The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-07-07 00:00:00

TERRIBLE DISASTER ON THE CLYDE.

GREAT LOSS OF LIFE.

An appalling disaster occurred on the Clyde on
Tuesday morning, which resulted in a considerable
loss of life. It appears that a new screw steamer of
500 tons named the Daphne, had been built for the
Glasgow and Londonderry Steam Packet Company,
by Messrs. Alexander Stephen and Sons, of Lint-
house, Govan, near Glasgow, and her launch was fixed
to take place at half-past eleven o'cl ck on Tuesday
morning. Punctual to the time she left the ways, gliding
off gently in the usual manner, and all apparently
going well. She took the water in good style, but at
the critical moment when she should have righted
she suddenly heeled to port and turned over, sinking
deck downward, and burying as it were the unsus-
pecting tenants of her decks. The usual number of
spectators had assembled to watch the launch, so that
the news of the appalling disaster quickly spread, and
brought anxious crowds flocking to the banks and
besieging the yard. Those who had friends in
the ill-fated vessel rushed excitedly about, begging
for every scrap of information, and some seem-
ing well nigh distraught. Most heartrending scenes
were witnessed, for there were those who on
learning the terrible nature of the disaster at
once gave up all hope of those belonging to them
being saved, while others again were maddened by
the unendurable agony of suspense. Boats were at
once launched from the yards in the neighbourhood,
and together with many of those already on the river
engaged in searching for the drowning and the dead.
Telegrams were despatched to Glasgow for medical
aid, and cabs were sent on the same errand to Govan.
A number of medical men speedily responded to the
summons and attended to such of those who had been
rescued who required their services. Several of the
saved, indeed, were so greatly exhausted horn the
shock and the time they had remained in the water
that they had to be removed to the infirmary.
In giving an account of the disaster The Times
says

From the statements made by some of the workmen
who were standing close to the river edge when the
launch took place, the vessel seems to have gone over
very suddenly. She moved off all right when the dog.
shore were cleared away, and it was only when she took
the water that she showed a tendency to heel over.
When quite clear of the ways those on shore and on
board the two tugs in attendance were horrified to see
the steamer heel right over, and commence to settle
down in the water. The scene for a few bi ief moments
was of the most appalling description. As she fell over
upon her side a good many of the men who were on the
upper deck could be seen clinging to each other and
grasping at rails, chains, or any of the deck fittings that
could afford a hold. There were but few cries for help,
the catastrophe occurring so suddenly. In a few
minutes she had gone clear out of sight in the middle
of the river, and nothing could be seen but a few men
struggling in the water. Ropes were thrown to the
drowning men and the tugs and one or two boats that
were in attendance did all they could to save lives, but
after the steamer disappeared very few men
were found floating on the surface of the water,
Several of the eye-witnesses state that one or two men
who were swimming about, and evidently making for
the bank, were caught by their drowning comrades,
and dragged down. As soon as the workmen who
were standing close to the end of the ways saw that
the ship was really heeling over, spars were seized hold
of, and, along with any blocks of wood lying about,
were thrown into the river. Ropes were also thrown
out to those who were struggling at the stern end
of the vessel, which was pretty close inshore. The
tugs in attendance ventured as near as they possibly
could, but the danger of striking men struggling in
the water was so great that any assistance of this kind
was practically neutralized Two rowing boats were
brought into requisition, and by their means about a
dozen men who clung to spars and pieces of wood were
picked up. A few men were seen to scramble on to the
keel of the vessel as she heeled over, but they disap-
peared. The fact seems to be that those who could not
swim and who failed to get hold of a spar or other means
of support were drowned. The vessel had a very large
number of workmen onboard, considerirg her limited
dimensions, and it is said a considerable amount of
materials on the deck, consisting ot deck-planks and
iron plates, which had been removed for the purpose
of allowing the boilers and engines to be put on board.
It is thought by employes of the yard that about 200
men were on the steamer when she left the ways.
Many men swam ashore, and the two tugs that lay on
each side of the slip gave every possible assistance
to the strugglers in the water. Small boats were
quickly put out from the yard, and they did a great
deal of useful service in saving life. Ropes, too, were
thrown to the almost spent swimmers as they reached
the pier skirting the yard.
The cause of the accident cannot, of course, be
stated with accuracy at present, but it would seem
as if the chains by which the velocity of the ship was
checked on the ways had not acted equally on both
sides. On the port side the anchor fixed in the ground
was dragged for a distance of about 60 yards, while on
the starboard side the anchor was not moved more
than six or seven yards. There had apparently been
an undue strain on the port side, and that, possibly
increased by the current in the river, is believed to
have caused the ship to cant over. At present, at
tro—phe.
During the whole of Tuesday afternoon and even.
ing the work of recovering the bodies went on, there
being willing volunteers on all bands. Both the city
and county police were largely called into requisition,
and under their direction a vigorous search of the river
was made, as well as attempts to arrive at the number
of men who had lost their lives by the deplorable acci-
dent, but from the peculiar circumstance's of the case
nothing but an approximation to the actual number
could be arrived at. It is thought that the number of
men on board the vessel when she went down must
have been close upon 200, and of these it is believed
that over 100 have perished. At five o'clock only
nine bodies had been recovered, but a good many more
were got out in the course of the evening and night.