SHIPWRECKS & GROUNDINGS “Jane”

Accreditation The Redcar and Saltburn-by-the-Sea Gazette 27/11/1880.

WRECK OF A BARQUE AT REDCAR
“JANE”

          To the numerous wrecks that have of late taken place at Redcar another must be added. On Monday, (23/11) morning a barque came ashore opposite the Coatham furnaces, and she will become a total wreck. She is full of water, is partly broke in two, and irreparable damage has been done to her bottom. The vessel is the “Jane”, of St. John’s, New Brunswick, and is owned at Weymouth, Nova Scotia. She is a fine new boat, being about eighteen months old, and had only sailed two or three voyages. Her registered tonnage was 842 tons. Captain Heiney was the master, and had recently brought her across the Atlantic – from New York to Lyn – with a cargo of maize. She took ballast at the last named port, and then left in tow of a tug for Middlesbrough, where she was to have been laden with a cargo of iron for Savannah. She put into the Humber for a couple of days owing to stress weather. When she left this river she was still in tow, and was in fact, being towed when she came aground. The vessel was absolutely towed aground. At the time she struck – between seven and eight in the morning she was in charge of a Hartlepool pilot who had been taken on board at four o’clock about three miles N.W. of Hartlepool light. There was a fog and severe snow storm, but it is said the lead was constantly used. As soon as the vessel struck the captain came ashore, though the mate and crew were aboard until eight o’clock on Monday night, when the Free Gardeners’ lifeboat, the Emma was sent out to their assistance. The crew and four Redcar men worked all day throwing out ballast, and two tugs tried to float the ship, but without success. At five o’clock she was so much damaged that she began to fill very rapidly with water. The sea, which had been smooth all day, became rough at night and washed over the disabled barque, which swayed helplessly about. Blankets and paraffin were burnt aboard to acquaint the lifeboat men that the mate and crew were in danger, and when the lifeboat got to the vessel it was found that the men had taken to the rigging for safety. The mate and crew, numbering fourteen, were brought off, together with the four men who had been helping to lighten the ship. The crew were housed at the Globe Hotel.