses at the wreck, but they saw no one on board. They thought it very unwise to attempt to put off the lifeboat owing to the severe hurricane.
At half-past eleven witness observed someone clinging to the lower topsailyard of the vessel. He then went out and got five horses to take the lifeboat to the north beach, and, when he came back the coxswain had the lifeboat in readiness. It was then a little past high water. He thought it very unwise to start from the north beach, as it was very dangerous to leave from the beach and go through the sound, which was only 400 or 500 feet in breadth, and where there was only five or six feet of water.
One of the tugs was damaged, and the other could not be got out of the harbour owing to the gates of the dock being closed.
He then consulted Captain Shields, and they came to the conclusion that it was best to launch the lifeboat from the pilot-house.
The arrangements made with Captain Shields were that he should try to pull round the north end of the breakwater, and if that failed, he would try to get the LORD ELGIN, one of the tugs, to his assistance. The hurricane at this time was coming from the north-west. They managed to get to the north end, but owing to the wind and the strong current they were driven back to the steps at the breakwater. It was about low tide then, and they were unable to keep the boat in position owing to the shoal water. He then tried to move under sail, but the distance being short and the place shallow, he could not use the drop keel. Even with the assistance of four oars on the lee side and other means the lifeboat would not stay; they could not keep her up to the wind. He then had to wear, and in doing so she touched the sand. He was driven back to the south-end of the breakwater to wait on the tug.
By this time – half-past three o’clock – the gale had abated, and a ship’s lifeboat, manned by six sailors, proceeded to the wreck, and, he was proud to say, were successful in rescuing the survivors.
BY THE CHAIRMAN – It would have been dangerous to launch the lifeboat from the parapet. It was impossible to lower the boat by the crane, because the fires were put out by the sea, and there were no means of working the crane by hand. The only other method would have been to launch the lifeboat off the carriage, which would have been unsafe. He had never been out in the lifeboat in a gale. The crew were exercised every quarter on certain dates, and they did not confine the exercise to specially rough days.
THE CHAIRMAN – Of course it is the wish of the institution that the boats should be taken out in moderately rough weather, so as to accustom the men to the boats.
Examination of witness continued – In his opinion it was impossible to pull the lifeboat against a gale of wind, and the harbour was too narrow to permit of her being sailed. In the open he did not know what she might do. He looked upon it as a recognised thing that the boat was to be towed out in a heavy gale, but unfortunately on this occasion the tug was not available. The crew consisted of five boatmen, five seamen, four pilots, and himself. All the men had had a great deal of experience.
BY CAPTAIN FOOTE – The reason the lifeboat was not launched earlier was because they could not get steam up in the crane, the fires having been put out. He thought it was dangerous to launch her from the quay wall, because she would be dashed against the wall. She might, however, have been launched with a crane, and it might have been possible to keep her off by a rope from the opposite wall. He would have gone out again, but he waited for the tugboat, and thought it was no good endeavouring to get out without it. He did not know of anyone offering to man the boat. The men on the brig were drowned early in the morning before anything was known on shore about the wreck. It was, therefore, not through any action of the lifeboat that the lives were lost. The crew of the lifeboat did the best tin their power, and they were all competent men. In trying to launch the boat he himself fell into the water from the quay wall – a distance of about 20 feet – but this did not deter him from going out again.
JOSEPH TROUT, chief officer of the Coastguard, stated that he thought the boat could have been launched at Ardneil Bay, about six miles away, where there was a sandy beach and no stones. They would have had to pull the boat across a field from the road to get to the beach. They might also have launched the boat at Seamill, about 4 miles off. He did not know the pace at which the boat could have been drawn along the road, and he was not aware that 2½ miles an hour would have been very good work. He told the coxswain about eleven o’clock that there were men in the rigging of the brig.
BY CAPTAIN FOOTE - The lifeboat might have gone out at least when the small boat went out. If the lifeboat had been double-banked when she first went out she might have been got away. He had never seen a heavier gale. They could have secured plenty of horses to draw the boat.
EX-PROVOST HOGARTH spoke of the violence of the gale, and said it would have been a very difficult matter to drag the lifeboat along.
THOMAS NIBBS, coastguardsman, watched the wreck from nine till eleven o’clock. At the latter hour he saw a man in yellow oilskins in the rigging, but there had been no sign of life on board previously. He had been on wreck service in lifeboats at Dungeness in very severe weather, and was in a boat when two men were drowned. He thought that if the Ardrossan boat had been double-banked when she was put into the water she could have been pulled outside from the north entrance. As a precautionary measure he thought the lifeboat could have been moved along the beach early in the morning.
BY CAPTAIN FOOTE – He did not think the boat could have been taken out under oars before one o’clock, but she might have been launched from the quay wall, which would have meant a drop of 20 feet into the water.
