 |
|
Official Number
76894 |
|
|
|
Official Number
76894 |
The schooner Ellie Park was launched in May 1879, the final vessel built by the Furness Ship Building Company at Barrow-in-Furness. She was owned by James Fisher & Sons until 1921, when she was sold to Capt. William McBurney of Annalong, Co.Down.
At the time of the 1881 Census (1st April) the Ellie Park was
berthed at Barrow and the crew were listed as follows:
| John Iddon | 32 | M | Hesketh Bank, Lancashire | Master |
| John Clucas | 27 | M | Runcorn, Cheshire, England | ABSeaman |
The Ellie Park had a long career, and like many schooners that survived into the 1930's she was fitted with an auxiliary engine (a two cylinder Fixham oil engine, built in 1919). By 1947 she was owned by Lawrence Ryan of Stokestown, New Ross, Co. Wexford. Her master was Danish seaman who lived at Kingswood, Bristol, Capt. N.H. Amersboll.
The Ellie Park, bound for Connah's Quay with a cargo of 170 tons of scrap iron, left Douglas, Isle of Man, on the evening of Monday, 10th November 1947. She was under the command of Capt. Amersboll and had three other crew aboard; the mate, an Irishman named Gerard, Noel Burns of Bangor, Co.Down, and the cook, John Quinn, also Irish. At about 5 a.m. on the morning after her departure, in a full SW gale and heavy sea, the old schooner began to leak badly. The crew manned the pumps, taking turns to try to reduce the amount of water in the vessel. They managed to stave off disaster for an hour and a half, but eventually the Ellie Park capsized, casting the crew into the water. The master and the mate managed to keep a hold on the wheelhouse top. Noel Burns could not stay with the ship but was able to hold on to another piece of floating wreckage. The mate very quickly succumbed to the cold and disappeared, whilst no more was seen of Quinn.
The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company's ship King Orry, under
the command of Capt. J.W. Cubbon, had left Douglas at 9 a.m. that morning
and was on passage for Liverpool. By about 10.50 a.m. she had covered 25
miles when her Chief Officer spotted some floating wreckage and a waving
arm. The steamer's master ordered her to heave-to, and a boat manned by
volunteers and under the command of the Chief Officer was sent off to search,
in a heavy sea, for survivors. They found Noel Burns first, almost at the
brink of death after four hours in the water. Further searching found Capt.Amersboll
three quarters of a mile away, clinging to the top of the wheelhouse, which
had broken away when the vessel foundered. The two rescued men were taken
back to the King Orry, then put ashore at Liverpool, where
they were taken to hospital.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sources :
|
|
|
|