.jpg) Cromartyshire under tow in theAvon Gorge | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Cromartyshire |
| Namesake | Cromartyshire |
| Owner |
|
| Port of registry | Glasgow |
| Builder | Russell & Co,Port Glasgow |
| Yard number | 19 |
| Launched | 6 August 1879 |
| Completed | August 1879 |
| Identification |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Type | cargo ship |
| Tonnage | 1,554 GRT, 1,462 NRT |
| Length | 248.8 ft (75.8 m) |
| Beam | 38.1 ft (11.6 m) |
| Depth | 22.8 ft (6.9 m) |
| Decks | 1 |
| Sail plan | 3 masts,full rig |
| Notes | iron hull |
Cromartyshire was an iron-hulledsailingcargo ship that was launched inScotland in 1879. She was named after the county ofCromartyshire in theScottish Highlands.
In 1898 she survived a collision with theFrenchtransatlanticlinerLa Bourgogne, which sank with great loss of life.Cromartyshire also survived a fire offCape Colony in 1901. She was wrecked on the coast ofChile in 1906.
The shipbuilderRussell & Company was founded in 1874 inPort Glasgow on theFirth of Clyde. Its early customers included the Law family ofGlasgow, who owned a fleet of sailing ships that they named aftershires of Scotland. Between 1879 and 1884 Russell & Co built four iron-hulled, three-masted ships for the Law family.
The first was yard number 19, launched on 6 August 1879 asCromartyshire.[1] She was followed by yard number 20, launched on 1 November 1879 asPeeblesshire;[2] and yard number 29, launched on 21 September 1880 asWigtonshire.[3] The fourth was yard number 93, launched on 23 September 1884 asHaddingtonshire.[4]Peeblesshire andWigtonshire weresister ships, each just over 200 feet (61 m) long.Haddingtonshire was larger, andCromartyshire was the largest of all.
Cromartyshire's registered length was 248.8 ft (75.8 m), herbeam was 38.1 ft (11.6 m), and her depth was 22.8 ft (6.9 m). Hertonnages were 1,554 GRT and 1,462 NRT.[5] She was afull-rigged ship.[1]
Cromartyshire's first owners were Thomas Law & Co, whoregistered her at Glasgow. HerUnited Kingdomofficial number was 82253 and hercode letters were SQLV.[5][6] By 1883 her principal owner was listed as James Law.[7] This had changed to James and William Law by 1886,[8] and William Law by 1893.[9]
On 8 June 1898Cromartyshire leftDunkirk with a cargo of coal forPhiladelphia.[10] HerMaster wasCaptain Oscar Henderson, and his wife and children were travelling with him. On 2 July theCompagnie Générale Transatlantique (CGT) linerLa Bourgogne leftNew York forLe Havre. She carried 503 passengers and 222 crew.[11]
Early on the morning of 4 JulyCromartyshire was sailing through fog, about 60 nautical miles (110 km) offCape Sable Island, Newfoundland. Visibility was only about 20 yards (18 m). She was under reduced sail, making only about 4 to 5 knots (7 to 9 km/h), and sounding herfoghorn every minute. On herfo'c'sle she had a seaman as lookout, accompanied by herChief Officer. Henderson and hisThird Officer were on herpoop.[11]
La Bourgogne heardCromartyshire's foghorn, and answered with hersteam whistle, but neither ship's lookouts could see the other ship. At 05:00 hrsCromartyshire's bow struck thestarboard side ofLa Bourgogne at an oblique angle. Captain Henderson said the steamship was going at "terrific speed".[11][12]
Captain Henderson orderedCromartyshire's crew to prepare her boats to be lowered, and went forward to inspect her bow. The impact had brought down the topmast and main topgallant ofCromartyshire's foremast, and torn off her bow, but the collisionbulkhead just abaft her bow was intact. Herstarboard anchor was swinging on its chain, and threatened to puncture what was left of her bow. Henderson set his crew to clearing the wreckage. Henderson saw the rocket and flare thatLa Bourgogne fired, and he had several distress rockets and flares fired fromCromartyshire, but the two ships still could not see each other.[11]
At about 05:30 hrs the fog thinned enough for Henderson to see two ofLa Bourgogne's lifeboats being rowed toward his ship. This was the first he knew that the steamship had sunk.Cromartyshire rescued the occupants of the two boats, stood to, and launched its own three boats to rescue other survivors, who were found on life rafts or clinging to wreckage. From the 725 people who had been aboard the liner,Cromartyshire found only 163 survivors. At about 15:00 hrs she sighted a westbound steamship,Allan Line'sGrecian. The sailing ship raised thesignal flags "HC", indicating that she had rescued survivors and needed assistance. Survivors were transferred toGrecian, which at 18:00 hrs tookCromartyshire in tow. They reachedHalifax,Nova Scotia on 6 July.[11]
A panel comprising the Wreck Commissioner at Halifax and two other sea captains investigated the collision on behalf of the Canadian government. Their report, published by 29 July 1898, exonerated Captain Henderson and his officers. They found thatLa Bourgogne was not following thesea lane indicated on thenautical chart for that part of the North Atlantic, and was steaming at great speed. They found that had her Master, Captain Louis Deloncle, "adopted the rules laid down... his vessel could not have been in the position indicated by the disaster". Further, the panel reported that "many of the principal steamship companies do not follow the routes laid down and assented to by all the parties in interest and apparent good faith."[13]
William Law sued CGT in the Admiralty Division of theHigh Court of Justice in London for the damage to his ship. CGT sought to quash the writ on the grounds that it is a foreign corporation. On 9 August 1898Francis Jeune, President of the Admiralty Division, ruled that the English court has jurisdiction, and he rejected CGT's plea.[14] On 12 January 1899 the Admiralty Division found inCromartyshire's favour and awarded William Law damages and costs.[15]
_arrived_in_Portland_(Oregon)_Harbor_on_November_15%2c_1900_-_art_from_the_Morning_Oregonian%2c_November_16%2c_1900%2c_page_1_(cropped).jpg)
In 1901Cromartyshire was sailing fromLeith in Scotland toPort Elizabeth in Cape Colony. On 1 September she caught fire offMossel Bay. Her crew abandoned her, but she stayed afloat, and was later retrieved.[1]
In January 1906 she was sailing fromAntwerp inBelgium toTalcahuano in Chile. On 18 January she ran aground offVlissingen in theNetherlands. She was refloated, discharged her cargo at Vlissingen, and on 12 February reachedMiddelburg, Zeeland for repairs. She then reloaded her cargo at Vlissingen, and on 27 March left for Chile.[1]
On 22 October 1906Cromartyshire leftAntofagasta in northern Chile partly laden. She was to sail north to load further cargo atIquique, but on 24 October she went ashore and was wrecked. The site of her wreck is recorded as"Tetus Point on Printabu Island",[1] but no headland or island with those names exists.[16]
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Media related toCromartyshire (ship, 1879) at Wikimedia CommonsShipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1898 | |
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Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1906 | |
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