Stranding of the Suevic

Suevic had sailed from Melbourne on February 2, 1907, bound for London and Liverpool via Cape Town, Tenerife and Plymouth with nearly 400 passengers onboard returning to the UK. Carrying a general cargo worth some £400,000 plus a large quantity of frozen meat carcasses, Suevic made good time to the Canary Islands where she bunkered before sailing for Plymouth.

Captain Thomas Johnson Jones, a senior master with 35 years service with the White Star Line, had command of Suevic and it was his final voyage after spending 40 years at sea.

Encountering heavy weather in the Western Approaches, Captain Jones wanted to close the Lizard light to obtain a four point bearing before heading eastwards to the Eddystone lighthouse and Plymouth. A Dinner Adieu was held on Saturday, March 16, where Captain Jones received presents from his crew and passengers. Little did he know that in less than 24 hours his illustrious career would end ignominiously.

In extremely hazy weather, shortly before 2215 hours the following day, lookouts spotted the faint loom of the Lizard light dead ahead. Within ten minutes crew members spotted rocks and breakers on the port side. Suevic hit the rocks at 13 knots despite a last minute alteration of course. Jones ordered the engines to be stopped and then asked for full astern in order to free Suevic. Despite repeated attempts, the ship remained firm. Soundings around the ship concluded that the vessel was hard aground just abaft the bridge. Distress rockets and flares were fired and the order to abandon ship was given.

Tugs raced from Falmouth to aid the Suevic whilst RNLI lifeboats from Porthleven, Cadgwith and The Lizard were launched to rescue the passengers and crew.

In all 524 people were safely landed by lifeboats and other vessels. The Cadgwith lifeboat Minnie Moon brought ashore 227 survivors in several trips to the wreck, a record in the annals of the RNLI.

The organisation awarded its Silver Medal for gallantry to the Reverend Henry Vyvyan, secretary of the Cadgwith lifeboat station, Lizard lifeboat coxswain William Mitchell, second coxswain Edwin Mitchell, and Coxswain Edwin Rutter of the Cadgwith lifeboat.

Salvors concluded that the after part of Suevic could be saved if the ship was cut in half. In a week long operation a team of salvage workers began cutting steel plates on the deck while divers placed a series of dynamite charges around the hull. The final attempt to refloat the 400ft stern section began on April 2. With the engine room intact, ship's engineers kept the steam pressure up to allow the engines to be run astern. At high tide the last of the explosive charges were detonated and engines put on full astern. Workmen onboard reported a grinding and cracking sound as the stern section broke free. Tugs then towed the stern to Southampton for dry-docking. A new bow section built at Belfast was towed to the port where the two halves were joined, allowing Suevic to sail on her voyage to Australia just nine months after the stranding.

The findings of the Board of Trade enquiry admonished Captain Jones. The report concluded that: "The stranding of the Suevic was caused by continuing towards the land at high speed in thick, hazy weather, without making any allowances for tide or current, and continuing the same course and speed after the light (Lizard) was seen without taking the usual precaution of using the lead to verify position."

The Board of Trade said that the "stranding and consequent damage to the Suevic was caused by default of the Master." Although Captain Jones had retired, the BOT suspended his master's certificate for three months.

Converted to a whaling factory ship in 1928 named the Skyterren, she was scuttled off the coast of Sweden in April, 1942, when the Germans opened fire on her.

The White Star Line suffered its greatest loss in 1912 when the infamous liner Titanic sank in the Atlantic with the loss of 1,500 lives.