THE SUNDERLAND
SITE - PAGE
052
SHIPBUILDERS - PAGE 11
|
May I suggest that you navigate the site via the
index on page 001. On this page ...
William Doxford Page 1,
page bottom (turret & whaleback vessels). To search for specific text on this page, just press 'CTRL + F' & then enter your search term. A general site search facility is here. Corrections in any of the material which follows, however tiny, would be most welcome. And additions, of course! WILLIAM DOXFORD (1840/1875?) First a few images. Hover your mouse over each thumbnail to read the subject matter.
Whatever data I now have in this section, will, almost certainly expand as new data is received.
There would seem to
be quite a lot of it! Indeed, the increasing number of listings re Doxford built vessels has already required a 2nd, 3rd & 4th pages - pages
053, 054 & 055.
In 1893, Doxford launched its first 'Turret Ship', designed with the objective of
saving on canal & harbour dues & financed 50/50 with ship owner
William Peterson. Named, the Turret. The upper deck area was reduced to a
minimum, the net tonnage was reduced & the cargo area was increased. I read
that Lloyd's was initially not happy that the vessel was seaworthy, but the
design proved in practice to be both seaworthy & a considerable commercial
success, so long as the fee computation rules remained. 176 (or maybe 177) 'turret ships'
(one authoritative site says 184) were
built by Doxford in the years through to 1911. (94 so far referenced in these pages.)
And a few more (6) were built by others. Then with the fee rules changed, & bigger
vessels being needed, the design was discontinued. At right, a
portion of an image of Doxford riveters in 1895. The source of the original image, an eBay item
in Apl. 2012, is unknown. This on-site page is a start of
coverage of 'whaleback' ships, the U.S. design
which surely was a major influence in the
design of the Doxford 'turret' ships. I can do no better than next quote text
from George Graham's site (here): 'In 1902, the yearly tonnage
output had reached 44,000 tons, but two years later, the capacity was more than
doubled by the completion of the East yard. The new premises, together with a fitting out quay, equipped with a 100
ton radial crane, was commenced in 1902. The original five births were scrapped
to make room for three births of greater length and breadth. This enabled the
firm to build vessels up to 540 feet in length and of 20,000 tons capacity. The
result of these elaborate extensions was that in the next three years, 1905,
1906, and 1907, the output was 87,000 tons, 106,000 tons and 92,000 tons. The
years 1905 and 1907 found Doxfords with the
highest production of any yard in the world, and 1906 was practically a ship a
fortnight, which was an achievement only surpassed many years afterwards.' Images of Doxford family members prominent in the history of the shipbuilding company can be seen
here, in a page from a 1922 promotional booklet
published by the company.
An interesting eBay item, in Oct. 2010, was the will of
Sir W. Theodore Doxford. The webmaster bid on the item, for inclusion in these pages, but was not successful. The item sold,
on Oct. 3, 2010,
for GBP 26.53 or approx. U.S. $41.95. It would have been good to have been able
to include the document on site. So anybody interested might be able to read it.
Marine engine building had commenced at Doxfords in 1878, but
I read that in 1909 the first prototype of the Doxford Marine Diesel Engine, an
opposed piston, airless injection oil engine, was built, design work having
commenced some three years earlier. Development work, suspended for the duration
of WW1, resumed in 1919.
The image above is of a most interesting item indeed. The tiny white area in the middle at the bottom is a cog
wheel & when it is rotated the pistons go up and down! To demonstrate how the engine worked. An eBay item that
sold for U.S. $53.90 quite a while ago. Another copy of it sold for GDP 41.00 or U.S. $67.29 in Nov. 2009.
The vendor stated that the 'mechanical book' was made by White & Pick Ltd., model specialists, of Birmingham.
Another copy was eBay available in late Apl. 2017 from an Australian vendor
(images here & here),
stated to date from 1922.
In 1956 the two parts of the business were placed in separate entities - re the shipbuilding side
into 'William Doxford & Sons (Shipbuilders) Ltd.' (a booklet published by that company, likely in 1962, is
here) & the engineering side into
'William Doxford & Sons (Engineers) Ltd.'. Now tracking these events at Sunderland 50 years ago is not a particularly easy thing for the webmaster to
accomplish. I say that because an article published in
Sep. 1959, talks about 'William Doxford & Sons (Shipbuilders) Ltd.' and its total reorganisation of the facilities at Pallion,
then recently completed. Initially I had though that this referred to the 'Ship
Factory' but that would seem to have been a rather later reorganisation. The
earlier one, which took place over a ten year period, was intended to and apparently did achieve its objective
of increasing productivity, while providing better working conditions for
shipyard workers & effecting general efficiencies. The reorganisation was in
progress as ships were continuously being built. The flow of steel was improved
using flow-line principles & a new steel stockyard was constructed. Steel was
moved to a preparation shop where it was marked, cut to shape, prepared for edge
welding, drilled & countersunk as required & then moved to assembly shops. There
the steel pieces were put together into sub-assemblies & assemblies of up to 20
tons & moved as one piece to the particular ship for installation. Similar flow
procedures were followed with the other trades - joiners, shipwrights, riggers.
painters, blacksmiths etc., with all necessary work being undertaken in modern
but specialised facilities, to generally speed up the work, & consistently
increase the levels of efficiency. Doxford & Sunderland Ltd. was taken over by Court Line in 1973
(ex page 15 of a Tyne and Wear Archives 'pdf', no longer available) with the company being renamed,
on Mar. 5, 1973,
'Sunderland Shipbuilders Limited' In late 2019, a history of the 'Doxford' company became
available, entitled 'William Doxford & Sons Ltd. - Shipbuilders & Engineers -
Sunderland'. Written & published by author Patricia Richardson. You can read a little about the book
here. Build lists? A list of 'Doxford' built vessels is now on
site, at page 143. Miramar
has lists re 'Doxford' built vessels (highest hull number on page). It used to be
that you could click on the links that follow & get to the relevant Miramar
page. But no longer! The new procedure must be to go to Miramar (here) & log in (you
must be registered to view any page). And once you are logged in, return to this page & all the
following links should work for you:-
30,
60,
100,
120,
150,
180,
210,
240,
271,
300,
330,
363,
390,
420,
451,
496,
515,
547,
595,
628,
658,
688,
718,
758,
792,
820,
889,
881,
898.
(898)
A list of Doxford built vessels used to be available
(including those built at the Doxford yard in its later years after it was taken
over) thanks to Fred Gooch & John Bage. Such list was presumably not complete
since it commenced in 1863. But I cannot find such list anymore - but leave
these words on site so that if somebody does find it again, I can again provide a good link. But! I find it is still available thanks to Archive Today.
VESSELS BUILT BY 'W. DOXFORD' - AT COXGREEN (1837 to 1841)
A snow or brig. The vessel, which was launched in Apl. 1840, is
Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1840/41 thru 1847/48, from 1850/51 thru
1851/52, & from 1857/58 thru 1861/62. It was owned
thru 1847/48, per LR, by 'Thompson', likely John Thompson, of Sunderland. For
consistent service from Sunderland to Hamburg, Germany, with T. Chevers always
serving as her captain.
VESSELS BUILT BY JOSEPH DOXFORD' - 1841
A snow or brig. Amelia
Mary, which was launched in Aug. 1841 & first registered at Sunderland on Aug. 16, 1841, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1841/42
thru 1856/57 (ex 1853/54) - & not thereafter thru 1859/60 at least.
VESSELS BUILT BY 'WILLIAM DOXFORD & W. CROWN' (1845 to 1851)
A snow or brig. The webmaster believes that this newspaper article
(in blue) records the
launch of Eliza Robson on Jun. 15, 1847. While this page
(scroll to #11580) notes that the vessel
was first registered, at Sunderland, on Jul. 7, 1847. The vessel is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1848/49 thru
1862/63. It seems likely that the vessel was registered at Sunderland thru 1861 & in 1862 & 1863 at
South Shields. Though LR reports the vessel as London registered thru 1857/58.
