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Sgroliwch lawr i weld y cyfieithiad Cymraeg
On 4 July 1996, Resurgam was designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973, with a protection area of a 300 m radius. The Act turns 45 this year and Wessex Archaeology is pleased to celebrate these important protected wrecks and the role we’ve played in their ongoing conservation and protection.
Resurgam is a Victorian submersible (early submarine), designed by the Reverend George Garret in 1879, that sank off the coast of North Wales while on its way to the Royal Navy in Portsmouth. The name ‘Resurgam’ means ‘I shall rise again’ which is ironic considering its current resting place on the seabed. The submersible was 14 m long, weighed 30 tonnes and was crewed by three men. Within Resurgam was a fireless steam engine known as the Lamm system where by the engine is powered by steam that is not being directly generated by a boiler but which has been stored in a reservoir, adapted from American tramways. This system allowed the submersible a submerged endurance of about 12 miles or four hours with a building cost of £1538. On its journey from Birkenhead, it was forced to stop for repairs at Rhyl where it was fitted with a new propeller from the local Rhuddlan Foundry before resuming its journey under tow by the yacht Elphin. On 25 February 1880, the weather turned and Elphin developed engine trouble, becoming vulnerable to the rising seas. The three crew members inside Resurgam were needed aboard the Elphin and worsening weather meant they could not get back into the submersible. Like most submersibles, Resurgam’s hatch did not close from the outside and when the towing cable broke away from the yacht, the submersible filled with water and sank, approximately 9 km off the coast of Rhyl in North Wales. With a crew of three the vessel was only just positively buoyant, and so it would not have needed much weight from the water to make it negatively buoyant. The added water combined with its possible bow-down attitude would have turned the hydroplanes, presumably set at a neutral angle for towing, to an attitude which would have helped the submersible downwards. Elphin was also lost that night after being rammed by an aiding vessel named either Fire King or Iron King, making it a total wreck; however, no lives were lost.
In 1995, diver Keith Hurley was called to the location when a trawler net had snagged on an object on the seabed. Upon investigation, it was found to be the wreck of Resurgam. Hurley noted the vessel was in fairly good condition except for the damage to its conning tower in the form of a sharply V-shaped dent and a hole in its bow. Hurley also noted that its main hatch had been removed; not ripped off, but clearly taken off. The wreck was designated a protected wreck in 1996 but a return visit from the Archaeological Diving Unit later that year found it to be vandalised. The conning tower hatch and hole in the hull had been sealed with steel plates but the Archaeological Diving Unit returned soon after to find them removed and items had been stolen. Two portholes from the conning tower had been forcibly removed, the mechanism for closing the exhaust vent had been sawn off and the iron steering wheel in the conning tower had been broken. Most of the external fittings were damaged; the steering gear, the hydroplanes, and the casing around the conning tower all missing, together with some of the wooden cladding around the centre part of the hull.
In 1997, a large survey called SubMap was conducted by the Archaeological Diving Unit in St Andrews, aided by the Malvern Archaeological Diving Unit and Peter Holt with Site Recorder, plotting the wreck and the areas of excavation and activity. As part of the survey, the corrosion characteristics and state of preservation of the hull were investigated. Photographs and video footage were taken. Finds that had come away from the vessel were brought to the surface to be photographed and recorded before being reburied in the surrounding seabed. Zinc anodes were placed on the wreck to slow the rate of corrosion. These were replaced periodically by Chester sub-aqua club.
The next survey did not occur until 2006 when Wessex Archaeology’s Coastal & Marine dive team visited the site to carry out a designated site assessment. Investigations concentrated on a monitoring assessment of the wreck itself supported by a photographic and video survey; although poor visibility made photography difficult. Scour was observed around the wreck extending approximately 0.3 m under the submersible in most places but up to 0.4 m on the starboard side. An estimated 80% of the wreck was covered with anemones. The sub-rectangular hole in the hull showed signs of relatively recent corrosion and a small patch of fresh corrosion was located between the bow cone and the upstanding air intake/snorkel, just starboard of the centreline. The damage had corroded since 1997 to such an extent that previously joined sections of the conning tower rim that had been bent inwards had now corroded apart. Stumps of at least two blades of the three-bladed propeller were recorded while concretion made it difficult to see the third. A total of five anodes were recorded; one had eroded almost completely while the others appeared to have been reduced by 50%.
Resurgam is now periodically dived by Chester sub-aqua club and associates of Bournemouth University to monitor the wreck. A member of the Coastal & Marine team of Wessex Archaeology has frequently dived the wreck through connections with Bournemouth University.
