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General Grant (ship)
Encyclopedia
The General Grant was a 1,005-ton three-masted barque
built in Maine, USA in 1864 and registered in Boston, USA. She was named after Ulysses S. Grant
, owned by Messers Boyes, Richardson & Co. and she had a timber hull with a length of 179.5 ft, beam of 34.5 ft and depth of 21.5 ft.
on 4 May 1866 bound for London
via the Cape Horn under the command of Captain William H. Loughlin. She was carrying 58 passengers and 25 crew, along with a cargo of wool, skins, 2,576 ounces of gold
and 9 tons of zinc spelter ballast. Included in the passenger list were a number of successful miners from the Australian gold fields.
At 11pm on 13 May 1866 the Auckland Island
s were sighted dead ahead. With only light winds the crew were unable to change course and she collided against the cliffs and drifted into a large cave on Auckland Island
's western shore. The rising tide and increasing swell caused the main mast to hit the cave roof repeatedly until the mast forced a hole through the hull and the ship sunk on 14 May 1866. Although the weather remained calm the boats were not launched immediately on the ship entering the cave as it was very dark, there was no obvious landing place and pieces of spars and rock were falling down continually.
Once daylight arrived the three boats on board were prepared for launch. The boats consisted of two quarter boats (each 22 feet long) and a long boat of 30 feet. One of the quarter boats was launched first and sent outside to see if landing could be made. The boat was expected to return for more people but instead waited outside the cave as no landing could be found. By this time the swell was increasing. The second quarter boat took a number of passengers and crew including Mrs Jewell to the first boat for transfer. The long boat was lying on the quarter-deck and was filled with passengers. The ship was sinking fast and the long boat floated off the General Grant's decks. Unfortunately the long boat was swamped with water just after getting clear of the ship. The second quarter boat stayed out of the danger area but three people (David Ashworth, Aaron Haymen and William Sanguily) were able to swim through the surf to the quarter boat. A total of fifteen people including 9 crew and 6 passengers survived the wreck. The captain did not leave the ship.
in one of the quarter boats. They set sail on 22 January 1867 without a compass, chart or nautical instrument of any kind. They were never seen again. Another survivor, David McLelland died of illness on 3 September 1867. He was 62.
The ten remaining survivors moved to Enderby Island where they lived on seals and pigs. On 19 November they sighted the cutter Fanny but she did not see their signals. The brig Amherst noticed their signals on 21 November 1867 and rescued the group.
As a result of this shipwreck and two previous wrecks (the Grafton (1864)
and the Invercauld (1865)
), the New Zealand government established a network of castaway depot
s and regular visits by government vessels to the subantarctic islands for the relief of further shipwreck victims.
From as soon as 1868, the General Grants cargo of gold attracted numerous recovery attempts, several of which proved deadly for the wreck seekers, but the exact location of the wreck has yet to be confirmed. The exact material making up the ballast of ship has been the subject of rumours with suggestions that the ballast was gold bars instead of the zinc spelter described in the manifest.
Barque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
built in Maine, USA in 1864 and registered in Boston, USA. She was named after Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
, owned by Messers Boyes, Richardson & Co. and she had a timber hull with a length of 179.5 ft, beam of 34.5 ft and depth of 21.5 ft.
Wreck
She departed MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
on 4 May 1866 bound for London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
via the Cape Horn under the command of Captain William H. Loughlin. She was carrying 58 passengers and 25 crew, along with a cargo of wool, skins, 2,576 ounces of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and 9 tons of zinc spelter ballast. Included in the passenger list were a number of successful miners from the Australian gold fields.
At 11pm on 13 May 1866 the Auckland Island
Auckland Island
Auckland Island is the main island of the Auckland Islands, an uninhabited archipelago in the south Pacific Ocean belonging to New Zealand. It is inscribed in the together with the other subantarctic New Zealand islands in the region as follows: 877-004 Auckland Isls, New Zealand S50.29 E165.52...
s were sighted dead ahead. With only light winds the crew were unable to change course and she collided against the cliffs and drifted into a large cave on Auckland Island
Auckland Island
Auckland Island is the main island of the Auckland Islands, an uninhabited archipelago in the south Pacific Ocean belonging to New Zealand. It is inscribed in the together with the other subantarctic New Zealand islands in the region as follows: 877-004 Auckland Isls, New Zealand S50.29 E165.52...
's western shore. The rising tide and increasing swell caused the main mast to hit the cave roof repeatedly until the mast forced a hole through the hull and the ship sunk on 14 May 1866. Although the weather remained calm the boats were not launched immediately on the ship entering the cave as it was very dark, there was no obvious landing place and pieces of spars and rock were falling down continually.