Ocean Breeze, a snow or brig which was launched in Aug. 1850
was first
registered, at Sunderland, on Aug. 20, 1850. It is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1851/52 thru
1864/65 & not thereafter (I checked thru 1871/72).
A snow or brig. The vessel is Lloyd's Register
('LR') listed from 1851/52 thru 1869/70. Thru 1856/57, the
vessel was owned by W. Doxford of Sunderland, for service from Sunderland to the
Baltic & from 1853/54 from Sunderland to the Mediterranean. With J. Pile
always noted to be the vessel's captain.
VESSELS BUILT BY 'WILLIAM DOXFORD' - AT PALLION - (1858 to )
A brig, which later in life became a barquentine.
Per
1 (wreck ref. 70% down). 84.0 ft. long,
later lengthened to 100.0 ft., signal letters PQJC. The webmaster has a
number of editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google Books, available to him, but
only thru 1889/90, see left. The vessel was built for 'Ray & Sons' & registered at London. A puzzle perhaps is that the 'Ray & Sons' name would seem to have been
deleted in the 1864/65 edition, with no new name substituted, & no owner's name at
all is recorded in 1865/66. The vessel would seem to have traded to Algoa Bay,
on the E. coast of South Africa. By the 1869/70 edition the vessel had been lengthened from 84.0 ft.
to 100.0 ft., the tonnage had increased to 199 & the owner became 'Fraser & Co.',
of Portsmouth. The Mercantile Navy List ('MNL') of 1870 records Elias T. Fraser & John White,
both of Portsmouth, as the vessel's owners. 'J. White', also of Portsmouth is the owner in 1878/79, thru, in
the available registers,
1883/84. The MNLs of 1880
& 1890, however, record
Albert E. Flowers of Landport, Hants, as the vessel's then owner. By 1887/88, the vessel had become a barquentine, (a major change in the
rigging, perhaps), & 'A. E. Flowers', also
of Portsmouth, had become the owner - thru to 1889/90 which is the last
Lloyd's Register that the webmaster has available.
I am not aware of the later history of the vessel but David Watts has come to my
rescue - thanks so much! David advises that per the Shipwreck Index of the British Isles Vol. 3 (The
East Coast), Elizabeth Ray was stranded & lost on Apl. 8, 1894, during a storm, while en
route from Hartlepool to Portsmouth with a cargo of coal - lost at Staithes, Saltburn
(E. of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire), specifically at 53.33.30N/00.47W. The vessel, then was
still owned by A. E. Flowers of Landport, was under the command of Captain J. Moon & had a
crew of 7. No lives were lost. Can anybody
provide
more data?
Superb, a barque, was launched on Sep. 01, 1860, & is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1861/62 thru 1876/77.
Always a ship, per both Lloyd's Registers ('LR') (from 1863/64 thru 1881/81) & Mercantile Navy
Lists ('MNL'). The vessel was launched on Feb. 19, 1863 & first registered, at London, on Apl. 17, 1863
(scroll to #47317). 171.0 ft. long, signal letters VNDK. Per LR, the
vessel was owned, thru 1865/66, by Blyth & Co., of London,
for service ex Sunderland. I have previously referred to the owner's
name possibly being 'Blythe'. In 1865/66, per LR, the vessel became
owned by Weguelin & Co., of London, for service from London to New
Zealand in 1865/66 & from Newcastle to Callao, Peru, in 1866/67. In
1867/68 per LR, the vessel became owned by Thompson & Co. of London,
thru 1871/72, for service from Bristol to a) South America (thru
1869/70) & b) North America in 1870/71. In 1871/72, per LR, the vessel became owned by Trail & Sons of London
(Traill & Sons from 1875/76) for service
from London to India. LR reports 'Delgarno' as the vessel's captain
thru 1867/68 or 1868/69, then 'Kearten' thru 1871/72, J. Geerie from
1871/72 thru 1872/73, & T. Bulman thereafter. So far as I can see,
Golden Sunset, an iron barque which was launched on Nov. 10, 1863, is recorded once only
in Lloyd's Registers - in the supplement to the 1864/65 edition.
The Lloyd's Register Foundation has kindly made available a Lloyd's Survey document re
the vessel, conducted in April/May 1865.
An iron passenger & cargo steamer.
Per
1 (data & engraving),
2 (data),
3 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access). 231.6 ft. long, speed of 9 knots,
130 HP, spar-decked, signal letters HVGF.
The webmaster had a number of editions of Lloyd's Register ('LR'), ex Google Books,
available to him, see left (he now has a few more editions). It would seem that the vessel was initially owned by
'Gourley & Co.', of Sunderland for service ex Sunderland. The 1865/6 register records Anglo-Egyptian
Navigation Company Limited ('Anglo'), of London, becoming the owner. For service ex
Liverpool. Such registration is confirmed
by the Mercantile Navy List ('MNL') of 1867. Could it be that
the vessel was chartered to Anglo & put in their name for the duration? The vessel reverted to E. Gourley, of Sunderland, in the 1867/68
edition of LR, for service from London to the Mediterranean. The 1870 edition of MNL records Edward T. Gourley, of Sunderland,
as her then owner. On Nov. 29, 1869,
the vessel commenced a single round trip voyage from London to
Charleston, South Carolina, chartered by 'Liverpool & Charleston Steamship
Line'. But may have been generally used on that route. On Jun. 5, 1872, Adalia, chartered
by 'London Line' & commanded
by Captain Thomas Sanderson,
left London for Quebec, Canada, via Plymouth with general cargo & approximately 125 passengers
who boarded at Plymouth.
That number is surely a combination of a crew of 39 & 96 passengers (see
below) though the numbers do not jive. On
Jun. 24, 1872, the vessel ran aground in fog on the S. side of St. Paul's
Island, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, her stern soon 14 ft. under & her bow high out of the water.
St. Paul's Island is bad news for all ships but was particularly hazardous for
sailing ships in the foggy conditions which abound in the area - it is
essentially in the Cabot Strait, the main access to the St. Lawrence River, an
isolated island 15 miles off mainland Cape Breton & close to the shipping
channels. It would appear that the vessel had stopped in the fog for a couple of hours
very close to the island where it ran aground. The nearby lighthouse was
supposed to fire guns under such conditions to warn mariners of the danger but
apparently did not do so on that occasion because their inventory was low, just
20 cartridges left! No loss of life.
'A party of wreckers were on the island and attempted to plunder,
and had to be beaten off by the crew and passengers with firearms.' Passengers & baggage were taken aboard Pictou
on Jun. 30, 1872, & landed at
Quebec on Jul. 4, 1872. But a now dead wbsite said landed
there by Briton. A 'good' part of the cargo was saved by the captain
& crew
who remained on St. Paul's Island to
save what was possible. Now St. Paul's Island is a most difficult island with
no easy places where you can land - to land passengers & save cargo must have
been a most difficult task. I presume that the vessel was a total loss. The loss of
the vessel is confirmed by line 2866 here which states that
the vessel stranded at St.
Paul's Island on Jun. 25, 1872, while en route from London to Quebec with a
general cargo, a crew of 39 & 96 passengers - none of whom were lost. Then
owned by E. T. Gourley. Can anybody provide
more data?
A barque. Per 1,
2
& 3 (Northumbria,
1869 collision), 4 (a murder aboard this Hesperia?
Ex 5). 149 ft. 4 in. long,
signal letters VMWH, launched Jul. 1864. The vessel is not Miramar listed. The webmaster has a
number of editions of Lloyd's Register, ex Google Books, available to him, thru
1880/81, see left.
