MEN AND SHIPS WERE LOST BUT WHO CARED?
For many years men and ships were lost under the British flag but no one officially cared and there were very few and far reaching inquiries conducted by the Board of Trade. To understand the background to this legalized bloody slaughter caused by one single factor GREED which still existed up to the days when the ss Waratah and other three decked ships disappeared in 1909., we must go back to the period of when sailors suffered privation on board unsafe ships living under the fear of prison if they refused to sail on these floating coffins. It was this combined with the such heavy losses of ships and lives that induced Mr. Samuel Plimsoll M.P. to fight to save the thousands of lives of men going to sea in unseaworthy, overloaded, rotting ships, never to complete their voyages, also to introduce legislation to prevent or significantly reduce future losses of men and ships.
Samuel Plimsoll M.P.
Samuel Plimsoll made many enemies in Parliament controlled by some of the wealthiest ship owners of the land. Every reform and Bill he tried to introduce into Parliament was bitterly contested by them and any interference in to their un- safe practices of sending unseaworthy ships and men to sea with minimum cost to them was deeply resented. Over loading ships was only one of the crimes he fought against.
Overloading of Timber Ships.
There were laws in place for the loading of timber carrying ships both steam and sail with the main supply of timber coming from Canada and some from America. Even though there were laws regarding the carriage of timber restricted to below decks which Canada strictly adhered to, when vessels completed their loading at Canadian ports, shipowners soon circumvented these laws resulting in many ships and lives being lost. As far back as 1839 it was brought to the public attention the dreadful loss of life which was caused by the overloading of timber cargos on deck. To by pass the law a, ship for example would load timber in Canadian Port accordingly then crossing the river St. Croix, which divides Canada from America, then take on board deck cargo which was prohibited on the other side of the river.
St. Croix River, Canada one side America the other.
Vessels would also load up in the St. Lawrence and the bay of Fundy then proceeded down to the American port of Eastport to take on a load of timber as deck cargo. (I can imagine how this timber must have impeded the working of those poor sailors on deck especially trying to work the sails of a sailing ship in heavy weather.
It must have been a nightmare with many leg injuries sustained amongst the timber, note the upright vertical wooden preventer props in front of the men, they show how much higher the cargo will be stacked on the deck as she is only partially loaded.
The loss of life in this trade was horrendous planked timber or logs on deck were the cause of the capsizing of many ships, stability was greatly affected due to water being in wet logs loaded , rain and sea water absorption at sea, formation of ice on the cargo when applicable, shifting cargo due to poor lashings also if the bottom cargo shifted in the holds this led to heavy listing making the ship hard if not impossible to handle with the heavy deck load. Some of these vessels took ages to reach home ports and some became disabled and drifting running out of water and supplies, others just simply vanished. Hunger and starvation took place on some of these ships to such an extent that cannibalism was a common practice. In earlier days it was known as the law of the sea and those to be sacrificed were usually selected by lot. Plimsoll in one of his many speeches mentioned the following vessels found to be in dire straits, In one ship the FRANCIS SPAIGHT, the crew numbers were reduced in numbers by running out of water and provisions, it got to such a stage that four of their number were sacrificed, by lot, for the preservation of the rest. In another ship the EARL KELLIE, the second mate and two crew members were reported to have starved to death. On board the ship CALEDONIA two crew members when close to near death, had their throats slit for the sake of their blood. A passing ship the DRYGDEN came upon the CALEDONIA and saved the crew just before they were to sacrifice a boy. The ship EARL MOIRA, four bodies were found under the maintop, ( usually the platform used as the crows nest) all dead, They had cut away a canvas sail and rigged it around themselves as protection from the wind with part of one of their comrades hung up and swinging by the neck next to them a like butcher's meat in a stall. The body had been disembowled and eaten with another part of a leg chewed on. Another ship ANNA MARIA, five bodies were found dead, with part of a leg of a woman by the side of one of them, who had evidently been feeding upon it.
It was not uncommon in those days of 1863 onwards to have at least several ships a year reduced to the necessity of existing on the remains of their fellow seamen. Most of these timber ships overwhelmed in heavy storms opened up at the seams due to straining with the heavy cargo, the ships then became waterlogged depending on the type of timber on board would then float about aimlessly until rescued or until they perished. In nearly all of the cases in these storms boats and deck housings were washed away along with provisions and water casks leaving the men no choice but to climb aloft to avoid the seas washing over them.
