Memories of the Past: “Alfonso XII”. Three Ships and a King /2

The transatlantic ship “Alfonso XII” was the best Spanish vessel of its time and was built in the renowned William Denny & Bross shipyards in Dumbarton, Scotland, in 1875, which Trasatlántica used on several occasions for the construction of its large ships. It entered service in 1876 and was a ship of 2,915 gross tons and 1,982 net tons. It measured 107 meters in length, 11.58 meters in beam, 8.53 meters in depth, and displaced 5,500 tons. Its navigation was by sail and steam, equipped with three masts rigged as a schooner, and featured at its bow a figurehead of the young sovereign Alfonso XII sculpted by the firm Kay & Reid of London, whose figure was defended by the bowsprit, from where the foresails were rigged and the stays of the foremast were secured.

Its steam propulsion was provided by four circular boilers with three furnaces each, developing a power of 2,800 effective horsepower in its single four-blade propeller that turned at 50 revolutions per minute, giving it a speed of 14 knots. All the machinery was ordered separately from the construction of the ship, from the David Rowan workshops in Glasgow. Its coal bunkers had a capacity of 660 tons and it could carry 1,333 passengers with 125 crew members. The ship was equipped with the greatest technical advancements of the time, providing enormous advantages for navigation safety, while enjoying unparalleled comforts for passengers.

On this, its last voyage, the steamship “Alfonso XII”, coming from Cádiz, arrived in Las Palmas on February 13, 1885, early in the morning, anchoring in the outer harbor to carry out operations for supplying provisions, water, and coal by barge, as well as embarking 11 passengers bound for Cuba. The American route covered by the ship was San Juan de Puerto Rico, Havana, and Veracruz, but on this occasion, the next stop after the Canary port would be Havana. At 3 PM that same day, with bright sunshine and calm seas, the ship, under the command of Captain Juan Herrera, weighed anchor and set sail for what would be its fatal destination. With its course plotted towards the Caribbean, the ship sailed normally and did so close to the coast, to the curiosity and admiration of the public witnessing from various points in the city the departure of the slender transatlantic, which had not yet unfurled its sails.

Nautical chart of Gran Canaria, where the bay and shallow of Gando are located

Before the consolidation and development of the Port of La Luz, the bay of Gando, which offered the best shelter conditions, was of great importance for ships seeking refuge for their operations and naval repairs. The Gando Shallows consist of various erosion mechanisms with marine reliefs that sometimes emerge, such as the Roque de Gando, or nearly emerge as the aforementioned shallow, which has its peak at about two meters deep, a factor that defines its danger, along with the fact that it is located approximately one kilometer offshore. However, its position on nautical charts was well known and its use was very frequent. Its proximity to the coast allowed navigation by estimation, and according to local experts, “always keeping a mile and a half distance from the Lighthouse, there is no way to collide: always maintaining this distance, the Gando Shallows will be almost a mile from the ship on land”.

The Port of La Luz in Las Palmas is about fifteen miles away, and the ship only takes forty-five minutes to navigate there. Despite the early hour, which is usual on transatlantic routes, the ship's bell announces to passengers that dinner is ready. The captain, who remains on the bridge, observes that the currents are carrying the ship towards land, so he corrects the course, veering a few degrees to port to separate as much as possible from the coast. A terrible decision, as this change would lead the ship ten minutes later to encounter the reefs that make up the Gando Shallows.

The bridge is under the watch of the second officer, added and helmsman, while the captain leaves to continue with his protocol duties on board. It is four in the afternoon and many of the passengers have not yet arrived at the dining room when a deafening noise resonates throughout the ship's structure. It had collided with the Gando Shallows, off Punta de Melenara, and as a result of the impact, the ship comes to a sudden stop, violently pushing it backward, while large amounts of water flood the ship's compartments. Everything is lost, and it is only a matter of time before the ship sinks.

Panic spreads among the travelers who rush towards the lifeboats, ignoring the instructions of the captain and crew members who, amid intense nervousness, try at all costs to maintain order. Very few passengers are on board, only 145 and 125 crew members; a total of 270 people, who watch as the ship sinks further at the bow, while it slowly moves towards the south of the island, prompting many travelers and some of the crew to grab a life jacket and jump into the sea, seeing the proximity of small fishing boats that were ready to rescue them. Fortunately, several lifeboats were successfully launched, all under the command of a ship officer, embarking a good number of shipwrecked individuals who were taken to the nearby beach, returning again to search for more survivors. And so, for an eternal 50 minutes that it took for the ship to disappear beneath the sea, the captain, officers, and much of the crew made every effort to save all the people on board.

The last lifeboats were used to transport the crew members who were assisting in the rescue, with Captain Herrera being the last to leave the ship when the list made its sinking imminent. There was a total loss of the ship, but fortunately, all passengers and crew members were saved, aided by the invaluable help received from the fishermen of Gando beach, who with their modest boats rescued a large number of shipwrecked individuals from the sea who were struggling to stay afloat and transported them to the shore of that beach. Here, the survivors, passengers, and crew gathered, resulting in an emotional scene as they realized among hugs and tears that everyone had been saved from the shipwreck.

(*) Former Delegate of Trasatlántica Company in the Canary Islands

Photos: Archive of Juan Carlos Díaz Lorenzo