Ocean Monarch (barque)

The Ocean Monarch was a British barque, which merged on August 24, 1848 in front of Llandudno on the coast of Wales in flames and burned. Four all nearby ships could save 218 people, but 178 passengers and crew members were killed.

The ship

The 55 foot barque Ocean Monarch was build in 1848 in the prestigious shipyard of Donald McKay in East Boston, where in 1853 also created the Great Republic and many other great sailing ships. Owner was based in Liverpool White Diamond Line, for that would bring Ocean Monarch passengers and cargo from Liverpool to Boston and thereby promote mainly emigrants. The ship was registered in Boston and sailed to its completion to Liverpool, from where it should stand for the first time with passengers in the lake.

On Thursday, August 24, 1848, the Ocean Monarch put under the command of Captain Murdock in Liverpool on her maiden voyage to Boston from. On board, 42 crew members and 354 passengers were (32 first and second class, 322 third class). 08.00 clock in the morning the ship was towed out of the harbor into open waters and then took a ride. Around 1200 clock noon, a few hours after departure, the Ocean Monarch was in the Bay Abergele Bay on the north coast of Wales, about six miles east of the promontory Great Orme 's Head. A steward informed the captain of a coming from the lower deck heat, after which Murdock himself went down and discovered smoke that came from the direction of the cabins. He immediately had to fetch water, but within five minutes was the entire aft part of the ship in flames.

Murdock had to heave the Ocean Monarch and hoist a flag as a distress signal. The fire was quickly becomes unmanageable and spread across the central part and the tail, so that the people fled to the front. In an attempt to contain the flames, Murdock tried to turn the Ocean Monarch against the wind. After this did not work, he let down the anchor to stop his ship. The team had a very short time no more control over the passengers who fled from the strong flames and ran about in panic. Many jumped overboard. Murdock left everything Searchable, which was buoyant, throw overboard, so that people could hold on to it. Later he jumped himself with a piece of wood into the water and showed the water -rubbing in how to swim with it. Nevertheless, most of the passengers were drowned. Two lifeboats were clearly made ​​for paying out, but before they could be put into the water, the flames had already taken.

Two ships that were in the immediate vicinity, the Ocean Monarch immediately came to the rescue. It was the yacht Queen of the Ocean of the Royal Mersey Yacht Club, who returned under the command of Captain Thomas Littledale of a regatta to Liverpool, and the Brazilian frigate Affonso that the under Captain JM Lisboa during a test drive with some high-ranking dignitaries Marine and their families made ​​. There was Admiral John Pascoe Grenfell, a member of the Brazilian Navy, and grandfather of John Grenfell Maxwell Aboard Affonso. He commanded during the rescue operation of a lifeboat and helped with the recording of the castaways.

Later were added the U.S. mail boat New World and the steamer Prince of Wales. The Queen of the Ocean left the last of the ships around 15:00 clock the scene of the accident. The four ships rescued 218 people together. 178 passengers and crew members came through the fire died.

Injury

The burnt Ocean Monarch sank the following day, August 25, 1848 in about 25 m deep water. The wreck lies at the position 53 ° 25 ' 40 "N, 3 ° 35' 37 " W53.427777777778 - 3.5936111111111 close to the Welsh seaside resort of Llandudno. One could only speculate about the cause of the crash. Newspaper article reported the fact that someone had thrown a cigarette into a wooden shaft fans and thus triggered the fire. Captain Murdock contradicted this assumption, stating that the fans had been on the ship made ​​of iron. He believed that smoking steerage passengers were to blame for the fire, and told how he had confiscated just before the whistle departure of some passengers.

But it may also have been another reason. A surviving crew member stated that it had seen the sailor Edward Jenkins disappeared with a lighted candle in his hand in a storage room and without it came out 20 minutes later. The fire was discovered in a room that was directly above the storage room, were stored in the straw and spirits.

Especially heroically during the rescue operation behaved Frederick Jerome, a New York based British sailor who was serving aboard the New World. He jumped into the water, swam to the burning ship and lifted about 15 women in a lifeboat. He was awarded rewards of the British Queen Victoria, as well as by François d' Orléans, prince de Joinville and Henri d' Orléans, duc d' Aumale, who had been with their wives on board the Affonso.

The British painter Samuel Walters (1811-1882) designed a three-part series of paintings entitled The Burning of the Ocean Monarch off the Great Orme.