The vessel was built for E. Jarvis, surely Edward Jarvis, ('Jarvis') of
Kingsbridge, registered at Salcombe,
Devon. The vessel likely traded to the Indian Ocean & points east, incl. Cape of
Good Hope, Mauritius, Ceylon, Singapore & China. In Sep. 1864, the vessel sailed
for Shanghai, China, & took much longer to reach her destination than was
expected - the vessel was becalmed in the Timor Passage, for 70 days. There is a tiny reference in the 'New
York Times' to an 1865 voyage from Shanghai, China, to New York, with tea. On
the night of Aug. 19/20, 1869, Hesperia was at anchor off
Gravesend, with cargo aboard insured for £30,000, likely prepared to soon leave port. In the early hours of Aug. 20, 1869, at 1:30 a.m., the anchored
vessel was struck by Northumbria, a brand new steamship leaving
the Thames on her very first voyage. Hesperia's bow was stove in &
15 minutes later the vessel sank. Her cargo was lost. Have read no word as to damage to Northumbria,
nor re any salvage of Hesperia's cargo. The Hesperia crew took to a longboat & made it safely to
Clara, anchored nearby, a schooner, also Salcombe based. Northumbria
& its captain were placed under arrest. Later that day, the owners of
Hesperia sued for
£12,000 in damages & the cargo owners sued also. Hesperia was
raised & repaired (I wonder where) & returned to service. The vessel stayed
in Jarvis ownership thru 1878 or 1879. [Mercantile Navy Lists ('MNL') of 1870,
1878
& 1879 (William Jarvis)]. In the Lloyd's Register of 1878/79, the
sale of the vessel to B. Balkwill & Co., fleet owners of Salcombe, is recorded.
But MNL of 1880 still records William Jarvis. In Jan. 1880, the vessel arrived at New York ex Colombo, Ceylon
(now Sri Lanka). I cannot
tell you what later happened to the vessel, which may have been sold to a
foreign owner. It is however not recorded in the
1882/83 or 1883/84 editions of Lloyd's. I should indicate, however, that the
vessel was still listed
in the 'The Record - 1885', i.e. 'Record of American and Foreign Shipping', with
a last survey date of Jan. 1880. The webmaster would welcome new data, as would
Roger Barrett, the source of much of the above data, who is researching Salcombe based vessels.
A composite barque which was launched on Mar. 25, 1865 (possibly the 17th) & completed in that
same month. And had a very short life. Per
1 (Mercantile
Navy 1867 List, Zoe), 2
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). Built for Candlish & Co.
of Sunderland.
151.4 ft. long, signal letters HCJK. The vessel is Lloyd's Register ('LR')
listed from 1864/65 thru 1867/68, always, per LR, of 492 tons & owned by Candlish & Co. of
Sunderland, with 'G. C'chrne', presumably G. Cochrane, serving as her captain. For
service from Sunderland to Singapore (with the notation of [Expl B.S.] - its
meaning? LR of 1867/68 notes that the vessel had been 'Wrecked'.
The Mercantile Navy List of 1867 lists Jno. Candlish, of Sunderland, as her then
owner. In Oct. 1866, per
line 10 here,
the barque went missing while en route from Kurrachee (now Karachi, Pakistan) to
Marseilles, France, with a crew of 15 & an unknown cargo. So 15 lives were
lost. The listing
simply states lost 'On Voyage' with no indication as to where she was when she
went missing. Her departure date from Kurrachee is not known to the webmaster. Can anybody provide
more data? #1957
An iron barque which was launched on Apl. 14, 1866 & first registered on Apl. 20, 1866.
It is
Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1865/66 thru 1879/80 only. In all of those years
Dorothy Thompson was owned by the 'Tully' famiy of Sunderland
- by Tully Jnr. of Sunderland thru 1874/75, by Tully & Co. in 1875/76 & by J. Tully & Co. from & after 1876/77. The Mercantile Navy
Lists ('MNL') of 1867 thru 1871 (1870)
confirm such data - i.e. John Tully, jun. of Monkwearmouth, thru 1871, later, from 1872
thru 1880,
John Tully of Sunderland.
The vessel, an iron barque which was launched
on Jan. 1, 1866, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1865/66 thru
1878/79. Its initial owner per LR, thru 1871/72, was Jackson & Co.
of Liverpool. The Mercantile Navy Lists ('MNL') of 1867 thru 1872
rather list Jackson and Honan, of Liverpool as Runnymede's then owners (per MNLs
of 1870 &
1872). For service from Sunderland to China in 1865/66 &
1866/67, from Liverpool to Valparaiso, Chile, in 1867/68, & from
Liverpool to S. America from 1868/69 thru 1870/71. With, per LR, J. Owens serving
as the vessel's captain thru 1867/68 & 'Hore' from 1867/68 thru
1871/72.
An iron 3-masted barque, launched in Nov. 1868. Per
1 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). The vessel is Lloyd's
Register ('LR') listed from 1868/69 thru 1892/93. 151.1 ft. long, signal letters KBND, later QFST. The vessel was built for 'Ylurriaga & Co.', of Bilbao, Spain, for service to Ferrol,
Spain, & later to the West Indies. There are a number of references to the vessel in 'Welsh Newspapers Online' thru 1874. Carrying coal ex Cardiff & Newport,
also Liverpool, to such places as Manila (Phillippines), Havannah (Havana, Cuba), Barcelona, & Simon's Town, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. In May 1870 the
vessel was spoken to, en route from Manila to Liverpool. The '& Co.', would indicate a partnership which likely included 'Ansuategui' (earlier LR listed as, likely
misspelled, 'Ausuatequi'), the vessel's captain thru 1878/79 when the vessel was
sold to other Spanish owners. Maybe 'Ausuntique'.
An iron
3-masted barque. Per
1 (arrival of Ganymede at Timaru, New Zealand
('NZ'),
in Dec. 1881),
2 (Nelson Evening Mail, NZ, 1909 article, ex 3),
4 (image, Ganymede),
5 (An Arthur L. Haylock watercolour of Ganymede,
a hulk, at Wellington, in Dec. 1920),
6
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 167 ft. 6 in. long,
iron hull & masts, accommodation for 40 passengers (20 in saloon & 20 in fore cabin), crew of 18, signal
letters JHTG. The
vessel was built for 'Jackson & Co.' of Liverpool, which would seem to mean
'James Jackson or James Jackson & Co.' Built for the 'West Coast of America copper trade'.
In 1873 or soon thereafter, the vessel was sold to 'Thompson & Co.' (Thos.
Thompson of Halifax), also of
Liverpool. Was engaged, it would seem, in trade between Adelaide, South
Australia, Cape of Good Hope (South
Africa) & Mauritius.
The 1880/81 edition of Lloyd's Register records the vessel as sold to H. C.
Fletcher, of Adelaide. When in Adelaide, the vessel suffered a fire which
destroyed her cabin accommodation. She was especially surveyed,
for the account of A. (Alexander) White ('White'), coal & produce merchant, of Timaru, NZ,
who on or about Oct. 17, 1881 purchased the vessel & refitted her. Ganymede returned to Newcastle
& left that port under the command of Captain J. Morgan (image) with a cargo of coal for Timaru.
It arrived there on Dec. 2, 1881, to be greeted by the new owner, a
grand reception & a banquet. The vessel was clearly in tip-top condition at that
time. Registered at Lyttelton, NZ. Used in the 'Home trade'. On Feb. 17, 1889,
the vessel, J. Allison in command, left Timaru for London, with a cargo that
included 2,968 bales of wool. At a date unknown to the webmaster, the vessel,
under the command of Captain Morton, was caught in a gale off the Snares,
(an island group 200 km. S. of NZ South Island) & was dismasted. The vessel was refitted & served until 1893 when laid up at
Timaru. White then had financial difficulties as a result of which the vessel
was sold to W. (Walter) S. Waterston, of Invercargill, NZ, who used her to serve
Australia & South Africa, in the inter-colonial trade, presumably to & from England.
