Parliamentary Mentions

Questions regarding the matter of the Eurydice were raised several times in Parliament, in both the Lords and the Commons, and many of the responses were reported in the press.

TO DO - complete hansard records.

STATEMENT IN PARLIAMENT - Wednesday, April 3rd, 1878

Hampshire Telegraph, 1878-04-03, p. 2

In the House of Commons, on Monday, Captain Price asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what was the amount of ballast in Her Majesty’s ship Eurydice when she left England, and was there any reason to suppose any was removed abroad; what were her angles of maximum and vanishing stability, ascertained from the experiments said to have been made on her, and were these angles communicated to Captain Hare; were the Eurydice’s hammocks made buoyant by any method recommended to the the Admiralty, or were there life-belts sufficient for the officers and men; and what is the objection to the hammocks being made buoyant either by means of cork mattresses or waterproof sheets, seeing that they are so stowed as to be immediately accessible in cases of sudden emergency ?

Mr. W. H. SMITH said: The amount of ballast in the Eurydice when she left England was thirty tons. There was no reason to suppose any was removed abroad. The angles of maximum and vanishing stability were not ascertained. The hammocks were not made buoyant. There is reason to believe the usual establishment of life-belts three was on board, viz., ten per cent. of the complement, or about thirty life-belts. Cork mattresses and waterproof sheets have been tried, and have proved unsatisfactory on various points. The men do not like them, moreover. I may add that it would have been impossible to get them out of the hammock nettings in time in the sudden disaster which befell the Eurydice. It is the intention of the Admiralty to direct a complete and searching inquiry into the loss of the ship in the form of a court-martial upon the survivors. (Hear, hear.)

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THE EURYDICE. - Saturday, June 8th, 1878

Isle of Wight Observer, 1878-06-08, p. 6

In the House of Lords on Monday,
Lord Dorchester asked Her Majesty’s Government whether any and, if so, what steps had been taken since a first attempt, that failed, to raise H.M. S. Eurydice, sunk off Dunnose on the 24th March last ; whether there had been any consultations relating thereto between the dockyard and other naval authorities, and whether any eminent engineers, civil or military, had been invited to give their opinions ; also whether any firms, such as ” The Steamship Salvage Company” or other persons experienced in such matters, had been invited to afford assistance towards or to tender for raiding the vessel ; and whether there was any objection to produce any papers relating thereto. The noble lord said that there were three or four large firms in this country with special appliances for raising ships. One of them had entered into a contract to raise the Vanguard. Within four miles of where the Eurydice was lying a large ship had been raised by one of these firms. He believed that competent authorities denounced the means taken for raising the Eurydice, and it was scarcely creditable to the first maritime Power in the world that the ship should have been lying for ten weeks in ten fathoms of water.

