SS Clan Ranald (1900) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

SS Clan Ranald was a two decked, turret deck ship

Turret Deck Ship

A turret deck ship is a type of merchant ship with an unusual hull, designed and built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.The hulls of turret deck vessels were rounded and stepped inward above their waterlines. This gave some advantages in strength and allowed them to pay lower canal tolls...

, that sank off the rocky coast near Edithburg in Australia. It is the only turret ship to have been lost in Australian waters, and therefore represents a unique part of Australia's maritime history. The bulk of crew were Asian sailors, known as Lascars

Lascars

See also Lashkar, LaskarA lascar and was a sailor or militiaman from the Indian Subcontinent or other countries east of the Cape of Good Hope, employed on European ships from the 16th century until the beginning of the 20th century...

. The Clan Ranald is considered one of the worst shipwrecks in South Australia where only 24 survived out of the 64 crew members.

Description

SS Clan Ranald was built in 1900 by Doxford & Sons in Sunderland, UK, as a turret deck ship

Turret Deck Ship

for the Clan Line

Clan Line

The Clan Line was a passenger and cargo shipping company that operated in one incarnation or another from the late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century.-Foundation and early years:...

Steamers of Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

. The ship measured 355 ft in length and had a net tonnage of 2,285 tons. The turret deck ship

Turret Deck Ship

design was a modern idea for the beginning of the 18th century, as it was considered seaworthy and economical for carrying bulk grain cargoes. The sides of the vessel curve inwards after reaching the widest point, this creates a semi-ledge that sits about midway up the veesels hull. The purpose of this construction, together with increased stoage capacity, is to make the cargo so compacted that it would have minimal shifting during transportation. However, the main advantage of the design is the cost reduction of port charges. Turret ships offer lower tonnage per ton (which could be up to 10%) and that the narrow turret deck enabled a reduction in Suez Canal

Suez Canal

The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...

dues where charges were based on deck width and the net tonnage.

Final Voyage

On 15 January 1909 the vessel arrived in Port Adelaide

Port Adelaide

Port Adelaide is a suburb of Adelaide lying about 14 kilometres northwest of the City of Adelaide. It lies within the City of Port Adelaide Enfield and is the main port for the city of Adelaide...

from Mauritius

Mauritius

Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...

. At Darling’s Mill, the ship took on 39,862 bags of wheat and 28, 451 bags of flour. A large amount of coal (638 tons) was also loaded, with 170 tons on the top decks. On the 31st of that month, despite a 4° list to starboard Clan Ranald left the Semaphore Anchorage, bound for South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

with a crew of 64 people. The ship's crew consisted of four Manilamen, sixteen Calcuttamen and 34 Lascars

Lascars

.The ship was commanded by Captain A.S. Gladstone.

At 2 pm the ship was south of Troubridge Island when it suddenly shifted onto its starboard side at a 45° angle. The crew rushed onto the deck whilst leaving the engine running. The starboard deck was submerged and this caused the ship's rudder to sit out of the water. At 4.30 pm a rough wind blew the ship towards Troubridge Hill. Due to rough seas, the ship's lifeboats had been smashed and the vessel was driven near the cliffs. In their desperation to escape, the crew attempted to construct wooden rafts from debris. Distress rockets were fired after seeing a nearby ship, the SS Uganda, but strangely they never sent assistance. At 10 pm the Clan Ranald capsized and sank in 20 meters of water about 700 meters from the shore, pitching the crew into the sea. Many were sucked under as the ship sank while others who swam to shore died when they reached the steep cliffs and jagged rocks that were nearly impossible to climb to safety. Others perished after being subjected to the freezing elements all night.
Even though the distress rockets were overlooked by the SS Uganda, some of the Troubridge locals saw them. They rushed to the beach and gave assistance to the any of the surviving crew. The locals also began searching for other survivors on the beach and were shocked by the terrible loss of life they found along the shoreline. Some bodies that were found were battered beyond recognition. Only 36 of the missing bodies were found, which were buried in Edithburgh Cemetery. The five British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

officers were buried in the main section and the 31 Lascar crew were buried in a mass grave

Mass grave

A mass grave is a grave containing multiple number of human corpses, which may or may not be identified prior to burial. There is no strict definition of the minimum number of bodies required to constitute a mass grave, although the United Nations defines a mass grave as a burial site which...

at the rear of the cemetery.

