The River Dee Ferry Boat Disaster occurred on 5 April 1876. Thirty two people drowned in the mouth of the River Dee, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, when their ferry boat capsized. Overcrowding, fast flowing current and a poorly spliced wire rope were blamed.
thumb|River Dee, looking towards Victoria Bridge. This is close to the location that the ferry capsized.
Context
The city of Aberdeen lies at the mouth of the River Dee in North East Scotland. This is a tidal part of the river and can be subject to powerful currents. In 1876 Torry, on the south bank of the river, was part of Kincardineshire and distinct from the Royal Burgh of Aberdeen, which lay on the north bank. In 1891 Torry was incorporated into the county of the city of Aberdeen.
The ferry route was a busy and profitable route between the Pocra Quay on the North and Torry on the south. It had operated for centuries. At the time of the accident, the big ferry boat was operated by a pulley system, attached by a rope to each river bank. This allowed it to be pulled across the river without the need for an engine, sails or rudder on the boat. Other boats continued to transport passengers across the route, particularly on busy days. The wire-boat was crossing the new channel of the River Dee where the current could be faster.
The wire ferry boat was built by William Hall, ship and boatbuilder with dimensions of length, width and in depth. It was fitted with a large wheel and two friction rollers for the wire that was strung across the river and would carry eight tons. When tested with sixty men on board she was stable in the water, but there was no room for anyone to sit and was therefore toploaded. Oars and rowlocks were available on board.
After several days of rain, the river was swollen and fast flowing. Snow melt may also have contributed. The previous day the wire-boat was not run for a time due to the fast current, and journeys were made by row boats instead.
There were normally two ferryman on the boat for each journey. On the fateful crossing, William Masson, the more experienced of the two, was concerned about the overcrowding and the speed of the current. He testified that he thought the wire-boat would be laid up for about an hour to allow the current to slow when the tide slackened. He also reported that he raised concerns with Kennedy about overcrowding, but Kennedy claimed not to have heard. Masson went to get his colleague a drink of water, and on his return the boat was already crossing the river. It was the only crossing that day that he did not go on the boat.
thumb|right|350px|Queen Victoria Bridge
There had been plans for some time for a new bridge across to Torry but the final impetus was provided by the disaster and Queen Victoria Bridge was formally opened on 2 July 1881.
The bridge was partly funded by public subscription and partly by the Corporation of Aberdeen Council, and provides direct access from Torry into the heart of Aberdeen.
A plaque commemorating those who died in this disaster was erected on the bridge in 2005.
References
See also
- List of United Kingdom disasters by death toll