INQUIRY AT WHITEHAVEN

An inquiry into the circumstances connected with the disaster to the
Whitehaven Lifeboat on Thursday night last, whereby one of the crew
was drowned, was held at the Harbour Master’s Office on Monday
afternoon. There were present the following members of the committee
of the Whitehaven branch of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution: -
Captain MANN (Harbour Master), in the chair; Mr. MUIR, collector of
customs; Mr. JOSEPH WALKER, Tangier Street; Mr. J. S. HELLON, Bank of
Whitehaven; and Mr. W. J. TYSON, hon. Sec. Lieutenant TIPPING,
District Inspector to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, was
present on behalf of that body. – The Chairman explained that the
meeting was called for the purpose of ascertaining the particulars of
Thursday night’s proceedings with reference to the Lifeboat going to
the rescue of a barque near Workington. It had been thought advisable
to call the coxswain and crew of the lifeboat, so that the committee
might hear for themselves the truth of the matter. Lieutenant TIPPING
had been sent down to assist with the inquiry, and report to the Head
Office in London. –Lieutenant TIPPING said that he might state that he
had received instructions by telegram on Saturday, when at Kingstown,
to proceed immediately to Whitehaven, his instructions being: “And
after you have conferred with the honorary secretary you will be good
enough to call upon the Widow and convey to her the sincere condolence
and sympathy of the Institution with her in her sad bereavement. After
this ask the committee to meet as soon as possible to enquire fully
with you into the causes of the accident, and report in the usual form
as soon as practicable. The Secretary (of the Royal National Lifeboat
Institution), when he receives details of the disaster, will request
for the Honorary Secretary to provide for the immediate wants of the
widow and her family: and also take the usual means for raising a fund
for their support, to which the institution will contribute.”
Lieutenant TIPPING went on to say he thought the best way to proceed
would be to first call in the coxswain and hear his statement, and
call the remainder of the crew afterwards. – JAMES MORRIS, coxswain,
was then called in, and by means of questions from Lieutenant TIPPING
the following particulars were elicited: - The crew received orders
from Mr. TYSON that the boat was required, and about a quarter of an
hour after (a quarter to seven) they had the boat launched. It was low
water at the time. They left with a full crew, all sailors, and
proceeded till near the vicinity of the barque, it being then, as near
as witness could judge, about quarter-past eight. The night was very
dark, and no lights were shown from the vessel in distress, so that
the lifeboat crew could not tell exactly where she lay. Through not
being able to see the barque they ran past her, and were to leeward
when they first caught a glimpse of her by the light thrown out by
some slag shot out by the furnaces. The Lifeboats anchor was thrown
out, and the sail taken down, but they were in broken surf, and the
water was very shallow. As the anchor was dragging, they took it up
again, and having got the sail set, went on the port tack, which took
them to the north of Workington Harbour towards Maryport. When they
got into about three fathoms of water they lowered the anchor again
with the intention of waiting till the Workington tug boat came to
their assistance. There were no lights burned from the lifeboat, as
they did not think it was any use. The water was low at the time, so
that the tug could not have got out for some time. It was no use
attempting to pull to the barque. -In answer to a question, MORRIS
said that he knew it was rather risky to hoist sail on the lifeboat
when they found themselves on a lee shore, but they wanted some way on
the boat to get her out of where she was, and she was unmanageable
under oars. – In reply to the Chairman, MORRIS said that when they
anchored in three fathoms of water they would be about half-a-mile
outside of the barque. They could see her then. – By Lieutenant
TIPPING: When we anchored the first time the water was shallow. One of
the men told me his oar touched the rocks when in the trough of the
sea. – The Chairman: She must have been a surprising boat to work out
when you were on the lee shore. - Witness proceeding said that after
anchoring a second time they lay about twenty minutes or half-an-hour.
It was while anchored the second time that the boat capsized. She
first dragged at her anchor and then ran ahead, and the cable thus
slackening, she got broadside on and capsized. She did not turn
completely over, but righted again on the same side. After she
righted, witness saw three men to leeward out of the boat. These were
got in, and it being found that the cable had fouled, it having caught
in the first rowlock on the starboard side, witness gave orders to the
first bowsman to cut the cable, which he did, and they made for
Maryport, which they reached about a quarter past ten. Witness could
not say whether the men had the lifelines over their knees or not at
the time the boat capsized, but he gave the men orders to do so when
they were starting. The boat was struck on the portside when she
capsized. – SAMUEL CHARLTON, second Coxswain, was next called in, and
said that when they first sighted the barque by the light from the
slag, she was on the starboard bow, about 50 yards away. They took off
the sail and tried to reach the vessel with using the oars, but the
oars were touching the rocks. They could not see any lights from
Workington Harbour. They put on sail again and got the lifeboat out to
sea with the intention of waiting for the tug. It was then flood tide,
and it carried them partly to the eastward. They next anchored about
half a mile to leeward of the vessel. They had been lying at anchor
about a quarter of an hour, and had got things squared again ready for
a start as soon as possible, when the boat began dragging, and fell
off in the trough of the sea. The first sea that struck her knocked
her over on her starboard gunwale, and a second sea striking her
before she righted, capsized her altogether. She lay about half a
minute before she righted, and emptied herself. When she righted four
of the crew were hanging to the boat side. They were got in, and
afterwards they cut the cable and proceeded to Maryport. – In reply to
questions, witness said the men were not altogether clear of the boat
when she capsized, but were all hanging on to something, except the
man that was lost. Witness was underneath the starboard quarter when
the boat upset, and he got one of his arms fast through a lifeline.
