Local History
Local History
Wreck of the Steamship Castilian
From: Bill Day
To: MSRNA members at large
The Allan Line of sailing and steam ships had its origins in the Peninsular War (1808–14) when Captain Alexander Allan, of Greenock, Scotland, transported stores and cattle to Lisbon for Wellington’s army. During the next century Captain Allan and his five sons created a large, successful company for moving passengers, goods, and mail between Great Britain and North America. Yet shipping was a risky business in the nineteenth century, and so it was that in March 1899 an Allan Line steamer ran aground on the Gannet Rock Ledges, 17 kilometres south of the Yarmouth Lighthouse, and was destroyed.
“The Castilian was probably the largest vessel in the Canadian Atlantic trade when she was launched October 20, 1898, from the yard of Workman, Clark & Co., Belfast, Ireland. Her design provided for a first-class passenger, cattle and cargo vessel of about 8,500 tons cargo capacity. Her dimensions were: length, 470 ft.; beam, 53 ft. 9 in.; depth, 36 ft. She was built in excess of registry requirements, had a cellular bottom, nine water-tight compartments and three steel decks running the entire length fore and aft. There was a permanent shelter deck with bridge deck above. The cabin passengers were accommodated in the bridge enclosure amidships, where the furnishings and fittings were unusually artistic. The main saloon had accommodation for 100 passengers at table at one sitting. The roof of the deck house was used as a promenade, giving an unbroken stretch of 150 ft. in length at a height of about 25 ft. above the water. Very pleasant quarters for the second-class passengers were fitted aft, including a dining room with seating capacity for 150 persons. There was accommodation for a large number of steerage passengers on the main deck, and extensive accommodation for the large crew carried. Extensive refrigerating and electric light plants were fitted, and all the navigating and deck appliances were of the most improved types. She was fitted with comparatively powerful engines, and on her maiden voyage out she averaged about 300 miles a day.” [1]
On 23 February 1899 the Castilian departed Liverpool, G. B., on her maiden voyage to Halifax and on to Portland, Maine, with 11 first-class, 46 second-class, and 105 third-class passengers. The disaster occurred on the first leg of her return voyage.
“The new Allan line steamer Castilian, Barrett master, sailed from Portland, Maine, at 1 p. m. on Saturday, March 11th, for Liverpool, G. B., and struck on the southwest ledge of the Gannet Rock Ledges, about 12 or 13 miles from Yarmouth light at 4.30 a. m. on Sunday. There was a dense fog at the time, and no land was visible. The steamer was running at full speed, when breakers were observed over the port bow, and the signal for "stop" had just been given when she brought up. She ran on easily, and several of the passengers were unaware that an accident had happened. They were soon made acquainted of the fact, however, but there was no excitement or confusion on board. Soundings had been made during the night, and a few minutes before the accident happened the water shoaled, and the ship's head was turned more to the southward. The captain and chief officer were both on the bridge. The tide at the time was at low ebb. In fifteen minutes there were sixteen feet of water in the forward compartment, and as the tide rose the two forward compartments filled. A number of sheep were in one of these compartments, and were drowned. Over two hundred of the carcasses were thrown over during the day. About an hour after the Castilian struck, a boat's crew of eight men, with purser Stewart and first officer [McAffer], started for the mainland. Following along the islands they ran into Little River, and landed near Mr. VanHorn's, where they procured a team and were driven to Tusket Wedge, and getting a fresh team drove into town, reaching Yarmouth about 4 o'clock. When the Castilian struck, the officers thought it was on Blonde Rock, and were not aware of their mistake until they reached the mainland. Those on board remained in ignorance until the fog lifted and they were enabled to see the shore. As soon as possible the steamers LaTour, Wanda, and Edna R. started for the wreck, reaching her about 4 p. m. All the passengers, with their baggage, a portion of the crew and cattlemen, were transferred to these steamers, and were brought to Yarmouth, where they were housed at the hotels. They were forwarded by train for Halifax on Monday morning. The work of saving the effects of the steamer and the cargo were begun, and continued as rapidly as possible until all that was within reach was saved. The following is a list of her cargo: 382 head of cattle, 441 sheep, 67 logs, 1394 packages chair stock, 3279 hams and bacon, 6596 barrels apples, 700 cases canned goods, 2480 sacks flour, 163 sacks seeds, 177 packages machinery, 336 packages furniture, 100 packages leather, 9929 pieces maple blocks, 55 organs, 88 cases splints, 1732 packages butter, 4817 packages cheese, 10 packages sundries, 18 horses, 95,568 bushels wheat, 68,353 bushels corn and 3375 packages lard. The cargo was valued at $450,000. All of the cattle, horses and sheep, except those alluded to above, and a few that perished on board, were removed and brought to Yarmouth, where they were tenderly cared for and sold at auction with the remainder of the saved cargo. The Castilian had 22 saloon, 12 intermediate and 18 steerage passengers. Her officers and crew numbered 104 all told. She was on her first return voyage to England. She was 8200 tons register, and was the largest steamer to have been wrecked on shore, up to this time, in the history of the world. She was 470 feet long. She was uninsured. The cargo was fully covered, the insurance being equally divided between United States and Canadian companies. The Castilian broke in two during the gale of the 21st and 22nd March, and became a total wreck.” [2, pp. 274–275]
Since the Castilian’s navigating appliances were “of the most improved types,” how was it possible that such a disaster could have occurred?
“The course which the vessel was steering at the time is hedged about with many dangers in the shape of ledges and reefs, and there are strong currents and tides. It was reported at the time that the compasses were deranged and that this accounted for the vessel being about twenty miles off her course.” [1]
On 21–22 March 1899 a formal investigation was held at the Yarmouth Court House into the cause of the stranding and total loss of the Castilian on the Gannet Rock Ledges. Subsequently on 29 March the Court of Inquiry, in a decision given in open court at Halifax, found that Captain Barrett
“appears to have placed too much faith in his compasses, taking into consideration that the Castilian was a new ship, and it was nearly the first occasion on which she was running on an easterly course.
“The master, who is without doubt, a most experienced and well known navigator, having constantly navigated vessels in the vicinity of the disaster in question for upwards of 20 years, in the opinion of the Court, took his position too much for granted, and, although it refrains from dealing with the certificate of either the master or first officer, considers it their painful duty to censure them both, and the master, Reginald Barrett, and the first officer, Duncan McAffer, are hereby censured accordingly.
“Further, in the opinion of the Commissioner, Captain John E. Murphy, of Yarmouth, neglect is attributable to the master and first officer for not comparing the mast head compass with the standard compass when off Matinicus.” [3]
A photo album shows images of the SS Castilian while she was aground on the Gannet Rock Ledges.
References and Notes
[1] From a page about the SS Castilian at norwayheritage.com.
[2] J. Murray Lawson, Yarmouth Past and Present: A Book of Reminiscences. Yarmouth Herald, Yarmouth NS, 1902. 681 pp.
[3] Board of Trade Wreck Report for Castilian, 1899. No. 5891, entitled “Castilian (S.S.),” 3 pp. Issued in London by the Board of Trade on 11 August 1899. Transcription and pdf file are available online. Several background facts about the voyage do not appear in the wreck report because the ship’s books were reported to the Court as having been stolen.
[4] The poster at the top may be purchased at many websites; this particular image is from nswrecks.net. The image of the Castilian is from norwayheritage.com, a website in support of Norwegian emigrant research.
[5] I thank archivist Jamie Serran, at the Yarmouth County Museum and Archives, 22 Collins Street, Yarmouth, for providing access to materials and images on which I based this essay and its accompanying photo album.
Thursday, March 1, 2012