A Night at Sea in a Fog 17 June 1892
Excursionists by the steamers “Dandie Dinmont” and “Broderick Castle” on Friday had an unpleasant experience in being compelled to spend the night at sea.
Well-known sights cruising in the Solent, the “Dandie Dinmont” left Southsea with 200 passengers for Bournemouth, Shanklin, and Ventnor, and the “Broderick Castle” came up from Bournemouth for a trip round the Isle of Wight, and was crowded. The runs were mostly enjoyable until Shanklin was reached in the evening, when the vessels ran into a thick fog, which came up suddenly, and the captains wisely determined to heave to. The non-arrival of the “Dandie Dinmont” at the South Parade Pier at her given time could not be accounted for, but although people who were waiting for the return of their friends on the pier were somewhat alarmed, the excursionists on the vessel were made thoroughly comfortable and well cared for by the crew. After some time, a start was made for home, the vessels feeling their way by soundings, and by 4 o’clock in the morning the “Dandie Dinmont” safely reached Southsea, none of the passengers being the worse for their night out.
OTHER NEWS OF THE VESSEL
2 February 1889 – The directors of the Southsea & Ventnor Steamboat Company stated that they required £2,200, as it was deemed necessary to re-deck the Dandie Dinmont, to repair the engines, and provide surface condensers, before the coming season.
22 August 1891 – Referring to the Dandie Dinmont, it does not say very much for modern appliances that though the Dandie Dinmont sank in Portsmouth Harbour from an unknown cause as far back as July 25th, she still obstructed the fairway of the Harbour, and some of the Ryde steamers have had narrow escapes from collision. The London Salvage Association had the work of raising the vessel entrusted to them, and had brought a great many appliances, but up to that present time had done practically nothing. A gentleman at that date, staying in Ryde, had patented a unique invention for raising submerged vessels, and had undertaken to float the Dandie Dinmont if his services were accepted.
28 May 1892 – Dandie Dinmont. The Insurance Companies and Underwriters paid to the Company the sum of £5,426, exclusive of all costs of raising the steamer. Of which £2,870 had been retained for the repair of the vessel, Messrs. Napier and Son of Southampton, having signed a contract for that sum, which was to include a No 3 Certificate, and numerous alterations and additions.
4 July 1899 – The well-known steamer Dandie Dinmont had the misfortune to collide with the Southsea Pier on this day Tuesday morning, and damaged her bulwarks, rails, &c., that she had to go to Southampton for repairs.
Note:
The Dandie Dinmont was a twin-funnelled paddle steamer. She had been built on Clydeside in 1866, 197 feet in length and 22 feet in beam. She had been acquired by the ‘Southsea, Ventnor, Sandown and Shanklin Steamboat Company’ in 1888 for pleasure excursions on the Solent. She was finally laid up after the 1900 season and scrapped in 1902.
Sources: IW Observer, & RSHG
Image: Roy Brinton Collection
Article: Ann Barrett