CAPTAIN SHIELDS, harbourmaster, at Ardrossan, deponed that if the tug had not been disabled the lifeboat could have reached the wreck in about twenty minutes.
The HON. G. R. VERNON, chairman of the Ardrossan Harbour Company, said that the tugs of the company were always at the service of the Lifeboat Institution free of charge. Having seen the lifeboat at different times and noticed the great difficulty that was experienced in launching her, he could quite understand that with the gale on the 22nd December it was next to impossible to launch her along the shore. Had the tugboats been available he had no doubt the boat could have been got out, but unfortunately one of the tugs was damaged and could not be of use; and the other was locked in the old dock owing to one of the gates being damaged.
BY THE CHAIRMAN – He could not remember any other occasion on which the lifeboat was unable to go out, because the tug was always ready. He was afraid that, situated as the lifeboat was, it would be most difficult to get her out without the assistance of a tug.
MR. JOHN CRAIG, harbour manager, spoke of the difficulty of launching the lifeboat even in fine weather. She was never better managed than on the day in question. So far as he remembered the small boat which effected the rescue was only about twenty minutes away.
MR. R. L. ALPINE, shipping agent, Ardrossan, urged that the lifeboat should be placed in a position from which it could be launched into deep water at any time. As Norwegian Consul and as representing the owners of the vessel wrecked, he was relieved to learn that no loss of life had occurred owing to the delay in the harbour.
WILLIAM PLLU, who was in charge of the small boat which rescued the men from the wreck, described the steps he took to reach the vessel. When he thought the lifeboat was not going out he asked Captain Shields if that was the case, and received the reply that she was not to be launched. He called for volunteers and after he got them he set about securing a boat. Ultimately he got one from the Ardrossan Shipbuilding Company, and they made a start. After experiencing some rough weather they reached the brig, when the survivors were rescued.
BY THE CHAIRMAN – There was plenty of sea room for the lifeboat, and there was nothing to hinder her going out with sails by the south entrance. The sails were not well set, they were only hove-out.
(A VOICE, “You’re a damned liar!”)
THE CHAIRMAN said that the inquiry was to be conducted orderly, and he hoped there would be no more of these remarks.
EXAMINATION CONTINUED – He thought the crew of the lifeboat did their level best, but it was a failure.
Why did she not get out? – The men know that best themselves. There were dozens of men on the quay, who could have taken the boat as well as I could quite easily; I say that without any fear of contradiction.
Several of the rescuers gave evidence, and a number of seamen and fishermen made suggestions as to how the lifeboat could have been got out.
CAPTAIN SHIELDS was recalled, and stated that he did not tell Pllu that the lifeboat was not going out.
This was all the evidence.
THE CHAIRMAN then read a letter from Mr. Neil Currie, Octavia Terrace, Shawlands, who stated that he was the author of the letter which appeared in the Herald under the signature “N.C.,” and that he did not wish to come forward as a witness because he did not see the lifeboat launched. He suggested, from his knowledge of Ardrossan, that a smaller lifeboat would be more suitable. The chairman said that this letter raised the question whether they should put a smaller boat on the Ardrossan station, and he would be pleased to lay the matter before his committee. They had tried to get at the bottom of the matter for which the inquiry was held to discuss, and he and his colleague, Mr. Foote, would draw up a report, which would be read in the Town Hall on Monday.
The usual votes of thanks brought the proceedings to a close.
5 JANUARY 1895
THE LOSS OF THE LOVEN
A public inquiry, at the instance of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, with the concurrence of the Committee of the Ardrossan Branch, was held yesterday in the Town Hall, Ardrossan, as to the causes which prevented the lifeboat CHARLES SKIRROW, from reaching the wreck of the brig LOVEN, of Christiania, off Horse Island, during the storm on Saturday, 22nd December.
It will be remembered that a volunteer crew secured a rowing boat and succeeded in rescuing the first mate, the second mate, and an able seaman, while the captain and a steward and three men were drowned.
Mr. Cunninghame Graham, deputy chief inspector of lifeboats presided at the inquiry, and was assisted by Mr. Keppel Foote, district inspector of lifeboats, and the district committee.
There was a large attendance of the public.
The chairman in opening the proceedings, said that he had been instructed by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution to hold an inquiry into the action of the Ardrossan lifeboat on the 22nd December, when, as was well known to them all, she was unable to reach the wreck of the LOVEN to rescue the crew. The Lifeboat Institution courted the fullest publicity in all its actions. It was supported by the public, and it was due to them that all its actions should be made known to them, and that there should be no concealment. This remark applied whether the criticism was favourable or unfavourable to the institution. The present case had called forth considerable comment in the public press. It was true the correspondence had been anonymous and the local committee at Ardrossan were the first to see the necessity of having an investigation. For several days past advertisements had been put in the papers requesting those who had interested themselves in the matter by writing to the papers to come forward and assist in the inquiry, but, unfortunately, none of them had done so, and it rested with him and his colleagues to obtain from the best available sources the fullest account possible of what took place on the day of the wreck. It was their purpose to bring out all the facts of what took place by examining witnesses, no matter whether it was to the advantage or disadvantage of the Lifeboat Institution. After the evidence had been taken a report would be issued.
