Additional information courtesy of Bill Blow

Technical

Official Number: 110868
Yard Number: 232
Completed: 1899
Gross Tonnage: 227.29
Net Tonnage: 86.44
Length: 114.0 ft
Breadth: 21.6 ft
Depth: 12.0 ft
Built: Cochrane & Cooper Ltd, Selby
Engine: 400ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by Amos & Smith Ltd, Hull

History

27.2.1899: Launched by Cochrane & Cooper Ltd, Selby (Y.No.232) as a liner for Viking Steam Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Grimsby as KING HARALD.
9.3.1899: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Arthur Henry Leslie Melville and Eustace Abel Smith, Lincoln, joint mortgagees (A).
25.3.1899: Registry opened.
28.4.1899: Registered at Grimsby (GY1097).
25.3.1899: John Edward Rushworth appointed manager.
29.4. 1899: Completed.
30.9.1899: Mortgage (A) discharged.
2.10.1899: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to The York City & County Banking Co Ltd, York (B).
6.11.1902: Sold by mortgagee under mortgage (B) to Frank Barrett (64/64), Grimsby.
6.11.1902: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Stamford, Spalding & Boston Banking Co Ltd, Grimsby (C).
8.11.1902: Frank Barrett designated managing owner.
17.11.1910: Mortgage C) discharged.
2.2.1911: Arrived Grimsby and reported that trimmer, Frank Hadfield was drowned in Icelandic waters. In stormy weather, with the ship rolling, he was on deck, slipped, lost his balance and pitched overboard. Every effort was made to recover him but he sank and was not seen again
1.1912: Sold to G. E. Forum (64/64) (Anglo Danish principals), Esbjerg, Denmark.
26.1.1912: Grimsby registry closed. Registered at Fanö (F??). George William Margarson appointed manager.
9.1912: New boiler.
1.1.1914: Tonnage altered to 93.06 net under provision of Merchant Shipping Act 1907.
1914: Fishing out of Fleetwood (Sk. Hans Sorenson Hansen).
9.1.1915: Put into Killybegs, Co. Donegal but told by the authorities to leave as UK ports were closed to foreign vessels. Ordered by telegram sent by Frank Barrett to proceed to Fleetwood to land and coal.
13.1.1915: On arrival at Fleetwood landed 30 boxes and vessel arrested.
22.1.1915: At Grimsby Magistrates Court, Frank Barrett and George William Margarson were charged with an offence under sections 37 & 38 of the Defence of the Realm Consolidation Act, namely entering a prohibited area, Fleetwood, and aiding and abetting Hans Sorenson Hansen to commit an offence contrary to section 48 of the same Act. The Stipendiary Magistrate dismissed the case against all defendants but concluded that the authorities were, however, justified in bringing the proceedings.
4.1915: Sold to Frank Barrett (64/64), Grimsby.
4.1915: Fanö registry closed.
6.4.1915: Registered at Grimsby (GY479).
6.4.1915: Frank Barratt designated managing owner.
29.5.1917: Requisitioned for Fishery Reserve (1-6pdr).
12.10.1917: At Grimsby a 1cwt (50kg) drum of carbide was delivered on board and left abaft the foc’sle hatch to be out of the way of the working of the ship. At 3.00pm. sailed for the fishing grounds (Sk. J. Maguire); nine crew all told. Shortly after sailing the 2nd engineer, George Henderson, found the drum and proceeded to move it to the engine room. Rather than use the arrangement provided for lowering the drum he attempted to go down the ladder backwards balancing the drum lengthwise in his arms so as to leave his hands free for the ladder. About halfway down the drum slipped off his arms and instead of landing on the plates fell over the guard rail into the crankcase where it was crushed with the next revolution of the crank spilling the contents into the bilge. The bilge contained about 10” of water and reacting with the carbide released a huge volume of acetylene gas which was ignited by the oil lamp suspended on the guard rail. The 2nd engineer was killed instantly along with the chief engineer, Charles Lambert and the cook Pethbridge, who was standing at the door of the engineroom. The skipper and mate, A. Johnson, the trimmer, two other crew members were severely injured and the bodies of two other crewmen were never found, possibly having been blown into the water or floated away when beaching. The whole of the superstructure was blown upwards and outwards, deck beam connections to frames were severed, cabin entirely wrecked and the boat smashed. The effect was felt half way along the length forward and about 180 rivets were started in the hold and shell plating sprung. The vessel was making water and taken in tow by another trawler was beached in shoal water.
10.1917: Salved and towed into the dock basin at Grimsby were she grounded by the stern. Saturday: At low water search began for bodies of the engineers. Repair costs estimated to be £6,000.
24.1.1918: At the Inquiry held at Grimsby by H.M. Chief Inspector of Explosives (No.187), the inspector, Major A. Cooperkey CB concluded that “The explosion was not an unavoidable accident and would not have occurred (a) if the carbide had been removed below before the engine was started, or (b) if proper means had been adopted to remove it below.
1919: Released.
6.1.1920: Sold to Direct Fish Supplies Ltd (64/64), London.
6.1.1920: George William Payne Margarson designated manager.
27.1.1920: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Barclays Bank Ltd, London (D).
23.3.1922: Company in voluntary liquidation.
10.8.1922: Placed in compulsory liquidation.
6.9.1922: Sold by mortgagee under mortgage (D) to Thomas Baskcomb (64/64), Grimsby.
6.9.1922: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Barclays Bank Ltd, London (E).
12.9.1022: Thomas William Baskcomb designated managing owner.
30.1.1935: Mortgage (E) discharged.
1.1935: Sold to shipbreakers.
17.9.1935: Grimsby registry closed “Vessel broken up”.

Down the PDF file of the BOT report into the explosion.