The Carnatic
The wreck of
the 34 passengers, 176 crew, 40,000 sterling in gold, Royal mail and the
bottles of wine.
Diving
the Carnatic:
Location:
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27 34 53" N, 33 55 32"E.
North side of Shaab Abu Nuhas Reef
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Access:
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Safari boat normally from Hurghada
Or from Sharm El Sheikh
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Minimum Depth to Wreck
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17m (Starboard side)
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Maximum Depth to Seabed:
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27m (along Mast)
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Average Visibility:
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30-35m
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The wreck is situated of Ghiannis D. and lies almost parallel
to it. It is 25-27m to the seabed and 18-20m to the upper (starboard) side
throughout the dive. The wooden superstructure and planking has long-since
rotted away - leaving a steel hull held together by iron supports and
cross-members. With the decking gone, Divers are able to explore down to two
deck levels within the wreck itself. At the Bows is the large copper ring that
once held the bowsprit. This lies just behind the curved metal bowsprit support
- underneath which was once the figurehead. When viewed from ahead, it is easy
to see the Carnatics fine, sleek lines - even today. From the Bows the
ship gently widens to the main body where, on both sides, lifeboat davits are
found and all swung out. From here the Diver can enter the vessel and swim
between the iron supports. For most Divers, the stern is the most exciting and
interesting part of the entire wreck. Similar to the Bows, lifeboat davits are
found on both sides and the Diver is able to swim into the wreck down to two
levels. To discover the finest aspect of the entire vessel, however, the Diver
must exit the wreck and swim round to the stern. This is a finely molded stern
with a single row of seven square windows facing. It really is reminiscent of
something from Nelsons day - and provides a fascinating insight into how
traditional styles of building wooden ships were adapted for steel
construction. Below the windows, the stern curves gently downwards and inwards
to reveal a magnificent rudder and the one feature that certainly was never a
part of that earlier era - a large three-bladed propeller. She is well colonized
by coral, soft corals and her own indigenous population of Reef Fishes which
include Grouper and Lionfish. Altogether, this is probably one of the finest examples
of a ship of her time to be found underwater anywhere in the world - and for
that alone she is well worth the visit.
Built by Samuda Bros of London and classified as an
"iron framed planked passenger steamer of 1776 tons." Her dimensions
were 89.8m x 11.6m with a draught of 7.8m. In addition to square-rigged sails,
she was powered by a single 4 cylinder compound inverted engine which produced
a very handsome 2,442 hp - also built in London, by Humphrys and Tennant. The
Carnatic was launched in December 1862 and registered by P & O (although
that abbreviation was not used in those days) in March 1863. She then sailed
for Calcutta on June 27th whereupon she was employed between Suez, Bombay and
China. In 1867 the Carnatic became the proud command of Captain P. B. Jones -
one of the ablest officers of the company. By September 1869, the Suez Canal
was nearing completion and would be opened within three months. For the moment,
however, passengers and cargoes were unloaded at Alexandria - from where they
would travel 200 miles overland to Suez, before joining another vessel and
resuming their voyage. In this way, the longer and more perilous route around
the Cape of Good Hope was avoided.
Last
Voyage
At 10am on the morning of Sunday 12th September 1869, Captain
Jones ordered the mooring lines slipped and the Carnatic sailed for Bombay. She
was a sleek vessel with proud lines and, unlike many of the hybrid "sail
and steam" ships of the period, this vessel responded well to either form
of power - thus giving her a definite advantage when other ships were becalmed.
Captain Jones personally negotiated the long narrow confines of the hazardous
Gulf of Suez and remained on the bridge to give his personal attention to every
detail of navigating his vessel safely. Not trusting his more junior officers,
Captain Jones remained on the bridge, supplementing this continual lack of
sleep with copious amounts of coffee - just to stay awake. Maintaining a steady
speed of 11 knots, the light at Ashrafi was sighted at 11:40pm and by the time
the Second Officer came on duty just after midnight, it was already 5 or 6
miles astern - though no bearing was ever taken. The night was clear, with a
slight following breeze and a little land haze - common in these parts. More
importantly, the headlands and islands through which the Carnatic plotted her
course, were all visible. At 1am Shadwan Island was sighted by the Second
Officer - dead ahead. The Master altered course to S. 46 true and gradually to
S. 51 true. Eighteen minutes later, however, breakers were seen on the starboard
bow. The helm was instantly put hard-a-starboard and the engines at full speed
astern. Too late, the Carnatic struck Shaab Abu Nuhas Reef where she became
firmly fixed. Not a man to overreact, Jones was most thorough in checking every
single aspect of the ships condition and was quite satisfied that the pumps
could handle the amount of water being taken on. Judging the passengers and
crew to be as safe as could be expected, he decided everyone would remain on
board. At daybreak on the 13th, Jones assessed the situation once again. The
ship was stuck fast on a large Coral Reef and, although she was leaking, she
was still in pretty good shape and the pumps were coping. Jones then ordered a
large amount of the cotton dumped overboard in order to lighten the vessel in
the forlorn hope that she would float off with the tide. There was no panic
amongst the passengers although some did ask the Captain for permission to make
for Shadwan Island. Jones refused. Jones was well aware of the dangers involved
in moving 210 people to a remote island on the far side of a dangerous coral
reef in small boats and of the deprivations they would suffer until rescued.
