Photo of steamer Nephrite

[wreckmaster]

I am on the look out for a photo of the "Nephrite" built by Scott & Sons 1896.
http://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?ref=20586
She was lost off County Donegal in 1927.
The wreck has been located and surveyed, it would be nice to see her as she was originally.

[Angus Mac Kinnon]

Thought I had a photograph of her but unable to locate one now. Have a few of the other Robertson Scott-built ' .....ites' of that era, and they were much the same in size, appearance, etc.

Sorry unable to help

( NB. Wrecked Umfin Island, near Derrybeg, County Donegal, on 2nd July 1927, coming from Ayr with a cargo of coal - but you will know all this)

[wreckmaster]

Thanks Angus
We know she ran aground on Umfin Island http://www.pbase.com/rogercurry/image/122656590 she was reported ashore on the Island, she now lies about two miles off shore, we don't know how she got out there.
A photo would be great if you lay your hand on one.

[Angus Mac Kinnon]

Is she intact where she is now ? Or is she in pieces and has the weather may have gradually broken her up and moved the pieces away from the island to where she has ended up? Would have thought with a few hundred tons of coal in her she would not relocate that easily, irrespective of weather, tide, currents, etc.

I will continue trying to source photograph - would have thought at her reasonable age there might have been a few photos around somewhere, but have noted the William Robertson / Gem Line book does not even have one, and that has the most of the fleet over the years, and if neither Roy Fenton nor Phillip Robertson could produce an image then chances are one is not readily available, but hope I'm wrong.

[Angus Mac Kinnon]

Is she intact where she is now ? Or is she in pieces and has the weather may have gradually broken her up and moved the pieces away from the island to where she has ended up? Would have thought with a few hundred tons of coal in her she would not relocate that easily, irrespective of weather, tide, currents, etc.

I will continue trying to source photograph - would have thought at her reasonable age there might have been a few photos around somewhere, but have noted the William Robertson / Gem Line book does not even have one, and that has the most of the fleet over the years, and if neither Roy Fenton nor Phillip Robertson could produce an image then chances are one is not readily available, but hope I'm wrong.

[wreckmaster]

Thanks Angus
We believe she sank at her present location, but how and when ? , the wreck is badly broken up.
Re the coal I sent a question to the diver who found and Identified her ( ? ) a few days ago still waiting for a reply.
(?) there is nothing at the wrecksite to positively Id the wreck other then she is the only known wreck in the area.
The wreck of the Boniface is about two miles to the north
http://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?ref=1582
this one was broken up by salvers Risdon Beasley so its possible they had a go at the Nephrite as well, or may be the locals got the coal before she went down .

[wreckmaster]

No coal at the wrecksite but that's not unusual as I don't recall seeing coal at other wrecksites either (where you might expect it), maybe the Risdon Beasley lads were having a slack week and decided a cargo of coal was better then nothing.
The wreck is that of a single screw steamer and local fishermen believe it is the Nephrite.
And that's all we know.

[wreckmaster]

Hi Angus

I was just having a look at Robertson vessels built by Scotts, I see the Topaz and the Kyanite have the same dimensions as the Nephrite slight difference in grt but look's like either could be a close match.
Do you have a photo of either of these two, I am aware that the coasting steamers of the time were very much alike but there might be something here to help ID this wreck.

There was an interesting post going on here http://forum.technicaldiving.ie/index.p ... 695.0.html
I wonder if anyone here could shed light on the Dublin Dockyard and Ayrshire Dockyard Co connection regarding this vessel.
Its a long post and watch out for the ghost.

Mick

[Angus Mac Kinnon]

Mick :
Sorry - I have several of the S.S. Topaz and S.S. Kyanite, but unfortunately they are the not the right ones/years for your purpose. But you are right - there were a few other Scott steamers that were virtually clones of the NEPHRITE.

Here are some, with remarkable closeness of details :

MALACHITE : Yard No. 106 : 1894 : 196/605/740 tons : O.N. 104580 : 180 x 29.1 x 10.7 feet

ZIRCON : Yard No. 107 : 1895 : 196/605/740 tons : O.N. 104596 : 180 x 29.1 x 10.7 feet

GIRASOL : Yard No. 111 : 1895 : 197/602/725 tons : O.N. 104624 : 180 x 29.1 x 10.7 feet

NEPHRITE : Yard No. 116 : 1896 : 199/673/770 tons : O.N. 105981 : 185 x 29.1 x 10.8 feet

TOPAZ : Yard No. 122 : 1896 : 199/696/810 tons : O.N.106049 : 185 x 29.1 x 10.8 feet

KYANITE : Yard No. 123 : 1897 : 235/712/840 tons : O.N. 106073 : 185 x 29.1 x 10.8 feet

The steam engines are very closely related too, all the manufacture of Glasgow Engineers Muir & Houston who took a lot of orders from William Robertson for the Gem Line steamers over the years :

Malachite/Zircon/Kyanite : 80 NHP x 600 IHP (except Kyanite which was rated at 700 IHP)
Girasol/Nephrite/Topaz : 90 NHP x 650 IHP

I will separately check to see if I have anything on the Dublin and Ayr shipyards and revert if I find anything. Interesting exchanges and ........ FOUND THE GHOST !

Other searches have found zero on the elusive S.S. NEPHRITE of 1896, very strange - and frustrating.

[wreckmaster]

Like peas in a pod, lets hope they all looked the same.
It will be late spring / early summer before this one is dived again, hoping the next dive will get a full list of the remnants compiled and then maybe a positive ID can be made.