Dania - a general history

(1874-75 Lloyds lists her as Darria; 1876-77 listed as Dania & Darria)

Official No. 65503: Code Letters KFMH: Code Letters HDPJ.

Owners: 1871 William Gray & Co (Fritz Herskind) West Hartlepool: 1872 Fritz Herskind, West Hartlepool: 1884 Herskind & Woods, West Hartlepool: 1896 Akties Dania (C. Klaveness) Christiana, Norway: 1902 Acties (C.J. Svendsen) Xiansand, Norway: 1906 Acties Dpak Dania (O.I.O. Bergon) Xiansand, Norway.

Masters: 1881 Robert Grant: 1886-88 G Johnson: 1888-96 JK Tait: 1898-99 R Gronvold: 1900-02 G Weltz: 1902-05 GA Govertsen: 1906 AJ Jonassen.

Dania left Pomeron at 6am on 2 August 1881 with a cargo of 1,205 tons of sulphur ore & a crew of 20 all told bound for the Tyne. Arriving off the Tyne at 1.30am on 11 August 1881 she took aboard Robert Phillips, a sea pilot. Abreast of Readhead’s shipyard a river pilot, Benjamin Heron, came aboard. The sea pilot was still in charge of the vessel. When abreast of the Custom’s House the engines were stopped to take aboard the Custom’s officers who arrived in their steam launch. It was now nearly high water & the Abana could be seen coming down the river on the south side. She suddenly sheered to the north so Dania was ordered full speed ahead to avoid an imminent collision. Before the order could be carried out the Abana struck Dania on the port side, sinking her almost immediately. All hands jumped into the water & were picked up except for the 2nd mate of Dania who drowned. The Abana had been built at Sunderland in 1871 by James Laing & was owned by James Westall & Co. The master of the Abana, Westcott, blamed a fault in the steam steering gear for the collision. No blame was attached to the masters or officers as pilots had been in control of both vessels. Dania had been too far south of the channel which had contributed to the casualty. One life lost.

Life lost August 1881:

Strumberg, John, 2nd mate, b. Sweden, resided Catherine Street, South Shields

Survivors August 1881:

Halcrow, Isaac, able seaman

Halcrow, Peter, fireman

Johnson, Henry, steward

Kell/Kelly, John, fireman

Manson, Malcolm, carpenter

Wilson, John, donkeyman

Bound from Glasgow for Christiana with a cargo of coal Dania went ashore at Jaederen on 18 December 1906. She was leaking in all her ballast tanks & engine room.

Related items :