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Perim
Coal Company in 1892
In 1892 Hinton Spalding paid a
periodic visit from Liverpool to his coaling concession
on Perim. On his way home he spent some time in Aden to
try to ensure that Luke Thomas was not also granted a
coaling concession on the island. This is a description
of what he found:
“Today Perim can deliver on average
120 tons in an hour for a quantity and during this last
monsoon I saw our people handle 1,860 tons to various
steamers in 21 running hours, while in 1889 one steamer
took 595 tons in five and a half hours. These are the
good results of organisation and supervision by
practical men at great outlay of capital, and not of a
monopoly, as alleged by the Aden coaling firms to be the
cause of their loss of business and a sufficient reason
for disturbing us in ours.
The first steamer with a full cargo
of coal arrived at Perim in September 1883 and in
October 1883, within six months of the signing of the
lease, The Perim Coal Company advertised that they were
prepared to supply coals at Perim to any calling
steamers. That is to say that ten years ago the managers
of the company faced the public, their supporters and
opponents with a hulk, two lighters, a steam launch and
a boat and a small stock of coals on what has been aptly
called a cinder heap, without water, labour or fuel;
without landing place, a roadway or habitation; without
anything in fact to calculate on but the certain
hostility of Aden traders.
Today that part of the cinder-heap
occupied under the concession is a clean, well laid-out
and flourishing settlement, with stone and composite
built houses, offices and warehouses with several piers
and bunders, good roads wherever required, stone-built
native lines including two-roomed quarters for all
married natives, with two mosques and a native school,
also in stone; stone-built hospitals, latrines and a
cemetery; a large composite-built hotel and general
supply stores and a stone-built courthouse, police
quarters and abkari godowns.
Machinery and plant of the newest
design were put up last year to keep pace with the
increasing demand for water and ice by calling steamers,
and we can now produce about 60 tons of condensed water
and five tons of block ice daily. Composite sheds on
concrete floors protect and preserve coal stocks, which
may be taken at 10,000 tons minimum to 16,000 tons
maximum according to the season of the year.
The deliveries to steamers average
about 60,000 tons per annum and 20 large iron or steel
lighters are kept in commission to do the work properly
by night and day. About 1,800 tons of coal are always
kept afloat with three steam launches in attendance and
these launches further serve the two steam fresh water
tankers of a capacity of 70 tons.
The salvage establishment comprises
two specially-built and equipped powerful tugs, a
sea-going hulk completely fitted out as a workshop and
depot, having a portable Gwynne boiler and pumps working
up to 700 tons an hour each and carrying diving gear.
European divers and assistance in every appliance for
rendering prompt and effective aid to vessels in
distress. A despatch boat is kept in the harbour ready
to get under steam and go to sea with assistance or
arrange the same within three hours of a call being
received.
The pilotage, buoyage, lightage and
conservancy of the harbour of Perim are attended to by
two English master-mariners with an assistant, also
certified, and native staff all supported and maintained
at the Company’s expense. The Port Surgeon, as Health
Officer, has a charge of the hospital, cemetery and
shore conservancy and the general health of the station
is exceptionally good under his care. The clerical staff
consists of five Englishmen with Eurasian and Somali
subordinates.
The repairing shops and general
workshop are giving employment to a superintending
engineer and four other Englishmen, with ten Indian
mechanics under them and some 50 natives. There are also
Maltese, Greeks and Chinese as painters and carpenters
and general utility men. The coal coolies number between
400 and 500 and are under the orders of an English
conductor.”
It was perhaps fortuitous that 1892
was by far the best year pre-WW1 for coal sales at
Perim. In most years sales were between 40,000 and
48,000 tons. |
