HMS Grappler (1856) facts for kids
HMS Grappler
|
|
Quick facts for kids History |
|
|---|---|
 United Kingdom |
|
| Name | HMS Grappler |
| Ordered | 4 October 1855 |
| Builder | Money Wigram & Sons, Blackwall, London |
| Laid down | 12 October 1855 |
| Launched | 29 March 1856 |
| Out of service | Sold into mercantile service on 6 January 1868 |
| Fate | Burnt, 3 May 1883. Broken up 1884. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Albacore-class gunboat |
| Tons burthen | 232 68/94 bm |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 22 ft (6.7 m) |
| Draught | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 7.5 knots (14 km/h) under engines |
| Complement | 36-40 |
| Armament |
|
HMS Grappler was a small but important gunboat (a type of warship) that belonged to the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. She was part of the Albacore-class, which were ships built for speed and shallow waters. Grappler served off the coast of what is now British Columbia in Canada from 1859 to 1868. After her time with the navy, she was sold and used for commercial travel. Sadly, she sank in 1883 after a fire, leading to a big loss of life.
Contents
The Grappler was one of about 100 gunboats built by the British Admiralty (the government department in charge of the navy) during the time of the Crimean War (a conflict fought in the 1850s). Like many ships of her class, she was finished just as the war ended.
The Admiralty sent Grappler, along with her sister ship, Forward, to British Columbia. This happened after the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush in 1858, which brought many people to the area. Grappler left England in August 1859 and arrived at Esquimalt (a naval base near Victoria, British Columbia) almost a year later, on July 12, 1860.
Service Around Vancouver Island
While serving on the Pacific Station (the Royal Navy's command for the Pacific Ocean), Grappler played a key role in the early history of the Colony of Vancouver Island.
Under the command of Lieutenant Edmund Hope Verney, Grappler carried the first 35 British settlers to a new community called Comox. This happened on October 2, 1862, at the request of Governor James Douglas. She continued to help transport people and supplies to the settlement until other ships became available.
The gunboat also helped the colony by enforcing rules about the sale of alcohol. Because she was small, used steam power, and didn't need deep water, Grappler was very useful. She helped maintain lighthouses, rescued people, and placed navigation buoys to guide other ships.
Grappler and Forward were also involved in the Lemalchi incident in the spring of 1863. During this time, they helped keep peace and order, and were involved in conflicts with local communities.
Civilian Service and Final Fate
Grappler was taken out of naval service on May 13, 1865, and was sold for $2,400 in 1868. She was changed into a commercial ship by adding a deck house (a structure on the main deck) and was used for passenger and cargo transport for the next 15 years.
On April 29, 1883, while sailing in Discovery Passage, about 4 miles south of Seymour Narrows, a fire started in her boiler room. There were only two lifeboats on board, and one of them flipped over. Thirty-six people survived the fire and sinking. Because the ship's records were lost, no one knows exactly how many people died, but it's thought to be between 70 and 90.
An investigation after the accident found that the ship was not allowed to carry passengers. It also found that the owners had not provided enough safety equipment for the people on board. At the time of the fire, Grappler was traveling from the Puget Sound area to the Alaska Territory.
See also
- Grappler Sound
Images for kids
-
Grappler (ship, 1856) - SLV H91.250-163.jpg
HMS Grappler in later service as a packet steamer. She brought the first settlers to the Comox Valley in 1862.
