Aden (ship)
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The Aden (II) was a passenger ship of the British shipping company Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O), which carried passengers , mail and freight on a regular service from Great Britain via the Suez Canal to India and the Far East between 1892 and 1897 . On June 9, 1897, the Aden hit the rocks on the Socotra coast off the Horn of Africa in the Indian Ocean . 78 passengers and crew members were killed. The survivors were found days later.
The ship
The 3,925 GRT steamship Aden was built in 1892 on the River Tees in the Sir Raylton Dixon and Company shipyard in the northern English port city of Middlesbrough and was launched on October 5, 1891. The ship was completed on February 4, 1892. 13 days later, it received a passenger certificate from the Board of Trade . The owner was the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co. Ltd., a British shipping company with headquarters in London .
The three masts were rigged from a schooner . The Aden was 111.6 meters long, 14.0 meters wide and had a maximum draft of 8.4 meters. It was equipped with three cylinder triple expansion steam engines from T. Richardson & Sons, which ran on a single screw and developed 3,000 PSi . The steamer could carry 6,324 tons of cargo and had space for 36 first class passengers.
The last ride
On April 8, 1897, the Aden left Yokohama under the command of Captain REL Hill. On board were 86 crew members and 34 passengers, including 14 children. After a stopover in Colombo , the ship sailed into the Indian Ocean on June 2, 1897. Sue's next destination . During the trip the weather was very bad; there were steady gusts and rain storms. The ship took in water. Some passengers had to leave their cabins because water got in. Under these circumstances, the Aden approached the coast of the island of Socotra off the Horn of Africa on June 8th . That part of the island was not provided with a lighthouse at that time . They were also dangerous waters. Captain Hill hoped for better weather once the Aden left Socotra and reached the southern entrance of the Red Sea . In the night of June 8th to 9th, the ship had reached the eastern foothills of Socotra. However, the strong currents and the effects of the strong winds had taken it far off course.
At around 3 a.m. on June 9, the Aden hit the cliffs of the east coast of Socotra in deep darkness and was thrown against the rocks three or four times before it got stuck. Breakers then repeatedly hit their decks. The lights went out immediately, which meant that the passengers had to find their way to the boat deck in the dark, where they waited until dawn. Passengers and crew were disciplined, there was no trace of panic.
As soon as it was light, work began on lowering the three lifeboats on the starboard side of the liner (the three boats on port had been swept away by the waves). The first was washed away before anyone could get inside. The first officer died trying to reach it with a leash. The second boat, which was only half full, was hit by the swell and could no longer reach the Aden . The third boat was manned with women and children and was safely lowered into the water, but was caught in the persistent gusts of wind and was never seen again. All four ship officers were killed in the evacuation attempts. Captain Hill was hit by a breaker that broke both of his legs and washed him overboard. He too was killed.
A total of 78 people were killed: 25 passengers, 20 European crew members and 33 Asian crew members. The remaining nine passengers and 36 crew members waited on the stranded ship until they were rescued on the 18th day after the accident by the Mayo , a ship of the Royal Indian Navy .
Web links
- The Aden in a list of failed P&O liners ( Memento from June 8, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- Summary of technical data and the sinking
- Entry in the ship directory Miramar Ship Index
- The steamship Aden in a list of ship accidents
- The Aden in a list of P&O ships in The Ships List
- The Aden (II) in a listing of the three P&O ships with the name Aden