Lord Elphinstone, before answering the question just put to him, wished, in reply to an enquiry made by a noble lord on Friday night, to say that there was to be no naval review off Portsmouth this week. As to the question of the noble lord (Lord Dorchester), he was not surprised at it. Many persons who were interested in the matter were imperfectly acquainted with what was doing and had been done. They were unaware of the difficulties to be overcome, and expressed surprise at the apparent slow progress made in raising the Eurydice. He was very glad the noble lord had given him an opportunity of explaining at somewhat greater length than on previous occasions the difficulties the naval authorities had had to contend against. The question embraced four distinct subjects. With regard to papers, there were really none, except a short daily journal kept by the officer in charge of working parties. This would show better than any words of his the difficulties which had to be encountered. It was made up to the 29th ult., and would show that out of the 67 days since the ship sank the working had only been able to work during portions of 27 days, sometimes for not more than one or two hours out of the 24. During 40 days they had been unable to work at all on account of the weather. The divers had only been able to work 80 hours in all. The lighters had to slip their moorings and run into harbour for shelter no fewer than 11 times, and had to slip again last Saturday. There was no objection to laying that journal on the table. He thought he mentioned on a former occasion that the Admiralty decided from the first that the business of raising the Eurydice should be entrusted to the dockyard authorities at Portsmouth, where there was a most efficient staff of officers, both scientific and practical, who meet in consultation almost daily. They were presided over by the Admiral Superintendent, Admiral FolEy, who was assisted by the Chief Constructor, Mr. Robinson ; Captain Polkinghorne, Master Attendant ; Captain Batt, Master Attendant of Chatham dockyard, who was employed for a considerable time in connection with the operations at the wreck of the Vanguard; Captain Dathan, Captain Moss, and Captain Palmer, Staff Commanders. It would be difficult to get together a stronger or a better Board. They were all agreed in thinking that under the circumstances of the case, and with the appliances at their disposal, no plan could be adopted more likely to ensure success than the one they were at present endeavouring to carry out. They were animated with but one desire, and that was to succeed, and no exertions were being spared in order to attain that result. The Admiralty had not invited the opinion of any civil engineer. The matter was one which the scientific and the pracical skill the Department had at its disposal at Portsmouth dockyard was quite able to deal, and he very much doubted whether there was any civil engineer who had had any experience whatever in raising weights such as that with which the authorities had to deal and under similar circumstances. He need scarcely add that it had not been felt necessary to invite the opinion of any military men. For the same reasons as those which he had already mentioned, they had not invited the assistance of the Steamship Salvage Company or any person experienced in raising vessels, and he was not aware that either the Steamship Salvage Company or, indeed, any other person had any experience in raising vessels under the circumstances of the present case. There were cases of ships having been saved, and, indeed, of having been raised in smooth water and out of a strong tideway, but there was no instance on record of a ship having been raised under circumstances similar to or in any approaching those in which the Eurydice was placed. The only case at all resembling the present was that of H.M.S. Pincher, a schooner of 180 tons, sunk in 14 fathoms of water off the Owers, in 1837, and it was four months before they succeeded in getting her into Portsmouth harbour. The Admiralty had been inundated with offers. Now, as to the steps which were being taken, he would remark that they had to deal with a deadweight of between 400 and 500 tons, lying 12 fathoms below water in a strong tideway, with a current running between four and six knots an hour, and with slack water varying from 30 to 90 minutes. Indeed, it would be difficult to find a spot on the whole coast of Great Britain where greater difficulties existed in regard to such an operation — difficulties not only below water on account of the tide, but also difficulties above water on account of the tide and the weather combined for a nasty sea got up at that spot very quickly with the slightest provocation. The Eurydice sank on the 24th March, and it was not until the 27th April that they were able to make an attempt to move che wreck. They did so by means of two corvettes — the Rinaldo and ihe Pearl — which had been temporarily converted into lighters. That attempt failed on account of the breaking of one of the hawsers, and then, after consultation on the part of the Board to which he had referred, it was determined by the authorities at Portsmouth to adopt what might be called the over-lift principle, which simply meant that, instead of placing the lighters round the sunken ship as before, they would be placed immediately over her. They would be attached to the wreck by eight steel hawsers toggelled through her main-deck ports, and six jewel hawsers would also be passed round the ship. In addition to that, it was intended to make use of her two bower cables, and also of the Russian air bag, which had a lifting capacity of 40 tons. That would give some idea, of the difficulties which had to be overcome. No fewer than 16 different attachments had to be made, and an equal strain brought to bear upon them all. Should it come on to blow, or any sea get up, those attachments must all be slacked and probably let go, the lighters would have to seek shelter in port, as they had had to do no fewer than 11 times already, and the whole work would have to be begun over again when the weather settled. But that was not all. It was supposed that the bottom where tho Eurydice sank was hard ground, and so it was. There was a crust of hard ground, but below that was soft, fine sand. It would appear that the ship struck the ground with great force, for her starboard cathead was knocked away and a portion of her keel was sticking out under her stern. The result was that the hard crust was broken, and the ship had been gradually settling in the soft sand. During the late gales she was settling bt the rate of 2in. a day Fortunately she was not settling any more at present. But she was now 11 1/2ft. in the sand, and out of that hole she had to be lifted and placed upon a new bed. That once done the main difficulties would be practically overcome ; and if the weather would only hold up he hoped the work might soon be successfully accomplished, although he was bound to add that he no longer looked upon it as in any way a matter of certainty. But this he would say, that not nil the “eminent engineers,” civil or even military, aided by the Steamship Salvage Company or any private firm, could have hastened the raising of the Eurydice by one hour. In conclusion, he had a plan of the manner in which it was sought to raise the ship that he would be happy to show the noble lord.

