The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-30 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, JULY 30, 1880►*

WICK AS'A NAVAL STATION AND REFUGE
FOR VESSELS.

(From the .Northein Ensign of July 5, 1860)
All parties are now agreed that the erection of a
harbour of refuge at Wick is essentially necessary
for the protection of the 10,000 men who prosecute
the herring fishing on these rocky and dangerous
coasts; but the recent debate on Mr. Lindsay's
motion shows that the claims of Wick, on the grounds
of its being a highly important naval station and
refuge for our commercial marine, were entirely
ignored, except by Mr. Lindsay, who adduced the
fact that 10,000 vessels annually pass these shores.

We have frequently had to remark on the
great national importance of the proposed break-
water here on other grounds than the necessity
of security for the lives of our fishermen ; and on
the present oc:asion we shall do little more than
direct public attention to the ♦iews which public
men of acknowledged ability and position and

other disinterested witnesses entertain on the sub

ect. Referring to the evidence given by compe
:ent authorities before the House of Commons' corn

mittee in 1857 and 185 S, we find some most im

portant statements as to the eligibility of Wick as
a naval station, and the necessity of an erection
there for such a purpose. Thus Capt. Washington,
Hydrographer to the Navy, testified as follows:—
Supposing a fleet during the time of war was
cruising in the North Sea or German Ocean, is there
any place they could run to for protection in bad
weather, in the case of steamers, for the purpose of
saving their coals ; is there any place they could
go to except Cromarty ?—Nothing but Cromarty.
Then, you consider, for national purposes, that
is, with regard to the protection of the fleet, that
Wick is a very important position for a harbour ?
—A very important position ; and it will be abso-
lutely necessary, in the event of another north of
Europe war, to have some station thereabouts.
Is there any harbour where vessels could lie for
the purpose of watching a fleet of cruisers coming
round the north of Scotland ?—None at all.

Then, after Captain Vetch had testified that the
proposed erection at Wick would accommodate any
number of ships of war that might be on the coast,

