This Tonsberg, (Norway), registered steamer, en-route from Tyne & Dundee to New York with a general cargo, ran aground in dense fog about 500yds north of the Stacks of Duncansby at around 1pm, fortunately without loss of life amongst her crew of 27. She had left Dundee on Wednesday 10th June and owing to the thick weather speed was reduced on the Thursday morning and at the time of the accident Captain Nielson and the chief officer were on the bridge. When the rocks were sighted dead ahead the engines were at once reversed but before she could be stopped she struck the rocks and remained fast.
The weather at first remained calm and there were hopes that the Thyra could be patched and refloated. Several tugs, including Messrs Svitser's Danish tug 'Viking', one of the best equipped in the world at that time, tried in vain to refloat her, but she developed serious leaks and all efforts had to be concentrated on salvaging the cargo which included bagging, burlap, skins, school bags, lime juice, spirits, tea, pianos, hides, star antimony, and copper matte. The work was undertaken by Danish tugs hired by the Liverpool Salvage Company with goods taken to Wick, by the Norwegian vessel Erling, although large quantities of jute and linen remained on board. Salvage work was suspended in August when WW1 began.
Amongst the many bits and pieces salvaged from the wreck of the Thyra were barrels of lime and this was used for building houses and steadings throughout the district. The house at 'Roadside' renovated between 1916-18 was built with lime from the Thyra. One James Rosie carried up rolls of packsheet from the Thyra and used this when he re-roofed his house. Part of her cargo of big pitch-pine logs was salvaged by the local shareholders and rafted round Duncansby Head to the Niss. Sanny Allan, Millman, Mey, came over with his steam engine and saw and cut up the wood into fencing posts. The fencing around the cliffs was erected by two brothers Cormack, who later on had a holding on Lochend, Barrock. [Prior to this there was a fail, (turf), dyke]. They were most excellent fencers and although much has been renewed recently, a good portion of the original fence remains. Galvanised strainers and stays were used and were fixed in round holes drilled into large boulders. A mixture of molten lead mixed with sulphur and known as 'Devil's Blood' was poured around the strainers and they are as firm today as they were when erected.
The Thyra was built of steel in 1899 by Osbourne, Graham & Co, Sunderland at a cost of 656,012.26 Kroner, for A/S D/S Thyra's Rederi. Steam driven, she had two boilers, a triple expansion engine of 300 net horse-power, a single shaft (giving her a speed of 10 knots) and her machinery was by Blair & Co Ltd, Stockton-on-Tees. She was 339' long, 48' wide and had a draught of 29'. She was 3742 gross tons, 2419 tons net. Her signal letters were HMND.
The Thyra was built for the owner's Africa/Australia/New Zealand service and when off the coast of India in 1910 the Captain's wife, Karoline, gave birth to a daughter, the baby being named Thyra Emmelyn India.
Acting on infortmation from the Hellsmouth Diving & Shipwreck Company, the remains of the Thyra were first found using a magnetometer by members of Caithness Diving Club in 2016. A dive on the wreck revealed that her remains are spread over a wide area, in depths ranging from 8m to 15m, although much of her remains have yet to be found. What has been found are her long propellor-shaft, part of her double-bottom, some stern ribs, what looks like some kind of winch and various other ferrous and non-ferrous parts.
An underwater video of some of the Thyra's remains can be viewed on our You-Tube channel.
The weather at first remained calm and there were hopes that the Thyra could be patched and refloated. Several tugs, including Messrs Svitser's Danish tug 'Viking', one of the best equipped in the world at that time, tried in vain to refloat her, but she developed serious leaks and all efforts had to be concentrated on salvaging the cargo which included bagging, burlap, skins, school bags, lime juice, spirits, tea, pianos, hides, star antimony, and copper matte. The work was undertaken by Danish tugs hired by the Liverpool Salvage Company with goods taken to Wick, by the Norwegian vessel Erling, although large quantities of jute and linen remained on board. Salvage work was suspended in August when WW1 began.
Amongst the many bits and pieces salvaged from the wreck of the Thyra were barrels of lime and this was used for building houses and steadings throughout the district. The house at 'Roadside' renovated between 1916-18 was built with lime from the Thyra. One James Rosie carried up rolls of packsheet from the Thyra and used this when he re-roofed his house. Part of her cargo of big pitch-pine logs was salvaged by the local shareholders and rafted round Duncansby Head to the Niss. Sanny Allan, Millman, Mey, came over with his steam engine and saw and cut up the wood into fencing posts. The fencing around the cliffs was erected by two brothers Cormack, who later on had a holding on Lochend, Barrock. [Prior to this there was a fail, (turf), dyke]. They were most excellent fencers and although much has been renewed recently, a good portion of the original fence remains. Galvanised strainers and stays were used and were fixed in round holes drilled into large boulders. A mixture of molten lead mixed with sulphur and known as 'Devil's Blood' was poured around the strainers and they are as firm today as they were when erected.
The Thyra was built of steel in 1899 by Osbourne, Graham & Co, Sunderland at a cost of 656,012.26 Kroner, for A/S D/S Thyra's Rederi. Steam driven, she had two boilers, a triple expansion engine of 300 net horse-power, a single shaft (giving her a speed of 10 knots) and her machinery was by Blair & Co Ltd, Stockton-on-Tees. She was 339' long, 48' wide and had a draught of 29'. She was 3742 gross tons, 2419 tons net. Her signal letters were HMND.
The Thyra was built for the owner's Africa/Australia/New Zealand service and when off the coast of India in 1910 the Captain's wife, Karoline, gave birth to a daughter, the baby being named Thyra Emmelyn India.
Acting on infortmation from the Hellsmouth Diving & Shipwreck Company, the remains of the Thyra were first found using a magnetometer by members of Caithness Diving Club in 2016. A dive on the wreck revealed that her remains are spread over a wide area, in depths ranging from 8m to 15m, although much of her remains have yet to be found. What has been found are her long propellor-shaft, part of her double-bottom, some stern ribs, what looks like some kind of winch and various other ferrous and non-ferrous parts.
An underwater video of some of the Thyra's remains can be viewed on our You-Tube channel.