In Jul. 1907, the vessel carried timber from Greymouth, NZ, to Melbourne. On May 31, 1909, the vessel was sold again, at Christchurch
or maybe at Lyttelton. To William Todd, an auctioneer of Invercargill, it would seem. On
Mar. 4, 1910, the 'Evening Post' advised that the vessel had been sold
by Mr. Todd to an
unnamed Otago firm, for use as a hulk either at Port Chalmers or Wellington. Her
last voyage would appear to have been from Hokianga (NW, North Island) to Sydney & Newcastle
with timber,
returning to be hulked. She was a hulk at Port Chalmers in Aug. 1910. An eBay
item advised that the vessel was hulked, at Wellington, NZ, in 1912. But that
date may well be way off. It surely was (5) a hulk at Wellington in Dec. 1920. This site advises, referenced to 'Evening Post' of May 21,
1934, as follows:- 'GANYMEDE'S LAST
TRIP The Union
Company hulk Ganymede, which is to be broken up at Nelson, left her moorings
in Evans Bay in tow of the Titoki shortly,
before
7 o'clock yesterday morning.'
We thank 'paperspast' of NZ, for much of the above data. Can anybody provide
more? Another image? No.1872
A 3 masted iron
barque that was launched on Feb 13, 1869 & completed in that month. Per
1 (detailed
history, Cosmopolita),
2 (Italian page,
vessel history, image Serita),
3 (Miramar,
link, as Cosmopolita, you now must be registered to access).
151.4 ft. long, later 151.6 ft., signal letters WBGM, later JGRK & SHDP. The webmaster has a number of editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google
Books, available to him, thru 1889/90, see left. Built, as Cosmopolyta, for 'Olano & Co', of Liverpool.
For service to Spain & later to the Far East (Manila, Philippines). In 1875, the vessel was
transferred to 'Olano, Larrinaga & Co.', of Bilbao, Spain, & became Bilbao
registered. It would seem that at that time the vessel's name became Cosmopolita. In 1881, the
vessel was sold, to 'Morgan Tutton', of Swansea, Wales, & became Swansea
registered. As per the Mercantile Navy List of 1890. On Sep. 30, 1896, the vessel was sold to 'Nils Svensson Fex and partners', of Lerhamn, Sweden. In 1899, the
vessel was sold, for SEK 30.000, to 'H. R. Lassen' ('Lassen'), of Hamburg, Germany, & renamed Serita.
Many sales soon followed with no change of vessel name. In 1903, upon the death
of Lassen, the vessel was sold to 'Giovanni Lubrano' or maybe 'S. Lubrano fu Z.', of Naples, Italy,
& in 1905,
to 'Rev. D. Gennaro Nugnes', also of Naples. In 1907,
the vessel was sold to 'B. Schiaffino fu P.', of Genoa, Italy, & in 1908 was sold to
'Mrs. E. Canale', also of Genoa. In 1911, the vessel was acquired by G. Montefiore, of Monaco. The
vessel was sold in 1916 to 'Giovanni Ferrara' of Torre del Greco & was then sold for the last time, in 1916, to 'Ditta G. Pittaluga' of Genoa,
Italy, & renamed Angelino. Later that same year, in Dec. 1916, the vessel was sold to Torre
del Greco ship breakers & broken up. The WWW available ownership data re this vessel is
somewhat confusing - it would be good to be able to access the data in later editions of Lloyd's
Register. The American & Foreign Shipping 'Record', of 1889, reports M. Fulton, of
Swansea, as then being the vessel's owner - a name not referenced above - a
listing mistake, possibly. It seems likely to relate to Morgan Tutton as above. Can you add to
and/or correct the above? This listing was first created many years ago. I
suspect that the website 'bruzelius.info' was important in that regard, a website that now
seems to be gone. Alas I did not save an image of Lars Bruzelius's fine history
of the vessel.
Initially an iron brigantine, later
a barque, later a brigantine again.
Pepita, completed in Oct. 1869, is Lloyd's
Register ('LR') listed from 1869/70 thru to 1885/86. And in
1887/88 I now see. It was initially owned,
thru 1873/74 by 'de Zuricaldy' of Bilbao, Spain, with 'Sagre' serving
as her captain. For service from Sunderland to Bilbao.
David Burn, an iron steamship which was launched on Mar. 23, 1871, & completed, I have read, on May 02, 1871, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1870/71 thru 1873/74,
owned by R. Hindhaugh of London. Both of which statements are, to the webmaster at least, a modest puzzle. I note that 'Lloyd's Register Foundation' makes
available some survey documents for the vessel, including this Survey,
dated May 04, 1871 & conducted
while the vessel was being constructed. Registered, at London, on May 05, 1871.
An iron, brig rigged, steamship. The vessel, which was launched on Sep. 16,
1871, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1871/72 thru 1882/83.
An iron ship which became a barque in 1880/81.
A Forester Class composite Navy steam gunboat. At its time of launch, the 15th Navy vessel of the name. Per
1 (fine
& extensive history
35% down),
2
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). Built for Royal Navy.
An iron barque. Per
1
(image, Yorke oil painting, Delscey),
2 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
The webmaster has a number of editions of Lloyd's Registers, available to him, thru 1898/99, see left. 55.2 metres long perpendicular to
perpendicular, 181.0 ft., signal letters PNTF. Delscey? An unusual
name, I wonder as to its origin. Built for Shallcross & Higham, of Liverpool.
By the 1894/95 edition of Lloyd's Register, Japp and Kirby, also of Liverpool,
were the registered owners, with no change of
vessel name. In 1897 or 1898, the vessel is said to have been sold to 'Mentz Decker & Co.', of Hamburg, Germany, & renamed
Vidonia. But Japp & Kirby were still the owners in 1898/99 though
the change of name, to Vidonia was noted. There are a few references to Vidonia in
service in Australian waters. On Mar. 8, 1899, the vessel, Captain Voss in
command, arrived at Rockhampton, Queensland, with a cargo of salt ex Sharpness,
Gloucestershire, which it had left on Dec. 1, 1898. After unloading, the vessel
proceeded to Newcastle, New South Wales, (arrived May 10 or 13, 1899 & left Jun.
4) to load 1174 tons of Wallsend coal for Valparaiso. There are later (1900)
Australian references also. A Feb. 1905 reference (now long gone) seemed to indicate that the
vessel, en route from Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, to Bahia, Brazil, was caught
in ice, off Petty Harbour, & was crushed ashore. But - it may have been
another barque of the identical name. I have found no WWW references to what later happened to the
vessel, but Miramar comes to our rescue. Miramar advises 'wrecked off Borkumriff
26.2.07 & BU' which would seem to indicate that the vessel was wrecked
at Borkumriff, North Sea, off the Island of Borkum in the East
Frisian Islands of NW Germany. But later re-floated & broken up. Thanks to Arie Jan de
Lange's research of Dutch newspaper records, we can advise that the vessel,
Captain Voss in command, was en route from Hamburg, Germany, to Guayaquil,
Ecuador, with cargo when it went aground. Otto Hass, a lifeboat, (the image sources are long gone - here is what I have)
saved seven of the crew & left eight aboard. Later, an attempt to salvage the
wreck was made, but the project was abandoned. A German company with 4 large
tugs then succeeded in recovering the wreck & took it to Emden, where it stayed
just a couple of days - until the wreck was taken on to Hamburg with the help of
two barges. And presumably was there broken up. Thanks to Arie, 5 1907 Dutch
press clippings - difficult of WWW translation - are at left. An 1886 oil painting of
Delscey by William H. (Howard) Yorke (1847/1921) was sold at Sotheby's, London, on
May 29, 2002, for £7,285 - image at left & at link 2. The work depicts 'Delscey signalling for the
Falmouth pilot, with a cutter in the background'. Can you help
correct
the above and/or add to the data? Another image? No.1831
A British Navy steam corvette. Per
1 (Opal),
2 (image, left of 2),
3 (said
to be a Henry King (1855/1923) photo at Sydney, dating from 1875 but more likely dating from very
much later i.e. 1889/1892),
4 (1885 engraving.
