Curious Accident to a Screw Steamer
This morning, about six o'clock, while the screw-steamer Violet, of Sunderland, was entering the river Tyne, in ballast, she ran ashore on the north side of the Fish Pier, at South Shields, and about 200 yards westward of the sunken steamer Dora, of West Hartlepool. Various rumours were afloat as to the cause of the accident, one of which was that the steering chains broke and caused the vessel to take a sheer. From enquiries made at the scene of the casualty we are informed, however that the cause was totally different from the failure of the steering chains. On the vessel entering she was stopped in the Narrows to pick up the constant pilot, who was to take her to Tyne Dock. The tide was first quarter ebb, and the wind was blowing fresh from west and by north. The steamer was light, and high out of the water. The strong breeze thus caught her starboard bow, and canted her over to the southward. When the pilot had got on board, the engines were set ahead, but the vessel was unable to recover her position for going up the river, and ran high up on the stones of the Fish Pier and remained fast. The services of a steam-tug were once secured, but the tide was fast receding, and all attempts to tow off the stranded steamer proved futile. At low tide the steamer from amidships forward was lying high and dry upon the rocks, while her stern was afloat, and clear of the foundation of the Pier. It is stated that the plates have not been holed by passing over the rocks, and it confidently expected that the vessel will be floated off at high tide, five o'clock this afternoon. As the steamer lies she presents an exceedingly novel appearance, and she has been visited this forenoon a large number of persons.
Source: Shields Daily Gazette 20 February 1882
The screw-steamer Violet, of Sunderland, which ran upon the Fish Pier, at South Shields, yesterday, as reported in our first edition, was towed off shortly after three o'clock in the afternoon, by the steam tugs Quickstep and Michael Scott. The tide was two house off high water when the vessel was floated.
Source: Shields Daily Gazette 21 February 1882