Home | History| Memoirs | News | Lisle Family | Accounts | Today | Additional Information | Quiz | Acknowledgements | Resources | Tyne Lives
The Stranding of the Screw Steamer Warkworth Castle at Cullercoats - The Board of Trade Enquiry into the stranding of the screw steamer Warkworth Castle; belonging Messrs George Cleugh and partners, on the rocks at Cullercoats on the 13th November, during foggy weather, was resumed at the Police Court, on Saturday. The Court was constituted in the same manner as on the previous day. – Guiseppi Gaten, able seamen, gave evidence and said that he was at the helm before the vessel struck. About five minutes before the vessel struck, the captain told him to help to put the helm down. He heard the captain ask the carpenter several times how the vessel's head was before she struck. – Captain Smith was re-called and said that the evidence given by him on Friday was perfectly correct – Mr Botherell, of Sunderland, who appeared for Captain Smith, replied for his client, and stated that on the voyage various casts of the log were taken and the Captain expected he was near Souter at the time of the accident. The Captain heard no fog horn, and the Board of Trade authorities admitted that on the night in question the fog horn was not going. Captain Smith had been on the bridge during the whole time of the passage, and this was corroborated by the witnesses. If the Captain had committed an error in judgement it was not like a neglect of duty and assuming that the Court did not punish except for a neglect of duty the captain could not be punished. – Mr J V Hamel having also replied, Mr Cleugh spoke a few words in favour of Captain Smith, whom he said had been steady and industrious while in his employment. – The Court retired, and upon re-assembling. The Mayor read the following judgment:- The Court is of opinion that the stranding of the steamship Warkworth Castle, at Cullercoats, between eleven and twelve p.m. on the 14th Nov. last, was caused by the great want of precaution on the part of the master, Mr W. Smith, in continuing to navigate the said ship on a westerly course after getting into 18 fathoms of water, and especially as he had not heard the fog horn on Souter Point as he had expected to hear, and also the thick weather should have made him doubly careful in the position he was in. The court therefore finds him in default of stranding the ship and suspends his certificate for six calendar months from this day. We are of opinion that all parties in this matter should pay their own costs. The enquiry then concluded.