The Loss Of The SS Ellan Vannin

Coast · December 3, 2009

On the morning of 3rd December 1909 the SS Ellan Vannin of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co. left Ramsey at 01.13 bound for Liverpool.

At the time of departure there was blowing a strong breeze, from north-west, but there was nothing in the weather to delay the sailing of the steamer. But about an hour and a half after the Ellan Vannin had proceeded on Lee voyage, the wind very suddenly increased to almost tornado force, the gusts being the most severe that have been experienced for several years past.
With the rising of the wind the sea ran in fearful fashion, but as it was aft of the Ellan Vannin no anxiety was felt at the headquarters of the company, the vessel having on many occasions come safely through ordeals quite as bad, if not worse. When, however, telegrams arrived late on in the day announcing that the Ellen Vannin had not reached her port of destination, considerable anxiety was expressed, though the officials at Douglas hoped that nothing worse had happened the steamer than a compulsory run for shelter. There was a constant inter-change of wires between Douglas and Liverpool, and by five o'clock in the after-noon it was recognised that a serious situation had arisen. Mr W. M. Corkill, the manager of the company, summoned the directors to a meeting, and further efforts were made to elucidate the mystery attendant upon the non-arrival of the vessel in Liverpool. At about seven o'clock a telegram was received at the office which caused a feeling of consternation. It was to the effect that during the day the crew of the Formby Lightship had seen floating in the Mersey channel lifebuoys inscribed " Ellan Vannin," several dead sheep, and a quantity of turnips.

A portion of the cargo of the steamer consisted of live sheep and turnips, and the flotsam in question gave rise to the fear that the steamer had foundered. More disquieting still was the picking up by the lightship crew of a mail basket, which was sent to the Birkenhead Post Office, and, on being opened; was found to contain letters despatched from Ramsey. The news quickly leaked out, and was spread by word of mouth and telephone all over the Island, the result being general consternation and mourning. Among those whose friends and relatives were on board the fated vessel, hope, died hard. Wreckage of all kinds was being washed ashore during Friday evening and Saturday morning, but they still clung to the possibility of the vessel being afloat somewhere in a derelict condition.

The steamer carried no deck cargo, so that the wreckage that was seen floating in the Mersey was dislodged from the holds and saloon of the vessel; but there were those who still refused to believe that the worst had happened, and it was not until Saturday afternoon that all hope was abandoned. Then the Mersey Docks Board's boats brought tidings of having located the wrecked vessel in the position above-mentioned.

The Ellan Vannin, it would seem, rode into the Mersey Channel before an 80-mile gale, She probably passed the Bar Lightship in safety at about 7 o'clock, and entered the "gut," as this part of the channel is called. Here an outgoing tide of five-mile-an-hour was met with.

It would come harder through the narrow gut than anywhere; it would here meet the seas that the gale was driving along a five-mile-an-hour tide fighting against an eighty-mile-an-hour wind. The waters would seethe and bubble, and the poor Ellan Vannin would drive right into the thick of it.

It is quite useless to speculate as to the cause of the foundering of the vessel but the fact remains that it is one of the worst disasters our annals bear record of.

www.isle-of-man.com

The Board of Trade inquiry found that the captain was not to blame for the disaster and the cause was extreme weather. Soon after the disaster the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board destroyed the wreck using explosives as it was causing a hazard to shipping in the channel. In January 1910, Captain Teare's body was found washed ashore on Ainsdale beach in Southport, it was subsequently returned to the Isle of Man for burial. A disaster fund was established for those who were dependents of the deceased, the Steam Packet contributed £1,000 to this fund.

Although the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company has a tradition of reusing old ship names, they have never reused the name Ellan Vannin.

In 1976 the disaster was brought to public attention again by a BBC documentary in which the Spinners folk group performed the song "Ellan Vannin" commemorating the disaster.

Snaefell, Tynwald, Ben My Chree

Fourteen ships had sailed the sea

Proudly bearing a Manx name

But theres one will never again

Oh Ellan Vannin, of the Isle of Man Company