"Empress of Canada"

[Frederick Lacey]

Liverpool. January. 25th. 1953.

Liverpool: The Canadian Pacific Liner. "Empress of Canada" is gutted by fire at her moorings.

61 years today, It doesn't seem that long ago, I remember seeing her on her side the summer of '53,

when I was there on the "Port Napier"

Fred.
R525985.

[Jim Brady]

I walked on her hull when i was a Sea Cadet.I watched her being brought up.The dock estate was closed there were many timber yards on the dock road me and many other kids shinned up the drain pipe and got onto the barrel roof of the timber yard shed a brilliant view.
Regards.
Jim.B

[Kenneth Kenny]

Hi Jim,our School Teacher Mr Dolan (Scottish) of St Elizabeth's Litherland School,took the whole class down to see it Janurary 1953 laying on her Side,I think they (Fireman)pump to much water in her getting the fire out.The School Teacher was the Best we ever had.Each week,(One Day)we would all go to different place's like Tate and Lyes.Bibby's.Tannery's.Ect and on the Over Head Railway to thoe's place's.Great Teacher.Ken.R634898.

[John Arton]

One of the things that came out of the inquiry regarding the Empress of Canada was that it was caused by the fire service in their best endeavour's put so much water into her that they unknowingly made the ship unstable and hence she capsized.
After that fire services covering port areas had to have some training in the understanding of the effect of free surface on a ships stability and over the years this developed into the requirement (legal) to have a set of ships plans, its cargo stowage arrangements' along with an up to date stability print out and a copy of the ships stability data, posted at the top of the gangway in a water proof container, commonly known as the "Fire Plan" container.
Nowadays in the U.K. at least, even with all the cuts, it is not uncommon to get a visit from the local fire brigade and I have even involved them in on board fire training for the ships crew when we have been in port on a layby berth awaiting cargo.
Most fire services when asked are most enthusiastic in carrying out exercises on real ships as although they may have done some training on mock ups there is nothing like an exercise on a real ship where they can not only put their fire fighting training into use but also their knowledge (basic) of ships stability, cargoes and working in a completely different environment to that they encounter in their day to day duties.
I believe also that the Fire Service have still a dedicated training centre somewhere down south where senior fire officers train in fighting ship board fires and learn about ships stability, used to know the name of the place but its long forgotten now.
rgds
JA

[robpage]

The fire Services training place is at Moreton in the Marsh http://www.fireservicecollege.ac.uk/home/


Southampton Fire Brigade , nearly capsized the Pendennis Castle in the 1960s with water , so they did not share their mistakes easily

[Jim Brady]

Canadian Pacific replaced the Canada with a ship called De Gras there was quite a bit if graffiti around at the time "Keep Off De Gras".
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Richard Quartermaine]

Paying off the Gothic on 12 March 1953 at Liverpool there was no sign of the Canada that I can remember. They must have righted her quickly.
Richard

A real ship but the glory hole portholes would need to be closed except in dead calm.

[John Callon]

Hi Jim,our School Teacher Mr Dolan (Scottish) of St Elizabeth's Litherland School,took the whole class down to see it Janurary 1953 laying on her Side,I think they (Fireman)pump to much water in her getting the fire out.The School Teacher was the Best we ever had.Each week,(One Day)we would all go to different place's like Tate and Lyes.Bibby's.Tannery's.Ect and on the Over Head Railway to thoe's place's.Great Teacher.Ken.R634898.

Kenny, we too were taken by the school to see the EofCanada lying in the Gladstone. I went to school in the south end of the city and the Dingle Overhead Railway station was just a short walk away. I would say it must have been about a month after she caught fire as the funnels were still lying propped up against the dock wall.
Regards
John

[Jim Brady]

Richard #7 that is the Empress of Australia.
Empress Of Canada fire 25th January 1953 raised 6th March 1954.I notice this was a Saturday as I said all of the Gladstone and Hornby dock estate were closed down.I seen the steam winches in the avenue behind the Blue Flu berth which was opposite the Canada on her side.Each winch had its own independant steam line so that they would all have equal power.
Regards.
Jim.B
I've just come across this site www.liverpoolships.orgPH-EM02.jpg

[Richard Quartermaine]

Thanks Jim, that would have been quite a display of power. The power of steam. The steam trains and the couple of steam ships I sailed on in my youth fascinated me. I have two postcards of the Empresses the other, Empress of Scotland which was posted to me by shipmate. It was that one I was looking for but like many things I file away these days, they stay filed until I come across them by accident. I think we docked in Hutchisson but as the 'channels' were still strong in our psyche we just wanted to get that wad of fivers and our books and carry on where we left off six months previously.
Richard