Lot Essay
INDENTThe S.S. Sarah Sands (Canadian Steam Navigation Company), caught fire en route from Cape Town to India, transporting soldiers of the 54th Regiment and other passengers.
The following was extracted from Dictionary of Disasters at Sea -- Charles Hocking
"The Government transport, Sarah Sands, Capt. Castle, had at one time belonged to the Red Cross Line, but on the occasion of the fire which brought her name into prominence she was conveying 368 officers and men of the 54th Foot to India. In addition to the troops there were a number of women and children, making with the crew a total of some 500 persons. She had proved a most unlucky ship, for, when chartered to the Canadian Steam Navigation Co., she had run on the rocks in the Straits of Belleisle, and later had capsized after leaving dock owing to her ballast being out of trim. On the voyage to India her somewhat nondescript crew mutinied and several were put in irons, and a few days before the outbreak of the fire she lost one seaman, who fell overboard when skylarking. On 11 November 1857, some days after leaving Cape Town, at about 2.30 p.m., one of the soldiers reported fire to the ship's carpenter. The Sarah Sands was constructed of iron, but there was also much inflamable woodwork and within a short time the whole of the after portion was on fire. Unfortunately the crew got out of hand and launched some of the boats without orders, but the soldiers succeeded in placing all the women and children in those that remained and got them clear of the ship. For 18 hours the troops and loyal members of the crew, fought the fire with admirable discipline. The two stores of powder were cleared and the casks thrown overboard, save for two or three which exploded and blew up most of the ship aft of the mainmast. The regimental colours, kept in the saloon, were saved by the bravery of half a dozen volunteers who reached them after repeated attempts. Meanwhile the recalcitrant men in the boats refused to render any aid, even declining to take the burning ship in tow. Fortunately during the whole of this time it had been possible to keep the ship's head to wind and thus confine the flames to the after part. The explosion of the powder, though it blew a great hole in the ship's port quarter down to the waterline, also blew away the burning woodwork of the stern cabins and shortly afterwards the fire was got under control and eventually extinguished. The plight of all on board was now miserable in the extreme. The uniforms of the soldiers had been almost scorched from their bodies, many had collapsed and others were terribly burned. Not one person lost his life in this disaster, even the muntineers in irons below were rescued by their comrades. The people from the boats were taken on board again and tents and awnings were rigged up over the burnt out decks to afford shelter against the heat of the tropic sun, and the ship set a course for Mauritius. On the evening of 21 November she reached Port Luis. The Sarah Sands was converted to a sailing ship, but was wrecked on the Laccadive Islands, on 7 April 1859."
Private Timothy Myneham enlsited 29 January 1847; discharged 1 August 1868; also entitled to Long Service and G.C. with #5 gratuity (this medal is in the Dorset Regiment Museum)
The following was extracted from Dictionary of Disasters at Sea -- Charles Hocking
"The Government transport, Sarah Sands, Capt. Castle, had at one time belonged to the Red Cross Line, but on the occasion of the fire which brought her name into prominence she was conveying 368 officers and men of the 54th Foot to India. In addition to the troops there were a number of women and children, making with the crew a total of some 500 persons. She had proved a most unlucky ship, for, when chartered to the Canadian Steam Navigation Co., she had run on the rocks in the Straits of Belleisle, and later had capsized after leaving dock owing to her ballast being out of trim. On the voyage to India her somewhat nondescript crew mutinied and several were put in irons, and a few days before the outbreak of the fire she lost one seaman, who fell overboard when skylarking. On 11 November 1857, some days after leaving Cape Town, at about 2.30 p.m., one of the soldiers reported fire to the ship's carpenter. The Sarah Sands was constructed of iron, but there was also much inflamable woodwork and within a short time the whole of the after portion was on fire. Unfortunately the crew got out of hand and launched some of the boats without orders, but the soldiers succeeded in placing all the women and children in those that remained and got them clear of the ship. For 18 hours the troops and loyal members of the crew, fought the fire with admirable discipline. The two stores of powder were cleared and the casks thrown overboard, save for two or three which exploded and blew up most of the ship aft of the mainmast. The regimental colours, kept in the saloon, were saved by the bravery of half a dozen volunteers who reached them after repeated attempts. Meanwhile the recalcitrant men in the boats refused to render any aid, even declining to take the burning ship in tow. Fortunately during the whole of this time it had been possible to keep the ship's head to wind and thus confine the flames to the after part. The explosion of the powder, though it blew a great hole in the ship's port quarter down to the waterline, also blew away the burning woodwork of the stern cabins and shortly afterwards the fire was got under control and eventually extinguished. The plight of all on board was now miserable in the extreme. The uniforms of the soldiers had been almost scorched from their bodies, many had collapsed and others were terribly burned. Not one person lost his life in this disaster, even the muntineers in irons below were rescued by their comrades. The people from the boats were taken on board again and tents and awnings were rigged up over the burnt out decks to afford shelter against the heat of the tropic sun, and the ship set a course for Mauritius. On the evening of 21 November she reached Port Luis. The Sarah Sands was converted to a sailing ship, but was wrecked on the Laccadive Islands, on 7 April 1859."
Private Timothy Myneham enlsited 29 January 1847; discharged 1 August 1868; also entitled to Long Service and G.C. with #5 gratuity (this medal is in the Dorset Regiment Museum)