Main top or the crows nest platform.
OVER LOADING OF GRAIN SHIPS
Samuel Plimsoll in his campaign for safer ships and their men was beginning to gain the attention of the public that began to stand behind him in spite of the opposition from some of the shipowners who despised him, it must be said however that some honest and good ship owners were on his side and backed his fight, One such owner was that of George Thomson of the Aberdeen line who in 1837 launched a clipper ship the named the Samuel Plimsoll who was fast becoming known as the seamen's friend. Letters began to pour in from some very influential people who could see what the heartless ship owners were getting away with. The loss of grain ships was of some concern, and it was not only unseaworthy ships carrying this commodity being the single cause but that over loading the ships until they were so deep down in the water that their ability to encounter the normal perils of a voyage and reach England safely was strictly a matter of chance.
Samuel Plimsoll of the Aberdeen line in Sydney; later on steamship tickets of the Lund's Blue Anchor Line and the Aberdeen line were inter changeable.
Most of the grain in the early 1870's was imported into the England coming from five corn loading ports in the Sea of Azov, the Black Sea has many more ports, it is fringed all round with many large and important commercial ports, all vessels loading at any of these ports for places outside the Black Sea Marmora, called the Bosphorus, and it is upon this channel that the city of Constantinople Istanbul is built. The channel is narrow at one bend being 660 meters wide, on the banks of the channel many houses adorn each side allowing ships to be observed closely when passing this point.
Sea of Azov.
The Bosporus Channel leading into the Sea of Marmara.
Plimsoll received letters from all parts of the world informing him of British homeward bound ships being low in the water, eg, a letter from Dr. E. Dickson physician to the British Embassy at Constantinople.
Dear Sir, In reply to your inquiry, I beg to state that i have been living in Constantinople ever since 1857. During this interval of time I have seen thousands of vessels of all descriptions pass through the Straits of Bosphorus, a narrow channel about the width of the Thames, and allowing full view of every object in it. Amongst these I have noticed steamers coming from the Black Sea overladen to a frightful degree, the waterline appeared to be on a level with the deck.In some instances the ships were tilted on their side, just as they would appear under canvas impelled by a strong side wind.In every instance that has come under my notice these vessels carried British colours. I have never seen a foreign vessel in similar circumstances. What I have stated is a matter of common notoriety in this port. I have often called the atttention of other spectators to these facts, and often had my own drawn to it by others. The recklessness and immorality of those who are responsible for such occurences cannot be to serverly censured.
Yours very truly, E.D. Dickson.
To be continued.
Samuel Plimsoll M.P.
Samuel Plimsoll made many enemies in Parliament controlled by some of the wealthiest ship owners of the land. Every reform and Bill he tried to introduce into Parliament was bitterly contested by them and any interference in to their un- safe practices of sending unseaworthy ships and men to sea with minimum cost to them was deeply resented. Over loading ships was only one of the crimes he fought against.
Overloading of Timber Ships.
There were laws in place for the loading of timber carrying ships both steam and sail with the main supply of timber coming from Canada and some from America. Even though there were laws regarding the carriage of timber restricted to below decks which Canada strictly adhered to, when vessels completed their loading at Canadian ports, shipowners soon circumvented these laws resulting in many ships and lives being lost. As far back as 1839 it was brought to the public attention the dreadful loss of life which was caused by the overloading of timber cargos on deck. To by pass the law a, ship for example would load timber in Canadian Port accordingly then crossing the river St. Croix, which divides Canada from America, then take on board deck cargo which was prohibited on the other side of the river.
St. Croix River, Canada one side America the other.
Vessels would also load up in the St. Lawrence and the bay of Fundy then proceeded down to the American port of Eastport to take on a load of timber as deck cargo. (I can imagine how this timber must have impeded the working of those poor sailors on deck especially trying to work the sails of a sailing ship in heavy weather.
It must have been a nightmare with many leg injuries sustained amongst the timber, note the upright vertical wooden preventer props in front of the men, they show how much higher the cargo will be stacked on the deck as she is only partially loaded.