Survivors

At daylight, the 24 survivors were taken to Edithburgh to return to Adelaide

Adelaide

Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...

. Out of the 24 survivors four of them were British

United Kingdom

while the other twenty were Lascars

Lascars

. The four British officers were taken to Woodcock’s Royal Arms Hotel, while the Lascars were placed in the basement of the Prince Alfred Sailors Home. As part of the White Australia Policy

White Australia policy

The White Australia policy comprises various historical policies that intentionally restricted "non-white" immigration to Australia. From origins at Federation in 1901, the polices were progressively dismantled between 1949-1973....

, the Lascar survivors had their hand print taken and were given a dictation test, which was fixed for them to fail. As a result, the Lascars

Lascars

were treated as illegal immigrants regardless of their recent tragedy. This was due to the terms of the Immigration Restriction Act 1901
Immigration Restriction Act 1901
The Immigration Restriction Act 1901 was an Act of the Parliament of Australia which limited immigration to Australia and formed the basis of the White Australia policy. It also provided for illegal immigrants to be deported. It granted immigration officers a wide degree of discretion to prevent...

which is related to the White Australia Policy
White Australia policy
The White Australia policy comprises various historical policies that intentionally restricted "non-white" immigration to Australia. From origins at Federation in 1901, the polices were progressively dismantled between 1949-1973....

. Due to this, they were promptly sent to Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

to board the Clan McLachlan bound for Colombo

Colombo

Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...

.

However, the Lascars

Lascars

survivors were not treated badly, they received support from the people of Adelaide

Adelaide

Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...

. The survivors were given food, clothing and cigarettes whilst they were in custody. Even before departing the Mayor

Mayor

In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

of Adelaide

Adelaide

Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...

presented each with a monetary gift and wished them well.

Controversies

Questions were raised on why the SS Uganda did not come to give assistance when the distress rockets were fired. The captain of the ship, Captain Kilpatrick, stated that he thought the lights were from Troubridge Lighthouse, and were not distress signals, as a result he continue on according to procedure. This excuse was challenged by the fact that the locals nearby could see and identify the lights as distress signals. Furthermore, one of the survivors stated that the SS Uganda did answer the distress signal by replying with an answering light. This suggests that they knew what it was but did not came to help them.

Investigation of the cause of the sinking of the Clan Ranald is still undetermined. Many theories have been put forward to try to explain this tragedy. One of these theories was that the vessel struck Marion Reef. However, this was dissmissed as an inspection of the hull revealed that there were no holes that indicated that the vessel hit any underwater obstruction. Other theories include the water ballast tanks were not emptied or that the sea cock was opened throughout the journey. Some even suggested that most of the crew were drunk at that time.

Salvage of the SS Clan Ranald

There was never any formal salvage

Salvage

Salvage means 'rescue' and as such may refer to:* Marine salvage, the process of rescuing a ship, its cargo and sometimes the crew from peril* Salvage tug, a type of tugboat used to rescue or salvage ships which are in distress or in danger of sinking...

of the site. However, since the invention of recreational SCUBA diving

Scuba diving

Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....

in the 1960s, looters have been frequenting the site and noticeable materials have been removed. Such materials that have been targeted are non-ferrous

Ferrous

Ferrous , in chemistry, indicates a divalent iron compound , as opposed to ferric, which indicates a trivalent iron compound ....

materials, such as copper alloy piping off the boilers and any interesting personal artefacts. Looters have also used explosives on the site, including destroying the propeller blades.

It is also rumoured that the cargo manifest of the Clan Ranald is in the hands of a resident of Edithburg who recovered it from the beach after the loss.

Site Location

The Clan Ranald site was located in 1962 by the South Australian Museum Underwater Historical Research group, a volunteer organisation. At this time the site was deemed to be in a remarkable state of preservation. The site lies of the southern tip of the Yorke Peninsula

Yorke Peninsula

The Yorke Peninsula is a peninsula located north-west and west of Adelaide in South Australia, Australia, between Spencer Gulf on the west and Gulf St Vincent on the east. It has geographic coordinates of...

in South Australia

South Australia

South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...