Ar y 4 o Orffennaf, 1996, cafodd Resurgam ei rhoi o dan y “Protection of Wrecks Act” 1973, gyda radiws gwarchod o 300 metr. Mae’r ddeddf yn dathlu 45 mlynedd flwyddyn yma, a mae Wessex Archaeology yn falch o ddathlu yr holl longddrylliadau pwysig yma ac yr rhan rydym wedi chwarae yn eu cadwraeth ac amddiffyniad.
Llong danfor yw Resurgam, wedi ei dylunio gan y Parchedig George Garret yn 1879 ac wedi ei hadeiladu yn Birkenhead gan Messrs Cochran and Co. Ltd. Mae’r gair Resurgam yn golygu “I shall rise again” sydd yn eironig wrth gysidro ei bod hi ar waelod y môr oddi ar arfordir Rhyl yng Ngogledd Cymru. Gyda Resurgam, Garret oedd dylunydd y llong danfor cyntaf a weithir yn fecanyddol ym Mhrydain, ac y drydydd yn y byd. Roedd y llong danfor yn 45 troedfedd o hyd ac yn pwyso 30 tunnell, gyda chriw o 3 ac wedi ei adeiladu mewn mater o wythnosau. Tu mewn i Resurgam, roedd injan stem di-dân o’r enw'r system Lamm, lle mae’r injan wedi ei bweru gan stêm sydd ddim yn cael ei greu yn y boilar ond sydd yn cael ei ddal mewn cronfa stêm ym mol y llong. Addaswyd y system yma o dramiau Americanaidd. Roedd hi yn caniatáu Resurgam fod o dan y môr am tua 12 milltir neu pedair awr gyda chost adeiladu o £1,538. Roedd Garrett yn awchus i ddangos Resurgam i’r Llynges Frenhinol yn Portsmouth gyda’r gobaith o werthu ei ddyluniad er mwyn iddi gael ei ddefnyddio fel arf. Cychwynnodd Resurgam ar ei thaith ar y degfed o Ragfyr 1879 ond roedd yn rhaid iddi stopio yn Rhyl i amnewid ei llafn gwthio. Mae’r llafn gwthio a welwn arni heddiw yn awgrymu y cafodd llafn gwthio haearn bwrw newydd i’w gwneud iddi a’i ffitio yn ffowndri leol Rhuddlan. Ail gychwynnodd Resurgam ar ei thaith ar y 25ed o Chwefror, 1880; y tro yma, yn cael ei thynnu gan y cwch stêm, Elphin (neu Elfin) a brynodd Garrett fel llong warchod. Ar Chwefror 25ed, 1880, trodd y tywydd yn wael. O fyma, mae llawer o wahanol ddamcaniaethau ar be ddigwyddodd i Elphin a Resurgam. Y ddamcaniaeth sydd yn cael ei hadrodd fwyaf ydy bod Elphin wedi datblygu problem gyda'i injan, yn ei gwneud hi’n archolladwy i’r môr garw. Roedd gofyn i’r tri y tu mewn i Resurgam fynd ar yr Elphin i helpu a bu i’r tywydd eu hatal rhag mynd yn ôl i’r llong danfor. Fel y rhan fwyaf o longau tanfor, nid oedd gorddrws y Resurgam yn cau o’r tu allan a phan dorrodd yr offer tynnu, mi lenwodd y llong gyda dŵr a suddodd, rhyw 9 milltir oddi ar arfordir Rhyl yng Ngogledd Cymru. Gyda’r criw, roedd y llong yn weddol hynawf felly nid oedd o’n cymryd llawer o bwysa gan y dŵr i’w throi hi fel arall. Byddai’r dŵr, a’r ffaith ei bod hi’n wynebu lawr wrth gael ei thynnu yn helpu hi ar ei ffordd lawr. Cafodd Elphin ei cholli'r noson honno hefyd, ar ol cael ei tharo gan long oedd yn trio helpu'r ddwy o’r enw y “Fire King” neu “Iron King”. Er bod y ddwy long wedi eu colli, ni chollodd unrhyw un ei bywyd.
