How much silver was recovered from the wreck of the ship, Crescent City, which hit the Doolick Rock off Galley Head in West Cork on February 8, 1871? Is there more on the seabed in Rosscarbery Bay?
The Captain of the ship, built for the New Orleans-to-Liverpool trade, her name derived from the old name of New Orleans, made a navigational error. In fog on her maiden voyage, he thought the ship was near Waterford, when it was actually entering Rosscarbery Bay. The Galley Head Lighthouse had not been built at that time. A lighthouse was built there seven years later.
Captain Henry Williams had made several transatlantic voyages under sail. This was his first steamship, 325 feet long ship, 35 feet beam and 25 feet deep in the hold, 2003 tonnage, with a 215 horse-power two-cylinder steam engine. She had passengers on her first voyage. Cargo included four-thousand bales of cotton, two-and-a-half thousand bags of maize and – two tons of silver bullion. This was
made up of silver dollars and ingots in forty boxes. The silver was in a secure
compartment over the propeller.
Close to 2 a.m. in the morning the Second Mate on watch saw in “stunned disbelief” the sea breaking on rocks on the ship’s port bow. The Captain was called, ordered the helm put hard-a-starboard and the engines full astern, but she struck hard on the Doolicks and began to flood rapidly by the bow.
All passengers and crew abandoned ship safely into lifeboats and got ashore, with six boxes of silver, it was reported. The wreck was swept eastwards and sank. Hatches burst open and bales of cotton washed out which were recovered and “carried off ashore,” according to reports at the time.
The Salvage Association of Liverpool began work to recover the silver, but bad weather affected diving operations which continued until May 29, when it was officially stated that the wreck had “badly broken up.” A total value of 3,789 dollars worth of silver was reported as recovered.
An inquiry found Captain Williams negligent by navigational error and his Captain’s certificate was suspended for two years.
A cabin passenger took an action against the shipowners, seeking compensation for the loss of ninety-five gold sovereigns. His case was dismissed in Court as he had not checked in his valuables with the ship’s purser and obtained a receipt.
Eighteen years after the disaster, a diver named O’Hare, negotiated a deal with the shipowners to recover silver dollars. He stated that coins were “scattered over an area of two acres of rock and crevices and it was difficult to recognise them.” He said he had “found a few hundred coins.”
Though no further action was reported, there was a belief that the amount recovered from the wreck over the years could be more.
More on THE ECHO, Cork’s Morning Daily in my MARITIME CORK weekly page
Photo: Irish Lights
