Clip
30-12-2008, 05:49 AM
1905 Monday Dec 25th Lat 36o S Long 110o 47’ E (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=-36,110.75&output=kml)
“Christmas Day” When we came on deck there was not much wind about 4 ½ knots, and we were close-hauled on the Starboard tack. The Mate came down on deck and wished me a Merry Xmas and of course I did ditto. At 1:55 am we saw a white light on the starboard bow and then a red one, and the Mate sent me for his glasses and when I came up on the poop with them we saw as the misty rain blew over a barque bearing right down upon us. So the Mate sang out to the man at the wheel “Luff put you helm hard down.” But it was too late we could not clear her and saw there was bound to be a collision so the Mate called the Captain and told me to call all hands.
All hands were not on deck when crash bang, Crump!!!! And we came to a dead stop and then gradually got clear and heard the Mate yell out “Clear away the port lifeboat” and amid the misty rain and the crash of falling spars we rushed to the lifeboat and then the other vessel got clear of us and her skipper was heard to say “Don’t leave me Captain I’m sinking. Stand by me”!! and we saw her Fore Top mast and Top Gallant mast was knocked out of her and her Main Top Gallant mast as well. Our carpenter by then had sounded the well and reported no water for which we were very glad as we thought we should be damaged as we were in ballast. We then clewed up the top gallant sails and looked for damages and only thing we could see hurt was our jiboom which was knocked at right angles so instead of being like this ---------- it was like this--------- instead!!!
We got our jibs down after a lot of struggle and then went about and stood back for the wreck and all of a sudden we heard some shouting and hollering and saw a boat about 200yds away apparently swamped with three men in her and then on came the mist again and we could not see so hove to till daylight and when the day did break we saw nothing so supposed that she must have gone down but we have found a stranger aboard who appears to be the man on the lookout from the Norwegian barque and he jumped into their rigging when we collided and caught our fore brace and so got safely on board.
He cannot speak much English but told us she was the Norwegian Barque “Coimbatore” an iron ship from Newcastle to Port Elizabeth with wool? 30 days out.
Email: Received from Grandson of the Captain of the Coimbatore:
As I mentioned on the page in the Goole-on-the Web, I am going to the city of Porsgrunn later this month to visit the Seamen's Club, in which I have been informed there is a painting of "Coimbatore" as well as a replica of the ship.
I shall take photos, which I will send you by e-mail. I will also send you a photo of my Grandfather, Even Evensen, who was both Captain and part-owner of the ship. Further on I will send you translations of excerpts of articles in the newspaper Porsgrunns Dagblad. The collision was an important event for the small town of Porsgrunn (in 1905: 5200 inhabitants, today 32000), and there has obviously still been some interest in the incident, as Porsgrunns Dagblad in 1972 reprinted three articles from the former newspaper, Grenmar, starting January 6, 1906.
After my return from Porsgrunn I shall send you more details.
Best regards,
P.S. Kindly excuse my somewhat broken English, but I hope you will understand the content.
There was a panic on board as soon as we collided, he says and as many as could jumped into the rigging to try to get on board of our ship and he was the only one who succeeded out of a crew of 15 hands. So the remainder are either lost or have pulled away for land. We stood by all day and cleared away the wreckage and setup the stays which took us all the morning and part of the afternoon and then had to bend a new fore upper topsail as ours had a large hole in it having been split by one of her yard arms. We had a man up at the Masthead all day with a strong pair of field glasses, two hours at a time. I had 10 to 12 and it was cold when you came down I can tell you, but however we saw nothing and at dark we resumed our way with only one survivor on board; but still we showed a flare-up light every ½ hour. I was tired when we turned in at 12 o’clock having been24 hours on deck without a sleep or rest, so you may see we had a very different Christmas to what we expected.
“Christmas Day” When we came on deck there was not much wind about 4 ½ knots, and we were close-hauled on the Starboard tack. The Mate came down on deck and wished me a Merry Xmas and of course I did ditto. At 1:55 am we saw a white light on the starboard bow and then a red one, and the Mate sent me for his glasses and when I came up on the poop with them we saw as the misty rain blew over a barque bearing right down upon us. So the Mate sang out to the man at the wheel “Luff put you helm hard down.” But it was too late we could not clear her and saw there was bound to be a collision so the Mate called the Captain and told me to call all hands.
All hands were not on deck when crash bang, Crump!!!! And we came to a dead stop and then gradually got clear and heard the Mate yell out “Clear away the port lifeboat” and amid the misty rain and the crash of falling spars we rushed to the lifeboat and then the other vessel got clear of us and her skipper was heard to say “Don’t leave me Captain I’m sinking. Stand by me”!! and we saw her Fore Top mast and Top Gallant mast was knocked out of her and her Main Top Gallant mast as well. Our carpenter by then had sounded the well and reported no water for which we were very glad as we thought we should be damaged as we were in ballast. We then clewed up the top gallant sails and looked for damages and only thing we could see hurt was our jiboom which was knocked at right angles so instead of being like this ---------- it was like this--------- instead!!!
We got our jibs down after a lot of struggle and then went about and stood back for the wreck and all of a sudden we heard some shouting and hollering and saw a boat about 200yds away apparently swamped with three men in her and then on came the mist again and we could not see so hove to till daylight and when the day did break we saw nothing so supposed that she must have gone down but we have found a stranger aboard who appears to be the man on the lookout from the Norwegian barque and he jumped into their rigging when we collided and caught our fore brace and so got safely on board.
He cannot speak much English but told us she was the Norwegian Barque “Coimbatore” an iron ship from Newcastle to Port Elizabeth with wool? 30 days out.
Email: Received from Grandson of the Captain of the Coimbatore:
As I mentioned on the page in the Goole-on-the Web, I am going to the city of Porsgrunn later this month to visit the Seamen's Club, in which I have been informed there is a painting of "Coimbatore" as well as a replica of the ship.
I shall take photos, which I will send you by e-mail. I will also send you a photo of my Grandfather, Even Evensen, who was both Captain and part-owner of the ship. Further on I will send you translations of excerpts of articles in the newspaper Porsgrunns Dagblad. The collision was an important event for the small town of Porsgrunn (in 1905: 5200 inhabitants, today 32000), and there has obviously still been some interest in the incident, as Porsgrunns Dagblad in 1972 reprinted three articles from the former newspaper, Grenmar, starting January 6, 1906.
After my return from Porsgrunn I shall send you more details.
Best regards,
P.S. Kindly excuse my somewhat broken English, but I hope you will understand the content.
There was a panic on board as soon as we collided, he says and as many as could jumped into the rigging to try to get on board of our ship and he was the only one who succeeded out of a crew of 15 hands. So the remainder are either lost or have pulled away for land. We stood by all day and cleared away the wreckage and setup the stays which took us all the morning and part of the afternoon and then had to bend a new fore upper topsail as ours had a large hole in it having been split by one of her yard arms. We had a man up at the Masthead all day with a strong pair of field glasses, two hours at a time. I had 10 to 12 and it was cold when you came down I can tell you, but however we saw nothing and at dark we resumed our way with only one survivor on board; but still we showed a flare-up light every ½ hour. I was tired when we turned in at 12 o’clock having been24 hours on deck without a sleep or rest, so you may see we had a very different Christmas to what we expected.