CAPTAIN D. MURPHY, coxswain of the lifeboat was the first witness. He stated that he had followed the occupation of a seaman for forty years, and previous to joining the service of the Lifeboat Institution had had experience of shops’ lifeboats.
On the 22nd of December he was on duty at the pilot-house, and left shortly after nine o’clock for breakfast. The direction of the wind at that time was north-west, and it was blowing a perfect hurricane. It was nearly high tide.
After breakfast he went to the New Dock and heard a rumour that a vessel was ashore on the Horse Island. He then made signals for the lifeboat crew to assemble and when the men arrived he told them to stand by in readiness, as he did not know whether or not there were any people on the vessel.
He was told that Mr. Craig, the harbour manager, and Captain Shields, the harbourmaster, desired to see him. On going to them they were anxiously looking through glasses at the wreck, but they saw no one on board. They thought it very unwise to attempt to put off the lifeboat owing to the severe hurricane.
At half-past eleven witness observed someone clinging to the lower topsailyard of the vessel. He then went out and got five horses to take the lifeboat to the north beach, and, when he came back the coxswain had the lifeboat in readiness. It was then a little past high water. He thought it very unwise to start from the north beach, as it was very dangerous to leave from the beach and go through the sound, which was only 400 or 500 feet in breadth, and where there was only five or six feet of water.
One of the tugs was damaged, and the other could not be got out of the harbour owing to the gates of the dock being closed.
He then consulted Captain Shields, and they came to the conclusion that it was best to launch the lifeboat from the pilot-house.
The arrangements made with Captain Shields were that he should try to pull round the north end of the breakwater, and if that failed, he would try to get the LORD ELGIN, one of the tugs, to his assistance. The hurricane at this time was coming from the north-west. They managed to get to the north end, but owing to the wind and the strong current they were driven back to the steps at the breakwater. It was about low tide then, and they were unable to keep the boat in position owing to the shoal water. He then tried to move under sail, but the distance being short and the place shallow, he could not use the drop keel. Even with the assistance of four oars on the lee side and other means the lifeboat would not stay; they could not keep her up to the wind. He then had to wear, and in doing so she touched the sand. He was driven back to the south-end of the breakwater to wait on the tug.
By this time – half-past three o’clock – the gale had abated, and a ship’s lifeboat, manned by six sailors, proceeded to the wreck, and, he was proud to say, were successful in rescuing the survivors.
BY THE CHAIRMAN – It would have been dangerous to launch the lifeboat from the parapet. It was impossible to lower the boat by the crane, because the fires were put out by the sea, and there were no means of working the crane by hand. The only other method would have been to launch the lifeboat off the carriage, which would have been unsafe. He had never been out in the lifeboat in a gale. The crew were exercised every quarter on certain dates, and they did not confine the exercise to specially rough days.
THE CHAIRMAN – Of course it is the wish of the institution that the boats should be taken out in moderately rough weather, so as to accustom the men to the boats.
Examination of witness continued – In his opinion it was impossible to pull the lifeboat against a gale of wind, and the harbour was too narrow to permit of her being sailed. In the open he did not know what she might do. He looked upon it as a recognised thing that the boat was to be towed out in a heavy gale, but unfortunately on this occasion the tug was not available. The crew consisted of five boatmen, five seamen, four pilots, and himself. All the men had had a great deal of experience.
BY CAPTAIN FOOTE – The reason the lifeboat was not launched earlier was because they could not get steam up in the crane, the fires having been put out. He thought it was dangerous to launch her from the quay wall, because she would be dashed against the wall. She might, however, have been launched with a crane, and it might have been possible to keep her off by a rope from the opposite wall. He would have gone out again, but he waited for the tugboat, and thought it was no good endeavouring to get out without it. He did not know of anyone offering to man the boat. The men on the brig were drowned early in the morning before anything was known on shore about the wreck. It was, therefore, not through any action of the lifeboat that the lives were lost. The crew of the lifeboat did the best tin their power, and they were all competent men. In trying to launch the boat he himself fell into the water from the quay wall – a distance of about 20 feet – but this did not deter him from going out again.