Opal firing 17 gun salute at Albany, Western Australia on Jul. 8, 1885.),
5
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). This listing may well contain unintended errors. 12 guns, composite construction. A long gone link
described the vessel as 'Cruiser 3rd Class, late Corvette.' Ordered & laid down as
Magicienne, but commissioned at Sheerness, Kent, on Jan. 10, 1876 as HMS Opal. 1879
in Pacific. 'Ordered home to Spithead. 14 guns.' In Apl. 1886 sold to
Australia? Or just deployed there? The vessel was re-commissioned, on Oct. 27, 1886, at Sydney, Australia.
An expired eBay item said 'Reduced to barque rig in 1880s'. (Which now makes some sense. Since Link
6,
dating from 1885, shows a steam vessel but links 4 &
here, dating
I believe, in fact, from c. 1889/92 show a sailing vessel. HMS Orlando,
shown in those images, was not built until 1886.)
The vessel was the first 'composite' corvette built for the Royal Navy.
Sold in 1890 to Australian owners? And sold on Aug. 11, 1892? Scrapped 1892
(have read 1891 also). I wonder where the vessel was scrapped? Can anybody provide
more data? The data above is most confusing!
An iron
3-masted barque. Per
1 (Norwegian page, extensive data, image, Glandinorwig),
2 (vessel history),
3 &
4 ('Vallejo
Gallery' & 'Christie's', data,
painting, Glandinorwig),
5 (half block builder's model of vessel),
6
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 66.7 metres long,
perpendicular to perpendicular, 215 ft. 6 in., or 219.0 ft. long, signal letters WTSR, carrying royals over single topgallant sails.
Have read described as 'flush decked. Glandinorwig?
I think a slate mining village in N. Wales & a slate works. The webmaster has a number of editions of
Lloyd's Registers, thru 1889/90, ex Google Books, available to him, see left. Built for W. E. Jones, of
Port Dinorwig, Menai Strait, Caernarvon, Wales (Y Felinheli today).
In May 1877, the vessel became jointly owned by Samuel Jones of Glandinowig,
William Parry of Llanddeiniolan, Hugh Williams of Llanbeblig, & D. P. Williams,
the latter being the managing owner. D. P. Williams was, I read a Llanberis, Caernarvon, druggist,
who through either 'Gwynedd Shipping Company' or 'Eryri Shipping Company' or both, owned/managed 4 vessels engaged
in the shipment around the world of Welsh slate, mined from the Snowdonia region of North Wales.
Glandinorwig was one of those 4 ships, the others being the 'practically identical', Glanivor, Glanpadarn & Glanperis,
all of which were also Doxford built. I read that Glandinorwig principally traded with North America, returning with either cotton from New
Orleans, or Canadian timber. However the vessel would also seem to have travelled to the Far East (returning with spices, silk & silver) & to Australia. On Apl. 26, 1882, indeed, in
a Port Adelaide, Australia, court, H. H. D. O'Kelly, a steward aboard the vessel, charged R. Williams, the ship's captain, with unlawfully assaulting &
beating him. On Oct. 27, 1882, Thomas E. Walton, an apprentice, fell overboard during a squall. William Coleman, the boatswain was found guilty of dereliction
of duty in not ensuring that the captain knew that a man was overboard. In 1886, the vessel was sold or transferred to Williams, Jones & Co., also of Caernarvon.
On Nov. 4, 1889, the vessel arrived at Sydney, Australia, from Hamburg, Germany. On Sep. 26, 1894 the vessel was at Rio bound for Portland, Oregon. In 1899, the vessel was sold to
'A/S Sivah', Hans & Axel Hanssen, of Arendal, Norway, the managers, & renamed Sivah. On May 6, 1908, the vessel was reported as being ashore at Hokianga, New
Zealand, as a result of a heavy gale. In Jun. 1908, the vessel left Hokianga, for Sydney with 800,000 ft. of kauri timber. Manager changes in 1909 & 1911, to Axel Hannsen & then to O. P. Olsen.
I read that in 1913 the vessel was stranded at Weymouth, Nova Scotia, Canada,
was later refloated & presumably repaired. In Nov. 1913, the vessel was sold,
for 45,000 Norwegian crowns, to Otto Lindell, of Eckerö, Åland Islands, Sweden, & used in the West Indies logwood trade. In Aug. 1914, the vessel was laid-up, re WW1, at
Copenhagen, Denmark, thru 1916. In Feb. 1917, the vessel was sold again, for FIM 340.000, to 'Rederi A/S Sivah', George Stenius,
of Helsinki, Finland, the manager, with no change of vessel name. And in 1919, the vessel was sold, for DKK 600.000, to 'Rederiet Falken A/S', Erik B. Kromann, of Svendborg, Denmark,
the manager. In the 1st quarter of 1923, the vessel was broken up at German ship breakers. Can anybody provide
more data? Another image?
An iron barque. Per
1
(data),
2
[Scottish Line, Scottish Hero (1)],
3
(passenger lists, Scottish Hero - other places also),
4 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
Built for McIlwraith, MacEacharn & Co., of London, (Scottish Line), for
the emigrant trade to Australia & New Zealand ('NZ'). 196.6 ft. long, 59.9
metres perpendicular to perpendicular, signal letters PWNM.
The vessel's first such voyage
left London on Aug. 19, 1876, & arrived at Rockhampton, Queensland, on Nov. 28, 1876. James
Fraser, the master, from 1881 to 1890. On or about Apl. 5, 1882, the vessel dragged its anchor
at San Francisco & was in collision with City of Paris, which
vessel would seem to have suffered the greater damage. On Oct. 20, 1883, while en route from London (Gravesend) to Rockhampton,
the vessel was in collision
with Ella of Quebec (a barque), at anchor in the Downs (E. Kent
coast). The vessel was delayed 5 days for
repairs. Slight damage to Ella of Quebec. The vessel clearly did not just
travel to Australia & NZ - also Portland, Oregon, & ports in Chile, & Argentina were
visited. On Dec. 7, 1889, the vessel ran aground entering Brisbane, Australia - not
damaged. It was sold, in 1893, to A. H. Arnold, of Brake, Germany, & renamed Saturnus. And
sold in 1900 to G. O. Köster, also of Brake, Germany. And sold again, in 1905, to 'A/S Saturnus (Chr Trondsen)',
of Sarpsborg, Norway. And sold, on May 30, 1914, to 'Oscar Modén and partners', of Simrishamn, Sweden.
Became 929 GRT. On Oct. 12 (or maybe Oct. 13, 1915), the vessel was abandoned, a danger to
shipping in the North
Atlantic (at 49.4N/29.48W), on a voyage from Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada, to Cork, Ireland, with timber.
The crew was saved by British steamer Colorado.
Much of the above is thanks to Fraser Morrison, a site visitor, who kindly provided
his research paper which includes an extensive listing of
Scottish Hero
voyages from 1876 to 1893. And provided also his research study of McIlwraith, MacEacharn
Ltd. & its fleet, available here. Can you help
correct
and/or add to the above?
An iron passenger/cargo barque, launched on Jun. 08, 1876 & first registered, at
London, on Jul. 04, 1876. Per
1 (Scottish Knight, launch),
2 (Scottish Line,
Scottish Knight),
3 (maiden voyage,
low on page,
but the reported arrival date is, I believe, incorrect), 4 (Lloyd's Survey document at time of construction - many more
survey documents are available thanks to Lloyds Register Foundation),
5 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
The webmaster had a number of editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google Books,
available to him thru 1889/90, see left (many more today).
