Above ... Diver approaching one of the Seaham's props (Courtesy of Sam Lister)

WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY PAUL HENNESSEY (NORFOLK WRECK RESEARCH)

UNDERWATER IMAGES COURTESY OF SAM LISTER

Position ... 52 49 719 N / 001 40 458 E

Construction ... Iron / Double bottom

Build date ... Launched September 1870 / Completed February 1871

Builder ... T & W Smith, North Shields, Yard no 45

Engine and boiler builders ... When built (R & W Hawthorn) When re engined (Ravenhill Hodgson)

Official number ... 62364

Dimensions ... At time of loss (167.2 x 30.1 x 13.2 feet) ... 1870 = (157.2 x 30.1 x 13.2 feet)

Tonnage ... 535grt

Lost ... 4th December 1877

Cause ... Collision

Engines ... At time of loss (x2 direct acting inverted high and low pressure condensing compound engines. Cylinder sizes  HP = 17 inches / LP = 34 inches / stroke 24 inches. x1 condenser per engine)

Boilers ... At time of loss (x2 cylindrical tubular boilers, x2 furnaces per boiler. Fired forward side of boiler) Power.. 80hp

Raised quarter deck ... 27 feet

Donkey boiler ... Installed in engine room

Propulsion ... At time of loss (x2 screws, diameter 8 feet 6 inches, 4 blades)

Depth ... 32mtrs

Casualties ... 0

Build history

Built and completed in 1871 by T & W Smith of North Shields at yard no 45. At the time of her build, the Seaham was fitted with a single multi tubular boiler complete with three furnaces. In addition she was fitted with two, two cylinder inverted diagonal  engines (none compounding) that powered her two 3 bladed screws. The engines and boilers for the Seaham at the time of her build were supplied by R & W Hawthorn. Total horse power 60. Cylinder sizes 22 inch diameter with a 21 inch stroke.

In 1872 the Seaham was re engined and fitted with new boilers , these being supplied by Ravenhill Hodgson. In addition, in 1872 her 3 bladed screws were replaced with a 4 bladed screws. The Seaham's single boiler was replaced with two single ended multi tubular drum type boilers complete with 2 furnaces per boiler, these being fired via the fore section of the boiler (ie not from within the engine room) . The replacement engines were two vertical direct acting inverted high and low pressure condensing compound engines, each complete with their own condenser. Total horse power 80. Cylinder sizes HP = 17 inches / LP = 34 inches / stroke 24 inches. The Seaham's Iron ship report of October 1870 shows the Seaham to be for registration purposes 157.2 feet in length. It would appear that prior to completion Seaham was lengthened by 10 feet. On reading a survey and repairs report dated 11th March 1871, it shows the Seaham to have been lengthened by 10 feet amidships.

Contradictions

Various other publications have the engines of the Seaham as being x2 quadruple expansion engines built by North Eastern Marine Engineers Ltd of Sunderland and in addition state she was fitted at the time of her loss with just one boiler. Of note ... Dived is August 2024, confirmation of machinery being that of two x2 cylinder compound engines, two single ended multi tubular drum type boilers.

Below ... The Seaham's pair of two cylinder vertical compound engines as fitted in1872. (Courtesy of Sam Lister)

Below ... Diagram showing the general arrangement of the Seaham's boiler and engines at time of build. As stated the Seaham's original engines when built were of a none compounding design, ie all cylinders were of the same size / diameter (22 inches), in turn only one phase of steam expansion occurred with in the engine prior to exhaust. Due to the engines being of a diagonal design , ie the cylinders were inclined as appose to being vertical as in the engines fitted in 1872, the original arrangement placed the engines as shown below as appose to side by side due to lack of width in the Seaham's beam.

Cause of loss

On December 4th 1877 whilst en route from Goole to Ghent in Belgium with a cargo of coal and general, the Seaham was in collision with the 220 foot screw steamer Breeze.  The Breeze hit the Seaham's starboard quarter, this resulting in the Seaham sinking within a few minutes.

It would appear that the steamer Breeze had more than her fair share of collisions in her 29 year career (1875 - 1904 ). On her trial trip in 1875 she collided with a pier causing thousands of pounds worth of damage. On the 11th December she stranded off Tynemouth. On the 4th December 1877 she had two collisions in the same day, first was with that of the Hanoverian galliot Orient which was en route to London with a cargo of potatoes, this resulted in the sinking of the Orient. All of the Orient's crew were taken on board the Breeze before she sank. The second collision of the same day was with the Seaham, once again all the crew being taken off by Breeze before the Seaham sank. On the 17th April 1904 after a change of ownership and name from Breeze to Bris, the Bris sank after being in collision with the Swedish steamer Emma Hammar off the Pater noster Rocks on the west coast of Sweden.

At the time of the Seaham's loss she was in the ownership of the Goole Steam Shipping Company who had just acquired her, this being her first voyage for her new owners.

Below ... Sectional plan of the Seaham

UKHO

1982 ... General depth 26mtrs / height 4.8mtrs / length 50mtrs

1983 ... Swept clear at 23.3mtrs / foul at 23.6mtrs. In a general depth of 26 - 27mtrs. Length 50mtrs / beam 10mtrs. Apparently intact

1991 ... Wreck lies upright with no deck or superstructure

2015 ... Depth 23mtrs / scour depth 3mtrs. Length 50mtrs / width 10mtrs / height 5mtrs.



Below ... A view of the intact upper bow framework. The stem post can be clearly seen to the left of the image . Many of the bow plates now lay on the seabed after becoming detached from the frames. (Courtesy of Sam Lister)

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Below ... Spoon (8 inches) material unknown. Recovered from the area at the stern that is thought to have been the Galley / accommodation area. Recovered and reported to the ROW August 2024.

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Below ... Diver approaching the engine room area. (Courtesy of Sam Lister)

The Seaham today (2024)

For a vessel of just 50mtrs in length the Seaham makes for a fantastic dive. The majority of the lower hull walls stand approximately 2mtrs in height. The bow is upright and stands about 5 mtrs in height. The majority of the plates have come away leaving all the frames exposed, in turn giving the bow a skeletal appearance. In the lower part of the bow section can be seen the chain locker complete with anchor chain. The highlight of the site are the two  small x2 cylinder compound engines, these each being about eight feet in length. To the front of these are the two drum type fire tube boilers, these being about seven feet in diameter. The engine is sanded in up to the bottom of the cylinder heads, hear can be seen a grated walkway along side the engine. The boilers are sanded in up to the fire tube outlets, this being where they would have met the smoke box which would in turn go to the funnel. The holds are easily recognisable and complete with bulkheads. The Seaham had two holds, one forth and one aft of midships. The holds are packed with coal (cargo). The extreme stern has collapsed, however both propellers can be seen. One of these is fully intact and the other has lost some of its blades. It is assumed that the stern area either housed part of the accommodation or the galley, this being due to the amount of bottles, broken crockery and cutlery that is situated in the immediate area.