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Wolviston (1879) - a general history

The steamship WOLVISTON left Bristol bound for New York in ballast on 11 September 1891. She had a crew of 21, mainly shipped at Bristol, & was under the command of J Mitchell who had only received his certificate three weeks previously. On 22 September about 700 miles east of Cape Race she ran into bad weather & sprang a leak in way of her bunkers. The men tried pumping but the pumps became choked with coal-dust. With the water rising & her fires the ship was thrown on her beam ends & it was decided to abandon her. Two of the boats were smashed by the heavy waves dashing against the ship’s sides. The two lifeboats were provisioned but in lowering one the stern tackle got unshipped & the boat dropped causing the loss of the provisions. Those from the other boat were divided between the two. The master with eleven men got into one boat & the mate with eight men into the other.  The two boats kept sight of each other for two days & one night, when, at about 4pm on the second day, the mate’s boat sighted a Brigantine. The men hoisted signals but the Brigantine sailed on by. Then someone spotted them & the Brigantine, which was the Arctic of Newfoundland, turned around & picked them up. The master’s boat was seen on the crest of a high wave at just about that time & then they disappeared, perhaps swamped. The nine men were landed safely at Harbour Grace, Newfoundland & then sent to St Johns where they were taken on the SS Caspian to Liverpool. 12 lives lost 
 
Lives lost: 
Brinksworth, S, steward
Celbini, Luigi, seaman
Donnelly, James, seaman
Dywer, S, fireman
Elliot, LB, 2nd engineer
Frankoom, AV, engineer
George, W, seaman
Gynne, W, engineer’s steward
Mitchell, J, master
Nelson, C, donkeyman
Palmer, J, fireman
Wallis, H, 2nd mate
Survivors: 
Archer, William H, cook (coloured man)
Cole, Edward JH, chief mate
Bullock, Thomas, fireman
Davis, Samuel, able seaman
Dunn, William H, 3rd engineer
Hall, James, seaman
Ley/Leigh, William, carpenter
O’Connell, George, able seaman
Watt, Charles C, chief engineer
 
Ref: Northern Guardian October 1891: The Times September 1891

Compiled from the Northern Guardian, October 1891, and The Times, September 1891:
The steamship Wolviston left Bristol bound for New York in ballast on 11 September 1891. She had a crew of 21, mainly shipped at Bristol, & was under the command of J Mitchell who had only received his certificate three weeks previously. On 22 September about 700 miles east of Cape Race she ran into bad weather & sprang a leak in way of her bunkers. The men tried pumping but the pumps became choked with coal-dust. With the water rising & her fires the ship was thrown on her beam ends & it was decided to abandon her.

Two of the boats were smashed by the heavy waves dashing against the ship’s sides. The two lifeboats were provisioned but in lowering one the stern tackle got unshipped & the boat dropped causing the loss of the provisions. Those from the other boat were divided between the two. The master with eleven men got into one boat & the mate with eight men into the other.  The two boats kept sight of each other for two days & one night, when, at about 4pm on the second day, the mate’s boat sighted a Brigantine.

The men hoisted signals but the Brigantine sailed on by. Then someone spotted them & the Brigantine, which was the Arctic of Newfoundland, turned around & picked them up. The master’s boat was seen on the crest of a high wave at just about that time & then they disappeared, perhaps swamped. The nine men were landed safely at Harbour Grace, Newfoundland & then sent to St Johns where they were taken on the SS Caspian to Liverpool. 12 lives were lost:

Brinksworth, S, Steward; Celbini, Luigi, Seaman; Donnelly, James, Seaman; Dywer, S, Fireman; Elliot, LB, 2nd Engineer; Frankoom, AV, Engineer; George, W, Seaman; Gynne, W, Engineer’s Steward; Mitchell, J, Master; Nelson, C, Donkeyman; Palmer, J, Fireman; Wallis, H, 2nd Mate;

Survivors: Archer, William H, Cook; Cole, Edward JH, Chief Mate; Bullock, Thomas, Fireman; Davis, Samuel, Able Seaman; Dunn, William H, 3rd Engineer; Hall, James, Seaman; Ley/Leigh, William, Carpenter; O’Connell, George, Able Seaman; Watt, Charles C, Chief Engineer

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