Birkenhead Dock Disaster

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The Birkenhead Dock Disaster was a tragedy that occurred when a temporary dam collapsed during construction of the Vittoria Dock in Birkenhead, Merseyside in 1909. It left 14 workers (or "navvies") dead and three injured. The disaster led a huge public outpouring of sympathy and grief in the local area. However, the Government refused to hold a public inquiry and very little evidence or documentation surrounding the event now exists.

[edit] Building The Vittoria Dock

The £206,000 contract to build a dock upon the Vittoria Wharf area of Birkenhead was awarded to John Scott of Darlington in 1905. Scott was the son of Sir Walter Scott (1826-1910), one of the greatest regional civil engineering contractors of his era. The dock was to serve as an accessible, organised berthing facility for vessels, which were increasing in size. Work began in 1907 and was estimated to be finished by the end of 1909. However by March 1909 it was nine months ahead of schedule. The whole project was merely a few hours from completion when the disaster occurred.

[edit] Disaster Strikes

Just before midnight on March 6 1909, during a blinding snowstorm and without warning, the temporary dam holding back gallons of water from an area where the navvies were working collapsed. The space it was protecting was soon engulfed by water.