MERCHANT SHIPPING ACT, 1876 - LENGTHENED STEAMERS
THE "CITY OF LIMERICK."
MR. CAINE asked the President of
the Board of Trade, If his attention has
been called to a paragraph in the "Daily
News," February 25th, under the
heading of "Telegraphic News from New
York," that
"the agents of the steamship 'City of
Limerick,' forty-seven days out, believe she is lost.
She belonged to the Centaur Line, as did the
'City of London,' and, like her, was a
lengthened iron steamer;"
and, whether he is aware that the "City
of London" is also lost, and of, since
two lengthened steamers belonging to
the same owners have been lost on the
same route within a short time, he will
direct a Board of Trade survey to be
made upon any other steamers of this
Line which may have been lengthened
since built?
MR. CHAMBERLAIN: My attention
has been called to the paragraph stating
that the agents of the steamship City of
Limerick, 47 days out, believe she is
lost. My attention has long been
directed to this ship. She is, or was, an
iron steamer, was lengthened and
otherwise altered by Messrs. Inman, in 1870,
and a spar deck added. She was sold
by them in 1880 to a Mr. Thompson, of
New York. In his hands she was
altered for the carriage of cattle, and a
superstructure added above the spar
deck. The Board of Trade were advised
that after these alterations her peculiar
proportions and structure rendered her an
unsafe ship. A passenger certificate was
refused to her, and ultimately the Board
of Trade detained her at Sunderland in
May last, in order to have the question
of her safety determined by a Court of
Survey. The owner appealed to a
Court of Survey, and this Court,
consisting of the Wreck Commissioner and
two Assessors, after hearing the Board
of Trade evidence, and without hearing
the other side, pronounced her to be
safe, and released her unconditionally.
The owner brought an action against
the Board of Trade under the Merchant
Shipping Act, 1876, for having detained
the ship without reasonable and
probable cause. The case was tried at
Liverpool before the Lord Chief Justice,
and resulted in a verdict for the plaintiff,
with full damages. The Board of Trade
applied for a rule for a new trial, which
was refused by the Divisional Court.
The Board then appealed, and the Court
of Appeal has granted a rule nisi, which
now stands for argument. On the 8th
of January last the City of Limerick left
New York for London with a full crew
and cargo, besides 275 head of cattle.
I have inquired at Lloyd's, and she is
not insured there, nor is she yet posted
as "missing;" but she has not been
heard of since she sailed, and it is feared
she has gone to the bottom with all
hands. I have communicated with the
registered owner, both at Liverpool
and New York, but have not yet
heard from him. The City of London
has not been heard of since the 14th of
November, 1881, and is supposed to
have been lost. I do not know, from
any official records, whether the
ownership or management of the City of
Limerick is the same as that of the City of
London. Both are lengthened ships. If
any ships similar in construction to the
City of Limerick are known to be sailing
from ports in this country, I shall,
notwithstanding the decision of the Wreck
Court, and of the Assize Court already
referred to, feel it my duty to order a
survey upon them.
