Wave (1871) - a general history

Official No. 67516: Code Letters WRBJ.

Owners: 1871 Appleby & Co, West Hartlepool: 1874 R Ropner & Co, West Hartlepool: 1880 JC Twaites, West Hartlepool: 1881 repurchased by R Ropner, West Hartlepool.

Masters: 1871-72 Bowden: 1873 Meggesen: 1874 James Dunn/Dure (CC No.34099): 1877 McDowell: 1878-83 Moorsom: 1885 Emmerson: 1886 William Levitt.

South Durham Herald 5 October 1872:

‘On Sunday afternoon the steamship Wave, owned by the above firm, (Appleby, Ropner & Co) was towed into West Hartlepool in a very critical; condition. Her back having been broken & other injuries sustained, whilst loading pig, iron in the Tees for Russia.’

2 August 1874 Wave was stranded off Cape Correbedo on the coast of Spain. At the inquiry it was found that as the evidence was contradictory as to the state of the atmosphere at the time of the casualty the court gave the master the benefit of the doubt & returned his certificate to him.

 South Durham & Cleveland Mercury 1 October 1881:

‘At Cardiff on Wednesday, the Mayor, acting on behalf of the German Ambassador, presented Captain ‘Moorsom, master of the British ship Wave, of West Hartlepool, with a binocular glass, in testimony of his gallant services at sea. It appears that he effected the rescue of seven men, who constituted the crew of the German vessel Johanna & Emma, & who were in great peril. The rescue took place in the Baltic Sea & particulars had reached the German authorities who desired to make this recognition of the bravery displayed.’

Bound from West Hartlepool for Wismar with a cargo of coal Wave was wrecked near the Romso light, Great belt on 9 October 1886.

Northern Daily Mail 3 November 1886:

 “This morning at the Athenaeum, West Hartlepool a Board of Trade Inquiry was opened into the circumstances attending the stranding of the SS Wave in the Great Belt on 9 October last. Mr Rothery, Wreck Commissioner, presided at the Court & was assisted by Captains Anderson & Pattison as nautical assessors. Mr FW Denby, solicitor of Newcastle, appeared for the Board of Trade & Mr Foster of Sunderland represented the owners, Messrs R Ropner & Co of West Hartlepool & the master, Captain Levitt.

Mr Denby in opening the proceedings said that the vessel was built of iron in 1871 by Messrs Denton, Gray & Co. Her length, 220 ft, breadth, 28.7 ft, depth in hold, 17.2 ft & tonnage after deductions 617.36. She was registered in West Hartlepool & her official number was 67516. Her engines were of 99 horse power. She left Hartlepool on 6 October 1886 with a cargo of 1,100 tons of coal for Wismar & stranded in the Great Belt on the SE end of Romsoe Island. After the stranding the crew took to the boats but stood by her until she sank, which was about in twenty minutes time. His purpose was to elicit evidence as to whether proper courses were steered, whether compasses were good & properly adjusted & whether due allowance was made for the currents.

Captain W Levitt, who commanded the Wave was the first witness called. He deposed to holding a certificate of competency. On his last voyage he had a crew of 17 hands. The vessel was tight & staunch & well found & the pumps in good working order. He had a pole compass fixed in the fore, part of the bridge, which could be seen from the wheel & the other compass was at the fore, part of the lower bridge. The pole was steered by, being much better for those waters. The compasses were last adjusted in 1885. Deviation cards, charts & everything else were lost. On the day of the casualty Reefness Point was passed about 5.30 & he was on deck from 3 that afternoon until the stranding. The weather was hazy but he could see from five to six miles & the sea smooth. The wind was SSE, a moderate breeze. Alongside the buoy the course was SW ½ W magnetic. This was kept until Romsoe light bore SW. At 5.30 it bore from SW ½ S to SW by S. At about 5.45 it bore SW distant from five to six miles. Course was then changed to S by W. Her speed was till then, full, about nine knots, afterwards it was eased down to five or six knots. This was kept until the Romsoe light bore west at about 6.15, distant two to two & a half miles. He took a four point bearing SW at 5.45 & another W at 6.15. Speed was at this time about five or six knots. The look, out at this time was an able seaman named Burns & Oscar Olsen was at the wheel. The vessel struck at 6.45. Romsoe light was then NW ½ N distant two & a half to three miles. He accounted for the apparent discrepancy as to his distances by the strong current which was running. They did not make much headway the last half hour, in fact part of the time they were drifting back preparing to cast anchor. The course when he struck was S speed two to two & a half knots over the ground. He could not say where he struck. He believed they were outside the reef the SE Flat. If he had backed her off he considered she would have sunk at once. He could not get the rod down the tank for the air coming up. Within about ten minutes they got into the boats & lay by the ship until she went down something like quarter of an hour later. They pulled to Romsoe lighthouse. The depth of water in which she sank was 14 fathoms aft & 11 forward. He believed she was insured for about £5000. He was though the Great Belt last time before this at the close of last year. He meant to pull up in 11 fathoms of water. By Mr Foster;  The distances he had given were correct. From Romsoe to Wismar was about 12 miles run & if he had gone ahead he would have reached that port on Sunday; that was the reason he proposed pulling up & navigating the difficult parts by daylight. He could have done nothing on the Sunday if he had reached Wismar on that day by going ahead. By His Honour;  The weather after passing Reefness Point did not become more hazy. He could see five or six miles. He passed the buoy at about ¼ mile. In his speeds he meant “over the ground” not “through the water”? He supposed the current to be from two to three knots considering how she hung. Mr WJ Jackson, chief officer of the Wave & who holds a master’s certificate, said that the pole compass was correct. The other compass was only used in heavy weather, though it was lighted up every night. It was a dull compass & was ‘never bothered with’. He saw the Romsoe light between 5.30 & 6 o’clock at from six to eight miles distance. The vessel’s head was S by W ½ W. Witness got the anchor ready for letting go off Romsoe Island & the lead was taken on the bridge. He took no bearings himself but the captain told him that he had taken four, point bearings. After his watch he went below to write up the log. While he was below the vessel struck. He thought that the light was between one & two miles away. There was a sort of mirage on the water & distances could not be well approximated at a casual glance. The vessel went down five or six minutes after they got in the boats. He made several soundings but could find no vestige of rocks & he could not say whether she was floating. Ols a’Aulie, second mate of the vessel, a Norwegian, gave similar evidence. He saw the master take the bearings of which he had spoken. He thought the light was three or four miles off.