JOSEPH TROUT, chief officer of the Coastguard, stated that he thought the boat could have been launched at Ardneil Bay, about six miles away, where there was a sandy beach and no stones. They would have had to pull the boat across a field from the road to get to the beach. They might also have launched the boat at Seamill, about 4 miles off. He did not know the pace at which the boat could have been drawn along the road, and he was not aware that 2½ miles an hour would have been very good work. He told the coxswain about eleven o’clock that there were men in the rigging of the brig.
BY CAPTAIN FOOTE - The lifeboat might have gone out at least when the small boat went out. If the lifeboat had been double-banked when she first went out she might have been got away. He had never seen a heavier gale. They could have secured plenty of horses to draw the boat.
EX-PROVOST HOGARTH spoke of the violence of the gale, and said it would have been a very difficult matter to drag the lifeboat along.
THOMAS NIBBS, coastguardsman, watched the wreck from nine till eleven o’clock. At the latter hour he saw a man in yellow oilskins in the rigging, but there had been no sign of life on board previously. He had been on wreck service in lifeboats at Dungeness in very severe weather, and was in a boat when two men were drowned. He thought that if the Ardrossan boat had been double-banked when she was put into the water she could have been pulled outside from the north entrance. As a precautionary measure he thought the lifeboat could have been moved along the beach early in the morning.
BY CAPTAIN FOOTE – He did not think the boat could have been taken out under oars before one o’clock, but she might have been launched from the quay wall, which would have meant a drop of 20 feet into the water.
CAPTAIN SHIELDS, harbourmaster, at Ardrossan, deponed that if the tug had not been disabled the lifeboat could have reached the wreck in about twenty minutes.
The HON. G. R. VERNON, chairman of the Ardrossan Harbour Company, said that the tugs of the company were always at the service of the Lifeboat Institution free of charge. Having seen the lifeboat at different times and noticed the great difficulty that was experienced in launching her, he could quite understand that with the gale on the 22nd December it was next to impossible to launch her along the shore. Had the tugboats been available he had no doubt the boat could have been got out, but unfortunately one of the tugs was damaged and could not be of use; and the other was locked in the old dock owing to one of the gates being damaged.
BY THE CHAIRMAN – He could not remember any other occasion on which the lifeboat was unable to go out, because the tug was always ready. He was afraid that, situated as the lifeboat was, it would be most difficult to get her out without the assistance of a tug.
MR. JOHN CRAIG, harbour manager, spoke of the difficulty of launching the lifeboat even in fine weather. She was never better managed than on the day in question. So far as he remembered the small boat which effected the rescue was only about twenty minutes away.
MR. R. L. ALPINE, shipping agent, Ardrossan, urged that the lifeboat should be placed in a position from which it could be launched into deep water at any time. As Norwegian Consul and as representing the owners of the vessel wrecked, he was relieved to learn that no loss of life had occurred owing to the delay in the harbour.
WILLIAM PLLU, who was in charge of the small boat which rescued the men from the wreck, described the steps he took to reach the vessel. When he thought the lifeboat was not going out he asked Captain Shields if that was the case, and received the reply that she was not to be launched. He called for volunteers and after he got them he set about securing a boat. Ultimately he got one from the Ardrossan Shipbuilding Company, and they made a start. After experiencing some rough weather they reached the brig, when the survivors were rescued.
BY THE CHAIRMAN – There was plenty of sea room for the lifeboat, and there was nothing to hinder her going out with sails by the south entrance. The sails were not well set, they were only hove-out.
(A VOICE, “You’re a damned liar!”)
THE CHAIRMAN said that the inquiry was to be conducted orderly, and he hoped there would be no more of these remarks.
EXAMINATION CONTINUED – He thought the crew of the lifeboat did their level best, but it was a failure.
Why did she not get out? – The men know that best themselves. There were dozens of men on the quay, who could have taken the boat as well as I could quite easily; I say that without any fear of contradiction.
Several of the rescuers gave evidence, and a number of seamen and fishermen made suggestions as to how the lifeboat could have been got out.
CAPTAIN SHIELDS was recalled, and stated that he did not tell Pllu that the lifeboat was not going out.
This was all the evidence.
THE CHAIRMAN then read a letter from Mr. Neil Currie, Octavia Terrace, Shawlands, who stated that he was the author of the letter which appeared in the Herald under the signature “N.C.,” and that he did not wish to come forward as a witness because he did not see the lifeboat launched. He suggested, from his knowledge of Ardrossan, that a smaller lifeboat would be more suitable. The chairman said that this letter raised the question whether they should put a smaller boat on the Ardrossan station, and he would be pleased to lay the matter before his committee. They had tried to get at the bottom of the matter for which the inquiry was held to discuss, and he and his colleague, Mr. Foote, would draw up a report, which would be read in the Town Hall on Monday.
The usual votes of thanks brought the proceedings to a close.