Report of the accident from the Flintshire Observer:
From the foundered ketch
Alice Linda in the estuary of the Dee, a diver on Saturday morning recovered
the body of Captain John Garratt, Shotton, who was 57 years of age, and had
gone down last Thursday week. The Flintshire coroner held an inquest at
Connah's Quay on Saturday night. None of the witnesses could explain why the
vessel foundered, but the mate told a stirring story of his struggle for life.
The ketch left the stage of the Hawarden Bridge Iron Works last
Thursday week [25 January 1913], with a cargo of galvanised sheets for
Liverpool. On arriving at the Mostyn Deeps, Captain Garratt decided to anchor
there for a time, as the weather was rough. At eleven o'clock the following
night nothing appeared to be amiss with the vessel. But about four o'clock the
next morning the mate, the only other man on the vessel, was awakened by a
tremendous noise resembling a crash, and he had a terrible struggle for
life. Water was rushing into the bunk, and, in his own words, "I thought
it was my last, I because I felt the first sensation of drowning." He was then
out of the cabin, and, as the scuttle leading to the deck was open, he was
forced through to the surface, when he found the vessel had foundered.
Luckily, he seized hold of a rope, and he stated that the vessel's boat was
within reach, as though it had been placed there providentially. Being a man
of fine physique he managed to scramble into the boat, though he was clothed
only scantily. The weather was bitterly cold and rainy, and he was exposed to
the elements for over an hour. He directed his efforts to release the rope
from the sunken vessel, then took a piece of board from the bottom of the
boat, and steered to a small steamer about 200 yards off. He cried for help
but was not heard. He managed to get on to the steamer, where he aroused the
men and was attended to in a state of great exhaustion.
Captain Garratt went
down with the vessel, and the diver took his body from the hold, where it had
got owing to some of the woodwork having been torn away. The jury returned a
verdict of "Accidentally drowned."
The Superb was a wooden Mersey flat built in 1827 at Witton
(Northwich); ON 1942, 47 tons, formally registered at Liverpool in 1847 and register was
closed in 1908. At time of loss (18-3-1908), the vessel was owned by J
Armitage of Greenfield. High winds caused the flat to break free from
her mooring and be driven ashore at Llannerch-y-mor. The loss is listed
in the BOT wreck returns. The Superb was 80 years old.
Liverpool Journal of Commerce - Wednesday 25 March 1908:
The flat Superb, of Liverpool, Point of Ayr for with a cargo of slack,
anchored off Llanerchymor on the 6th owing to heavy weather. Next day
she was found lying in safety high and dry. On the 18th water washed
away the sand under her, breaking her back. She will be a total
wreck.
The Lydia (ON 16409) was a 47nt flat, registered Runcorn, built at
Frodsham in 1847. This vessel is reported as involved in several
accidents, some involving loss of life (25 Sept 1896; 21 May 1897). On
28 September 1898, the vessel was owned by William Roberts of Mostyn and
under the command of Thomas Hools. The flat was carrying coal from the
Point of Ayr to Flint when it ran onto the Mostyn Bank and stranded in
westerly force 6 gale. Her loss is listed in the BOT Wreck Return
(total crew 2 saved) but she continued to be listed in Mercantile Navy
list and Runcorn shipping register until 1902.
Lloyd's List - Thursday 06 October 1898:
Depositions: LYDIA (flat), of Runcorn, from Point of Air for Flint: Deposition
of Thomas Hools, master, Mostyn. Sept. 29
Some history of flat Lydia - note how a crew of just 2 were involved:
[from Liverpool Daily Post - Saturday 26 September 1896]
Flat Lydia was advertised for sale and then noted as sold at
£45.
[Friday 09 April 1897 Liverpool Mercury]
Flintshire Observer - Thursday 03 June 1897: GREENFIELD. A CAPTAIN
CARRIED OVERBOARD AND DROWNED. Captain Thomas Jones, 62 years of age,
living at Station-road, Greenfield, and Master of the flat Lydia,
loaded with coal at Liverpool for Cydnant Wharf [sic, Cadnant near
Menai Bridge?], Anglesea, was drowned under very distressing
circumstances on the 21st ult. [21 May 1897] The vessel was proceeding under plain
sail, and when midway between Great Orme's Head and Puffin Island (at
the entrance of the Menai Straits), the wind suddenly shifted, and
when in the act of jibing the vessel the Master Thomas Jones was taken
overboard by the main sheet and drowned. The crew, all told, consisted
of the Master and the mate John Dennis. The flat arrived at Cydnant on
the following day's tide, in charge of the mate. The body of the
Captain has not yet been recovered.
A accident involving the flat James at Point of Ayr Dock [gutter] -
Flats Lydia and Annie were moored nearby.
From Flintshire Observer; Thursday 12-5-1898
From Flintshire Observer, Thursday 1 Jan 1885
James 1898
POINT OF AYR. SAD DROWNING FATALITY. LAMENTABLE END OF A BAGILLT
SAILOR.