Lord Dorchester asked whether the attempt to raise her would be more to-morrow.

Lord Elphinstone said that would depend entirely on the weather.

H.M.S. EURYDICE. - Monday, June 24th, 1878

Globe, 1878-06-24, p. 1

No fewer than three questions are to put to Ministers the House of Commons this evening with regard to the ill-fated Eurydice. Hitherto, owing to a variety of circumstances, it has not been found possible to raise the vessel. Eor many weeks after the disaster the weather was exceptionally rough and tempestuous, the tackle was not found sufficiently powerful to raise so enormous weight, and the prevalence of certain winds, combined with the action of the tide, have caused the hull the ship to become partly imbedded in the sand. The public residing in the Isle of Wight, in the neighbourhood of the scene of the disaster, and who appreciate the enormous difficulties in the way of recovering the ship, have given up the hope of ever seeing it afloat again. So thinks Mr. Baillie Cochrane, the member for the island, who proposes to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, “as appears that the ship cannot be raised,” it would not better to fix a buoy over the place where she lies “as a memorial of the gallant men who lost their lives while in the public service.” Another honourable member, assuming also that the ship cannot be floated by the means at the disposal of the Admiralty, will ask whether “my lords” will not invite tenders from parties willing to contract with the Admiralty to raise and deliver the Eurydice afloat in Portsmouth harbour? The latter question assumes that there are responsible persons willing to undertake the raising of the ship at their own risk, circumstance which may doubted. If the Eurydice is destined ever again to “walk the waters” the probability is that the Admiralty will find the means of accomplishing the object. But as no public matter, large or small, can be adjusted without the junior member for Dundee, Mr. Edward Jenkins will ask yet another question on this now somewhat threadbare subject. The honourable member proposes to ask the First Lord a question to which answer has already been given in the affirmative, namely, whether is intended to hold on inquiry into the loss of the ship. Mr. Jenkins also proposes to ask how the court is constituted, and the Admiralty has considered whether it would advantageous to the public service that one or two experts, other than officers in her Majesty’s navy, should form part of the court and various other details.

THE EURYDICE. - Thursday, June 27th, 1878

Isle of Wight Times, 1878-06-27, p. 5

In the House of Commons on Monday, Mr. David Jenkins said I wish to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty when it is intended to hold a naval inquiry into the loss of her Majesty’s ship Eurydice; how it is proposed that the court should be constituted ; and whether he has considered if it would be advantageous to the public service that one or two experts, other than officers in her Majesty’s navy, should form part of the oourt : and, whether he inform the House what weight of ballast was put on board when this ship was last commissioned, and of what it consisted; if the water in tanks or any portion of the other stores was relied upon to ensure her stability ; and, if so, what were the nature and weight of such stores.

Mr. W. H. Smith said the court-martial, in accordance with the Navy Discipline Act, has been delayed simply for the purpose of obtaining some valuable evidence as to the condition of the ship before she sank, which it was expected would be forthcoming when the ship was raised. The Board do not permit experts to be placed upon the court, but the court can call any one they choose in order to obtain evidence. The weight of iron ballast the Eurydice carried was 30 tons, the same as she carried previously. As to the last part of the second question, namely, that with reference to water ballast and stores, that will be the subject of inquiry before the court, and it is one to which I cannot give an answer.

Mr. D. Jenkins gave notice that on a future day he should call attention to the subject.

Mr. Baillie Cochrane. M.P. for the Isle of Wight, also asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, as it seemed impossible to raise the Eurydice, it would not be better to place a buoy over the place where she lies, with some memorial of the gallant men who perished there.

Mr. W. H. Smith : It is not considered to be impossible to raise the ship, and further attempts will he made to do so next spring tides, if the weather permits. To place a buoy over the wreck permanently would be a serious obstruction to navigation. (Hear, hear.)

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