Aristide (1889/10/25)

Hamelin Bay

Aristide was built by J. Dubigeon and Son, and was sheathed with yellow metal. The owner was Louis Zaclain Coriton, who was also master of the vessel at the time it was wrecked. The barque had sailed in ballast from Fremantle to Hamelin Bay, where, on 17 October, the pilot instructed the master to anchor in 13 m of water. After discharging some of the ballast, about 30 tonnes of timber had been taken on board when the weather deteriorated. On the evening of 24 October Coriton had the crew lower the topgallant yards to reduce windage and pay out extra cable on the anchors, also attaching springs to the cables.
THE LOSS
The wind had reached gale force and the Aristide was riding to both anchors, each weighing over one tonne, when about 10.00 p.m. the port cable parted. With squalls from the west-south-west reaching hurricane force, a cable was bent to the spare anchor and it was let go. The stream anchor was also dropped. However after midnight, with the squalls continuing, the barque began dragging all three anchors. Around 2.00 a.m. on 25 October the cable of the stream anchor parted and the Aristide dragged until by 3.30 a.m. the vessel’s stern was almost in the breakers. Here the two remaining anchors held for about twenty minutes until, dragging again, the barque struck heavily 2½ miles (4.6 km) north of the Hamelin Bay Jetty. The Aristide swung broadside onto the beach about 50 m out from the high water mark, with the deck canted towards the sea. The crew scrambled for safety over the bulwarks and on to the hull.
About 4.30 a.m. the mate made an unsuccessful attempt to take a line ashore in the dinghy. The dinghy capsized, but the mate reached shore safely. When daylight came a boat from the shore was used to take a line to the Aristide and all the crew were taken to safety. Some of the crew of the barque Northern Star, then in the anchorage, were among the shore party that brought the survivors to the beach. The Aristide began to break up soon afterwards, and by 8.00 a.m. it had completely gone to pieces, wreckage being strewn along the coast for over 3 km.
INQUIRY
The Court of Inquiry, held at Hamelin on 30 October at the request of the French Consul, consisted of Dr Lepper, RM., Joseph Cookworthy, JP., and A.R. Price, clerk to the magistrates. The court found that cables had parted in a heavy gale, and that the master and crew were not to blame as Captain Coriton had taken every precaution to prevent the loss of the Aristide. Concern was expressed over the anchor chain used by the barque. It was considered by some to be too light at 1½ in (37 mm) diameter, although Captain Coriton pointed out that the vessel had been surveyed only three months earlier, with the anchors and chains being passed as of sufficient strength.
SITE LOCATION
The wreck of the Aristide is thought to lie on the shore about 4.6 km north of the Hamelin Jetty, about 200 m north of Twin Rocks. However the wreck was so broken up by the seas that there is probably very little remaining apart from possibly the lower section of the hull.