Dinapore Technical Specification

Launched 29 October 1863; Completed 5 December 1863; Official No. 47612; Code Letters VPJC; two decks; iron barque; 1047g; 205.3 x 33.7 x 21.9; two cemented bulkheads; new deck 1876.

Owners: Peter McKinnon, William Frew & Co, Liverpool; July 1874 Tomas Walls Stephens & Sons (Fenchurch Street) London; 1882 A Symington, Glasgow; 1886 W Clark, Glasgow; 1888 Jackson, Metcalfe & Co (Richard Wakeman mgr) Liverpool.

Masters: 11 December 1863 EP Delamette (C.N. 28748); 1864-66 D Millar; 1867-72 M Noah; 1871-72 McAllery; 1873-74 Outridge; 1875-76 F Yexley; 1876 Robert Isbister (C.N. 19862); 1877-81 Peter Hansen; 1881-83 A Clemence; 1883 Reid; 1884-87 JJ Tweddle; 1887 Livingstone; 1887-90 Edward H Tidmarsh.

Voyages: 2 July 1866 arrived at Liverpool from Calcutta; 4 September 1871 arrived at Liverpool from New York; Sailed from London arriving at Sydney, NSW on 17 April 1877; 29 August 1888 a fire broke out while she was lying at Londonderry Wharf. The fire was extinguished but there was extensive damage to the vessel; from Liverpool arriving at Sydney, NSW on 29 January 1889.

The Dinapore sailed from Middlesbrough on 19 March 1890 bound for Bahia Blanca with a cargo of iron pipes & rails & a crew of 20 of which four were apprentices. Land was sighted on the coast of South America &, realizing that they were too close inland, the master gave orders to turn about to sea. The order came too late & she ran aground at Cape Corrientes on 26 May 1890. The following morning it was decided to abandon her. The boats were got out & they tried to reach the port of Bahia Blanca but failed. The following day one of the boats began to leak so the men in her got into the longboat. On 3 June, the weather becoming bad, they decided to try & make shore. Both boats capsized with the occupants of one managing to make it to land but of the twelve in the other boat the master & five of the crew were drowned. They came ashore at Mar del Plata & later took a train to Buenos Aires.

At the inquiry it was concluded that no proper lookout had been kept, no allowances were made for tides or currents & the lead should have been used. The Court reluctantly came to the conclusion that the master was to blame for the casualty.

Crew April 1877:

Beck, William, boy, 16, London

Brown, William, able seaman, 30, Dumfries

Clare, Thomas, able seaman, 21, Cornwall

Coburn, John, ordinary seaman, 23, Dublin

Cole, Richard, able seaman, 23, Weymouth

Davidson, George, carpenter, 26, Peterhead

De’ath, Henry S, apprentice, 19

Devine, John, able seaman, 25, Liverpool

Gale, John, ordinary seaman, 22, Shoreham

Green, William, cook, 38, Baltimore

Hansen, Peter, master

Hansford, Samuel, able seaman, 22, Bridport

Henry, Jones, boy, 18, London

Lewis, John, able seaman, 22, West Indies

Little, Joseph, able seaman, 30, Kingstown

Olsen, Carl, ordinary seaman, 20, Norway

Olsen, Loren, able seaman, 31, Norway

Osoner, Anders, ordinary seaman, 26, Norway

Payne, Charles, able seaman, 31, Charleston, USA

Pike, Frederick Richard, 2nd mate, 24, Devon

Rogers, Alfred, steward, 36, Devon

Spott, William, able seaman, 26, London

Underhill, John S, 1st mate, 40, Devon

Passenger April 1877:

McGaire

Crew January 1889:

Baldwin, William H, 2^nd mate, 22

Birch, Edward, carpenter, 42, German

Cleassens, Charles, able seaman, 27, German

Duggle, John, able seaman, 27

Finlay, Samuel, boatswain/sails, 48

Flynn, John, able seaman, 33

Guilbodeau, Alexis, able seaman, 45

Hall, Thomas, able seaman, 29

Herbert, Richard, able seaman, 49

Ince, Samuel, steward/cook, 23, Chile

Lawbran, Manuel, able seaman, 45

Long, Henry, Archibald, apprentice, 15

Lundgeren, KH, able seaman, 31, Dutch

McCaskie, Jonathan Legge, apprentice, 25

Norman, Edward W, able seaman

Ottaway, Saleb James, mate, 60

Phillemore, Henry, able seaman, 25

Sidmarsh, Edward, master

Smith, James S, ordinary seaman, 29

Stapleton, Sydney George, apprentice, 16

Steel, Thomas Mather, apprentice, 15

Warnes, William, ordinary seaman, 20

Brown, Robert, stowaway

Crozier, William, stowaway

Dooley, James, stowaway

Lives lost June 1890:

Campbell, Donald, able seaman, Liverpool

Kemp, able seaman, Liverpool

Long, Henry Archibald, apprentice, 15, Loughborough

Payne, able seaman, Middlesbrough

Slater, apprentice, Kingstown

Tidmarsh, Edward H, master, Liverpool

Survivors June 1890:

Steel, Thomas Mather, apprentice, Liverpool

Williams, Richard, mate