Wooden full-rigged ship Mobile of Bath, Maine, built John Larrabee, Bath, Maine, 1851, 18 months old, 960 tons, 173 x 35 x 17.4 ft, Captain Joseph H Tarbox. Voyage Liverpool to New Orleans with 54 passengers and 24 crew. Struck Arklow Bank at 2am Wednesday 28th September. Only 1 passenger and 8 crew saved (no officers saved), at 10:30am on Thursday 29 September, - 4 by schooner Mary Elizabeth of Nevin (Captain John Richards) and taken to Dundalk, and 5 by schooner Rebecca of Glasgow (captain Peter Gibson) and taken to Glasgow. Reports state that the ship ran aground since the helmsman steered WNW instead of WSW as directed by the captain.
Rescue by schooner Mary Elizabeth [from Weekly Register and Catholic Standard - Saturday 09 October 1852]: The following is the testimony of the four men landed at Dundalk by the Mary Elizabeth: "We, the undersigned, being part of the crew of the unfortunate ship Mobile, wrecked on the 29th ult. off Arklow Banks, beg to bear testimony to the kindness we received from Capt. John Richards and the crew of the schooner Mary and Elizabeth, of Nevin, who not only risked their lives in taking us off the wreck, but also supplied us with food, clothing, and warmth until we arrived at the port of Dundalk, and provided us with suitable lodging and board. We must also bear testimony to the kindness we received from the Swedish consul here, the harbour master, and the American consul, who posted at once from Dublin to render us assistance. C. Wyatt; John Dolstrem X, his mark; John Browne X, his mark; John Bisburn, X, his mark. Dundalk, Oct. 2, 1852."
Rescue by schooner Rebecca [from London Evening Standard - Friday 08 October 1852]:
THE WRECK OF THE MOBILE. NINE MEN PICKED OFF A RAFT. The following is an
account of how the survivors of the Mobile were picked up; it is from
a communication to the Glasgow Constitutional: "The schooner Rebecca, of Glasgow,
Captain Gibson, has just arrived in the Clyde from Cadiz. On Thursday
last, when a little above Tuskar, Captain Gibson saw a black object on
the water, about four miles to windward, the wind being at the time
about NNW. He at first took it to be a fishing-boat, or some craft
that had left a vessel in distress; but on his going to the
mast-head he discovered that it was part of the wreck of a large
ship. He immediately ran up his ensign, to let it be known that he
had seen the wreck, and would render assistance. He then made more
sail, as the vessel was double-reefed at the time, and in a short
period came close to the raft. He, as soon as possible, sent the
small boat to the raft, and on their approaching it, it was found that
there were nine persons on it. As the sea was running very high at the
time, the whole of them could not be taken into the boat at once.
Accordingly, five were taken first, and the remaining four left to
be taken off again; but before the boat returned, a brigantine [sic -
see above],
seeing what was going on, bore down, put out the boat, and took off
the four persons already mentioned. The five picked up by the Rebecca
consist of four seamen and one passenger. Two of the seamen are
American, one French, and one Irish. The passenger belongs to
Cornwall, in England, and was proceeding to California. From the
survivors on board the Rebecca we learn that the ill-fated ship was
the Mobile, of Bath, in America, Captain Tarbox, from Liverpool to New
Orleans. There were on board in all 78, consisting of 54 passengers,
and 24 of a crew. The Mobile cleared off from Liverpool on Tuesday,
about 12 o'clock noon, and was going at nine knots an hour, when she
struck the Arklow banks about two o'clock on Wednesday morning. The
small boats were broken by a heavy sea running at the time, and in a
very short period the ship was broken up. The survivors, along with
seven others, who were subsequently washed off, adhered to a large
part of the ship, and were about 30 hours on it, when they were taken
off by Captain Gibson, on Thursday morning, about half-past ten
o'clock. The sea was running very high the whole time they were on the
raft, making a clear passage over them, and it was with the greatest
difficulty that they adhered to it. Some of them were very much cut
and bruised, and on their being taken on board they cried for joy.
They were treated in the most kindly manner by Captain Gibson and his
crew, who supplied them with dry and comfortable clothes, and provided
such comforts as were necessary for them in their weak state. On their
reaching Lamlash Bay, on Saturday night, they were supplied with more
clothes by the inhabitants, who also made a subscription to assist
them on their further journey. The following are the names of the survivors:
Robt. J. Wheeler, seaman; Andrew Curtis, seaman; Archd. Woods,
seaman; Toussaint Breusk, seaman; Chris. Faull, passenger.
In
contrast with the above may be mentioned the disgraceful conduct of
the captain and crew of a large steamer coming up Channel. Early on
Thursday morning (the morning on which the men were picked up), a
large steamer, with a white funnel, coming up Channel, passed close
by the raft. A boat was put out, but, as if no one would venture into
it, was sent adrift; and by mere accident it struck the raft. It was,
however, stove in by striking, and no effort was made to save the
unfortunate sufferers. Had a boat been sent from the steamer, and
properly managed, more might have been saved, as some dropped off the
raft, seeing that they were left to perish when assistance might have
been rendered.
Statement of wreck by survivors at Glasgow: [from Bolton Chronicle - Saturday 09 October 1852]
The Mobile, Joseph H. Tarbox, master, sailed from Liverpool on Monday
[sic: Tuesday],
27th ult.; 11:30 a.m., wind blowing strong from N.E., steam-tug left
us; 2 p.m. set fore, main, and mizen topsails; at 3:30 p.m., set the
foresail; at 5 p.m., double reefed mizen topsail; 5:30 pm double
reefed fore and main topsails; 6:30 p.m., close reefed fore and main
topsails, furled mizen topsail and foresail. Blowing a gale, the ship
running nine knots at the time. Everything went on well until 2:30
a.m., when she struck with a violent crash on Arklow Banks. The sea
running mountains high at the time, the captain's orders were to cut
away the masts, which orders were obeyed so far as to cut away the
main and mizen masts when the ship came side to the sea, and
immediately commenced going to pieces; and the foremast went itself in
a very short time.
We had 54 passengers, and 24 of ship's company;
some 30 or 35 of the passengers never came on deck at all, but were lost
in their berths. The midship-house contained some ten or twelve, who
remained there until it went overboard with them. About 5pm the ship
was in small pieces with the exception of a part of the starboard side
where sixteen of us, composed of passengers and crew, were lashed upon
it, while others were lashed to different parts of the wreck, trying
to save their lives, but without avail. As the wind was blowing one
way and the tide running the other, the pieces of the ship were kept
together, so that the people were crushed by them. We remained on the
wreck until 10:30am on Thursday when there were only 9 of us alive
(eight seamen and one passenger), when we were taken off by captain
Peter Gibson of the schooner Rebecca, of Glasgow, in a very feeble
state and well cared for.
Lost:
Joseph H. Tarbox, master, Bowdoinham, Maine; James M. Coombs, mate,
Bowdoinham, Maine; James Bowers, second mate, Wales; Henry Freeman, steward,
Newcastle, Maine; Henry Pelton, cook, Liverpool and the following seamen:
William Orr, English; John Campbell, Stirling, Scotland; Samuel Huff,
Liverpool; James Lewis, Canada; Benjamin Thomas, Liverpool: James Mowry,
ditto; Henry Clark, New Hampshire; Thomas Carr, Liverpool; Henry
Wheeler, ditto; David Street, ditto; two unknown; and 53 passengers.