Penarth Dock, South Wales - the heritage and legacy

Volume Ten - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - Even more aspects - The Lloyd's Register at Penarth Dock . . .

'Havelock'
Disaster Off Porthcawl - A Steamer Flying Signals of Distress - 'Our Porthcawl correspondent, telegraphing this morning, says:—A steamboat, having three masts and a black funnel, is in distress off Porthcawl. Two tugboats from Porthcawl have gone to its assistance. A later message from our correspondent says —The steamer is being towed in here. She has no one on board the crew are missing, and what has become of them is a mystery here, as the steamer's boat is towing behind her. The Thames (Porthcawl) is towing the disabled and abandoned steamer to Porthcawl. The Steamer Abandoned - A later telegram says :- The Havelock, of Antwerp, coal laden, is now in Porthcawl outer basin, having been salved by the Great Western Railway Company's tugboat and Porthcawl pilots. The ship appears to have been in a collision, as there is some damage done to her port quarter. There was no one aboard. The port lifeboat is not aboard. The men have evidently got away in their own boat. A cat was seen about the deck.' - South Wales Echo [163] [361] 3rd November 1898.

The Storm in the Bristol Channel - A Vessel In Distress off Porthcawl - 'Our Porthcawl correspondent telegraphs this (Thursday) morning:—A large boat, with three masts and a black funnel, is outside the sands to the south-west of Porthcawl. She is flying signals of distress. Two tugs have gone to her assistance. The shore is crowded with on-lookers. A later message says: - The steamer appears to be abandoned. There are no tidings of the crew. A Great Western Railway Company's tug got the steamer in tow, and brought her into Porthcawl. She is supposed to be the Havelock, coal-laden. Nothing is known here of her crew. The Crew Saved - Our Aberavon correspondent clears up the mystery. He wires:—On Thursday morning: the steamship Deerhound, of Foy, landed at Port Talbot Captain Lea and the crew of eleven of the steamship Havelock. abandoned off Bull Lightship, laden with 700 tons of coal, from Penarth. The steamer Havelock was showing signals of distress owing to her boilers being short of water, and the vessel being damaged by the storm. The crew had got into the Havelock's boat, and were rescued by Captain Hughes, of the steamship Deerhound, with great difficulty.' - Evening Express [135] [361] 3rd November 1898.

The Steamship Havelock - Large Claim for Salvage - 'A writ has been nailed to the mast of the Havelock, lying at Porthcawl, at the instance of the Great Western Railway Company. The salvage claim is for £ 2,000, [equivalent to £261,908 in 1999] we are informed.' - The Western Mail [036] [361] 7th November 1898.

An Unfortunate Steamer - Cardiff Tugboat's Good Service - 'The German-owned s.s. Havelock had another rough buffeting yesterday in the Bristol Channel. It will be remembered that a few weeks ago she was abandoned in the Channel coal-laden from Cardiff, her crew taking to the boats and being saved. The Havelock was seen by the Great Western Railway Company's tug Thames, and towed into Porthcawl. Last evening an attempt was made to bring her to Cardiff in tow of the salvage tug Salvor. The weather was fairly moderate at first, but a renewal of the storm came on. The tow rope was twice snapped, and it seemed as if she would be driven on to the Nash Sands, but the captain and crew of the tug stuck manfully to her and managed to pass another rope on to her. After infinite trouble the Havelock was got to Cardiff and successfully moored in the West Dock. Here she will discharge her cargo and afterwards go into dry dock.' - South Wales Echo [163] [361] 3rd January 1899.

s.s. Havelock sailed from Bute West Dock, Cardiff on the 3rd February 1899 bound for Preston according to the South Wales Daily News of the 4th February 1899. [325] [361] The 'Havelock' was probably broken up by the shipbreakers Thomas W. Ward, who's yard was situate at a diversion of the river Ribble which enabled a riverside wharf some 1,500 feet long to be built. The wharf was named the 'Diversion Quay' and became the centre of Preston's ship-breaking activity from c.1894.