Photograph: A wreck off the Anglesey coast [possibly Missouri]

PHOTOGRAPH: A wreck off the Anglesey coast.

[Possibly the Missouri wrecked near Holyhead 1st March 1886. See Wreck & Rescue on the coast of North Wales by Henry Parry p.104].

The Missouri was a iron steamship built by C. Connel Shipbuilding Company at Glasgow in 1881. Technical and configuration specifications are given as 5146gt, 3313nt; 425ft 6in long x 43ft 6in breadth x 27ft 9in depth; 4 masts, 7 bulkheads, 3 decks, boat deck 56ft; barque rigged; screw propulsion powered by 3 steam boilers linked to a compound engine producing 600hp. At time of loss, the vessel was owned by Missouri Steam Ship Company. However, it was operated by George Warren & Co, who had bought up the sailing packets of the White Diamond line when it failed in 1857. The company continued to trade between Liverpool and Boston as George Warren's Line of Liverpool and Boston Packets. Passenger steamship sailings were begun in 1865 as George Warren & Company. The company became the White Diamond Steam Ship Company in 1898. She was carrying cattle, hides, cotton and palm oil from Boston to Liverpool on 1 March 1886 under the command of master Kerr. The ship encountered an east-southeasterly gale force 6 and heavy snow as it made its way up St. George's Channel. The master believed that he had set a course to keep clear of the coast, but the ship drove onshore at Porth Dafach. Efforts were made to refloat the vessel using the ship's engines in reverse, but this only caused the stern to swing round further towards the shore. Hoping they could lighten the vessel by disposing of some of her cargo, about a quarter of the 395 cattle on board were dropped into the sea. The loss of their weight made little difference. The Holyhead lifeboat, Thomas Fielden was on standby to be launched. However, the cliff rescue team from Holyhead were able to rig a breeches buoy to bring 18 cattlemen, three stowaways and the ship's doctor safely ashore. Two tugs arrived to attempted to pull the Missouri off, but these failed. At midnight, the hull took on a sudden severe list to starboard and all the remaining crew were taken off to safety. Salvers later recovered much of the cargo but only 50 of the cattle were saved.

Dim cyfyngiadau/ No Restrictions

Adnau preifat / Private deposit

Os gwelwch yn dda archebwch y dogfenau gan ddefnyddio y rhif cyfeirnod amgen (lle ddarperidd) / Please order documents using the alternative reference number (where provided)

Mae copiau clawr caled o`r catalogau ar gael yn Archifau Ynys Môn ac yn y Gofrestr Cenedlaethol Archifau. Polisi Archifau Ynys Môn yw catalogio yn iaith y ddogfen./Hard copies of the catalogue are available at Archifau Ynys Môn / Anglesey Archives and the National Register of Archives. It is the policy of Archifau Ynys Môn / Anglesey Archives to catalogue in the language of the document.

Cyflwr da /Good condition

Compiled by Amanda Sweet for Archifau Ynys Môn / Anglesey Archives

https://coflein.gov.uk/en/site/271999/details/missouri

Mae'r holl gofnodiadau sy'n cydymffurfio â pholisi casglu Swyddfa Gofnodi Cyngor Sir Ynys Môn wedi eu cadw /All records which meet the collection policy of the Anglesey Archives have been retained.

Presented by TWL Hughes, Glyn [?]

Ni ddisgwylir croniadau/Accruals are not expected