The dredge "Manchester" was built for the Manchester Ship Canal Co. in 1890 for L20,000 and sold to the Lyttelton Harbour Board in for L12,750. A long voyage to New Zealand, with several stops for repairs, followed. The "Manchester" arrived on March 22nd, 1900 and went to work immediately. The harbour had silted up so badly that larger freighters had become loath to make it their last port of call, such was the risk of grounding when heavily loaded.
The "Manchester" worked well in the port but by 1912 was replaced, so it was sold to the Sydney Harbour Trust for L9800 and left Lyttelton on April 3rd. The "Manchester" was last seen passing through Cook Strait.
THE MISSING DREDGE.
— United Press Association — By Electric Telegraph — Copyright. Received April 39, 1 p.m. Sydney, April 29. The cruiser Challenger has left to search for the dredge Manchester.
Per Press Association. Auckland, April 29 The Encounter and Pioneer leave to-night to assist in the search for the missing dredge Manchester, which is about a fortnight overdue on the voyage from Wellington to Sydney.
ALARM AT LYTTELTON. Christchurch, April 29.
The long voyage of the dredge Manchester which left Lyttelton on April 4th for Sydney has caused no very marked anxiety in Lyttelton until the last few days, but shipping people frankly admit now that they are genuinely alarmed. The Manchester is a hopper dredge of 833 tons and twin screw. She was sold to Sydney Harbour Trust recently by Lyttelton Harbour Board. A representative of the Trust supervised the fitting of the vessel before her departure, and J. Sidall, chief engineer of the vessel, is a member of the Sydney Trust’s staff. Many officers and many of the crew belong to Christchurch and Lyttelton. J. Downie, master, was in the shore employ of the Union Company at Lyttelton. The chief mate is L. Schultz, who was lately on the mail packet steamer John. Other members of the staff and crew are: — Second mate, A. Baxter, second engineer A. J. Ayers, third engineer J. W. Crosbie, A.B’s., T. Dally, D. Rodgers, G. Easson, P Prophet, O. Augustin, S. W. Christie; ordinary seamen S. J. Gilray, S. Anderson; greasers, J. White, A. Blundell, R. W. Aldridge; firemen, H. O’Weill, J. Galbraith, E. Pitts, O. McDermot, G. Lambert; steward, J. McQueen; cook, R. Wallace.
Mrs Sidall, wife of the chief engineer, accompanies her husband. She signed on as stewardess. -Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, 29/4/1912.
HOPE DWINDLING.
NO TRACE OF DREDGE MANCHESTER.
TWENTY-FIVE SOULS ABOARD.
(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH-COPYRIGHT.)
(PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.)
SYDNEY; May 2. The Challenger wirelessly reported that she took a zig-zag course more than halfway from Wellington, but discovered no trace of the missing dredge Manchester, which is overdue by nearly three weeks from Wellington to Sydney, and which has 25 souls aboard.
PESSIMISM THE PREVAILING NOTE
WHAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED
WHERE THE CREW CAME FROM
(Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 2. Although pessimism is the prevailing note in reference to the dredge Manchester in shipping circles in Lyttelton, it is suggested that they may have been compelled to hove to during the recent gales and may have drifted far out of her course.
Capt. Downie was for some years an officer on Union steamers before joining the shore staff. Mrs Downie lives at Lyttelton. Baxter, the second-mate, is a native of Aberdeen, and came out with the Manchester from Renfrew. Ayers, the second engineer, is a native of Christchurch, while Crombie, the third engineer, came to Lyttelton with the dredge. He served his apprenticeship with the builders of the dredge at Renfrew. McQueen is a native of Wick. Rodgors, another Scotchman, also came out with the dredge, while Gilray belongs to Lyttelton.
There is practically no hope now that the Manchester will ever be seen again, and another tragedy of the sea is likely to be added to the long list which New Zealand has supplied. Three vessels are out searching, all equipped with wireless, and the fact that no trace has been found shows how serious the position has become. The area searched is approximately defined by of latitude 32 and 40, off the west coast of the South. Island, and longitude 160. H.M.S. Challenger left Sydney on Sunday. Both the Encounter and the Pioneer left Auckland early on Monday evening, and by fast steaming, should be able to reach the area within three days. Their orders to proceed to sea were received on Sunday ovening, and they were to proceed at full speed until they reached the area for their search; then ease down, and steam backwards and forward, ''grid-ironing" the sea, so that every portion would come under the observation of the lookout.