Captain Sullivan gave the following :
You said that Dunbar required increased har-
bour accommodation, in consequence of its hav-
ing the advantage of a large fishing trade, which
is the result of the advantage whic it also pos-
sesses of having a railway ; do you not think that
Wick requires a harbour to a greater extent, as
the whole of its produce is carried away by vessels,
and it has no land carriage P—l am not at all com-
paring the two places; the one is merely accom-
modation for fishing-boats ; Wick is a much more
important thing as a harbour of refuge for vessels
and for men of scar in the event of a war. The
two things canno., be compared. Wick is far more
important than Dunbar ; Dunbar is merely locally
important to the fishing people of that neighbour-
hood.
But -Wick is of national importance P—Wick is
of national importance.
In the case of our being at war with a maritime
power, would not Wick be a very important place
as a naval station, for the purpose of enabling
vessels to lie there, watching the north
of Scotland; and also as a place where vessels might
run to for the purpose of protection against wea-
ther, or to save their coal, supposing a fleet was
cruising in the North Sea ?—lt would be the only
place north of the Firth of Forth—the only place
that would be at all useful for vessels ; the other
vessels might use Orkney and Shetland, but on the
coast of Scotland that would be the only place.
Another advantage of Wick would be, that a ves-
sel would be ready for either coast ; it is the most
important position as a naval station, in the event
of war, north of Edinburgh.
Rear-Admiral Sir James Ross also gave the fol-
lowing evidence:—
Is there not the harbour of Longhope in the
Orkneys ?—Yes.
Would not that supersede to a great extent the
necessity of making a harbour at Wick ?--The en-
trance to Longhope is intricate; you have to enter
the Pentland Firth, and to cross the stream, which
is rather a dangerous operation ; and it would be
far more advantageous if you could have your fleet
at a station like Wick, than it would be to have it
at Longhope.
There is a very great resort of fishing vessels to
Wick, is there not ?—I believe at some particular
parts of the year there is, for two or three months
in the year.
Would it not be a matter of great importance to
provide protection for those fishing vessels P—lt
would be an act of great humanity; there is a great
loss of life there every year for want of a harbour.
Taking the east coast of Scotland generally, with
regard to the trade to the Baltic and the northern
ports, would not a harbour at Peterhead be a matter
of more national advantage than a harbour at
Wick P—No ; because I think that any of the Bal-
tic powers proposing to attack any of our western
harbours, Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin, or Liverpool,
would run through the Pentland Firth ; with a
fleet at Wick it would be impossible for them to go
through without detection.
With such evidence before the public, we think
we may safely aver that the case of Wick, in the
view under consideration, is clearly substantiated.
Come we now to the necessities of the mercan-
tile marine, home and foreign, that frequent these
coasts. Passing by the very strong opinions by
Captains Washington, Vetch, and Sullivan, and
by Mr. R. W. Jackson, and also the very clear
evidence given before the Commissioners, when
prosecuting their inquiry at Wick, we refer to
that adduced at other ports. Thus, at Leith,
Mr. D. R. M'Gregor stated that " the fishing and
American trade render it necessary that there
should be a harbour of refuge constructed at
Wick." At Glasgow, Mr. Hugh Tennant thought
" it would be very desirable if a harbour of refuge
could be established at Wick, for the wants of all
descriptions of vessels.'s Captain Crawford enter-
tained a very strong opinion on the subject,' stated
that a harbour at Wick ' would be very advantage-
ous,' and that the boats and vessels had a ' very
urgent claim' for such a harbour. Capt. Goodwin
held that a refuge harbour at Wick would be very
advantageous' Capt. Kelso held, from personal
experience, that ' a harbour of refuge would be very
desirable about the locality of Wick,' from the vast
concourse of vessels that is always in that locality,'
and in answer to Mr. Lindsay, whose question com-
prehended the traffic with the Baltic, with Arch-
angel, and with America, and the number of ships
engaged in the coasting trade, the witness replied
that Wick is the most suitable locality.' Mr. John
Mitchell testified that vessels passing through the
Pentland Firth in winter pay a double premium of
insurance. Capt. Kelso, on re-examination, stated
that he did not know any place between the Firth
of Forth and the Pentland Firth where a
harbour would be more useful than at Wick or Sin-
clair's bay,' in its immediate neighbourhood. He
added, ' It would be of great advantage to all classes
of ships. There is a great concourse of vessels about
the Pentland Firth. Large ships to North America,
as well as vessels going to the North Sea and the
Baltic, and those engaged in the coasting trade and
the fisheries, meet in great numbers near the Pent-
land Firth,' and that ' Wick or Sinclair's Bay is
the most desirable locality' for a harbour of refuge
for such vessels. At Liverpool Mr. Alex. Coghill
asserted that there is no part of Great Britain
where a harbour of refuge is more requisite than at
"Wick, 'or on that coast, at all events ;' adding, I
have no doubt many ships coming to and from the
Baltic would be saved if there were a harbour of
refuge there,' and that he had received similar
testimony from numerous masters of vessels. At
North Shields, Mr. Poppelwell, Lloyds' Surveyor,
thought 'Wick 'an excellent site for a harbour of
refuge,' and spoke strongly of the dangers of the
Pentland Firth. Mr. Wm. Ware testified that, as
far as regards the saving of life, I think Wick a
very desirable place to make a harbour of refuge.'
Mr. Martin Cay thought it would be very worthy
to have the public money laid out for such a pur-
pose' at "Wick. Mr. Kendlish, a North Sea pilot,
who had pi'oted ILM.'s ships all round the Ork-
neys, thought a harbour of refuge necessary on
the north-east coast, and that Wick was the site.
At Sunderland, Mr. James Anderson testified that
a harbour at Wick would be valuable to the fisher-
men, as well as to a great number of vessels which
trade to Wick, and 'for the general trade,' and he
gave several instances showing its great necessity.
At Hartlepool, Mr. W. 0. Mossman, who had for
16 years been engaged under Captains Slater and
Otter, in her Majesty's surveying department, gave
the following very striking evidence :
For vessels going north about, would Wick har-
bour be useful P—Decidedly. Some years ago I
recommended that that bay should be enclosed as a
harbour of ref tqe for the convenience of vessels
trading from the Baltic, and the ports on the east
coast of England, round to the west coast, and to
America, because many a vessel coming across can-
not study the tide. He is anxious to make the
land, and is obliged to wait, sometimes in very
heavy gales 'of wind, before he dares take the Firth ;
it is one of the most dangerous places we have.
If that will take him to Wick, it will take him
through the Frill P—lt will ; but there is a danger
in taking the Firth when there is a sea on.
With an adverse tide, of course ?—Yes ; I have
seen everything washed from off the decks.
At a further stage of this witness's examination
he was again interrogated regarding Wick as
follows
Are timber ships coming from North America in
the fall of the year ever caught in the Moray Firth
and driven back?--Frequently, when they might
go into Wick. A ship will be coming down some-
times from the westward with a fine breeze, I US.f.