HMS Doterel (1880)
HMS Doterel was a Doterel-class sloop launched by the Royal Navy in 1880. She sank at anchor off Punta Arenas after an explosion on 26 April 1881. Her loss caused the deaths of 143 crew members, and there were 12 survivors. She was en route to join the Pacific Station. Her loss was initially the source of much speculation. Causes considered included an attack by the Fenians, a lost torpedo, and a coal gas explosion. An enquiry in September 1881 concluded coal gas was the cause.
An illustration of HMS Doterel from 14 May 1881 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMS Doterel |
| Builder | Chatham Dockyard |
| Way number | No 3 slip |
| Laid down | 13 May 1878 |
| Launched | 2 March 1880 |
| Sponsored by | Miss Hunt-Grubbe |
| Commissioned | 7 December 1880 |
| Fate | Sunk 26 April 1881 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Doterel-class sloop |
| Displacement | 1,130 |
| Length | 170 ft (52 m) pp |
| Beam | 36 ft (11 m) |
| Draught | 15 ft 9 in (4.80 m) |
| Installed power | 900 ihp (670 kW) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Sail plan | Barque rigged |
| Speed | 11 knots (20 km/h) |
| Range | 1,480 nmi (2,740 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h) from 150 tons of coal |
| Crew | 155 |
| Armament |
|
In November 1881, an explosion in HMS Triumph killed three men and wounded seven; it was determined to have been caused by "xerotine siccative", one of a compound commonly called "patent driers." A survivor of the Doterel explosion recalled smelling that compound shortly before the explosion. In 1883 the government determined xerotine siccative caused the first explosion on Doterel, which set off the more damaging explosion of the forward magazine. The Admiralty ordered the compound withdrawn from use in the Royal Navy and better ventilation below decks.