An iron barque. Per
1
& 2 (both re Capt. Pritchard's watch, images),
3 & 4 (reports re
Board of Trade stranding inquiry ex 'Liverpool Mercury' of (5) Dec. 20, 1881 & (6) Dec. 22, 1881),
5 & 6 (two Barbara wreck videos thanks to Richard
Hughes),
7 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
Alas a 3:19 min. video by BBC Wales is no longer available. 220.0 ft. long, 67.1 metres perpendicular to perpendicular, signal letters QMHK. Built for Capt. William Thomas & other shareholders of Amlwch, a village on
the NE tip of the Island of Anglesey, just off the North Wales coast. Capt. William Thomas
(or maybe W. Thomas & Co. or Capt. William Thomas and Sons), I read, built, owned & managed schooners & ketches in the
19th century & also
had a yard at Duddon in Cumberland. He had dealings with but was not
related to another William Thomas - of Liverpool. But Barbara was registered at Liverpool.
Under the command
of Captain John Jones, (of Catherine Street, Cardigan, West Wales), Barbara was wrecked at
Freshwater Bay, Pembroke, on Nov. 22, 1881, while returning to Liverpool from Rangoon
(left Jun. 7) with a cargo
of rice. A crew of 15 all told plus 1 passenger, the son of the principal owner. Captain Jones, previously ship's mate, assumed command when Richard Prichard, the
captain, died on May 12, 1881 at age 38 on the outgoing voyage to Rangoon. The ship left
Queenstown, Ireland, on Nov. 21, 1881 with Thomas Lewis (referred to as Thomas
Jones in one report) as
pilot. While he held a master's licence, he was unlicensed as a pilot. The ship went
off course, into Bristol Channel instead of St. George's Channel, tried to
correct & in high seas, indeed a major storm, found itself in Freshwater Bay.
Anchors did not hold her, she dragged inshore under towering cliffs &, pounded by
the waves, became a total wreck. A beach was 150 yards to the east. Captain
Jones, who was swept away in the high seas & lost his life, was held to be responsible, & the 'so-called' pilot,
who was saved, bore no legal responsibility. Richard Hughes, of Red Dragon
Divers, advises (thanks Richard!) that the modest remains of the vessel lie in 8 metres of water, 150 yards
from Freshwaterwest Beach. Those remains, found in the late 1970s by Ivor
Johnson, were previously known as the G.B. wreck - because the remains were
below a gorse bush which used to look like a map of Great Britain! Doubly G.B.! Anyway, in Apl. 2000, Richard Hughes found Captain Prichard's pocket watch
- 119 years on the sea bed - it was later returned to the captain's closest relative today.
He also advises that brass letters were found at the wreck site 10 & 15
years ago, particularly a letter 'W' and a letter 'D'. The
Barbara crew were all saved by rocket
apparatus, with one
exception, Captain Jones himself. Most of this
data is thanks to the 'digging' of historian David Roberts. I do not have an exact location, but it would be roughly at
51.42N/04.54W. Anything you could add to the above
would be gratefully received. An image?
A 3 masted fully rigged
sailing ship. Per
1 (Norwegian data),
2 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
229.1 ft. long, 69.9 metres perpendicular to perpendicular, signal letters
SGVK. The webmaster has a number of editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google
Books, available to him, thru 1889/90, see left. Built for 'W. Pellier', of London, though 1 states William Potter, of London.
In 1890, the vessel was sold to
C. M. D. Jörgensen, of Hamburg, Germany. And in 1902, was sold again, to 'A/S Jernskib Otra' (Thv.
B. Heistein the manager?), of Kristiansand, S. coast of Norway, & renamed Otra.
Presumably named after the Norwegian river of the name which flows to
Kristiansand. I think, correct me if I am wrong, that the 2nd image at left
depicts a barque. So the vessel was likely re-rigged to become a barque. On Jun. 5, 1912, while en route from Libau, Latvia, to West Hartlepool, with a cargo of
pit props, the vessel was stranded in fog & wrecked near to West Hartlepool. Can you help correct
the above?
A 3 masted steel sailing ship. Per
1 (data,
Gateacre, with Alexander Wilson image),
2 (Norwegian data), 3 (image, which relates in
a way that I cannot today define),
4 (image, Vigo),
5 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
The webmaster has a number of editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google Books, available to him, thru 1889/90, see left. 231 ft. long, 70.4 metres perpendicular to perpendicular,
signal letters R.C.F.K. This listing may well contain errors due to my inability in both Norwegian & Spanish. WWW translation is often most difficult. The
vessel was built for C. W. Kellock and Co. of Liverpool. In 1894, the vessel was sold to C. H. H. Winters, of
Elsfleth or Bremen, Germany, & renamed Kehrewieder. The
vessel was sold again, in 1901, to C. F. A. Flugge, of Hamburg, Germany, & renamed Alauda. In Feb. 1905,
the vessel was sold to 'A/S Vigo', of Tvedestrand, Norway, & renamed Vigo. In 1915 the managers changed? In Jul. 1916, the
vessel was sold to 'Holmestrands Rederi A/S' of Holmestrand, Norway. And in Jun. 1922, the vessel was sold, for the last
time, to 'A/S Fredriksen & Møller', of Mandal, Norway. On Mar. 16/17, 1923, the vessel was shipwrecked, near Policarpo Creek, Tierra del Fuego,
en route, laden with coal, from Cardiff to Antofagasta, Chile. Chilean
steamer Amadeo effected the rescue
of the crew on the next day. No loss of life. Can you help correct the above?
An iron 3 masted fully rigged ship, that had the unusual 'distinction' of being
abandoned twice in her lifetime. Per
1 (data
in Italian, Michele Bianchi, image alas with logos),
2 (a
Feb. 1882 arrival at Melbourne, Australia), 3 (abandoned at Dunkirk in 1888),
4 (articles in Dutch re the 1888 abandonment),
5, 6
& 7 (the
'wreck' at Kangaroo Island in 1897),
8 (Report
of the Court of Enquiry into the 1897 wreck/abandonment),
9 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
The webmaster has a number of editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google Books, available to him, thru 1889/90, see left. 252.0 ft. long, 76.8 metres perpendicular to perpendicular,
signal letters RWQT. The
vessel was built for 'John Houston & Co.', of Liverpool. On or about Nov.
20, 1888, the vessel arrived at Falmouth with 2200 tons of nitrate of soda ex
Iquique, Chile, & was instructed to proceed to Dunkirk, France. On Nov. 25,
1888, the vessel ran aground
on a sandbank off Dunkirk, heavy seas broke over her & she lost
anchors & chains. Assistance was requested & the entire crew of 23 was taken off by the Dunkirk lifeboat.
The overnight rising tide lifted the ship off the sandbank & it drifted in a
north-easterly direction. Fishermen found her off La Panne & Blankenberg,
& a Belgian tug was called in to tow her into Terneuzen, the Netherlands, on
the Scheldt estuary. Why not into Dunkirk? Apparently because there would have
been no salvage claim had she been taken to a French port. The fishermen claimed 1/3 of the
value of the ship & cargo, a sum then estimated at over 1 million francs, as salvage. I have not read how much they ended up
with! It would seem that some felt that the vessel had been too soon abandoned.
We have more! Arie de Lange has kindly provided 3 newspaper articles in Dutch re the
abandonment & advises that the vessel, being too heavily loaded to enter
Oostende, was in fact towed by a French tug & by Remarqueur, a Belgian
tug, initially to Flushing & then to Rhynkaai (not Terneuzen) harbour at
Antwerp. The vessel was unloaded at Antwerp, 50 tons of nitrate of soda being
found damaged. The vessel was repaired, over a 3 week period, at the cost of
nearly £1,000. It would appear that the Belgian Court was to decide who were to
be awarded salvage moneys, but Arie has not spotted the conclusion & whether the
fishermen were successful in their claim. In 1895, en route to Chile, the vessel collided with & sank another vessel in the
South Atlantic, apparently S. of Rio de Janeiro. It was, I believe, the barque Queen of the West (built in 1867 by Pile, Hay of
Sunderland). The barque was in collision with Duncow & was
abandoned at sea on May 14, 1895. At 27.43S/45.50W. On Feb. 25, 1897, the vessel left Puget Sound,
Washington, for Port Pirie (N. of Adelaide, Australia) with a cargo of 1800 tons of Oregon
pine, with Captain F. A. Graves in command & a crew all told of 26. On May
25, 1897, during a fierce storm, the vessel found herself off course & close to land. She anchored for safety
close below the 300/400 ft. cliffs at
Cape Couedie (or Cape du Couedic), Kangaroo Island,
South Australia, located about 70 miles SW of Adelaide.