THE MISSING SHIP'S COMPANY. The dredge was fully manned for her passage to Sydney, and carried 25 persons. Tho following is the complete list: Master, James Downie (who was in the shore employ of the Union Company at Lyttelton prior to this voyage); chief mate, L. Shultz; second mate, A. Baxter; chief engineer, J. Sidall; second engineer, A. J. Ayres, third engineer, J. W. Crombie; able seamen, E. Daly, D. Rogers. G. Easson, P. Prophet, O. Augustin, F. W. Christie; ordinary seamen, S. J. Gilray, S. Anderson; greasers, J. White, A. Blundell, R. W. Aldridge; firemen, H. Mentill, J. Galbraith, E. Pitts, C. McDermott, G. Lambert; steward, J. McQueen; cook, R. Wallace. The chief engineer was accompanied by his wife, Mrs Sidall, who signed on the articles as stewardess. The chief engineer belongs to the staff of the Sydney Harbour Trust. Many of the officers and the crew belong to Christchurch and Lyttelton.
EVERY PRECAUTION TAKEN. Every care was exercised in the preparation of the vessel for her long voyage. Her hull was in exceptionally fine order when she was surveyed bv Lloyds last year. She was docked and thoroughly overhauled; the heavy machinery above deck was dismantled and stored in the hoppers, the doors of which had been secured and floored with timber. The Manchester was equipped with life-saving gear, and boats sufficient for more than double her crew, and everything was passed by the Government inspector before the vessel sailed from Wellington. She took on board 400 tons of coal at Lyttelton, and beforeleaving Wellington on April 6 those supplies were replenished.
AN ADVENTUROUS HISTORY. After her purchase from the Manchester Ship Canal Company by the Lyttelton Harbour Board, the dredge had a remarkably long and eventful passage to Lyttelton. Numerous breakdowns and stoppages for repairs at Waterford (Ireland), Gibraltar, Malta, Suez, Colombo, and Thursday Island prolonged her voyage to 13 months. Finally she reached Lyttelton, and for 12 years did faithful work in dredging the harbour basin and in deepening the channel in ther outer harbour. Having purchased a new dredge, the Lyttelton Board recently sold the Manchester to the Sydney Harbour Trust for £9800, and about two months ago Mr P. N. Christie, engineer to the Trust, took delivery of the dredge at Lyttelton. -Manawatu Standard, 2/5/1912.
CAST UP BY THE SEA.
MESSAGE FROM MANCHESTER.
FOUND AT KAIPARA.
BARNACLE-COVERED BOTTLE.
The brief message received yesterday that a bottle containing a message from the dredge Manchester had been picked up on the West Coast, was confirmed this morning when information was received locally through the Marine Department that a bottle containing what appears to be a genuine message from one of the crew of the missing vessel was picked up in a bottle washed ashore at the West Coast opposite Te Kopuru, Northern Wairoa, by Mr. R. Rope on Sunday. He at once reported the matter to Mr. I. Savident, pilot at Kaipara, who in turn passed the information on to the Marine Department. The bottle was securely corked and covered with barnacles, so that it had evidently been in the water for some considerable time. Mr. Rope broke the bottle, and inside found the following message written on a small piece of paper evidently torn from a notebook: —
"April 20. — Dredge Manchester. We shall be all lost if we are not picked up soon. "LAMBERT."
It will be seen from the list of the! crew that there was a fireman named Lambert on board the missing vessel. The list was as follows:...
On reference to the dates of the Manchester's departure from Lyttelton and Wellington to Sydney, it seems that the message must have been thrown overboard when the dredge was sixteen days out. Soon after the dredge left Wellington vessels arriving at New Zealand ports from Australia reported experiencing particularly heavy weather, and this lasted for several days.
It was not till six days after the date of the sending of the message that a steamer was dispatched in search of the Manchester and her crew. The warship Challenger left Sydney on April 26, the Encounter left Auckland on the same day, and the Pioneer left this port on April 27 to join in the search. Although the weather experienced in the Tasman Sea was of a tempestuous character the vessels spent some time on the search and covered a great expanse of water by proceeding on a "grid-iron"' or "zig-zag" course, but no trace was seen of the missing vessel, and the warships returned to their respective stations. Afterwards the Sydney Harbour Trust chartered the steamer Eden, which made an even more extensive search, but upon arrival at Auckland alter being out for nearly three weeks the captain reported that no sign of the Manchester had been discovered. All hope of the Manchester and her crew has long since been abandoned, and she has been posted to the port of missing ships. -Auckland Star, 6/11/1912.
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