. The closest town to the site is Edithburg, from which the wreck lies 14 kilometers to the south-west and 1.25 kilometers west of Troubridge Hill in the Troubridge Hill Aquatic Reserve.

Latitude - 035°10'3.7"

Longitude - 137°37'14.8"

Site Description

Soon after the wrecking, an inspection was carried out by Marine Board Diver C.Olsen, this inspection found that the Clan Ranald was lying on its starboard side with the top of the turret deck on the seabed and the port

Port

A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....

side of the hull a dominant feature. The vessel was almost lying bottom up on the sea floor.
A quote from the 1909 Register stated that:

"The highest part of the ship is her port bilge [sic] keel and the starboard bilge keel is about 9 ft. off the bottom. The starboard top sides and the top of the turret had sunk aome distance in the sand. There is a considerable quantity of coal scattered to the eastward of the ship."

The Clan Ranald was lying on an ESE-NWN axis with the bow pointing ESE.

Presently there are still considerable remains of the Clan Ranald left on the site. Almost the entire hull

Hull (watercraft)

A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...

has collapsed, except for a portion that is held up by the port

Port

A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....

side boiler

Boiler

A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...

. The double hulled bottom of the bow

Bow (ship)

The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...

is standing vertical and the bow section has collapsed forwards and downwards into two parts. There are still enormous boilers that remain on site, approximately 2-3 times the size of a diver and provide a spectacular site for anybody who visits the site and the port main boiler has rolled out and is free of the hull remains. Underneath the collapsed hull, the engine still remains relatively intact.

Other interesting features of the site include:

The Propeller
Propeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...

: This still remains on the site, however, illegal salvage
Salvage
Salvage means 'rescue' and as such may refer to:* Marine salvage, the process of rescuing a ship, its cargo and sometimes the crew from peril* Salvage tug, a type of tugboat used to rescue or salvage ships which are in distress or in danger of sinking...

using explosive destroyed and removed the blades. The propeller shaft is still visible under the collapsed hull.
At the bow
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...

area, the windlass
Windlass
The windlass is an apparatus for moving heavy weights. Typically, a windlass consists of a horizontal cylinder , which is rotated by the turn of a crank or belt...

and a large mound of chain remain.
The rudder
Rudder
A rudder is a device used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft or other conveyance that moves through a medium . On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw and p-factor and is not the primary control used to turn the airplane...

also remains on site, although it has been detached from the stern, possibly as a result of explosives used to remove the propeller blades.
The highest part of the wreck sits 6 meters above the seabed, the port bilge keel and the double bottom hull which is resting on the starboard main boiler
Boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...

.

Site Condition

Despite the large amount of vessel remains, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (South Australia), which manages all protected shipwreck sites has classified the site as poorly preserved. They define 'poorly preserved' as signifying that the hull is still intact to the turn of the bilge

Bilge

The bilge is the lowest compartment on a ship where the two sides meet at the keel. The word was coined in 1513.-Bilge water:The word is sometimes also used to describe the water that collects in this compartment. Water that does not drain off the side of the deck drains down through the ship into...

. The frames and plating/planking of the hull

Hull (watercraft)

have collapsed. The stern and bow may still be intact and the vessel's boilers or engines are still in their position in relation to where they were orignially on the vessel.

Conservation of the Site

Management of a site, conservation, is determined by the level of threat

Threat

Threat of force in public international law is a situation between states described by British lawyer Ian Brownlie as:The 1969 Vienna convention on the Law of Treaties notes in its preamble that both the threat and the use of force are prohibited...

to the site. This can be from human interaction with the site or natural conditions such as water currents and silt movement. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (South Australia)report on the condition of the Clan Ranald site outlined these risks.

Human impacts - High. This was discerned by the remaining artefacts
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...

such as ship's fittings and personal possessions of the crew that are still visible and could be pilfered from the site. Also damage from dragging anchors is highly likely.
Natural impacts - Low. The environmental state of the site is in a relatively stable condition. However, the large, upright remains, such as parts of the bow and stern and the wreckage surrounding the boilers, are in a higher risk of deteriorating. Illegal looting and salvage has destroyed large sections and markedly increased the rate of deterioration of the site.

The wreck has deteriorated in the past few years due to damage done by mooring anchors of the remains, but also the depletion of marine life in the area due to overfishing.

