SS Silverlip (1902)
History | |
---|---|
United Kingdom | |
Name | Silverlip |
Owner | Sir Marcus Samuel |
Operator | Shell Transport & Trading Co |
Builder | W.G. Armstrong, Whitworth & Co, Walker |
Yard number | 723 |
Launched | 29 November 1902 |
Sponsored by | Lady Samuel |
Commissioned | 19 March 1903 |
Homeport | London |
Identification |
|
Fate | Burnt and sank, 1 May 1907 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Tanker |
Tonnage | |
Length | 470 ft 0 in (143.26 m) |
Beam | 55 ft 2 in (16.81 m) |
Depth | 33 ft 1 in (10.08 m) |
Installed power | 579 Nhp[1] |
Propulsion | triple expansion |
Speed | 11.5 knots (13.2 mph; 21.3 km/h)[2] |
Silverlip was a steam tanker built in 1902 by the
Design and construction
The vessel was laid down at W.G. Armstrong, Whitworth & Co. shipyard in Walker and launched on 29 November 1902 (yard number 723).
The sea trials were held on 19 March, during which the ship could easily maintain speed of 11.5 knots (13.2 mph; 21.3 km/h) under coal with ship loaded.[5] The steamship was designed to the broad specifications of the Shell Transport & Trading Co, allowing the vessel to carry general cargo, such as silk and tea, in addition to oil and petroleum products. This required development of a special cleaning procedure which was successfully accomplished. The ship was equipped with five separate pumps for discharge of liquid cargo, with two of them being able to unload between 200 and 250 tons of liquid per hour.[4] In addition, a complete arrangement of cargo gear for quick handling of general cargo was installed.
As built, the ship was 470 feet 0 inches (143.26 m) long (
Operational history
At the time of their entry into service, Silverlip was one of the largest vessels in the world. Not surprisingly, following her delivery the ship was laid up due to scarcity of cargo and overabundance of tonnage. Eventually, the ship was reactivated and on 25 February 1904 she proceeded from her mooring on River Tyne to
Upon return from her second journey, Silverlip sailed from Rotterdam to
Sinking
Silverlip departed for her last journey on 11 January 1907 from Cardiff for Balikpapan.[14] She called at Colombo and departed it on 8 February, reaching her destination in early March. There she took in 2,576 tons of benzine into No. 2 and No. 3 holds. The vessel left Balikpapan on 10 March and continued to Singapore, where she loaded 5,841 tons of the same fuel into remaining holds. The ship was almost fully loaded with the exception of the 'tween decks. Silverlip left Singapore on 25 March. She was under command of captain Nathaniel Hocken and had a crew of 53 men. On 30 April 1907, while off Cape Finisterre, she ran into a storm and the temperature dropped down to 45°F with a strong wind from the northwest. On 1 May she was about 240 miles northeast of Cape Finisterre, proceeding at full speed through the Bay of Biscay, when it was discovered that benzine in holds No.3 and No.4 had contracted and the captain ordered the chief engineer to press them with salt water. The screwcap on the No.4 hold expansion tank was taken off, and the gas cocks on the starboard side were also opened to get rid of vapors. The water was pumped down into the No.4 hold on the starboard side for some time and at approximately 13:50 the chief officer retired into his cabin. There were several crew members in the vicinity of No.3 and No.4 holds, among them two firemen on the 'tween deck under the bridge deck abreast of No.3 hold. Shortly after the chief officer left the deck, an explosion occurred in the neighborhood of the No.4 hold and the ship burst into flames amidships. The fire spread quickly with the flames rising into the air 70 to 100 feet. More explosions followed as benzine in the remaining holds ignited. The captain, who was in the aft part of the vessel, rushed through the flames and with assistance of some of the officers and crew managed to get the lifeboats out. The remaining crew in the forward part of the ship had to jump into the water and was picked up in the water by the lifeboats and they pulled away from the blazing wreck. Fortunately, another steamer, SS Westgate, happened to be in the vicinity, and rushed to help after noticing the blaze from about 9 miles away. Westgate picked up 48 survivors and took them to Plymouth. Five people died in the explosion and the resulting fire, including the chief engineer. An investigation conducted after the disaster put blame on one of the crew members, most likely one of the firemen, lightning a match and igniting the vapors emanating from the No.4 hold after it was open.[15][16]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g Lloyd's Register, Steamships and Motorships. London: Lloyd's Register. 1904–1905.
- ^ a b "Silverlip (1118327)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
- ^ "Tyne Built Ships: Silverlip". Retrieved August 23, 2018.
- ^
- ^ "Trial Trips". The Marine Engineer. Vol. XXV. 1 April 1903. p. 32.
- ^ "Mail & Shipping Intelligence". The Times. 29 July 1904. p. 8.
- ^ "Mail & Shipping Intelligence". The Times. 9 September 1904. p. 5.
- ^ "Casualties to Petroleum Vessels". The Petroleum Industrial & Technical Review. Vol. 11, no. 292. 8 October 1904. p. 296.
- ^ "Mail & Shipping Intelligence". The Times. 31 October 1904. p. 10.
- ^ "Review of Trade". Galveston Daily News. 13 May 1905. p. 8.
- ^ "Import of Petroleum into United Kingdom". The Petroleum Industrial & Technical Review. Vol. 12, no. 329. 24 June 1905. p. 496.
- ^ "Port Arthur". Galveston Daily News. 3 August 1905. p. 10.
- ^ "Disasters and Marine Notes". London Standard. 6 January 1906. p. 10.
- ^ "Mail & Shipping Intelligence". The Times. 14 January 1907. p. 10.
- ^ Henry, James Dodds (1907). "Chapter X: A Tale of Heroism and a Tale of Casualties". Thirty-five Years of Oil Transport: The Evolution of the Tank Steamer. London, UK: Bradbury, Agnew & Co. pp. 109–111.