SS Alert facts for kids
SS Alert
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Quick facts for kids History |
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| Australia | |
| Name | Alert |
| Owner | Huddart Parker |
| Port of registry | Melbourne, Australia |
| Builder | Robert Duncan & Co., Port Glasgow |
| Launched | 1877 |
| Identification | Official number: 76169 |
| Fate | Sunk, 28 December 1893 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Steamship |
| Tonnage | 243 tons |
| Length | 169 ft (52 m) |
| Beam | 19 ft 6 in (5.94 m) |
| Depth | 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) |
| Propulsion | Rankin & Blackmore compound steam engine, 90 nhp, 1 screw |
The SS Alert was a steamship that sadly sank near Cape Schanck, Victoria, Australia, on December 28, 1893. This ship was built in Scotland for calm waters, but it ended up in a big storm! It was about 51 meters (169 feet) long and weighed 247 tonnes.
After it sank, the Alert rested on the ocean floor for 113 years. Then, in June 2007, a group called Southern Ocean Exploration found it again!
Ship's Story
The Alert was built in 1877 at Port Glasgow in Scotland. When it first traveled to Australia, it sailed like a three-masted schooner. Its engine parts, like the funnel and propeller, were stored safely inside the ship.
For a few years, the Alert sailed between Melbourne and Geelong. In 1893, it temporarily took over a route from Gippsland to Melbourne. This happened while another ship, the SS Despatch, was being repaired.
The Final Voyage
On December 28, 1893, the Alert left Lakes Entrance heading for Melbourne. It planned to stop at Port Albert along the way. But the weather turned terrible! The ship ran into very strong, hurricane-force winds and huge waves.
The Alert sank about four miles off Cape Schanck. There were 16 people on board the ship. Sadly, only one person survived.
The Sole Survivor
The only survivor was Robert Ponting, who was the ship's cook. He managed to hold onto a piece of the cabin door. The waves carried him all the way to the ocean beach at Sorrento.
Local people found Robert Ponting and helped him recover. They used brandy to warm him up and even had a St. Bernard dog lie on him to provide body heat. Two other bodies from the ship also washed ashore at Sorrento beach.
After the Sinking
An investigation was held to find out what happened. The inquiry found that no one was to blame for the sinking, neither the lighthouse keeper nor the ship's captain. However, after several years, money was given to Robert Ponting and the wife of one of the people who died on the ship.
