SS Drummond Castle
UK flagged steamship sank in 1896
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SS Drummond Castle was a steamship built in 1881 by John Elder & Co. of Govan, Glasgow, Scotland, for D. Currie & Co. and later operated by the Castle Mail Packet Company. The ship sank on 16 June 1896 off Ushant.
- Donald Currie & Co. (1881–1896)
- Castle Mail Packet Company (1896)
Drummond Castle | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | Drummond Castle (1883–1895) |
| Operator |
|
| Builder | John Elder & Co., Govan, Glasgow, Scotland |
| Yard number | 246 |
| Launched | 17 February 1881 |
| Fate | Ran aground and sank 16 June 1896 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 3,706 GRT |
| Length | 365 ft (111 m) |
| Beam | 43.5 ft (13.3 m) |
| Draught | 31.3 ft (9.5 m) |
Sinking
The Drummond Castle departed Cape Town, South Africa, on 28 May 1896 for London via Delagoa Bay, Natal and Las Palmas, with 143 passengers and 102 crew.[1] On 16 June the Drummond Castle was off Ushant, the sea was calm but foggy.[2]
The safe passage past Ushant is to the north, but for an unknown reason the Drummond Castle sailed between Ushant and Molène.[3] Around 23:00 the Drummond Castle struck rocks at the south entrance to the Fronveur Sound, within four minutes the ship had sunk.[4]
Two crew were rescued by Breton fishermen; one passenger managed to reach Molène.[3] The other 242 crew and passengers were drowned.[1] The main cargo was 1,943 bales of wool, skins, hides and horns, weighing 450 tons; the rest was 250 tons of coal.[1]
A Board of Trade wreck inquiry was held in July 1896 in Westminster.[1] The inquiry concluded that the loss was due to "careless or unskillful navigation".[5]