Once daylight arrived the three boats on board were prepared for launch. The boats consisted of two quarter boats (each 22 feet long) and a long boat of 30 feet. One of the quarter boats was launched first and sent outside to see if landing could be made. The boat was expected to return for more people but instead waited outside the cave as no landing could be found. By this time the swell was increasing. The second quarter boat took a number of passengers and crew including Mrs Jewell to the first boat for transfer. The long boat was lying on the quarter-deck and was filled with passengers. The ship was sinking fast and the long boat floated off the General Grant's decks. Unfortunately the long boat was swamped with water just after getting clear of the ship. The second quarter boat stayed out of the danger area but three people (David Ashworth, Aaron Haymen and William Sanguily) were able to swim through the surf to the quarter boat. A total of fifteen people including 9 crew and 6 passengers survived the wreck. The captain did not leave the ship.
Passengers and crew
The list of those on the General Grant includes:- William H. Loughlin of New York - Captain - Drowned at time of wreck
- Bartholmew Brown of Boston - First officer - Lost at sea attempting to reach New Zealand
- B. F. Jones of Massachusetts - Second officer - Drowned at time of wreck
- Magnes Anderson of Sweden - Carpenter - Drowned at time of wreck
- Keding - Steward - Drowned at time of wreck
- William Newton Scott of Shields (also reported as W Newton Smith) - Able bodied seaman - Lost at sea attempting to reach New Zealand
- William Ferguson - Able bodied seaman - Survived
- Cornelius Drew - Able bodied seaman - Survived
- Peter McNevin of Isaly - Able bodied seaman - Lost at sea attempting to reach New Zealand
- Andrew Morrison of Glasgow - Able bodied seaman - Lost at sea attempting to reach New Zealand
- David McLelland of Ayre, Scotland - Able bodied seaman - Died on the Island
- Joseph Jewell - Able bodied seaman - Survived
- William Murdoch Sanguily - Able bodied seaman - Survived
- Aaron Hayman (also reported as A. Harpman)- Ordinary seaman - Survived
- Corn - Drowned at time of wreck
- Purser - Drowned at time of wreck
- Cook - Drowned at time of wreck
- Assistant Cook - Drowned at time of wreck
- Mrs Brown - Passenger (wife of First Officer, Bartholmew Brown)- Drowned at time of wreck
- Mrs Mary Ann Jewell - Passenger (wife of Able bodied Seaman Joseph Jewell) - Survived. She is often reported as a stewardess but this is disputed. She did pay for her passage but had to sign articles of employment as a stewardess to accompany her husband - a member of the crew - but she did not act as stewardess.
- James Teer - Passenger - Survived
- Frederick Patrick Coughey - Passenger - Survived
- David Ashworth - Passenger - Survived
- Nicholas Allen - Passenger - Survived
- Mrs Ott and five children - Passengers - Drowned at time of wreck
- Mrs Allen and three children - Passengers - Drowned at time of wreck
- Mr & Mrs Oldfield and two children - Passengers - Drowned at time of wreck
- Mr Laing - Passenger - Drowned at time of wreck
- Mr Mitchell - Passenger - Drowned at time of wreck
Castaway
After the sinking of the ship and the capsizing of the long boat the remaining two quarter boats pulled up outside the cave and decided to row for Disappointment Island. They reached there at dark and then the next day made for the Auckland Island and Port Ross. They arrived there after three days and two nights in the boats. After exploring, the group found two huts at Port Ross and, on 13 July 1866 Musgrave's hut. The group split into two in order to keep watch for passing ships. After nine months ashore four of the crew decided to attempt to sail to New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in one of the quarter boats. They set sail on 22 January 1867 without a compass, chart or nautical instrument of any kind. They were never seen again. Another survivor, David McLelland died of illness on 3 September 1867. He was 62.
The ten remaining survivors moved to Enderby Island where they lived on seals and pigs. On 19 November they sighted the cutter Fanny but she did not see their signals. The brig Amherst noticed their signals on 21 November 1867 and rescued the group.
As a result of this shipwreck and two previous wrecks (the Grafton (1864)
Grafton (ship)
The Grafton was a 56 ton schooner sailing out of Sydney during the 1860s. It was wrecked in the north arm of Carnley Harbour, Auckland Island on 3 January 1864.-Last yoyage:...
and the Invercauld (1865)
Invercauld (ship)
The Invercauld was an 1100 ton sailing vessel that was wrecked on the Auckland Islands in 1864.-Wreck:The Invercauld was under the command of Captain George Dalgarno and was bound from Malbourne to Callao in ballast with a total of 25 crew. She struck the Auckland Islands at 2 am on 11 May 1864,...
), the New Zealand government established a network of castaway depot
Castaway depot
A castaway depot is a store or hut placed on an isolated island to provide emergency supplies and relief for castaways and victims of shipwrecks...
s and regular visits by government vessels to the subantarctic islands for the relief of further shipwreck victims.
From as soon as 1868, the General Grants cargo of gold attracted numerous recovery attempts, several of which proved deadly for the wreck seekers, but the exact location of the wreck has yet to be confirmed. The exact material making up the ballast of ship has been the subject of rumours with suggestions that the ballast was gold bars instead of the zinc spelter described in the manifest.