Alondra (shipwreck)

The Alondra was a British steamer owned by Yeoward Bros. Ltd. out of Liverpool. It sank on December 29, 1916, in the North Atlantic after running aground at Kedge Rock in Baltimore, County Cork, Ireland.[1] Seventeen men of the crew lost their lives while the remaining 23 were rescued.[2]

Construction and Ownership

In 1899, David J. Dunlop out of Port Glasgow, Scotland, built the Alondra for the Rio Tinto Company out of London. It launched on July 9, 1899, and was classified as a passenger and cargo steamship. It was built out of steel and was about 300 feet long, 40 feet wide, and 20 feet deep. Its rigging was in the schooner style and consisted of two masts. It 1915, Yeoward Bros. Ltd. out of Liverpool took possession of the ship and were the owners of the steamship the day that it ran aground on December 29, 1916.[3]

Accident and Rescue

The exact cause of the wrecking of the Alondra is not entirely clear. What is known is that the ship ran aground on Kedge Rock, an island off of Baltimore[4] that consists of sheer rock cliffs. After its collision with Kedge Rock, sixteen of the Alondra’s crew were able to get aboard one of the ship’s lifeboats, but ended up drowning before they could reach safety.[5] Another man died on board.[2] Meanwhile, the Archdeacon John Richard Hedges Becher, who was serving as the honorary secretary of the Baltimore Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), set out with a rescue lifeboat. He failed to reach the Alondra on the first try, then again on the second. When the sun rose, they set out a third time using a rocket apparatus and managed to reach the vessel.[6]

While the lifeboat worked from one position, Royal Navy trawlers worked from the tops of the cliffs to lift other surviving crew members out of the distressed Alondra. In total, 23 men were rescued from the steamboat.[7] The RNLI awarded Silver Medals for Gallantry to Archdeacon Becher and to Lieutenant Sanderson for assisting with the rescue.[8] In 1913, the RNLI had established a lifeboat base in Baltimore, which could have been of assistance in rescuing the crew of the Alondra. Unfortunately, World War I delayed the official opening of the base until 1919.[9]

Depiction in Film

In 2013, a professional film crew sponsored by the Arts Council England created a film based on the events surrounding the Alondra shipwreck of 1916. The film was done in collaboration with the RNLI and the Baltimore Drama Group, and featured Pat Flaherty, Tadhg Collins, Michael Walsh, and Bernie O’Driscoll. The film was included in an RNLI touring exhibition in commemoration for the group’s involvement in World War I.[10][11]

Dive Site

Today, wreck diving is popular in Baltimore at sites such as the Alondra shipwreck. The ship settled at a depth of five to twenty meters and is located at 51°27′40″N 09°20′44″W / 51.46111°N 9.34556°W.[4]

References

  1. ↑ O’Rourke, Mick. "Steamship Alondra Ran Aground Kedge Rock Baltimore Co Cork".
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "About RNLI Baltimore Lifeboat Station". http://www.baltimorelifeboat.ie/''. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  3. ↑ O’Rourke, Mick. "Steamship Alondra Ran Aground Kedge Rock Baltimore Co Cork".
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Scuba Diving in Baltimore, County Cork, Ireland, Europe.". Dive Site Directory.
  5. ↑ Broderick, Sheelagh. "Filming of 1916 SS Alondra rescue finished.".
  6. ↑ "Exhibition to commemorate daring rescue off Cork coast". Irish Examiner.
  7. ↑ McAloon, Nuala. "Baltimore lifeboat rescue to feature in RNLI’s World War One exhibition.".
  8. ↑ "Exhibition to commemorate daring rescue off Cork coast". Irish Examiner.
  9. ↑ McAloon, Nuala (2013-10-10). "Baltimore lifeboat rescue to feature in RNLI’s World War One exhibition". Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  10. ↑ Broderick, Sheelagh. "Filming of 1916 SS Alondra rescue finished.".
  11. ↑ "Exhibition to commemorate daring rescue off Cork coast". Irish Examiner.

51°27′40″N 09°20′44″W / 51.46111°N 9.34556°W