Assyrian - final voyage

Owners: 1898 Frederick Leyland & Co, Liverpool

Masters: 1898-99 AWV Trant: 1900-01 JW Dingle.

On a voyage from Antwerp for Montreal with a valuable mixed cargo, including champagne, Assyrian went aground in June 1901 during a gale at Cape Race, Newfoundland. The tug Petrel tried to assist but one of the ropes of Assyrian became entangled in the propeller of the Petrel. Crippled, the Petreldrifted inside Assyrian where the crew tried to repair the damage under the shelter of the Assyrian’s hull. The NE gale was steadily increasing & Assyrian swung round as if on a pivot & embayed the tug. Both vessels were then forced broadside on the rocks with the sea washing over them. All the crew left & were housed in the Cape Race lighthouse except for the master & two officers of Assyrian. About one 100 boats that were salvaging at the wreck fled for Trepassey. Both vessels became total wrecks on 14 June 1901 & the cargo was lost. All the shipmasters that were present condemned the master for not getting the ships in the vicinity to pull the liner off the rocks days before when the conditions were still favourable alleging that their combined pumps would have kept her afloat until she could have been safely beached along the shore. The master contended that he had acted under the instructions of the underwriters

At the Court of Inquiry held in August 1901 at Liverpool found that the loss of the vessel was due to the poor navigation of the master & his certificate was suspended for three months.

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