Graig Merthyr - a general history

Launched September 1873 as Venice; Completed December 1873; Official No. 58769.

Owners: 1873 Edward Alexander, West Hartlepool; 1873 Cory, Lohden & Co. West Hartlepool.

Masters: 1873-74 William Robinson (C.N. 97185).

On a voyage from Swansea to Alexandria Graig Merthyr stranded & was wrecked at Almaida on 14 February 1874. No lives were lost.

Inquiry held at the Naval Court, Alexandria on 25 February 1874:

‘The S.S. Graig Merthyr left Swansea on 30 January 1874 bound for Alexandria with a cargo of patent fuel & a total crew of 19. On 14 February at about 2pm the coast of Egypt was sighted & between 4pm & 5pm a tower was seen & taken to be the Arab’s Tower. At 6pm, however, the tower showed a fixed light. It then bore about SE by S distant from 12 to 15 miles. The engines were then stopped & soundings taken which gave 17 fathoms. The master consulted his chart & books & concluded that the light must be the Brulos Light according to bearings & surroundings & by the chart showing no other fixed light. The course was then altered to NW, engines going at two thirds speed. At 8pm course was changed from NW to WNW & at about 9.30pm a light was reported ahead & taken by the master to be the Rosetta Light, although he himself did not see it. Soon afterwards he went on the pilot bridge & saw land about three points on the port bow. He ordered the helm hard a-port, but by the time the ship had gone round five points she struck the ground. On the next day the crew took to the boats & landed, when it was found that the light seen was the Almaida Light.’

The Court found that the vessel was lost through default of the master but they considered points that were in the master’s favour. This was his first voyage as master & that he trusted & relied on the mate who had been to Alexandria several times & who had assured him that the light seen was the Brulos Light. Also the chart supplied to him (published by Imray & Co) was an inaccurate one, & that neither in it nor in his sailing book was the Almaida Light. Because of this the Court thought the suspension of the master’s certificate for nine months was sufficient The Court also severely censured the 1st mate (Peter Cooper C.N. 96313) for his prevarication in giving evidence & greatly condemned the use of Imray’s charts, several wrecks having occurred through the inaccuracies in them, & they thought vessels should be compelled to carry Admiralty charts.

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