The vessel
Chalmers was a three-masted wooden vessel of 594 tons, built in
Sunderland, England, for James Laing in 1851. It maintained a Lloyd's A1
classification for the duration of the 23 years of survey, and had an English
oak stem and stern-post, and nine pairs of iron hanging knees. The exterior,
including the flat upper deck was fastened entirely with yellow metal (Henderson
& Henderson, 1985:142).
The wreck event
The vessel was carrying a cargo of sugar from Mauritius to Fremantle
under Captain Alexander, when it struck Murray Reef on 19 March 1874.
It first struck the reef between 11 p.m. and 12 p.m. but continued to
sail. Although it was night time, no soundings were taken. The captain did
not pull the helm down and the vessel continued on the same east by south
course. After Chalmers struck a second time it got clear again into
about 2.5 to 3 fathoms (4.6 to 5.8 metres) of water, but later struck fast
on a sand bottom. Although the vessel was taking water at a rate of 1 inch
(2.5 centimetres) per hour no effort was made to pump it out.
Inquiry
Captain Alexander was charged with negligence over the wrecking of Chalmers.
At the inquiry he testified that he had seen a bush fire on the mainland
and had steered for it believing it to be the Rottnest Island light. However,
it was found that even after the vessel was initially hove afloat by the
kedge, he neglected to anchor it or to use the boat to ascertain if a clear
passage out was practicable, before the warp was cut. The captain had his
certificate cancelled.
Salvage
The wreck of Chalmers was sold at auction to Messrs J. and W.
Bateman for £19. Although most of the cargo had been destroyed much
of the ship's equipment was saved. The Batemans employed three lighters
to dismantle the wreck (Henderson & Henderson, 1985:141). |
Site location
The wreck site of Chalmers is located in Warnbro Sound near the
southern end of Sisters Reef, approximately 2.6 kilometres west of Becher
Point and 1.4 kilometres south of Sisters Rocks. It is located on the inshore
side of a breaking reef. Transit photographs are not yet available for this
site.
Site description
The wreck lies in 4 to 7 metres of water on a bottom composed of coral
and sand patches. It is orientated on a north to south axis with the stern
facing to the north. When last surveyed in 1975 the site was predominantly
obscured by seaweed and marine organisms.
The hull of the vessel is broken up, with only a few timbers showing
above the sand. Two sections of keel were exposed and at the northern end
large floor timbers were found to be attached to the keel. Several tons
of ballast in the form of small stones still exist on site. In the sand
patches a number of small artefacts were visible. Scattered across the wreck
site were large yellow metal fastenings.
Several small artefacts were raised during the inspection, and these
included some examples of the fastenings and ship's fittings.
References
Sledge, S., 1975b, Chalmers, unpub. Wreck Inspection Report, Department of Maritime Archaeology, Western Australian Maritime Museum, No. 21.
Anderton, G., 1975, Department of Maritime Archaeology, Western Australian Maritime Museum File No. 1995/75.
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