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Cyanus - a general history

Completed September 1880; Official No. 82803: Code Letters THMB

Owners: 1880 Steel,Young & Co, London: 1893 Ferguson & Reid, Glasgow

Masters: 1881-85 G Heslop: 1887-92 Crooks: 1894-97 James Race.

In 1883 Cyanus left Taganrog at about 9am on 30 October with a cargo of about 2,000 tons of rape seed & barley, a crew of 22 & a passenger, Mr Peterson. When near to Petchany lighthouse the master steered south for, according to his chart, the deepest water.  The vessel grounded & stuck fast. Two tugs offered to tow her off but they hassled over the price. The passenger, Peterson, told the master he had tugs & lighters & would do the work cheaper. Peterson then took one of the ship’s boats to go to Taganrog. He managed to get a steam tug’s master to arrange for a schooner to come & take the cargo off. When about 160 tons was offloaded Cyanus began to lift & the tug was able to pull her free. The cargo was then reloaded & Cyanus continued her journey. There was no damage to the cargo or the vessel.

 

In 1897 Cyanus was bound from Bilbao for the Clyde with a cargo of iron-ore & a crew of 21, mainly from Glasgow. In dull conditions & heavy fog she was wrecked on rocks near Ile de Sein, Ushant at about 10pm on 9 February 1897. The vessel had recently been extensively overhauled. One survivor was found clinging to an upturned boat. He later stated that the vessel struck the rocks with a violent shock & everyone was thrown overboard. Most of the bodies were later found near Ile de Sein & were interred there.

Lives lost February 1897:

Blair, John, fireman

Crichton, H, seaman

Forbes, John, 2nd engineer

Fox, T, cook

Hamilton, John, fireman

Jamieson, N, 3rd engineer

Jeromson, C, seaman

Johnson, Roderick, seaman

MacPherson, W, mate, Glasgow

Malley, T, fireman

Mann, donkeyman

McKenzie, John, steward, Glasgow

McMillan, John, fireman

Munneth, W, ass steward

Nisbet, P, 2nd mate, Glasgow

Owens, B, fireman

Rice, James, master, Glasgow

Sanderson, D, seaman

Stewart, John, boatswain

Thomson, John, 1st engineer, Kirkcaldy

Survivors February 1897:

Nicholson, Lawrence R

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