A very pathetic mishap ocourred in the Point of Ayr dock at
midnight on Monday last [2 May 1898]. A sailor named Robert Lowe, a native of
Bagillt, engaged on the flat James, whilst attempting to throw a line
ashore for mooring purposes, accidently fell into the water and was
drowned. The deceased was an experienced sailor, and had sailed round
the world several times. He was the son of Captain Lowe, of the Mostyn
and Liverpool steamer Swiftsure. At the inquest, held on Wednesday, at
the Farmers' Inn, Ffynnongroew, before Mr. R. Bromley, county coroner,
and a jury, of whom the Rev. Gwenfryn Jones was foreman, Captain Robert
Lowe identified the body of the deceased as that of his son Robert Lowe,
aged 34 years, a single man.
- Thos. Hughes said he was mate of the Lydia. He saw the
deceased on Monday night last, about 12 o'clook. He was crossing from
the James to the Lydia with a rope in his hand, to be used for mooring
the James. He saw him throw the line ashore, and then seemed to slip
and fall head-foremost into the water. Witness shouted, and threw
deceased a line, which he got hold of, but immediately let go, and then
he sank. Deceased seemed to make no effort to save his life.
- Charles Foreman, gutterman at Point of Ayr, said he had seen the
deceased several times during the day. He seemed quite sober. He was
on the dock when deceased tried to cast the line ashore from the Lydia.
He made a good throw, but it fell short. Witness did not see him fall,
but heard a splash and the dockmaster shouting. He and the dockmaster
went aboard the Lydia, and he reached for the body with a boat hook, and
the master let himself down into the water and felt with his feet, but
no trace of the deceased could be found. The dockmaster then got hold
of the mooring line, and began hauling it out of the water. He said
"There is something fast to this line." Witness lay down flat on the
deck, and saw the deceased's arm with the rope twisted round the wrist.
He obtained help and hauled the body on deck. Means were tried to
restore animation, but without effect. It was impossible for deceased
to strike against anything in the fall, as there was a clear space
between the flat and the dock. He did not rise after falling into the
water. Witness had only seen one person before who had not risen after
striking the water, and he was dead drunk. When he saw deceased about
eleven o'clock, he seemed perfectly sober and walked alright. He had
had some drink. It was between five and ten minutes after deceased fell
into the water before the body was recovered.
- Captain Alfred Thomas Carter said he was dockmaster at Point of
Ayr. He saw Robert Lowe on Monday night, on board the steamer Kiel
Kiel[sic]. He told him to be very careful in going to his vessel. He was on
the dock when deceased threw the line, he could not see him throw it, as
it was too dark. He heard a splash, and shouted "man overboard." He
then went on board the Lydia, and let himself down into the water and
tried to find the body with his foot. After futile attampts to find the
body, he got hold of the line deceased had thrown and commenced to haul
it in. He said "There is something fast to this line." The last witness
then lay down on the deck of the flat and saw the body of the deceased.
Witness did not notice to what part of his body the rope was attached.
- By a juryman: He told the deceased to be careful in crossing to
his vessel from the steamer because it was so very dark.
- Fred. Hickson, Rock Ferry, said he was mate of the Annie. He
was on board the James on Monday night last. Lowe crossed from the
James to the Lydia with a line to cast ashore for mooring purposes.
Deceased had to go on board the Lydia to make the cast, as the distance
from his own vessel to the dock was too far for him to throw. Witness
was at the barrel, paying out the line for deceased to throw ashore.
There was no tension on the rope at all. He suddenly heard a splash and
a shout, and he ran from the James to the Lydia, and assisted in hauling
the deceased's body out of the water. Several methods for restoring
animation were tried, but without avail. The deceased was quite capable
of doing his work, although he was not exactly sober. He did not think
his condition had anything to do with the accident.
- The jury, after a brief deliberation, returned a verdict of
"accidently drowned".
Tally Ho 1884
NARROW ESCAPE OF TWO FLATMEN. - About seven o'clock on Sunday
morning [28 December 1884], the flat Tally ho [listed in MNL as Tallyho,
ON 4581], of Liverpool
[built Winsford 1840, 57 tons], owned by the Mostyn Coal and Iron Co.,
sank in mid-channel whilst moored alongside the steamer Whitby Abbey,
discharging iron ore for the Mostyn Works in the Mostyn deeps. The flat
was in charge of Evan Roberts, of Ffynnongroew, an experienced flatman.
She was loaded on Saturday evening and was waiting for the tug to tow
her into Mostyn quay. The pumps were tried frequently during the night,
and showed that she was not taking much water. On trying them again, on
Sunday morning, she was found to be taking water freely and fast
settling down. The captain went on board the steamer for assistance to
run the flat ashore, when she suddenly heeled over and sank, the mate
only escaping by clinging to the ropes of the steamer. The Tallyho lies
in eight fathoms of water at ebb tide. An endeavour will be made to
raise her.
The BOT wreck report contains this sinking. She is not listed
in MNL after 1885.