Mr Thomas Croudace, chief engineer, was in charge of the enginesat the time of the casualty. This was at 6 o’clock after having a conversation with the master who told him to ease the steam as he purposed lying off all night. When the vessel stranded her plates were bulged right in but at the time he left there was not much water in the engine room.

John Readman, second engineer, was on watch when the last witness put him on half speed. He gave similar evidence to that of the previous witness. He saw a little water enter the engine-room & felt a great rush of air from the direction of the bridge. Immediately afterwards he heard a loud report which he believed was the bursting of the bulkhead dividing the stoke-hold from the main-hold.

David Hart, AB, said that at about 6.30 he saw the Romsoe light about two points on the starboard bow & the vessel was heading about S by W, the light bearing about SW & S.

Herbert Styles, AB, deposed to steering W by S by ½ W from 4 o’clock until they rounded Reefness Point & then S by W ½ W until 6 o’clock when he gave that course to Oscar Olsen who took the wheel after him.

Oscar Olsen, AB, stated that he was at the wheel at the time of the casualty. He was steering a south course for about a quarter of an hour after 6.30 up to which time he had been steering as the previous witness. He continued steering south until she struck. The light was then right abeam.

Thomas Burns, able seaman, was look, out from 6 o’clock on the evening in question. He heard the master alter the course about 5 past 6. The light was about two points on the starboard bow when she struck. He thought they were about a mile & a half from the light at this time.

After an adjournment Mr Foster recalled the master who said in reply to questions that he had held a master’s certificate since 1879. He had been in command of various sailing vessels, this being his first steamer. He had been in command of her for 17 months.

The Board of Trade questions were then put & after a brief consultation the Court gave judgement to the effect (1) that the cause of the stranding of the vessel was due to the master keeping the vessel too close to Romsoe Island, in consequence of which she ran on the rocks; (2) the compasses were properly corrected & deviations taken; (3) a safe & proper course was not taken after 5.45pm. The master’s evidence was irreconcilable with that of any other witness & wholly unreliable as to distances & course. It was clear that his courses were not safe & the measures he took were not all that were available. (4) The use of the lead was not absolutely necessary, nor was it pretended that it had been used; (5) there was no reason to believe that a proper look, out was not kept; (6) the vessel, in the opinion of the Court was not navigated with seaman, like care, & the whole blame for the casualty lay with the master, who apparently sought to cut off a corner of the island with the intention of getting into the bay. The Commissioner added that although this was the master’s first casualty he had on this occasion added to his offence by giving evidence which was manifestly untrue.’ 

The master’s certificate was suspended for six months with a recommendation that he be allowed a chief mate’s certificate for the duration of the suspension. No lives lost.

Crew October 1886:

A’Aulie, Ols, 2^nd mate

Burns, Thomas, able seaman

Croudace, Thomas, chief engineer

Hart, David, able seaman

Jackson, WJ, chief officer

Olsen, Oscar, able seaman

Readman, John, 2^nd engineer

Styles, Herbert, able seaman

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