Maritime record MDO19940 - Anemone

English brigantine, Captain Thomas Watkins, sank, 14 miles SW. of Portland Billl, after collision with the Norwegian barque Hannah Parr. 13 December 1876.

<1> Larn, R, and Larn, B, 1995, Shipwreck index of the British Isles, volume 1 : Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset Section 6, Dorset (AJ) Vol 1 (Monograph). SWX4541.

<2> Cumming, E, The Dorset shipwreck and maritime incident directory, 7/8 (Monograph). SDO16406.

"There has arrived in Weymouth Sailor's Home, mate John Tanner; the cook; David Boyne?, steward of the Brigantine Anemone. She was in collision at 7.30 pm on Wednesday with the Norwegian Barque Hannah Parr of Christiania. The Norwegian vessel was heading up channel from Quebec with deals, when she struck the other vessel amidships bringing down all her rigging. All of the crew attempted to reach the Norwegian ship but the master fell between the two vessels and was in the water for 30 minutes before the rescue and was much exhausted. He requested the Norwegian captain to lay by the wreck all night but since she was making water this was not possible. The mate of the Anemone returned to the wreck in a boat to survey the damage, finding 3-4 feet of water over the ballast, and the sea pouring in on both sides, he and the cook who had volunteered to help, plugged the holes, whilst the Norwegian vessel continued on her way. The mate only was later picked up alive" (The last sentence may be misleading? It appears from the first sentence that David Boyne, the cook was saved) Refs. Larn: Southern Times: 16/12/1876 p:L4 & BOT: Wk. Rtn. 1876 Appendix Pts. I-IV p:119 (319). See also; Times: 16 December, 1876: "By the arrival of the mate and cook of the Brigantine Anemone, 141 tons register of London, Captain Thomas Watkins, we learn that their ship had been in collision at 7.30pm on the evening of Wednesday, when about 14 miles S.S.W. of Portland, with a Norwegian Barque, the Hannah Parr of Christiania, and is supposed to have foundered. She was on a voyage from London to one of the ports on the coast of Morocco in ballast. The Norwegian Barque was from Quebec, with deals. She struck the schooner amidships, bringing everything overhead down by the run. The crew, seven in all, tried to scramble on board the Barque, but in doing so the master fell between the two ships. And nearly half an hour elapsed before he could be got out, when he was in a most exhausted condition, and gave the mate commands to do the best he could for the safety of his ship. The mate asked the captain of the Barque to lay by until daylight, which he said he was unable to do as his ship was making water. The mate thereupon asked the him to lend him a boat, so that he might ascertain the extent of the damage to his own ship, and getting on board he found two or three feet of water running over the ballast, coming in from a hole in her side. He thought he could succeed in plugging this, believing she would thus keep afloat until daylight, and asked his crew to come on board with him. This, however, they were afraid to do so, only the cook volunteering. They then got into one of the Barque's boats, for the purpose of proceeding to their ship, the Barque herself going on her voyage. While in the boat a tremendous sea struck her, flinging the mate overboard and carrying away both oars, but, fortunately, the cook was able to save his companion. This happened about two hours after the collision, the boat being tossed about at the mercy of the sea and wind, and the poor fellows remains in this exposed state until 11'o'clock on Thursday morning, when they were picked up by the smack Express of Colchester, off Portland, and landed there. They were conveyed to the sailor's home in Weymouth in a very exhausted state. The men state that they saw nothing of their ship after loosing their oars. There is every reason for supposing that the ship which exploded on Thursday off Portland Bill was the Brigantine Anemone. It is thought that she must have floated for over 12 hours, instead of foundering soon after the collision, when on becoming waterlogged, the pressure of air rent open her decks and thus caused the explosion which the Portland Coastguard reported, although it is strange no fragments of wreck have been seen." There is further reading in the Bury & Norwich Post - Tuesday, 19/12/1876: 'Explosion in the Channel'.

Record last edited

Dec 2 2019 11:30AM