Assessment of Significance of the SS Clan Ranald Site

The Clan Ranald is one of the most tragic and unique shipwrecks in Australian waters. It represents one of the worst shipwrecks in Australian history with a massive loss of life. Combined with the grave sites of the officers and the crew in the nearby Edithburg Cemetery, the Clan Ranald is a somber reminder of a huge tragedy. For this reason, the wreck site and the event itself is very important to the community of the lower Yorke Peninsula

Yorke Peninsula

, not only because of the disastrous loss of life, but also because they played a major role in aiding the survivors. Even to this day, if you visit the graves, there are fresh flowers near the headstones.

The following is a poem written about the wrecking event.

The Wreck of the “Clan Ranald”

Down the Port River, on a mid-summer day

The steamer, Clan Ranald, swept proudly away.

Bound for the Cape, with a light-hearted crew

What was in store for them God alone knew.

At ‘four bells’ she was struck by a big angry sea,

She listed right over; her decks washed a-lea.

She was crippled — and signalled for help to the shore,

But ere it arrived the ship was no more.

Down went the Clan Ranald, a most sad disaster,

For forty poor souls were called to their Master.

Rescuers on shore all help they were giving,

They were risking their lives for the sake of those living.

For, in utter darkness they were battling that night

In surf they were rushing to save, black and white.

Let us pity those living, and pray for those still,

Who were washed to Eternity off Troubridge Hill.

Archibald Deacon, 1909

The remains of the vessel provide a haunting and fascinating dive for anybody who ventures onto the site, the large boilers and remains of the bow and stern also create a unique and interesting dive. The remains are such that one only has to have little knowledge of the vessel to understand what features are present. On top of this, the site is significant simply as a dive site, the abundance of marine life that are present and the features provide a wonderful and popular dive.

Dive Information

Depth: 18m

Visibility: 10m

Bottom Type: Sand

Best Diving time: February–April, when northerly winds are prevailing.

Study of the remains of the SS Clan Ranald would be useful because this type of vessel, the turret deck ship

Turret Deck Ship

, was unusual and only featured in maritime designs for a short period. This is possible because of the state of the remains and the visible structures and features of the vessel on site.

Archaeological study into the personal possessions that remain on the site could reveal great amounts of insight into the class of British

United Kingdom

seaman, often neglected and seen as an 'underclass'. Furthermore differences between the officers and the predominantly Lascar crew would make an interesting study, especially in comparison with other noteable wrecks, such as the Sydney Cove
Sydney Cove (ship)
Sydney Cove was a sailing ship wrecked in 1797 on Preservation Island off Tasmania while on her way from Calcutta to Port Jackson. She was among the first ships wrecked on the east coast of Australia.- Voyage :...

, which also had a predominantly Indian

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

crew.

Legal Status of the SS Clan Ranald

The Clan Ranald was discovered in 1962 by the South Australian Museum Underwater Research Group. This group then purchased the remains from the Clan Line

Clan Line

The Clan Line was a passenger and cargo shipping company that operated in one incarnation or another from the late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century.-Foundation and early years:...

of Steamers in London. The motive behind purchasing the wreck was to stop divers from accessing the site and therefore reduce the deterioration of the wreck site. In 1988 ownership was handed over to the government.

Clan Ranald is protected under the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976

Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976

The Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976 is an Australian Act of Parliament designed to legally protect historic shipwrecks and any relics or artifacts from those wrecks...

and also the South Australian Historic Shipwrecks Act 1981. This means that the site and all of the artefacts associated with the site have been declared historic and protected. No artefacts should be removed from the site and damage to the site is illegal.

Due to its location situated within a Marine Reserve, the Troubridge Hill Aquatic Reserve (established 1983), it is also protected by Fisheries Act 1982 which covers approximately 4 km of the area.

Most importantly, the Clan Ranald is a main feature of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (South Australia) Investigator Strait Shipwreck Heritage Trail, this means that along with other significant shipwrecks, the Clan Ranald is promoted to the public as a way of educating them in the importance of Australia's historical shipwrecks.

External Links

Investigator Strait Shipwreck Heritage Trail

Guide to Driving around Yorke Peninsula

Yorke Peninsula Maritime History

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