For the moment at least, his vessel was relatively sound, they had power and
considerable comfort. He also knew that the P & O Liner - Sumatra, was due
to pass by at any time, inbound for Suez and he fully expected to be rescued
later that day. Meals were served, people strolled the decks and, up aloft, a constant
lookout was kept for a passing ship. But none came and, as evening fell, a
second deputation of passengers approached the Captain with a plea to be
allowed to reach Shadwan Island by lifeboat. Again he refused. Totally
underestimating the power of a Coral Reef to inflict damage on a steel-hulled
vessel, Jones decided all would spend another night on board. Accepting his
authority, some of the passengers even dressed for dinner and the waiters
served drinks before they all enjoyed a sumptuous evening meal. For some, it
would be their last. As the Carnatic continued to pivot on top of the Coral
head that held her so firmly in place, the leaks got worse. What went
undetected, however, was the slow, irreversible process that was weakening the
keel itself as it steadily rocked to and fro in the gentle sea. By now it was
only a matter of time.
At 2am on the morning of the 14th, the level of water within
the ship finally engulfed the boilers and suddenly they were without power and
light. Now even more passengers wanted to leave - but still Jones placed his
faith in the timely arrival of the Sumatra. By daybreak, however, the sea state
had begun to increase and water was rapidly filling the ship. Finally realizing
his ship was lost, Jones ordered the lifeboats be made ready. It was not until
11am that he allowed the first passengers to begin to disembark. Tragically, at
that very moment it became too late for some. In the time-honored tradition of
women and children first, the three ladies and one child on board had just
taken their seats in one of the lifeboats when the Carnatic suddenly and
without warning broke in half. Thirty four hours on top of a Coral outcrop had
proved too much for the gallant little ship and, with her back broken, the aft
section sank quickly - taking 5 passengers and 26 crew with it. Instantly, much
lighter, the fore section fell over onto its port side as it also began to slip
off the Reef - spilling almost everyone into the sea as it did so. With
passengers and crew fighting for their very lives amongst masts, spars, rigging
and all manner of debris, they were then suddenly engulfed by the returning
wave caused by the sinking stern. As freed lifeboats floated off, there were
many instances of bravery and brute strength as people forgot their respective
positions and worked together for the common purpose of saving themselves and
each other. One by one the survivors were firstly hauled to safety and then
taken to a rallying point where other lifeboats congregated together in the
shallow water above the Reef. Then it was a matter of collecting anything that
might be needed and, with a final scan for survivors, it was time to leave. Shadwan
Island, however, was three miles from the far side of the very wide Shab Abu
Nuhas Reef. To shorten this journey, each of the seven lifeboats was pulled
across the top of the Reef by the men taking it in turns - until, finally, this
small, pitiful flotilla was able to row the remaining distance. It was after
sunset when they arrived and, once again, they had to negotiate yet more coral
reefs before they were safely on dry land. Fortunately, several jettisoned
bales of cotton had washed onto the island and being so tightly packed, were
still very dry inside. They were actually calico - a form of course muslin
material, and provided rudimentary clothing and warmth for the cold night
ahead. In fact there was so much dry cotton that a large amount was carried to
a high point and set alight. At last the Sumatra was sighted and she quickly
responded to the only signal rocket fired. On his return to Suez, Captain Jones
was recalled to England to face an official Board of Enquiry.
Recovering
the Specie
With a cargo of such great value (the equivalent of several
million pounds by todays standards), Lloyds immediately dispatched Captain
Henry Grant to take charge of a recovery operation. On arrival in Suez, Grant
was informed that the Carnatic had sunk in over 40 fathoms (over 70m!) and
almost turned back. Then having second thoughts, he decided the least he could
do was taking a look. He arrived on the scene on 29th September and immediately
chased away some Arab boats. Grant was heartened to find the Carnatic in quite
shallow water at the bottom of a Reef with some of her features still visible
above the surface. Working from the Salvage vessel "Tor," Grant had
only one diver at his disposal - one Stephen Saffrey from Whitstable and
adverse weather conditions delayed the first descent until 15th October. The
search began in the Mail Room where a body was first recovered. Mail bags were
sent to the surface and pocket watches removed from the safe, but no specie. Next
to the "Mail" Room, was also a "Post Office" but access
involved removing the large bulkhead which separated the two?!!! This
took several days but finally, he was through and, on the 24th recovered
another 16 mail bags. The first box of bullion was then brought to the surface
on the 26th and the task completed on November 8th. In the meantime, local
Bedouin free Divers had recovered over 700 sheets of fine-grade copper also
destined for Indias Mint.
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