About a minute after the boat righted he missed HENNEY. CRADDOCK
(sic), HENNEY’s brother-in-law, shouted that a man was out of the
boat. They could hear HENNEY shouting to windward of the boat, “Jim,
come to me.” – THOMAS CRADDUCK said after the boat righted he was
overboard, but he was helped in. When he was in the water on the lee
side, he heard cries in the water, and when he got into the boat he
looked and saw who was missing. – In reply to a question from
Lieutenant TIPPING, CHARLTON said he did not think the cable was foul
of the rowlock when the boat righted, but it had got hitched over the
forward air case, and was under the keel. – WILLIAM RUSSELL, bowsman,
said he cut the cable because it was foul of the bow. The Coxswain did
not see how it was fouled, but witness shouted to him that the cable
was foul, and the Coxswain shouted “Cut it.” – MORRIS, recalled, said
after the cable was cut the oars were got out, and the men pulled
towards where the shouting was. The shouting gradually got weaker till
it was lost altogether. They pulled about a quarter of an hour before
giving up. When they found it useless to pull any more they hoisted
sail and made for Maryport. – Lieutenant TIPPING said that it seemed
pretty plain how the accident happened, and how the poor fellow lost
his life. – The Chairman: They appear to have done all they could to
save his life. – CHARLTON, in reply to a question, said at the time
the boat upset HENNEY was sitting on the thwart. Could not say whether
he had his lifeline fixed across or not. Two other members of the
crew, were called in and asked if they were clear of the boat after
she capsized. One said he held onto the lee gunwale, and after getting
in again helped his comrade in after him. – The Coxswain said he kept
hold of the steering lines, and CRADDUCK said that he was saved
through his foot catching in the after rowlock. – In reply to
Lieutenant TIPPING, CHARLTON said he never, up to the moment of the
accident, expected the boat would capsize. – In reply to Mr. TYSON,
MORRIS said the crew were all sober. HENNEY had been a teetotaller for
ten months, he was a good seaman and understood his duties. – Mr.
TYSON said there was a local newspaper which said that on several
occasions when the lifeboat was wanted the crew were under the
influence of drink. – The men answered together: That is a lie, sir. –
Lieutenant TIPPING, referring to a statement in the same paper,
blaming the crew for negligence in not fastening themselves to the
seats, said it was against the rules for any man to be tied in the
Lifeboat. There were plenty of ropes to hold on by. It sometimes
happened when boats were upset that, from various causes, they were
several minutes before they righted. In fact if a man were found
lashed to his thwart and drowned, the Institution would not be
responsible for his family. – Mr. TYSON said the same paper stated
that not a man had been saved by the Whitehaven or Seascale Lifeboat
since 1868, whereas 28 had been saved. – Lieutenant TIPPING said the
honorary secretary had called his attention to these statements in a
local paper, and with the sanction of the local committee the
representatives of the Press had been requested to attend so that
there should be no secret in this inquiry. The management of this
branch of the Institution had been attacked by the Press and fault was
found with it, so he thought it was only right to have the case looked
into, in order that if there were misstatements made, such things
might be set to rights. – Lieutenant TIPPING said he was quite
satisfied, after looking into the thing; that they could not improve
on the present crew. There was no doubt the Coxswain made an error in
running past the vessel before he saw her, but, on the other hand, she
showed no lights, and there was nothing to guide him. Until the Board
of Trade insisted on vessels being supplied with lights to use in the
riggings in case of wreck, he did not see how they would improve. – In
reply to Lieutenant TIPPING, Mr. TYSON said he had subscription books
prepared to leave at various places. He had got several subscriptions
promised already. – The Inquiry then concluded, and the Committee
proceeded to consult with regard to drawing up a report embodying
their views on the evidence given.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE

The local committee of the Whitehaven Branch of the Royal National
Lifeboat Association, met in the Harbour Master’s Office on Monday
afternoon, 11th inst., and, assisted by the District Inspector of
Lifeboats (Lieutenant TIPPING, R.N.) – Captain MANN, Harbour Master,
in the chair – held an exhaustive inquiry into the accident which
happened to the Lifeboat on Thursday last, 7th inst., whereby one
JAMES WILLIAM HENNEY lost his life. The result of the inquiry was that
the crew of the Lifeboat was exonerated of all blame of mismanagement
of the boat, or want of endeavour to rescue their comrade after he had
been thrown overboard by the boat capsizing, they having, in the
opinion of the committee and District Inspector, done all that lay in
their power to render assistance to the crew of the Cygnus in the
first place, and after the capsizing, to rescue HENNEY, who was
unfortunately drowned. They wish to express their appreciation of the
prompt manner in which the crew manned the Lifeboat and proceeded to
the scene of the wreck during the severe gale of Thursday night, and
their sincere regret that their exertions to land the crew of the
barque Cygnus were not crowned with the success they deserved. They
also take this opportunity of expressing their sympathy and sincere
condolence with the widow and orphans of the brave fellow who lost his
life while endeavouring to save others, and of assuring her that she
and her three orphan children shall have every pecuniary help that
they can afford her. It is proposed to raise a sum of money by public
subscriptions in the locality for the widow and orphans, to which fund
the Committee of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution will
contribute. Subscription lists have been opened at the different banks
in the town, also at the Customs Office and the Harbour Master’s
Office. Subscriptions will be thankfully received by the local
honorary secretary, Mr. W. J. TYSON. – Signed –
THOMAS MANN, Chairman.
LIEUT. HENRY G. TIPPING, R.N., District Inspector of Lifeboats.
W. J. TYSON, Hon. Sec.
Whitehaven, January 13th, 1886