SS Clan Ranald (1900)
SS Clan Ranald
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| History | |
|---|---|
| Name: | SS Clan Ranald |
| Owner: | Clan Line |
| Builder: | W.Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland, England |
| Out of service: | 31 January 1909 |
| Fate: | Sunk by unknown cause |
| Status: | historic shipwreck |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 3596 gross, 2285 net. |
| Length: | 355 ft (108 m) |
| Depth: | 22.7 ft (7 m) |
| Installed power: | Steam |
| Propulsion: | Screw |
| Speed: | 11 knots |
| Crew: | 64 |
SS Clan Ranald was a two decked, turret deck ship, that sank off the rocky coast near Edithburgh in Australia. It is the only turret ship to have been lost in Australian waters, and therefore represents a unique part of Australia's maritime history. The bulk of crew were Asian sailors (lascars). Clan Ranald is considered one of the worst shipwrecks in South Australia (SA) where only 24 survived out of the 64 crew members.
SS Clan Ranald was built in 1900 by Doxford & Sons in Sunderland, UK, as a turret deck ship for the Clan Line Steamers of Glasgow. The ship measured 355 ft in length and had a net tonnage of 2,285 tons. The turret deck ship design was a modern idea for the beginning of the 18th century, as it was considered seaworthy and economical for carrying bulk grain cargoes. The sides of the vessel curve inwards after reaching the widest point; this creates a semi-ledge that sits about midway up the vessel's hull. The purpose of this construction, together with increased storage capacity, is to make the cargo so compacted that it would have minimal shifting during transportation. However, the main advantage of the design is the cost reduction of port charges. Turret ships offer lower tonnage per ton (which could be up to 10%) and that the narrow turret deck enabled a reduction in Suez Canal dues where charges were based on deck width and the net tonnage.
On 15 January 1909 the vessel arrived in Port Adelaide from Mauritius. At Darling’s Mill, the ship took on 39,862 bags of wheat and 28, 451 bags of flour. A large amount of coal (638 tons) was also loaded, with 170 tons on the top decks. On the 31st of that month, despite a 4° list to starboard Clan Ranald left the Semaphore Anchorage, bound for South Africa with a crew of 64 people. The ship's crew consisted of four Manilamen, sixteen Calcuttamen and 34 Lascars.The ship was commanded by Captain A.S. Gladstone.
At 2 pm the ship was south of Troubridge Island when it suddenly shifted onto its starboard side at a 45° angle. The crew rushed onto the deck whilst leaving the engine running. The starboard deck was submerged and this caused the ship's rudder to sit out of the water. At 4.30 pm a rough wind blew the ship towards Troubridge Hill. Due to rough seas, the ship's lifeboats had been smashed and the vessel was driven near the cliffs. In their desperation to escape, the crew attempted to construct wooden rafts from debris. Distress rockets were fired after seeing a nearby ship, the SS Uganda, but strangely they never sent assistance. At 10 pm the Clan Ranald capsized and sank in 20 metres of water about 700 metres from the shore, pitching the crew into the sea. Many were sucked under as the ship sank while others who swam to shore died when they reached the steep cliffs and jagged rocks that were nearly impossible to climb to safety. Others perished after being subjected to the freezing elements all night. Even though the distress rockets were overlooked by the SS Uganda, some of the Troubridge locals saw them. They rushed to the beach and gave assistance to many of the surviving crew. The locals also began searching for other survivors on the beach and were shocked by the terrible loss of life they found along the shoreline. Some bodies that were found were battered beyond recognition. Only 36 of the missing bodies were found, which were buried in Edithburgh Cemetery. The five British officers were buried in the main section and the 31 Lascar crew were buried in a mass grave at the rear of the cemetery.
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Wikipedia