Irish Wrecks On-Line - Manchester Merchant SS (No. 619a)

*Vessel Type:*	Cargo Liner	*Location:*	Co. Kerry
*Date of Loss:*	15th January 1903	*Place:*	Dingle Bay
*Cause of Loss:*	Caught fire	*Boat Dive from:*	Dingle or Inch
*Charted Depth:*	15m	*Irish O.S. Map:*	Discovery Series No. 70
*Height of Wreck:*	4m	*Admiralty Chart No:*	2789
*Hull Material:*	Steel	*Latitude:*	52 05.26 North
*Type of Seabed:*		*Longitude:*	10 03.15 West
*Average Visibility:*		*Diving Experience:*	Experienced Novice

Image available?

Yes - see below

Diving Information:

Lies in a West-South-West direction near Inch Bar.
Relatively intact.

Historical Information:

Built in 1900 by Palmers & Co. she grossed 5,657 tons and measured 452.0 x 52.2 x 28.3 ft. and was owned by Manchester Liners.
While bound Manchester from New Orleans her cargo of 13,000 bales of cotton ignited as she neared Ireland.
Her commander, Captain W.P. Couch, took the vessel into Dingle Bay and anchored a mile off Inch Bar to fight the fire.
The remainder of the cargo – 100 barrels of turpentine, soap, pitch pine and bulk maize helped fuel the blaze. As a last resort he scuttled the ship in shallow water (41 ft. at the stern, 36 ft amidships) in a West-South-West direction.
Attempts were made to salvage her by Mr. Ensor of Queenstown but she was declared a total loss.

© by kind permission of www.wrecksite.eu
Source Publications:

"Dictionary of Disasters at Sea during the Age of Steam 1824 - 1962"

by
Charles Hocking

London Stamp Exchange 1989 - ISBN: 0948130474

"Irish Wrecks Database"

by
Roy Stokes & Liam Dowling

"Shipwreck Index of Ireland"

by
Richard & Bridget Larn

Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2002 - ISBN: 1900839970

"Shipwrecks of the Irish Coast 932 - 1997"

by
Edward J. Bourke

Edward J. Bourke 1998 - ISBN: 0952302713

"Shipwrecks of the Irish Coast 1105 – 1993"

by
Edward J. Bourke

Edward J. Bourke 1994 - ISBN: 0952302705

Last update - 10-Feb-2006