The wreck of the S.S. NILE, 30th November 1854.

The wreck of the S.S. NILE, 30th November 1854. - Research and story by Robin Langford.

On the 30th November 1854, there was a terrible shipping disaster in St.Ives Bay and the feared “Stones” reef had claimed yet another victim. The steam assisted sailing ship NILE was probably blown off course and unknowingly the ship steamed straight onto the submerged reef at full speed. 

The Stones are a group of rocks that run out to sea nearly one mile from Godrevy Island. At high water this dangerous group of rocks cannot be seen and are hidden just below the surface of the sea. Many ships have been wrecked here and many hundreds of lives have been lost. 

Cornwall is well known for shipwrecks and the hazardous Cornish Coastline has been feared by sailors for centuries. A dark stormy night or thick sea fog can easily hide this rugged and unforgiving coastline. During the mid 19th century there were very few lighthouses situated along this coastline to warn mariners of any impending dangers.

The NILE was owned by the British & Irish Steam Packet Company and the ship sailed a regular route from Liverpool to London, via Bristol, Penzance, Falmouth Plymouth and Portsmouth. The NILE was a modern iron ship that was powered by sails and also fitted with the latest invention of the steam engine and screw propeller, making her fast and reliable. The ship also had the sleek and graceful lines of a sailing ship with a clipper bow and overhanging counter stern, tall masts and a raked back funnel. The NILE was built at Greenock in 1849 and fitted with a two cylinder compound steam engine which generated 200 horsepower. The ship was 165 feet long and had a displacement of 700 tons.

On Tuesday 28th November the NILE had completed the loading of her cargo and the passengers embarked and put their luggage aboard. There was a short delay in departure and several passengers got off the ship to go ashore, one of the passengers even went ashore to have a quick pint at a nearby ale house. At 6pm the ship left Nelson dock, Liverpool and the passengers that had gone ashore got left behind. The NILE was under the command of Captain Moppett, a very experienced seaman who had a reputation of being a careful and skilful navigator. The ship’s routine voyage got underway and the ship called in at Bristol as usual. After departing from Bristol the Captain set a new compass course to clear the Lands End peninsula. The weather was deteriorating rapidly and the NILE was now encountering a North Westerly gale, although this didn’t concern the ship’s crew because they were used to the changeable winter weather.

On the morning of Thursday 30th of November the steamship SYLPH reported seeing the NILE battling through the gale, heading West and on the correct course to safely round Lands End. However what happened during nightfall or in the very early hours of the next day can only be assumed. In the early hours of Friday morning it became obvious to the local inhabitants that a ship had been wrecked overnight, there was wreckage strewn along the coast.  It was thought that another ship had become wrecked on the Stones Reef, however no distress signals had been sighted in order to launch the lifeboat that was stationed at St.Ives.

It wasn’t long before bodies and personal belongings were being washed ashore, a small cask containing paperwork confirmed that it was in fact the NILE that had been lost with all persons onboard. The exact number of crew and passenger that perished in this disaster is unknown, but reports vary from between 40 to 120. Once the gale had abated multiple St.Ives boats went out to the Stones to investigate the area and salvage the floating cargo and possessions. One boat reported that they could see the top of the ship’s masts breaking the surface about one mile North of the Stones reef and that oil was coming to the surface. This proved the NILE had foundered and sunk in 15 fathoms of water and the ship must have been sat upright on the seabed.

It is thought that the North Westerly gale had pushed the NILE off course and in closer towards the land. If this is the case the NILE would have steamed straight onto the reef at full speed, totally unaware of the danger that lay ahead of them. Once the ship had struck the rocks the Captain would have ordered the ship to engage astern propulsion and reversed the ships engine. Undoubtedly the ship would have been seriously damaged and holed at the bow, this would have caused the ship to sink rapidly. Most of the ship’s crew and passengers would have been below deck and asleep in their bunks when the disaster occurred, giving little chance for escape.

Another theory is that the ship had encountered engine or steering failure, although this is unlikely because the crew would have just dropped the anchor and sent up distress rockets.

It wasn’t long before another storm came through and this started to break up the NILE, resulting in more wreckage and cargo being washed ashore. A large crowd had gathered at Hayle Bar and there was an unruly scene as large quantities of Beef, Lard, Butter and Tallow were washed ashore. The Coastguard were unable to control the large mob of Cornish wreckers that had gathered to secure a prize.

The old time sailors back then had no electronic or satellite navigation systems to guide them or to confirm their position, they only had a compass for direction, a mechanical ships log to measure distance traveled and a Sextant to calculate the ship’s position. This estimated position was also greatly affected by the accuracy of the equipment, the effects of the wind and tide on the ship and also human error. There were also no lighthouses built in this area at that time in order to warn mariners of any dangers or fix their position.

Local fishermen and passing mariners had campaigned for many years, insisting that a lighthouse should be built to indicate the position and dangers of the Stones. There was a public outcry after the loss of the NILE and news of the disaster and loss of all persons aboard spread across the country. Shortly after another application was made to Trinity House to build a lighthouse to mark the location of the Stones. This issue and the proposed location was deliberated over for several years, but finally in February 1858 work started on building the lighthouse on Godrevy Island. A light ship was temporarily anchored in the channel between Godrevy Island and the Stones reef whilst the construction of the lighthouse was underway. In March 1859 the lighthouse was finished and displaying its light to warn mariners of the nearby danger.

The Godrevy Lighthouse was completed in 1859 and on Tuesday 1st March the first beams of warning light shone out to sea. Following the completion of the lighthouse there was a marked reduction in the number of vessels being wrecked on the Stones, however many more disasters have occurred since and many more lives have been lost. Two Lighthouse Keepers were stationed at Godrevy light until 1934, after this the Lighthouse was automated.

The revolving and apparently flashing light has shone out since 1859 and can be seen from a distance of up to 16 miles before being obscured by the horizon.

In later years safety was further improved after Trinity House anchored a flashing bell buoy beyond the outermost rock of the Stones reef.

Today the wreck of the NILE rests on the seabed at a depth of over 100 feet, the collapsed hull is listing over to the starboard side and the overall shape of the ship is clearly recognisable. The large steam engine stands upright and is still connected to the crank and propeller shaft. The wreck is now home to many hundreds of fish and a multitude of marine creatures.

Story by Robin Langford.