At about 36.4.0S/136.41.60E. The deck cargo of 70 tons
of timber was jettisoned. The storm did not abate,
rather it strengthened in the next days. To ensure no
loss of life, the order was given, on May 28, 1897, that the entire crew abandon the ship. They
made it to shore at Smith Bay after a 22 hour row in high seas in a single lifeboat, walked 75
miles across the island to Kingscote. They eventually arrived at Queenscliffe. The vessel was
reported in the press to have
hit a reef & been wrecked. Yatala, a tug, was sent from
Adelaide to the
scene & en route picked up Captain Graves & his crew. They found that the vessel was not
wrecked, rather was riding at anchor apparently with no damage. Amazingly close
to the cliffs (60 ft.) & to jagged reefs. Yatala towed the ship
clear of the rocks & onwards to Port Pirie
where her cargo was discharged. A Court of Enquiry was held at Port Pirie on
Jun. 16, 1897. The court determined that the Captain was guilty of navigational
misjudgements but also agreed that abandoning the ship in her then circumstances was
the appropriate course of action. In 1899, the vessel was sold to
'Bianchi', of Genoa, Italy, &
renamed Michele Bianchi. The vessel traded in the Pacific Ocean for
the next 10 years. It was sold again, in 1907, to 'Michele Borrello', of Torre
del Greco, near Naples, & renamed
Vesuvio. Used in the Atlantic trade. On Jun. 25, 1914, the vessel
arrived at Genoa with a cargo of 2250 tons of timber ex Pensacola, Florida,
after a voyage of 72 days. In
Dec. 1914, the vessel was broken up at Naples, Italy. In 1979, Alan Osterstock
authored a limited circulation (400 copies only) volume, of 72 pages, entitled 'The Duncow Report',
about the 1897 abandonment. Can you add to
and/or correct the above?
An iron passenger/cargo barque. Per
1 (Scottish Line),
2 (Trinidad,
Nov 08, 1882, 20% down),
3
(image),
4 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
The webmaster has a number of editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google Books,
available to him, thru 1889/90, see left. Built for McIlwraith, MacEacharn & Co., of London, (Scottish Line), for the emigrant
trade to Queensland, Australia, however in 1880 such trade ended when the
Queensland Government contracted with 'British India Associated
Steamers' for such service. The vessel continued to travel to Australia -
& elsewhere also. 217.8 ft. (66.4 metres perpendicular to perpendicular) long,
signal letters R.S.C.N. There are references to a number of voyages to Australia
in 1878, 1888 & 1889 & a voyage to Wellington,
New Zealand, where it arrived on Sep. 4, 1885. On Nov. 8, 1882, the vessel arrived at
Trinidad with 424 East Indian indentured labourers (port of origin not stated). In Feb. 1894,
the vessel was laid up & at anchor in the River Medway, where, on Feb. 10, 1894, she was
struck & sunk by the battleship HMS Edinburgh, whose steam steering
gear had failed. HMS Edinburgh suffered no damage. WWW data is limited &
I could find no detailed reference to what happened in Feb. 1894. We thank Fraser Morrison for
that data, indeed much of the above. Can you help
correct
or add to the data? An image?
An iron passenger/cargo ship. Per
1
(auction ref., 1881 painting by Antonio Jacobsen),
2
(German page, image, Antonio Jacobsen painting etc.),
3 (data),
4 (Miramar,
Henry Edye, link, you now must be registered to access). The vessel, which was launched on Mar. 25, 1879, is Lloyd's Register
listed from 1879/80 thru 1881/82 only. It was owned, thru such period, by Steinmann, Ludwig & Co.
of Antwerp, Belgium. Which seems to mean White Cross Line, a passenger & cargo
line which served New York,
U.S.A., out of Antwerp. Funch Edye & Co. Inc., of New York, were the vessel's agents,
hence, presumably the vessel's name.
The vessel would seem to have, in its brief lifetime, carried many immigrants to
the United States. 311.1 ft. long. I read that the vessel went missing in late
1881, when en route from Antwerp to Boston, U.S.A., with a crew of 35 & cargo
stated to be worth $200,000. A total of 45 lives are said to have been lost so
presumably just a few passenger were on the voyage. There were, I read, major
storms in the North Atlantic at the time. The vessel left Antwerp on Nov. 21, 1881, passed St. Catherine's Point,
Isle of Wight, on Nov. 25, 1881 & was not heard from again. The vessel was
painted, twice at least, by Antonio Jacobsen (1850/1921). The first image at
left, one of such works which dates from 1881, was sold for U.S. $8,500 at a Duane Merrill & Company auction held
at Williston, Vermont, on
May 28, 2016. Is there anything you can add?
An iron passenger/cargo ship. Per
1 &
2 (Norway-Heritage pages
Grecian),
3
(Allan Line, Grecian),
4 ('Sinking of La Bourgogne', Wonderful newspaper page 'pdf' ex 'chroniclingamerica'.),
5 (Miramar, Cromartyshire, link,
you now must be registered to access),
6 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access). The webmaster has a number of
editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google Books, available to him, thru 1889/90,
see left. 360.5 ft. long, 109.7 metres perpendicular to perpendicular, three masts, single funnel, speed of 11 knots,
signal letters TGJN. Accommodation for 820 passengers (50 in 1st Class, 270 in 2nd & 500 in 3rd). Miramar indicate
the vessel to be an 1880 vessel but Lloyd's states 1879. Laid down as
Maxima. But delivered to J. & A. Allan, i.e. 'Montreal Ocean Steamship Company',
Allan Line, incorporated in Canada, perhaps, but of Glasgow, as Grecian. The vessel's maiden voyage,
on Apl. 21, 1880, was from Glasgow to Montreal via Quebec (both Canada). Would seem to have travelled mainly to Canada & to the eastern seaboard of U.S. ex
Glasgow but for a while to South America (River Plate) also. In 1882 the vessel was chartered for use as a 'Troopship for the Egyptian Expedition'.
Allan Line would seem to have become 'Allan & State Line' & later maybe just 'State Line'
as a result of acquisitions. See Corean
for a little more of the corporate history. On Jul. 4, 1898, the vessel received 165 survivors from the collision, early in the morning & in dense fog, of Cromartyshire
(a sailing ship of 1462 or 1554 tons, en route from Dunkirk to Philadelphia with coal) & La Bourgogne, 60 miles off Cape Sable. La Bourgogne sank
40 minutes after the collision. A range of 546 - 584 lives lost ex La Bourgogne, including its captain (Deloncle) & many officers. La Bourgogne was the
fastest fleet vessel of Compagnie Generale Transatlantique. It was, I read, carrying 711 persons that day, was off course & travelling at an excessive speed for the
conditions. It would seem that Cromartyshire, herself badly damaged (bow cut off by the impact & her foremast & main top-gallant mast
carried away), rescued the 165 survivors, transferred them later that day to Grecian, which then towed Cromartyshire to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Do read the
horrific account of the disaster here. Only one woman survived - in part since a lifeboat carrying mostly women &
children was crushed by one of the ship's funnels as it collapsed. Grecian was wrecked on Feb. 8, 1902 at Sandwich Point, Nova Scotia, while entering Halifax Harbour
under pilotage in a snow squall. No loss of life. The cause of the wreck seems to be unknown, but the conditions were adverse. Can you add
anything? Or correct any errors? Samantha Bradbury (thanks!) has written in to advise that 'Charles Edward Le Gallais', her GG grandfather, was Captain of the Grecian
from 1880 to his retirement in about 1892/3. Lloyd's seem not to reference, for some reason, any Master's name for the Lloyd's Registers available to the webmaster of 1887/88 & 1889/90.
