Port Yarrock
Unpredictable weather was one of the many dangers sailors faced in the 19th century and was frequently to blame for the countless lives lost at sea. However, a trifecta of selfishness, cruelty, and stupidity also played a part in the crew of the Port Yarrock's demise.
On July 8, 1894, the three-masted, iron-clad barque sailed from Santa Rosala, Baja California, Mexico, carrying 2,200 tons of copper ore. The Port Yarrock spent the following six months at sea in pursuit of Cobh (then Queenstown), Ireland, under Captain Thomas Forbes's direction. The crew of 20, which was understaffed, was primarily made up of inexperienced boys serving apprenticeships, a common practice that guaranteed ship owners the highest possible profit.
About halfway through the trip, it was revealed that the steward of the Port Yarrock had sold most of the supplies, including a crucial supply of limes to ward off scurvy. The guilty man used a pistol to blow his own brains out rather than accept punishment for his crime. The stern skipper chose to keep the course despite being behind schedule, forcing the crew to survive on scant supplies for the remainder of the journey.
The crew was starving and disease-ridden when they finally arrived in Ireland in late January. To make matters worse, the ship capsized after encountering violent weather close to Brandon Bay. Unexpectedly, the captain turned down requests from the community to be towed to a safe harbor. The storm grew worse in the meanwhile, leading the ship to splinter and kill everyone on board.
