ID: 467 Name: Marshland
Inserted: 25.09.2011
Country of origin: England
Date: 19th century
Sinking time: 09/10.12.1870 Propulsion: steamship
Address: Inland sea, Väinameri, Nordväina madal
Purpose: merchant ship
Vessel type: steamer
Cargo: general goods
Story of Sinking: In December 1870, while on her way from Hull to Helsinki, the English steamer Marshland (captain Henry Kinnersley) got into a marine incident on the Baltic Sea due to cold weather, snowfall and freezing sea. The steamer had turned back to the South from Hiiumaa and come to rest at Ventspils, where they were ordered to head to Helsinki. The ship reached the area of Tallinn, but proceeding towards Helsinki appeared to be impossible - the entire ship was covered with ice, visibility was non-existent. The chains broke, the crew lost control over the ship. A strong north wind was blowing, making the ship drift southwards. The crew had no idea of their location. Storm waves flung water into the ship and pumping it out became impossible because pieces of coal blocked the pumps. Water flew into the engine compartment and with the ship swaying, the water put out the hearths of the engines. The ship stranded and the crew quickly evacuated from the leaking vessel that had turned into "a huge ice massif". They walked to the dry land over the ice where it came out that they had reached Vormsi Island. The duty to salvage the wreck was appointed to the Stockholm Salvage Association "Neptun" who was supposed to lift the ship out of the water once the ice had melted.
Object Data: three-masted
Description of Location: Nordväin shoal (Stapelbotten)
Archival Reference: TLA.1213.1.22 EAA.30.5.7849 EAA.30.5.7850 EAA.863.1.1958 EAA.863.1.1959
Resource Links & Literature: Estländische Gouvernements-Zeitung, 223.12.1870hdea.nlib.ee/fullview.phpEstländische Gouvernements-Zeitung, 1111.09.1871tdea.nlib.ee/fullview.php