SS Thames 1886

philk
Tue, 06/18/2024 - 22:58
oldernewer
Unknown Ship and Location

Vue d'un transport britannique non identifié à Hong Kong. Sur la coque du navire, on peut lire "Thames" et "Glasgow".

View of an unidentified British transport in Hong Kong. The hull of the ship reads "Thames" and "Glasgow".

Source: Fonds ASEMI, Université Côte d'Azur, see: https://humazur.univ-cotedazur.fr/s/humazur/ark:/17103/ckd6

Ship has been identified as the SS Thames. The image shows the grounding near Lyemun that occured on 2 March 1886. See comments.

Date picture taken
2 Mar 1886 (day is approximate)
Tags
Université Côte d'Azur
SS Thames

Comments

S.S. THAMES

Launched 26/09/1881 by J.G. Thomson, Clydebank Scotland. Ran trials 04/03/1882. Employed on the Indian and Far Eastern Services. 1898 withdrawn for service and in June 1901 sold at auction for £8,753 to Victor Amalbert, France for demolition at Marseilles.

Tonnage: 4113 gross tons 

Dimensions: length 390, beam 42.2, depth 24.7 feet

Machinery: two cylinder compound inverted engine by builders 4500 i.h.p.

Speed: 15 knots

Passengers: 120 1st. class, 46 2nd. class.

Cost: £119,363

Reference:

P&O - A Fleet History,  S. Rabson & K. O'Donoghue

Published World Ship Society  ISBN 0 905617 45 2

Regards degahkg

 

 

thanks degahkg - so we can narrow the time down to sometime between 1882 and 1898, the dates of the start and end of her operational time in Asia?

The "Thames" went aground near Lyemun Pass (Hong Kong side) on her exit through the harbour on 2 March 1886 very likely due to foggy weather. The vessel had hit the rocks and two feet of water went into the forehold.  The "Thames" had to be backed off the rocks into the shore at Shaukiwan. To lighten the vessel for subsequent inspection by divers and refloating, passengers and mail had to be offloaded and conveyed to Pedder's Wharf.

Having had the hole patched up, the Thames made its way to Aberdeen Dockyard on 5 March for further inspection and repairs.

The accident can be read in the Hong Kong Daily Press on 3 March and 4 March 1886

Nice find moddsey, do you think this shows the incident - the location fits and the ship does look as though it is listing slightly in this image, would you agree? 

If so I'll update the date.

I think it fits as water appears to be pumping out from the starboard side. The "Thames" appears to be close to the shore.