3-085-889 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

H.M.S. "Victorious" aground off Port Said, 1898. '...it appears that the battle-ship was trying to make the entrance to the harbour during a strong westerly gale, but was set by a strong current imperceptibly to eastward of the entrance, where she touched the ground and at once became unmanageable. There she grounded, not bumping or sustaining any injury beyond losing two anchors, which were buoyed and therefore recoverable...Early in the morning of the next day but one lighters were brought alongside, and the discharging of coal and ammunition began immediately. In the meantime the tank-steamer Pectan and the Canal Company's tug were engaged in towing as shown in the photograph here reproduced...the Victorious after having discharged 600 tons of coal and almost all her ammunition, was got off, but unfortunately she had hardly made three hundred yards headway when she grounded again, and remained so all night...she was at last towed out of her place and taken into deep water...she came into Port Said with her own engines quite uninjured, and without serious damage either to her bottom, screws, or machinery, and...started for Suez, en route for Chinese waters. The subsequent court-martial reprimanded the Captain and Staff-Commander of the vessel'. From "Illustrated London News", 1898.