Glen Dochart Technical Specification

Masters: 1887-88 C Bennett: 1892-93 Harrison: 1893 J Lorains: 1896 Garrick: 1897-99 Benn: 1909 MH Miikkelsen.

Wreck Inquiry 22 December 1896.

 ‘At Cardiff, yesterday, Mr T W Lewis, stipendiary magistrate, delivered judgment in an inquiry into a casualty whereby three lives were lost on the steamer Glen Dochart, in the North Sea on October 30. The Glen Dochart, whilst on a voyage from Finland to Zaandam, Holland, laden with timber, of which a large quantity was stowed on deck, took a heavy list, and became unmanageable. All hands were engaged in jettisoning the deck cargo, which had not been lashed when a heavy sea struck the vessel & washed a great portion of the cargo overboard, smashing in its course the lifeboat booms and stanchion, killing one able seaman & carrying away two others, who were lost. The stipendiary said that, although the proximate cause of the casualty was the washing overboard of the cargo upon which the crew was working, the prime cause was the un-seaworthiness of the vessel as laden, a condition which caused her to list and become unmanageable, and so necessitated the jettisoning of the excessive deck cargo. The loading, stowing, and securing of the cargo were done under the master's supervision, though he knew the vessel had a list and that she had listed on previous voyages when similarly laden. From his experience in the timber trade in the North Sea he knew the weather that might reasonably be expected in October, and he knew he was embarking on a voyage perilous to his vessel and perilous to his crew. The Court also found that the master, knowingly embarking in an unseaworthy vessel, had thereby committed a grave offence, for which he might be made answerable in a criminal Court. That Court of wreck inquiry could but deal with his certificate, which was suspended for six months.’

Lives lost 1896:

Cheney, Henry, 8 Church St. West Hartlepool, killed

Halcrow, Lawrence, 22 West Percy Street, North Shields, drowned

Tate, Henry, 29 James Street, West Hartlepool, drowned

Slater, D, 12 Bell Street, West Hartlepool, both legs broken