SAMUEL PLIMSOLL (1873-1948)

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The Samuel Plimsoll under sail (Illustration Jack Spurling)

Description

3 Masted Wool Clipper

Construction

Iron

Size

1510 gross tons length 73.5m beam 11.9m draft 7m

Built

1873 by Walter Hood & Co, Aberdeen, Scotland

Owner

George Thompson & Co. and later J & A Brown

Sunk

21st Sep 1948

Location

Beagle Rocks, south of the South Mole

Latitude/Longitude

(-32.060566, 115.727158)

Sinking

On 17 June 1945 the British India Steam Co.Dalgoma in ballast, snapped both its anchor cables during a gale, and was blown onto Fish Rocks, The following day it managed to get afloat, and under its own power and entered Fremantle Harbour. As it steamed between the North and South moles the engines needed to be shut down and now out of control and with a gale at its stern, charged down the harbour. The engineers on board the Dalgoma managed to start the engines just as the hulk drifted across the Steamer’s stern. The starboard propeller cut holes in the Samuel Plimsoll which very soon sank in the middle of the river opposite G Shed. It was not until early October 1945 that work began on removing 1,300 tons of coal from the sunken Samuel Plimsoll.

Underwater

Little progress was made salvaging the hulk until 1947 when James Ball and Sons began work. In mid-July 1947, using their steam lighter Agnes, they raised two winches. By the end of September 1947 the wreck having been cut into 12 sections over a period of 5 weeks, picked up by the 80 ton floating crane pelican and dumped near beagle rocks.

Gallery

The shipping line was more popularly known as the Aberdeen Star Line and was well known in the England to Australia migrant and cargo services, and loading wool for the return voyage, which often became a race to get the first clip to the London market.
The vessel was named after Mr Samuel Plimsoll, a politician of the U.K. House of Commons. The Gentleman was the Instigator for ship’s Safety at Sea and the introduction into the English Parliment (&. Law), of ships safety regulations and the “LOAD LINE”, which is displayed on both, sides of all ships to this day and is known as the “Plimsoll Line”.
The floating crane Pelican raising bits of the Samuel Plimsoll (photo: Peter Worsley). From 1902 it was used for storing and suppling coal to ships at Fremantle. The Samuel Plimsoll was sunk near G shed as a result of a collision with the Dalgoma in 1945.
Samuel Plimsoll whom the ship was named after. the original figurehead is on display at Fremantle Maritime Museum

Location

Videos

Lygnern and Plimsoll by Patrick Morrison MAAWA

Exploring the wreck of Lygnern / Samuel Plimsoll with Kevin Edwards