crich area community news
FLORENCE AND THE SHIP WRECK by Alan Howe
Florence Nightingale worshipped at Crich – her home being at Lea Hurst. The following letter was sent to Rev. Acraman (vicar of Crich 1875-1899). It tells of the brave rescue of four of her nurses. They were shipwrecked two days out of Montreal and marooned for a week on an island. They were all rescued thanks to the heroic efforts of an officer who swam two icy rivers to reach a lighthouse and raise the alarm. The SS Erl King, captained by Ed. Scott, rescued them and they landed in Glasgow on August 9th 1878 some three weeks after originally setting out.
Florence was asking the vicar for a mention of her nurses at the church service in Crich.
The rescue ship the SS Erl King had an interesting history.
Saturday, Feb. 18 1866 The SS Erl King arrived from Melbourne. In steaming up the harbour, Captain Pinel cautioned the pilot several times about the high speed at which the vessel was going, he, however, neglected the caution, and shortly afterwards the vessel went ashore at Dawes’ Point with a tremendous shock. At first it was thought that the masts would go, the concussion being so great. The tide was falling at the time; and, as the vessel was in great danger of capsizing, the passengers were sent ashore in boats. She floated at high water, and was taken to the Fitzroy Dock for examination.
In 1869 she was involved in a race with SS Agamemnon to get a cargo of valuable tea from China back to the UK. The Agamemnon won taking seventy-seven days to Erl King’s eighty-five days.
Thomas Andrews, aged 24, fell overboard and drowned from the Erl King off the coast of China on 17th October 1870. He had climbed up some of the rigging to do something to the ropes and had fallen off into the sea. A boat was lowered but only an arm was seen and before they could reach him he was gone.
SS Erl King shipwrecked 15 December 1891, Caesar’s Creek, Long Reef.