Biri

Shipping Accident
Steamer Beached at South Shields

Between nine and ten o'clock yesterday morning the Norwegian steamer Biri, laden with general wood goods from Christiania, reached the entrance to the Tyne in a sinking condition, and was run upon the sands to the north of the pier at South Shields. Some rumours quickly gained currency that she had been torpedoed or mined, but these proved to be false.
It transpired that the vessel had struck a submerged object, believed to be sunken wreckage, and received damage to her hull under water. As a result she began to fill forward, and she was consequently taken the Tyne as rapidly possible, and beached. Pumping operations were afterwards commenced, and the vessel's engines were kept going to get her far shoreward as possible, and thus facilitate the carrying out of temporary repairs prior to making efforts to refloat her.

Source: Newcastle Journal 14 April 1915

Shields