1897 - A PERILOUS VOYAGE. SWANSEA BARQUE ESCAPES THE ATLANTIC GALE. The barque Aberlemno, which left Glasgow a month ago for Rio, went Ashore near Ilfracombe on Friday, and was towed into harbour by the lifeboat. She had lost all her sails in the recent gale. The Aberlemno is owned at Swansea by Alderman Morgan Tutton, and is well known at this port. She was of 735 tons register, and was an iron barque built in 1876.

Mr Tutton informs us that the whole of the crew were Glasgow men. or at least were shipped there; and the skipper was a West of England man named Captain Birmingham.

DETAILS OF THE VOYAGE AND, THE WRECK. An Ilfracombe correspondent writes : - Crowds of people wended their way to Ilfracombe Harbour on Friday morning when just after three o'clock rockets were fired summoning the lifeboat crew. It transpired that whilst a Combemartin coastguard was on duty near Watermouth he saw, although it was pitch dark, and snow was falling, a vessel on the rocks. He ran to the residence of Mr Cole, secretary of the Lifeboat Institution, and both proceeded to the pier. The lifeboat crew quickly responded to the call of the rockets, and the boat being launched, proceeded along the coast. Much difficulty was experienced through the darkness, and nothing for a considerable time could be seen of the vessel. At last she was observed on the rocks nearest to Combemartin. Coming alongside, Mr. Cole went on board, and found her to be the barque Aberlemno of Swansea bound from Glasgow to Rio, with coal The master (Captain Birmingham) stated that she was 750 tons register, and left Glasgow about nineteen days ago with a crew of fifteen hands. She had experienced nothing but a series of disasters ever since.

The barque encountered the full force of the late gale, and beat about the Atlantic day after day, the sails going one after another. At last she was driven into the Bristol Channel, and the captain made for Penarth with all sails gone. New sails were procured, and the vessel proceeded once more on her voyage. When off Combemartin she was caught in a terrific snowstorm, and driven on the rocks. Although she was bumping heavily, and it was feared she would sink into deep water at any moment, the captain and crew refused to leave. The latter collected all their effects on deck, and they were transferred to the lifeboat. Everything possible was done to get the barque off the rocks, but, strange as it might appear, she suddenly slewed round with the wash of the sea, and slipped into deep water. As she appeared all right the captain put her to windward, and she sailed into Ilfracombe Harbour.

There it was seen that she had a large hole in the forepart of her hull, and was otherwise damaged. Unfortunately, whilst in harbour, a life-boat man named George Yeo was assisting in furling the sails when he slipped and fell with a heavy thud to the deck. He was picked up in an unconscious state, and removed to the hospital on a stretcher, he being in a very precarious condition. - The South Wales Daily Post [210] [361] 2nd April 1897.

1897 - SHIPPING-LAW. ACTION AGAINST A SWANSEA ALDERMAN - At Swansea Police-court on Tuesday Alderman Morgan Tutton. shipowner, was the defendant in a wage action for £ 5 4s. 4d. brought against him by James D. Carnegie, A.B. and sailmaker. Mr. W. Smith appeared for plaintiff, and Mr. Talfourd Strick for defendant. — Mr. Smith said the point in dispute was as to £4. On the 1st of March the plaintiff signed articles on the Aberlemno from Glasgow to Rio. On the 30th, when the vessel got to Penarth, the boatswain had to be discharged ill, and plaintiff took his place. The engagement, however, only lasted till April 23, when the crew were all discharged, the vessel having gone ashore at Ilfracombe. The plaintiff's contention was that he was under a new engagement from the time he took the boatswain's duties, but for the defence it was contended that plaintiff was simply promoted, and that no new contract was entered into. — Alderman Tutton went into the box, and declared that the practice of promoting without fresh contract was general, and a man could not sign articles except ashore. —The Stipendiary reserved his decision in what he described as a complicated case till to-morrow (Thursday). - Evening Express [135] [361] 12th May 1897.

1897 - Claim Against a Swansea Shipowner. - Mr. J. C. Fowler, stipendiary, gave his decision at Swansea Police-court on Thursday in the claim preferred by J. D. Carnegie, A.B. on board the ship Aberlemno. against Alderman M. Tutton. shipowner, Swansea, for £5 4s. wages. — Mr. Fowler said that Carnegie had signed no official agreement in the presence of a superintendent of the Board of Trade on being promoted to the post of boatswain. The entering of the promotion in the logbook, as was done in plaintiff's case when the ship was at Penarth, was no agreement, and, as Carnegie was not discharged before a month's wages had been earned, he had no legal claim for compensation for dismissal. - Evening Express [135] [361] 21st May 1897.