The loss of the s.s. Pericles near Cape Leeuwin West Australia.
The s.s. Pericles of the Aberdeen Line on the 31st of March 1910 when rounding Cape Leeuwin in Western Australia struck what was alleged to be an uncharted rock or obstruction resulting in her sinking without loss of life.
The s.s. Pericles was the latest addition to the Aberdeen Line and was under the command of Captain Alexander Simpson Commodore of the line, and a veteran of more than 80 voyages to Australia, he was also a friend of Captain Ilbery Commodore of the Blue Anchor Line and in command of the s.s. Waratah which disappeared in 1909. The Pericles had dimensions of 500 feet x beam 62 feet 3inches x depth 32 feet. She was fitted with 2 quadruple steam expansion engines and was built by Harland and Wolf of Belfast in 1907 at a cost 240,000 pounds and had a service speed of 14 knots. Pericles left Melbourne for London on the 24th of March 1910 after being delayed for three days by a coal strike. She carried a substantial cargo of 32,000 boxes of butter, 35,000 carcases of frozen mutton, 6,000 bales of wool hides, 3,000 cases of apples loaded in Hobart of which 500 cases were carried on deck. 25 tons of tallow and coconut oil, 600 tons of lead bullion, plus other sundries. The Pericles was laden to the extent that her forward draught was 27 feet 6inches and her aft draught was 26 feet 3 inches which meant she was heavy or down by the bow 1foot 3inches (badly trimmed which could effect her steering). The vessel and cargo was insured for 750,000 pounds, of which one third was for the ship, the other two thirds was for cargo 90,000 pounds of this was for butter alone.
In the late afternoon of the 31st of March the Pericles was steaming along at 14 knots when she struck rocks slowing her down to 8 knots, she hit hard tearing her bottom open for some considerable length and started to settle by the bow. Realizing she was sinking Captain Simpson ordered the ship to be abandoned, the seas at the time where calm, 238 passengers and 163 crew took to the boats which landed on a beach at a spot were the light house keepers indicated as being safe by marking the area with bonfires. Captain Simpson claimed that he and his officers fixed the ships position earlier and claimed he was on a safe course, he also claimed that the ship eventually sank in 26 to 27 fathoms of water. At the subsequent court of inquiry conducted in Freemantle a finding on the 14th of April 1910 Captain Simpson was exonerated of all blame. This caused a storm of protest in some quarters claiming that the inquiry was unsatisfactory and that it was a whitewash. The inquiry was held before Mr. E.P Dowley, Esq, Mr. W.A. Walter, Esq (both Magistrates), they were assisted by Captain Laurie and Captain F.L Parkes (assessors). The first outcry was against Captain Laurie who should not have been on the inquiry due to a conflict of interest. Objection was made because Captain Laurie had business relations with the Aberdeen line in the capacity of a stevedore. Captain Laurie started his own stevedoring company in Freemantle in 1890, he was also Chairman of the Fremantle Harbour Board and had many dealings with Captain Simpson, on top of this he was accused of holding the monopoly on stevedoring by other companies in Freemantle. It was believed he showed partiality towards Captain Simpson and it was most undesirable for him to be acting in a judicial capacity at the inquiry affecting the professional reputation of Captain Simpson. Similar instances have been shown to take place in other inquiries. One in particular, is the inquiry into the loss of the Waratah which involved two naval architects.
Many witnesses not at the inquiry stated that the Pericles was to close to the shore and not on a safe course. The s.s. Strathfillan passed the Pericles off White Rocks opposite White Cliff. The captain of the Stathfillan was leaving the bridge when the third mate drew his attention to the fact that the Pericles was dangerously close inshore, the Starathfillan was eight miles offshore and the Pericles to be four or more miles inside of him.
Mr. Charles Ryan a third class passenger stated, "after coming ashore by lifeboat we spent the night at Flinders Bay until relief reached us. The residents at Flinders bay expressed amazement at the Pericles course so near inshore and to use their own words", "gave her ten minutes before getting smashed up" and actually went down to the beach to watch the spectacle. "The local residents were sure it was Bevan reef which the ship struck". It is said that no vessels small or large ever come within 10 miles of where the Pericles struck, (Sailing directions recommend to ships rounding Leeuwin to leave a margin of 15miles). Captain Airy of the Government vessel s.s. Penguin was given the task of locating the exact position of the wreck. Captain Airy informed the Court that he searched over a radius of 3 to 5miles away from the shore, at the start of the search and finding no traces of the wreck he decided to work closer inshore. The vessel was located by the mate of the Penguin who was searching in a smaller boat. Soundings were taken, and it was ascertained the wreck was lying in 18 fathoms of water not the 26 to 27 fathoms that Captain Simpson had claimed. The wreck was laying E.S.E, and its position was fixed from the lighthouse bearing N 3degrees E (magnetic), with a distance of 2.6 miles from the light. Captain Simpson admitted in court that he wanted to signal the lighthouse by flags to notify Fremantle that he would require 150 tons of coal on arrival. In order for his flags to be seen he would have to have been about 3 miles off the light.
A number of passengers seem to have been alarmed at the nearness of the land both on the Tasmanian Coast and from Albany West Australia onwards. One passenger Mr. Hirman Florack stated he noticed a disposition to hug the coast and said " he would be glad to get to the end of the voyage if ever he did". Passengers Mr. and Mrs Fewster said " they thought the cause of the disaster was the ships officers were trying to make up time after the delay at Melbourne, and kept hugging the coast too closely". Another passenger who wanted to give evidence was told by Captain Irvine the Chief Government Harbour Master who practically Poo-Poohed the idea of him giving evidence, and declined him simply because he was not a nautical man, and therefore in his opinion not competent to estimate distance on water. One passenger travelling third class was a master mariner and refused to give any opinion on the matter what so ever. Obviously if he had have spoken out against the ship his future employment could well have been at stake if not a black ban imposed against him.
On the 8th of December 1910 the survey ship H.M.S Fantone searched for four days in an exhaustive search and revealed no dangers outside of those charted existed. This information was then transmitted to the Board of Trade in London. Settlers along the coast were picking up boxes of butter washed ashore and offered the receiver of wrecks one shilling a box, cargo was strewn some 30 miles along the coast. Captain Simpson very much shaken eventually sailed from Freemantle aboard the Blue Anchor Line steamer the s.s. Wakool.
S.S. PERICLES.
CAPE LEEUWIN LIGHT HOUSE.
S.S. STRAFILLAN NOTICED PERICLES TO CLOSE IN.
REEF TO THE LEFT NEAR WHERE PERICLES SANK.
SISTER SHIP THEMISTOCLES REPLACED PERICLES.
It is interesting to note that the Pericles commenced her maiden voyage in the same year as the s.s.Waratah, the Pericles in July 1908 and the Waratah in November 1908. Having read the court of inquiry records I am inclined to agree that it was not the sea alone that covered up the Pericles.