Yn 1995, cafodd deifar o’r enw Keith Hurley ei alw i leoliad lle'r oedd rhwyd pysgotwr wedi dal ar rywbeth ar wely’r môr a ffendiodd na llongddrylliad y Resurgam oedd yno. Nododd Hurley ei bod mewn cyflwr eithaf da ond am dolc drwg i’w “conning tower” a thwll yn un ochor y corf tuag at y blaen. Nododd Hurley hefyd bod ei gorddrws wedi cael ei dynnu, nid ei rwygo o’i le ond ei dynnu i ffwrdd yn iawn. Cafodd y llongddrylliad ei amddiffyn gan Cadw yn 1996 ond yn yr un flwyddyn pan ymwelodd yr Uned Deifio Archeolegol â hi eto, mi ddarganfyddont fod hi wedi cael ei fandaleiddio. Roedd yr Uned Deifio Archeolegol wedi rhoi platiau metal dros dwll y gorddrws a’r twll yng nghorff y llong ond roedd rhywun wedi ei thynnu, yn ogystal â dwyn rhai o eitemau eraill. Roedd dau bortwll o’r “conning tower” wedi cael eu tynnu yn orfodol, y mecanism i gau agoriad y beipen wacau wedi cael ei lifio i ffwrdd ac roedd y llyw yn y conning tower wedi ei dorri i ffwrdd hefyd. Roedd rhan fwyaf o’r mân daclau allanol wedi cael ei difrodi gan gynnwys yr haen bren o amgylch fol y llong.
Yn 1997, cafodd arolwg mawr o’r enw SubMap ei gynnal gan yr Uned Deifio Archeolegol. Fel rhan o’r arolwg, cafodd y cyrydiad a stâd o gadwraeth gorff y llong ei astudio. Driliodd y deifars drwy'r groth o blanhigion morol ac yr haen concretiad nes cyrraedd metal y llong. Mae cyrydiad yn cael ei fesur wrth roi ffon yn y twll a ddrilwyd i roi'r blaen yn erbyn y wyneb metal. Cafodd trwch yr haen concretiad hefyd ei fesur drwy ddefnyddio medrydd. Cafodd ddyfnder y dŵr a’i dymheredd ei recordio ac fe gymrwyd samplau i fesur ocsigen toddedig a halltedd y dŵr. Fe roddwyd dau set o anodau ar y Resurgam; un set wrth y twll yng nghorff y llong ac y llall wrth y “conning tower”. Roedd bob set wedi ei wneud o bump o anodau sinc, wedi eu bolltio ar ddarn o echel car a oedd yn sownd mewn clamp G gyda chebl copr. Mae anodau aberthol fel arfer wedi ei wneud o fetel fel sinc neu aloi alwminiwm, wedi ei gysylltu yn drydanol er enghraifft gyda chebl copr, i arteffact sydd wedi ei wneud o fetel llai adweithiol, fel haearn fel bod yr anod yn cael ei ddadfeilio yn hytrach na’r eitem mae o’n ei amddiffyn. Roedd mesuriadau cyn ac ar ol i'r anodau fod yn ei lle yn dangos bod cyflymder y cyrydiad wedi arafu.
Ni chynhelir yr arolwg nesa tan 2006 pan aeth tîm deifio Wessex Archaeology at y llongddrylliad i wneud asesiad o’r safle. Roedd yr ymchwiliadau yn canolbwyntio ar edrych ar gyflwyr y llong danfor drwy arolwg ffotogrametreg a fideo, er gwnaeth gwelededd gwael ei gwneud hi’n anodd. Cafodd sgwriad ei arsyllu i fyny at 0.3m o dan y llongddrylliad ac roedd 80% wedi ei orchuddio efo planhigion morol. Roedd y twll yn ochr y llongddrylliad yn dangos arwydd o gyrydiad diweddar a mi gafodd damaid o gyrydiad ffres ei ddarganfod rhwng blaen y llong ac y silindr i dderbyn mewnlif o aer. Mi ffendiwyd bod y “conning tower” wedi ei ddifrod yn waeth gyda’r ymylon a oedd wedi plygu i mewn rwan wedi cyrydu o’i gilydd. Cafodd dau o’r tri llafn y llafn gwthio eu recordio tra roedd concretiad n gwneud hi’n anodd i weld y trydydd. Roedd pump o anodau clwb deifio Gaer ar y llongddrylliad, gyda un wedi erydu yn gyfan gwbwl ac y lleill wedi hanneru mewn maint.
Mae Resurgam yn cael ei deifio yn achlysurol gan glwb deifio Gaer a gan Brifysgol Bournemouth. Mae rhan o’r tim Arfordirol a Morol Wessex Archaeology yn dal i ddeifio y safle yn flynyddol drwy gysylltiad efo Prifysgol Bournemouth.