BALLATER
Shipbuildervessel built by
Hall, Russell & Company, Limited
(Aberdeen, Scotland, 1864 - 1992)
Shipownervessel built for
J & A Davidson
(Aberdeen, Scotland)
DateFebruary 1876
Object NameSCREW STEAMER
MediumIRON
ClassificationsShip
Dimensionslength 200 3/6ft x breadth 27 1/12ft x depth 15 3/6ft
Gross tonnage: 780 tons
Gross tonnage: 780 tons
Object numberABDSHIP001842
Keywords
Yard Number: 199
Official Number: 70450
Fate: Sunk due to a collision near Whitby, 20 August 1886.
Propulsion: Steam
Description: Screw steamer, 1 deck, 2 masts, schooner rigged, clencher built, no galleries, iron frame, raised quarter deck 59', bridge deck 40'.
(Source: Aberdeen Register of Shipping (Aberdeen City Archives))
Owners:
1876: Registered at Aberdeen for subscribing owners;
James Davidson and Alexander Davidson, merchants, Aberdeen.
02/1886: Sold to the Grampian Steamship Co. Ltd.
20/08/1886: Sank on after a collision with steamer CATO when 6 miles south of Whitby while on passage from the Tyne to Malta.
(Source: Aberdeen Register of Shipping (Aberdeen City Archives))
Masters:
1877-78: Master C. Davidson
1880-81: Master A. G. McKenzie
1881-84: Master J. Innes
1885: Master Wood
General History:
03/05/1876:
Telegram from Capt. Davidson, master of steamer BALLATER, reports Alexander Gibson, fireman, of Virginia St., Aberdeen, had fallen overboard Wednesday night in Baltic Sea and drowned. Body recovered.
(Aberdeen Journal)
07/08/1877:
Commercial Court at Archangel has awarded sum of £1750 to steamer BALLATER, of Aberdeen, for towing the PETER DER EROSSE to port in a disabled state.
(Aberdeen Weekly Journal)
15/11/1881:
Capt. Innes of steamer BALLATER, which arrived 8. Nov. at Copenhagen from Bunt Island, reports having on 5 Nov. fallen in with Dutch barque NEPTUNE waterlogged & beginning to break up. Whole of crew except captain saved by a schooner 30 hours previously. Capt. Innes, after some difficulty, succeeded in taking the Dutch captain off and getting him aboard.
(Aberdeen Weekly Journal)
19/11/1882 - holed whilst loading at Libau, Russia when in too shallow water for vessel's draft, but repaired. (Aberdeen Register of Shipping)
13/07/1883:
To herring merchants & curers - fast sailing Aberdeen built steamer BALLATER is now on berth for Stettin and Danzig. Freight rates from J. & A. Davidson, Provost Blakie's Quay.
(Aberdeen Weekly Journal)
19/04/1886:
William Angus, ships carpenter, 105 Park St., while working on steamer BALLATER at Aberdeen, met with serious accident. Hatched were being removed when one fell into hold, striking him on head and fractured his skull. Taken to infirmary.
(Aberdeen Weekly Journal)
21/08/1886:
Aberdeen steamer BALLATER sank quickly after collision off Whitby with screw steamer CATO, of London. Crew were all saved by jumping aboard CATO. CATO was then run into by screw steamer LEBANON, of Sunderland. CATO sank from combined blows of the two steamers. Crews of BALLATER and CATO were brought by LEBANON to the Tyne.
(Glasgow Herald)
27/08/1886:
Crew of BALLATER forwarded from North Shields to their homes by the agent of the Shipwrecked Mariners Society.
(Nottingham Guardian)
Engines: 2 inverted, direct acting compound surface condensing engines made in Aberdeen by Hall Russell & Co. Cylinder diameters 24 " and 45", length of stroke 30", boiler pressure 62lb., 92 h.p.
