From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Newspaper article detailing the fatal speed-boat accident of Sir H. Segrave and his mechanic.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 174\5\ img186 | |
| Date | 13th June 1930 | |
| SPEED-BOAT ACCIDENT SIR H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} SEGRAVE KILLED MECHANIC LOST (From Our Special Correspondent) BOWNESS, June 13. Sir Henry Segrave and Mr. A.{Mr Adams} V.{VIENNA} Halliwell, one of the two mechanics with him, were killed this afternoon by the capsizing in Lake Windermere of the high-powered speed boat Miss England II., while travelling at a rate of more than 100 miles an hour. The boat had already set up a new record by covering two laps of the measured mile—one in each direction—at a mean speed of 98.76 miles an hour, and was half way through a third lap when all of the step under the forepart of the hull was torn off, and the boat turned over. Sir Henry Segrave died at Belle Grange at about 5 o'clock nearly three hours after the accident took place. When taken from the water he had broken his right thigh and two ribs on the right side, and was unconscious. He recovered consciousness soon afterwards and asked about the record, but one of the fractured ribs had penetrated the lung and caused internal injuries with which the doctors could not deal. The other mechanic, Mr. Michael Willcocks, was badly bruised and his face was cut, but his injuries are not serious. Lady Segrave watched the attempt from the Lancashire side, and saw the boat capsize. She remained on the bank until her husband was brought in, followed him up to Belle Grange, and remained with him until he died. Three doctors were in attendance, and Sir Henry remained conscious almost up to the time of his death. He asked several times about the record, and before he died he had been told the speeds he had attained. When the accident happened the boat was covering the third lap at a still higher speed than she had reached on the other two. As she reached the middle of the course she suddenly swerved to the left in clouds of spray, and a moment later her engines were silenced as she turned over. The spray settled, and from my boat about 300 yards away a little wreckage and two heads could be seen in the water. Miss England, overturned, floated just beyond them, her stern weighted down by her tremendous engines. A number of motor-boats which had been chartered by onlookers rushed forward... CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT Before she disappeared there was ample opportunity to discover the cause of the disaster. Her hull is shaped much like the floats of a seaplane. It is almost flat, with a step near the bows designed to retain a certain amount of air to enable the bows to lift easily out of the water as she gathers speed. It was the step that gave way. Half the step on the port side and the false bottom running forward from it to the port bow had been torn off. The starboard side was undamaged, and apparently the timber had given way under the heavy pressure of the water and the slight bumping. When it ripped away the effect had been first to slow the boat round in a half-circle, and then to turn her right over. Sir Henry Segrave, in the centre seat, and Willcocks, on his right, were naturally thrown out as the boat heeled over. Halliwell, sitting on the left of the pilot, was no doubt submerged immediately as the port side dipped into the water, and was probably made unconscious by the force with which he struck the water. As soon as he was picked up Sir Henry Segrave was taken to the nearest shore, the Lancashire side, and was given shelter at Belle Grange, where a doctor tended his injuries. Willcocks was brought back here, and the search for the body of Halliwell was continued until night. There had been no hint in the two earlier runs of any mishap, nor was it thought likely that the boat could not stand the strain, since she had already travelled equally fast in unofficial trials. Sir Henry had also assured me this morning that he had no intention of trying the engines full out on these particular attempts. He had had trouble all this week with the propeller. Two steel propellers and one of manganese bronze alloy have been broken at speed, though the steel had a tensile strength of 60 tons in the square inch. This afternoon he had gone back to the bronze propeller, and was trying to take the record with the engines running on only three-quarter throttle. Then, having made a few record, he proposed to take the boat back to the shed, change the bronze for a steel propeller, and with that put her over the course at full speed. The boat, therefore, was travelling considerably below the speed she was designed to stand. The experts thought it likely that, with a propeller that would stand the strain, she might have added another 15 miles an hour to her speed. The first two laps were done in excellent style, though when running up at the first attempt from Belle Isle towards Ambleside the boat bumped rather on the choppy water. Coming back at a faster speed against the wind she rode the water much more steadily, almost dead flat, and with practically no pitch. After crossing the southerly mark she turned again, took a half-mile run up to it, and shot across it, her 3,600 horse-power engines roaring still louder than before. Again she was bumping slightly over the waves, and half way along her career ended suddenly in a cloud of spray, which cleared at once to show the two figures and the wreckage of the step floating behind her overturned hull. The attempts on the record were officially timed on behalf of the Marine Motoring Association by Colonel Lindsay Lloyd and Mr. George Reynolds. Their report was made afterwards to Major Harold Pattinson, Clerk of the Course, who issued a statement that the mean speed of the two laps was 98.76 miles an hour. The speed in knots was given as 85.7. On the first lap Miss England did 96.41 miles an hour, and on the second she reached 101.11 miles an hour. [Mr. Gnr Wood held the record up to yesterday with a speed of 96.25 miles an hour.] SURVIVOR'S STATEMENT Mr. Willcocks, the only survivor of the accident, said last night that he had no idea what happened to cause the accident. They might have struck an object. The boat was right on top of her form, and they knew that they were travelling faster than man had ever travelled on water before. Then it happened. It was all like a nightmare. All he knew was that there was a sudden shudder. He seemed to be falling, falling, falling. That was all he remembered. He must have lost consciousness. Sir Henry Segrave's father left London by air for Manchester as soon as he heard of the accident, and arranged to drive from there to Windermere. At the time of the accident on Windermere, the Segrave monoplane, the Segrave Meteor, was making a trial test at Brough, East Yorkshire. The machine had been entered for the King's Cup Air Race on July 5, and final tests were being made. LORD WAKEFIELD'S TRIBUTE COURAGE AND ENDURANCE LORD WAKEFIELD said last night that Sir Henry Segrave was the most courageous man he had ever met. He also had the clearest grasp of difficulties and the most complete calm and self-control in facing the dangers inevitable in his quest for the speed record on land and sea. He pursued his great ambitions with a quiet determination entirely devoid of mere restless daring. He studied the factors essential to success, and mastered them one by one. He thought of everything, and brought for all those who were associated with him. He was a natural leader of men, and without effort enlisted the enthusiasm of his companions. Although always bearing the greatest burden, he supported and encouraged his colleagues by his rocklike strength and endurance. Mr. KAYE DON, the varing motorist, said that Great Britain had lost one of her greatest sportsmen and pioneers who ever lived. All who knew him personally would remember him as one of the most lovable of men. When he (Mr. Don) went to America for his last attempt, Sir Henry Segrave was of tremendous assistance to him, giving him invaluable... | ||