More Maritime Disasters at Westminster

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More Maritime Disasters at Westminster

This broadside purports to comes from a newspaper called Northern Ensign. It provides detail of an accident on water in 1856. It appears to be an elaboration satirical allegory comparing the Great North of Scotland Railway Company's attempts to pass a bill in parliament to a disaster at sea.

The "Great North", a large, three-decker steamer is commanded by Captain John Duncan. This is presumably John Duncan, an Aberdeen Advocate, who served as chairman of the Great North of Scotland Railway Co. between 1867 and 1871.

Of one incident, the broadside reports "The Great North" capsized when a storm broke out. The vessel had been preparing to take off, with all sails open. Captain Elphinstone's crew all attempted to scramble to safety. Many of the crew were seriously injured. Though the storm only lasted a few minutes, some £15,000 in damage was done. The broadside reports that their correspondent tried to investigate the issue, but the crew refused to give much information.

The broadside does list some injuries, such as: "Andrew Boyd, lost his snuff-box and his memory". John Webster was thrown overboard and was rescued by another vessel, whom The Great North crew had been ridiculing before the storm. A further amazing description follows: "Ferguson (not the poet or the astronomer, but a bigger man than before) got severely crushed between a floating spar and the funnel." "John Anderson (not 'my Joe,') preserved his equanimity during the whole trying scene, and coolly went down below for his portmanteau."

A report into the accident found that the crew were incompetent, "not one could box the compass." The lackadaisical attitude of the crew towards safety, they found, contributed to the scale of the accident.

Broadside

HD04_24

Political satire

Aberdeen Local Studies

Yes

Yes

Yes