Maritime record MWX2420 - Arno

British collier, 1899. British cargo vessel which foundered after grounding twice near Selsey Bill en route from South Shields to Portsmouth with coal. Built of iron, she was a steam-driven vessel.

Owner: J Westoll Builder: J Laing Year Built: 1871 Propulsion: Compound engines Horsepower: 98 Crew Lost: 13 Identified As: SZ 88 NW 3? Dimensions Source: 1 Voyage Details Source: 1

NB: There are two entries for this vessel in the United Kingdom Shipwreck Index, under Hampshire (BA), source (3), and Sussex (BC), source (4).

Vessel stranded. (3)

The ARNO left the Tyne on 09-FEB carrying 1,300 tons of cargo for the Portsmouth gas works. In bad weather, which smashed the bridge windows and put out the compass light, at 8.30pm she touched on a sand bank. She was got afloat again, but leaking heavily, full speed ahead was ordered in an attempt to reach shallow water. She went ashore for a second time at 8.50pm, after which distress rockets were fired. These were seen from the Selsey lifeboat station and Coastgards in the adjacent Bracklesham Bay. When the lifeboat arrived at the scene, they found the ARNO steaming off in the opposite direction, and returned empty handed. Her engine eventually stopped
and the crew went into the sea, the survivors reaching Southsea.

The wreck of a small wooden steamship which lies to the western end of The Dries, west of The Mixon, is believed to be this vessel. Wreck lies in a general depth of two metres with boiler, engine, shaft and propellor, all lying orientated SW/NE. (1)(4)

Built: 1871 (1)(2)(3)(4)
Builder: J Laing (1)(2)(3)(4)
Where Built: Sunderland (1)(3)(4)
Propulsion: Screw driven, 2 cylinder compound engine (1)(2)(3)(4)
Horsepower: 98 (1)(2)(3)(4)
Boilers: 1 (1)(3)(4)
Master: Stansfield (4)
Crew: 17 (4)
Crew Lost: 13 (1)(3)
Owner: J Westoll (1)(2)(3)(4)

Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss

Additional sources cited in United Kingdom Shipwreck Index:
LCR 1899 p10(p); N CRO Wreck index states `foundered off the Nab'; LR 1897-8 No 870 (A)

<1> United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, 1992, Hydrographic Office wreck index (Index). SWX4837.

<2> Hocking, Charles, 1990, Dictionary of Disasters at Sea during the Age of Steam, 48 (Monograph). SWX4536.

<3> Larn, R, and Larn, B, 1995, Shipwreck index of the British Isles, volume 2 : Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Sussex, Kent (Mainland), Kent (Downs), Goodwin Sands, Thames, Section 1. Hampshire (BA) (Monograph). SDO20591.

<4> Larn, R, and Larn, B, 1995, Shipwreck index of the British Isles, volume 2 : Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Sussex, Kent (Mainland), Kent (Downs), Goodwin Sands, Thames, Section 3. Sussex (BC) (Monograph). SDO20591.

<5> Cumming, E, The Dorset shipwreck and maritime incident directory, 10 (Monograph). SDO16406.

A very significant event, very well publicized, but well outside the Dorset boundaries. See Portsmouth Evening News, Tuesday, 14/2/1899 Collier.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 805529 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 20 2024 1:40PM