SHIPWRECKS & GROUNDINGS – Redcar & Coatham Coatham Pier and 5 vessels

Accreditation the Redcar and Saltburn News 10/12/1874

REDCAR AND COATHAM
GREAT DAMAGE TO COATHAM PIER
FIVE VESSELS ASHORE

The full effects of the gale were experienced at Redcar and Coatham, and the crews of the lifeboats, assembled shortly after midnight, to the full expectation that their services would be required. The sea roars to an immense height, and the waves dashed over the piers with tremendous force. Nothing serious, however, occurred until nearly 4 o’clock, when the the break Griffin, of Southampton (William Mundy, master), cut through the Coatham Pier between the saloon and the entrance, carrying away girders and columns, and making a In the promenade about 100 yards in extent. The Griffin left Whitby on Saturday week, with a crew of seven men, bound for Sunderland. She was laden with oak, and had discharged part of her cargo at various parts she was almost becalmed about 9:30 o’clock on Tuesday (08/12) night, and at eleven the gale came on, and they shortened sail. From the violence of the wind and rain they could see no distance before them, and the ship came on to the Coatham Pier about 4 o’clock the following morning, as above stated. The crew jumped on to the pier, and the vessel passed right through, the figurehead, bowsprit and bulwarks being very much damaged. She then drifted about 100 yards, and stuck fast in the sand to the west of the pier. Between five and 6 o’clock the schooner Corymous, of Dundee (Alexander Peirie, master), ran through the same pier about as far on the north side of the saloon as the Griffin had run through on the south side. The Corymous was a vessel of 91 t, and had a crew of five men, all belonging Arbroath. She was bound from Boulogne to Shields, N ballast, and ran into Scarborough last week for shelter. Lauding Scarborough on Tuesday (08/12) she encountered the gale off Redcar. She acts towards drifted up the estuary, and grounded immediately outside the Tees breakwater. When the tide had receded, the crew came onshore. The brig Garibaldi, 196 tons (John Gay, master), from Cowles to Hartlepool, also foundered. During the night when off Redcar, the gale carried away her fore sail; and the master, finding the ship must, ashore, gave orders to the men cut away the foremast which been falling overboard carried with it the main mast and bowsprit. Both anchors were then let go with 120 fathoms of cable, in attempt to save the vessel, but the tremendous see that was running drove her on to the sounds, 20 yards east of Coatham Pier. The new lifeboat the Burton-on-Trent, inputting off to the rescue of the crew, had a hole school in her side, which rendered her useless; and the crew, seven in number, were taken off with the rocket apparatus, by the Coast Guard, under the direction of Capt Bates. The brigantine Express, of Blyth empowering (Turnbull, master), came ashore on the Lye Dams, our little to the east of Redcar pier. She is a vessel of 300 tons burden, is owned by Mr Edward McKenzie, and left Boulogne on Friday (06/12) for Blyth. The crew were saved. The brig Robert and William is also stranded opposite Redcar Ironworks. From the mouth of the Tees to Saltburn-by-the-Ses the shore is strewn with  wreckage, and since the disaster the Coatham peer has been visited by numbers of persons from the neighbouring towns. The damage to the pier is estimated at over £1500.