referred steam frigate iron ships built royal_navy designed steam frigate converted commissioned wrecked february transporting troops bay danger point near kilometres cape_town south_africa passengers soldiers famously stood firm allowing women children board boats safely people board survived soldiers gave rise women children protocol abandoning ship drill poem came describe courage face hopeless circumstances description history laid shipyard frigate hms vulcan renamed soon town built horsepower steam engines drove pair metre wheels masts rigged brig according designer designs submitted finally approved vessel feet long feet longer vessel class built beam displacement tons load water line change authorities admiralty designs position shaft ordered moved feet forward change unfortunate makes vessel care taken hold trim head exception model specification displacement general arrangement hull vessel ship divided watertight compartments engine room divided longitudinal bulkheads compartments making watertight compartments total round stern bow ended large vulcan holding hammer hand bolts forged armament originally intended pounder pivot guns forward aft pounder broadside guns launch launched december hull weighed tons drew feet time missing approximately tons cabin fittings machinery stores fittings expected add additional tons increasing draught feet undertook maiden voyage plymouth averaging knots knots journey remained laid time varied use england scotland ireland november iron ship great britain ran aground sands ireland doubt floated advised rescue ship man naval engineer engaged great_britain floated august assistance commissioned frigate factors came play construction resulted converted firstly royal_navy warships switched wheels efficient propeller propulsion following experiment organised admiralty benefits propeller wheel dramatically demonstrated secondly admiralty doubts effects cannon shot iron hulls number trials carried lower shot hole hard plug conversion forecastle deck added increase accommodation mast added change sail plan served warship faster comfortable wooden sail driven time making trip cape days october final voyage january command captain left portsmouth conveying troops different regiments including queen 8th war called war south_africa january picked soldiers ireland conveyed officers wives families february docked briefly near cape_town women children disembarked number sick soldiers cavalry horses hay tons coal loaded leg voyage sailed simon bay february men women children aboard exact number doubt order best possible speed captain decided south african coast setting course generally miles shore wheels maintained steady speed knots sea calm night clear left headed east shortly february travelling speed knots sounding struck rock water beneath bows stern rock lies near today near western cape barely submerged clearly visible rough seas immediately apparent conditions captain rushed deck ordered anchor dropped quarter boats lowered turn astern given engines ship backed rock sea rushed large hole collision ship struck plates forward open bulkheads shortly forward compartments engine rooms flooded soldiers drowned sinking surviving soldiers mustered awaited officers orders ordered colonel send men chain pumps directed task assigned tackles rest assembled deck order raise forward ship women children placed ship cutter lay alongside boats manned immediately launched poor maintenance paint leaving boats available large boats capacities men surviving officers men assembled deck lieutenant colonel foot took charge military personnel stressed necessity maintaining order discipline officers survivor later recounted everybody kept silent heard kicking horses orders given clear firm voice minutes impact engines turning astern ship struck beneath engine room tearing open instantly broke aft mainmast funnel went ship sank stern section crowded men floated minutes sinking sank called swim jump overboard boats colonel recognising rushing risk women children ordered men stand fast men attempt cavalry horses freed driven sea hope able swim ashore soldiers ship broke barely minutes striking rock soldiers managed swim miles shore hours hanging pieces wreck stay afloat drowned died exposure taken sharks remained wreck went took way man got hold leg managed kick came struck pieces wood water started land miles water hours shore rocky surf ran high great lost trying land nearly took water clothes taken sharks hundreds round saw men taken close dressed having shirt trousers preferred hurt happy kept head clear officers lost lives losing presence mind trying money throwing coats letter lieutenant father march morning schooner discovered saving occupants second boat way scene disaster arriving afternoon found people rigging reported approximately people aboard saved captain regiment senior army officer survive awarded majority actions ordeal dated february number personnel aboard doubt estimate published times generally thought survivors comprised soldiers ranks royal marines seamen ranks women children male civilian numbers muster rolls books lost ship horses safely land ninth leg broken pushed sea aftermath number sailors court result accident court held board portsmouth attracted great deal interest senior naval officers survived found blame captain regiment told court martial order prevailed board moment ship struck till totally disappeared far exceeded thought effected best discipline wondered seeing soldiers short time service directed cry ship final received orders carried embarking instead going saw conducted little noise confusion lighthouse erected warn shipping dangerous reef lighthouse metres tall visible approximately nautical miles remembrance plate base new memorial erected nearby march december plaque moved closer lighthouse memorial cathedral edinburgh bears following inscription memory ensign alex men drowned wreck 26th february cape good hope women children board safely landed ship boats prussia recognised bravery soldiers ordered account incident read head regiment army queen victoria ordered erection official monument painted widely admired maritime depiction incident wreck prints painting distributed public south african mint issued heroes gold coin commemorating years sinking featuring painting faces coin legacy drill sinking earliest maritime disaster evacuation concept women children known applied women children subsequently standard procedure relation evacuation sinking ships fiction real life synonymous drill courageous behaviour hopeless circumstances appeared tribute soldier sailor chance thick rush firing bad cover leave shout stand drill damn tough bullet majesty soldier sailor work begun younger choice plain screw stood drill soldier sailor phrase appears double star knew sunk damn caught owe stand attention ship goes novel moon caught drill try best till ship went treasure persistent carrying military payroll gold coins weighing tons secretly stored powder room final voyage numerous attempts salvage gold nephew colonel wrote certain cape obtained permission dive wreck search treasure june salvage attempt renowned cape_town recovered anchors brass fittings gold combined archaeological salvage excavation carried marine salvage company gold coins recovered appear personal possessions passengers crew treasure shallow depth wreck metres resulted wreck considerably disturbed years despite war grave british south african governments entered agreement salvage wreck sharing gold recovered namesake canadian province british_columbia conferred honour disaster explorer friend cousin regiment foot traverse country coastal named cousin cuts west town twin miles southwest head mount north low pass connecting valley lakes river valley area near known summit pass turn named mountain directly anderson according local tradition nature reserve named captain locals day taken water
HMS Birkenhead (1845)