Harpalyce Voyage History

The steamship Harpalyce.

LAUNCH AT WEST HARTLEPOOL

Northern Daily Mail April 29/11

Yesterday Messrs. Wm Gray and Co, Ltd., launched the handsome steel screw steamer Harpalyce, which they have built to the order of Messrs. J. and C. Harrison, Ltd., London.

She will take the highest class in Lloyd’s Register,  and is of the following dimensions, viz.: Length over all, 441ft., breadth, 53ft. 6in.; and depth, 31ft. 8 in.; with two decks laid, extra long bridge, poop, and top-gallant forecastle.

A large saloon, panelled in teak and having square windows in front and a dome shaped skylight, together with staterooms, captain’s officers, and engineers’ rooms, etc., are fitted up in houses on the bridge deck amidships, all heated by steam and fitted with ventilation and sanitary appliances throughout. Accommodation for crew will be fitted up in the forecastle.

The hull is built with deep frames and holds quite clear of all obstructions, cellular double bottom, and large aft and fore peak ballast tanks, fourteen steam winches, return exhaust pipes and winch condenser, steam steering gear amidships, hand screw gear aft, four masts with telescopic topmasts, derrick tables, out-riggers and twenty-two derricks, also Porter’s patent derrick sockets for dealing with heavy lifts, patent direct steam windlass, fresh water distiller, shifting boards, trunks and feeders for bulk grain cargoes, stockless anchors, steel life boats, ice house, ventilation for the eastern trade, electric lighting, and all requirements for a first class cargo steamer.

The engine and boiler room, tank tops, bunkers, tops of casings, etc., are coated with bitumastic enamel.

The machinery will be supplied by the Central Marine Engineering Works of the builders. The engines, triple-expansion, have cylinders 28in., 45in., and 75in. by 51in stroke. The main condenser is designed to maintain a high vacuum, whilst attention has been given to insure a high temperature in the boiler feed water. Steam is generated in four large steel boilers of the builders ”flanged shell” type at a pressure of 180lbs. per square inch, the heating surface being over 8,900 square feet,  and is worked under Howden’s system of forced draught. With the bronze propeller fitted, the speed of the vessel will be about 11 knots.

The hull and machinery have been constructed under the supervision of Mr. W. Crandell, the owner’s superintendent, and the ceremony of naming the steamer Harpalyce was gracefully performed by Miss Jeannette Harrison, Great House Court, East Grinstead.

LAUNCH (Trial) AT WEST HARTLEPOOL

(Northern) Daily Mail 13/6/11

The handsome steel screw steamer (Harpalyce), built by Wm Gray and Co, Ltd., to the order of Messrs. J. and C. Harrison, Ltd., of London, had her trial trip on Wednesday last, to the 21st inst.

She has been built to the highest class in Lloyd’s Register, and her principle dimensions are : Length, over all, 441ft.; breadth, 53ft. 6in.; and depth, 31ft. 8 in., with two decks laid, extra long bridge, poop, and top-gallant forecastle.

The machinery has been supplied from the Central Marine Engineering Works of the builders. The main propelling engines are of the triple-expansion type, with cylinders 28in., 45in., and 75in. and a piston stroke of 51in. The cylinders have very large port openings in to insure an easy passage of the steam and so obtain the maximum efficiency from it. The main condenser also has been designed to maintain a high vacuum in all seas, whilst special attention has been given to insure a high temperature in the boiler feed water. During the trial a vacuum equal to 28 ½ inches of mercury was maintained.

Steam is generated in four large steel boilers of the builders well known flanged shell type, at a pressure of 180lbs. per square inch, which in conjunction with Howden’s system of forced draught, will enable the vessel to maintain a speed of 11 knots per hour.

The engine-room auxiliaries are very complete, and include a number of duplex pumps of the builders “cmew” type also one of their large atmospheric type winch condensers.

Special attention has been paid in the design and construction of the vessel and machinery to insure the utmost economy in fuel and upkeep. With this in view the vessel has been built on fine lines and a bronze propeller has been fitted, which, with the special features named above, will enable the maximum amount of cargo to be carried a fair average speed on a very low consumption of coal.

On behalf of the owners there were present Messrs. John and Frank Harrison, J. White and W. Crandell, the last named gentleman having supervised the construction of hull and machinery. Messrs. George H. Bains, Maurice S. Gibb, and Arnold Jones represented the builders, and Mr. James Innes Lloyd’s Registry. A speed of 13 knots was obtained, the engines running smoothly and well and the performance of ship being entirely satisfactory.

The vessel afterwards proceeded to Cardiff to load.

This section will, in time, contain the stories of more than 450 merchant ships built or owned in the Hartlepools, and which were lost during the First World War. As an illustration of the truly global nature of shipbuilding, these ships were owned by companies from 22 different countries, including more than 30 sailing under the German flag at the outbreak of war.

Harpalyce left Rotterdam in April with a crew of 53 on a voyage for Norfolk, Virginia in ballast with a ‘safe conduct’ from the German minister at The Hague. She flew a white flag & had ‘Commission for Belgian Relief’ painted on her sides in large letters. Despite this she was torpedoed (UB-4 Karl Grob) & sank about 7 miles E by S of the North Hinder lightship on 10 April 1915. There was no time to launch the boats. A Dutch steamer Elisabethpicked up 22 of the crew & another Dutch steamer Constance Catherina picked up a further 5 & the Philadelphia steamer Rubyalso picked up survivors. The 2^nd mate & 2^nd engineer were amongst those rescued & were both injured along with 3 Chinese crewmen. 15 lives lost.

Lives lost April 1915: Ah Yao, fireman/trimmer, China; Ali Fook, donkey, man, 37; Chapkhanawala, FM, 4^th engineer, India; Choi Choy, fireman/trimmer; Chow Tun, boatswain  ; Kong Tong, fireman/trimmer; Kum Sang, greaser/fireman; Lee Fook, cook, 30; Lam Fook, sailor, 30; Foulger, Leonard Harry, 18, cadet, b. Reading, resided Wareham; Greenwood, JW, chief steward, 59, b. Hull, resided Cardiff; Johansson, Anders Oskar, chief officer, 45, b. Sweden, Leytonstone, London; Tung Yung, sailor; Wawn, Frank, master, 62, Wallasey; Wong Foo, greaser/fireman, 23.

Survivors April 1915: Harwood, Henry, chief engineer; Llewellyn, Edward, 3^rd officer.