| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | SS Daphne |
| Builder | Alexander Stephen and Sons, Linthouse, Glasgow |
| Yard number | 279 |
| Launched | 3 July 1883 |
| Fate |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Passenger-cargo vessel |
| Tonnage | 449 GRT |
| Length | 176 ft (54 m) |
| Beam | 25 ft (7.6 m) |
| Propulsion | 2-cylinder compound diagonal steam engine |
SS Daphne was a ship which sank moments after her launching at the shipyard of Alexander Stephen and Sons in Govan, Glasgow, Scotland, on 3 July 1883.
Around 200 workmen were on board the ship at the time it was launched, ready to begin fitting out work as soon as she was properly afloat. [1] According to the usual practice during a launching, anchors were attached by cable to each side of the ship. As the Daphne moved into the river, the anchors failed to stop the ship's forward progress. The starboard anchor moved only six to seven yards (5.5 to 6.5 metres), but the port anchor was dragged 60 yards (55 metres). The current of the river caught Daphne and flipped her over onto her port side, sinking her in deep water. [2]
124 people died including many young boys. 70 lives were saved. It took more than a fortnight for the bodies of those who died to be recovered. [3]
An inquiry was held afterward; the shipyard owners were held blameless, which led to claims of a cover-up. The cause of the disaster was reported to be little initial stability combined with too much loose gear and too many people on board. [4]
One of the outcomes of the disaster was the limiting of personnel aboard to only those necessary for mooring the ship after the launch.
The Daphne was later raised, repaired, and renamed the Rose.
The principal memorial to the Daphne is in Craigton Cemetery where around 50 of the victims are buried. It was designed by William Robin and erected in 1885. [5] The monument faces east onto the eastern path and is one of the larger monuments in this section.
Two further and later memorials, to what was known at the time as the "Linthouse Disaster", exist; one erected in Victoria Park, Whiteinch in 1996 [6] and another in Elder Park, Govan. [2] [7] [8]
Ceremonial ship launching involves the performance of ceremonies associated with the process of transferring a vessel to the water. It is a nautical tradition in many cultures, dating back millennia, to accompany the physical process with ceremonies which have been observed as public celebration and a solemn blessing, usually but not always, in association with the launch itself.
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The Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited, was a Scottish shipbuilding company in the Govan area on the Clyde in Glasgow. Fairfields, as it is often known, was a major warship builder, turning out many vessels for the Royal Navy and other navies through the First World War and the Second World War. It also built many transatlantic liners, including record-breaking ships for the Cunard Line and Canadian Pacific, such as the Blue Riband-winning sisters RMS Campania and RMS Lucania. At the other end of the scale, Fairfields built fast cross-channel mail steamers and ferries for locations around the world. These included ships for the Bosporus crossing in Istanbul and some of the early ships used by Thomas Cook for developing tourism on the River Nile.
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Alexander Stephen and Sons Limited, often referred to simply as Alex Stephens or just Stephens, was a Scottish shipbuilding company based in Linthouse, Glasgow, on the River Clyde and, initially, on the east coast of Scotland.
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Isabella Ure Elder (15 March 1828 – 18 November 1905) was a Scottish philanthropist who took a particular interest in education, especially of women, and in the welfare of the people of Govan in Glasgow. In Govan alone, Elder was responsible for building Elder Park Library, a School for Domestic Economy, Cottage Hospital, the Cottage Nurses Training Home, and erecting a statue in honour of her husband John Elder. She also gave Elder Park to the people of Govan. Many of her philanthropic works are still open to the community today.
Events from the year 1881 in Scotland.
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