The loss of life in this trade was horrendous planked timber or logs on deck were the cause of the capsizing of many ships, stability was greatly affected due to water being in wet logs loaded , rain and sea water absorption at sea, formation of ice on the cargo when applicable, shifting cargo due to poor lashings also if the bottom cargo shifted in the holds this led to heavy listing making the ship hard if not impossible to handle with the heavy deck load. Some of these vessels took ages to reach home ports and some became disabled and drifting running out of water and supplies, others just simply vanished. Hunger and starvation took place on some of these ships to such an extent that cannibalism was a common practice. In earlier days it was known as the law of the sea and those to be sacrificed were usually selected by lot. Plimsoll in one of his many speeches mentioned the following vessels found to be in dire straits, In one ship the FRANCIS SPAIGHT, the crew numbers were reduced in numbers by running out of water and provisions, it got to such a stage that four of their number were sacrificed, by lot, for the preservation of the rest. In another ship the EARL KELLIE, the second mate and two crew members were reported to have starved to death. On board the ship CALEDONIA two crew members when close to near death, had their throats slit for the sake of their blood. A passing ship the DRYGDEN came upon the CALEDONIA and saved the crew just before they were to sacrifice a boy. The ship EARL MOIRA, four bodies were found under the maintop, ( usually the platform used as the crows nest) all dead, They had cut away a canvas sail and rigged it around themselves as protection from the wind with part of one of their comrades hung up and swinging by the neck next to them a like butcher's meat in a stall. The body had been disembowled and eaten with another part of a leg chewed on. Another ship ANNA MARIA, five bodies were found dead, with part of a leg of a woman by the side of one of them, who had evidently been feeding upon it.
It was not uncommon in those days of 1863 onwards to have at least several ships a year reduced to the necessity of existing on the remains of their fellow seamen. Most of these timber ships overwhelmed in heavy storms opened up at the seams due to straining with the heavy cargo, the ships then became waterlogged depending on the type of timber on board would then float about aimlessly until rescued or until they perished. In nearly all of the cases in these storms boats and deck housings were washed away along with provisions and water casks leaving the men no choice but to climb aloft to avoid the seas washing over them.
OVER LOADING OF GRAIN SHIPS
Samuel Plimsoll in his campaign for safer ships and their men was beginning to gain the attention of the public that began to stand behind him in spite of the opposition from some of the shipowners who despised him, it must be said however that some honest and good ship owners were on his side and backed his fight, One such owner was that of George Thomson of the Aberdeen line who in 1837 launched a clipper ship the named the Samuel Plimsoll who was fast becoming known as the seamen's friend. Letters began to pour in from some very influential people who could see what the heartless ship owners were getting away with. The loss of grain ships was of some concern, and it was not only unseaworthy ships carrying this commodity being the single cause but that over loading the ships until they were so deep down in the water that their ability to encounter the normal perils of a voyage and reach England safely was strictly a matter of chance.
Most of the grain in the early 1870's was imported into the England coming from five corn loading ports in the Sea of Azov, the Black Sea has many more ports, it is fringed all round with many large and important commercial ports, all vessels loading at any of these ports for places outside the Black Sea Marmora, called the Bosphorus, and it is upon this channel that the city of Constantinople Istanbul is built. The channel is narrow at one bend being 660 meters wide, on the banks of the channel many houses adorn each side allowing ships to be observed closely when passing this point.
Sea of Azov.
The Bosporus Channel leading into the Sea of Marmara.
Plimsoll received letters from all parts of the world informing him of British homeward bound ships being low in the water, eg, a letter from Dr. E. Dickson physician to the British Embassy at Constantinople.
Dear Sir, In reply to your inquiry, I beg to state that i have been living in Constantinople ever since 1857. During this interval of time I have seen thousands of vessels of all descriptions pass through the Straits of Bosphorus, a narrow channel about the width of the Thames, and allowing full view of every object in it. Amongst these I have noticed steamers coming from the Black Sea overladen to a frightful degree, the waterline appeared to be on a level with the deck.In some instances the ships were tilted on their side, just as they would appear under canvas impelled by a strong side wind.In every instance that has come under my notice these vessels carried British colours. I have never seen a foreign vessel in similar circumstances. What I have stated is a matter of common notoriety in this port. I have often called the atttention of other spectators to these facts, and often had my own drawn to it by others. The recklessness and immorality of those who are responsible for such occurences cannot be to serverly censured.
Yours very truly, E.D. Dickson.
To be continued.