An iron passenger/cargo ship. Per
1 &
2
(Norway-Heritage pages),
3
(data),
4 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access). The webmaster has a number of
editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google Books, available to him, thru 1889/90,
see left. 360.1 ft long,
single funnel, single screw, 3 masts, speed of 11 knots, signal letters V.M.P.J. With accommodation for
passengers in 1st & 3rd class. How many, I wonder? Built for J. & A. Allan,
i.e. Allan Line (founded in 1846), Montreal Ocean
Steamship Company, of Glasgow, incorporated in 1854. Allan Line would seem to have become 'Allan &
State Line' & later 'Allan Line Steamship Company Limited' ('ALS') as a result of
the acquisition in 1891 of 'The State Line Company of Glasgow' & the
incorporation of ALS in 1887. The vessel's maiden voyage,
on May 10, 1881, was Glasgow to Montreal via
Quebec (both Canada). Would seem to have travelled mainly to Canada & to the eastern seaboard of
the U.S.
(New York, Boston & Philadelphia) ex Glasgow & London. On Dec. 5, 1897,
the vessel was slightly damaged in a
collision with Mobile off the Newfoundland Banks, but completed
her voyage. The vessel arrived at Messina, Italy, on Sep. 24, 1908 to be broken
up.
3
provides a source for an image. Is it possible that you have anything to add?
A
3-masted iron barque. Per
1 (NY Times report),
2 (ref. to Principality Shipping),
3 (William Thomas),
4
(wreck image,
ex 'Square Rigger Days',
said to be County of Pembroke but in fact, per Vanessa Maitland
('VM'),
wreck archaeologist & author, of Durban, South Africa, of Arnold, a German
barque of 854 tons) - my image originated, many years ago now, I think ex ex
5),
6 (a better copy of the image at
4),
7 (an image stated to be of County of Pembroke, but
per VM in fact the Bramblebyte),
8 (image in 1881,
#2 in list. I cannot link you directly without an error message appearing),
9 (1904 salvage,
at page bottom),
10 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
221.5 ft. long (67.51 metres) perpendicular to perpendicular, signal letters WFCS. Per site correspondent Alun Jones,
built to a design by William E. (Edward) Jones,
shipbuilder, of Caernarvonshire. Data is quite limited. Registered
at Liverpool.
Was initially owned by 'W. (William) Thomas & Co.' ('Thomas'), of Liverpool,
'Welsh County Line' per 'scott-base', though 2 suggests that it was owned by 'Principality Shipping Co. Ltd.'
('Principality'), ('William Thomas & Sons Co.' managers?) of Liverpool. Can anyone clarify?
Perhaps Thomas owned or was a major shareholder in Principality? In c. 1899, Jimmy Bisset, aged 16, was
swept overboard off County of Pembroke in monstrous seas off the Cape of Good Hope, hung onto a rope & was swept back aboard
with the next sea. The first mate roared 'The next time you do a thing like
that, I'll log you for attempting to desert ship!' Bisset went on to a long
&
distinguished career with Cunard-White Star.
The vessel, carrying a mixed cargo including 100
tons of 'cement powder', & under the command of Captain John Parry, was moored at Algoa Bay, Port Elizabeth, South Africa,
on Nov. 14, 1903 when she & five other ships were wrecked in a SE gale.
A long gone link advised that there was a collision.
eBay vendor 'scott-base' advises 'she had been at Algoa Bay since 15th
October discharging cargo, she had recently moved berth, she was secured by two
anchors in rising winds and sea. She parted her cables and drove ashore becoming
a total wreck.' The vessel lay on the beach, in a dangerous position until Mar. 1904, when, some
repairs effected, it was towed by 2 tugs
to the mouth of the Coega River, 14 km away, & scuppered. In May 1904,
Messrs G. E. Austin & Co., salvage contractors of East London & Port Elizabeth,
were engaged in salving the cargo of County of Pembroke, 'on the 50
percent, no-cure-no-pay basis'. The wreck was identified in 2004
- it had
to be removed so dredging work re the new Port of Ngqura could be completed.
Artefacts recovered include crates of sealed bottles, with contents intact. No
advice as to what the bottles contain! Probably not party time! As I update this
page, the cargo of County of Pembroke is now well documented in Vanessa
Maitland's 2nd report available via a link below. Full bottles of Rose's Lime Juice & Cordial, vinegar & ink were found in the wreck,
along with 400 bottles of castor oil. A puzzle would
seem to be the identity of the vessel in the image at 4.
Virtually the same image is, I understand, in 'Sail Ho!: My early years at sea' by Jimmy Bisset
(Sir James G. P. Bisset), published in 1958. We thank Nigel Parry, of Kent, U.K.,
for his assistance concerning this listing. John Parry, who was in command of County of Pembroke
in 1903, was Nigel's grandfather. Data about the wreck? Due to the nature of this website,
I can devote but limited space to the history of any single vessel. But, the
definitive work on the subject of the wreck of County of Pembroke,
a giant & splendid 'pdf'
by Vanessa Maitland, can be accessed here.
It contains a list of the vessel's many lifetime voyages. Do not miss, either, the second
part of her report, which is likely available via the prior link. Can you
add anything?
A cargo ship that had a short life. Per
1 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access). 260.0 ft. long, signal letters
WDQF. The webmaster has a
couple of editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google Books, available to him, thru
1887/88, see left. Built for Nautilus Steam Shipping Co. Ltd.,
known as 'Branch Line', owned by F. & W. Ritson, of Sunderland. On Jun. 5, 1885, while en route from Sunderland to Palermo,
Sicily, with a cargo of coal & gas fittings, the vessel was, per a site now long gone, in collision with Tudor,
20 miles S. of St. Catherine's Point, the southernmost point on the Isle of
Wight. Olive Branch sank.
But now, thanks to David Wendes, I learn, from a reference in a contemporary local paper,
that Olive Branch in fact collided with Tudor Prince
(a Sunderland built ship), which was en route from Taganrog (Sea of Azov, Black Sea, Rostov Oblast, Russia)
to Lynn (in Norfolk?). And had a very long life indeed. Olive Branch sank in just 10 minutes.
Her crew
of 22 were taken aboard the seriously damaged Tudor Prince, which
initially anchored at Motherbank (a shallow sandbar off the NE coast of the Isle of Wight)
& then proceeded to Southampton for repairs. There was dense fog at the time. WWW
data is most limited. Anything to add?
An image perhaps?
A collier. Per
1 (ref. July 14, 1882,
2nd ref.),
2 (July 14, 1882,
2nd item, ref. 'steamer'),
3
(1903 explosion, about 50% down, 5th 1903 item),
4 (also 1903 explosion),
5
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 230.0 ft. long overall, signal
letters WHNK. The
webmaster has a number of editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google Books,
available to him, thru 1889/90, see left. I used to state that the vessel was built for 'Black Diamond
Steamship Co. of Montreal Limited' ('BlackDiamond'), of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, initially
belonging to the port of Sunderland & later of Montreal. But I now read that the vessel was
launched on Feb. 06, 1882 for Dent & Co. ('Dent') of Newcastle. It would seem
likely that it was delivered to Dent also since the ship's bell (image at
left), references Newcastle & Miramar reference Dent as the vessel's owner. BlackDiamond were, however, the recorded owners
in & after the 1882/83 edition
of Lloyd's Register. The vessel would seem to
have had a history of 'scrapes'. On Jun. 17, 1882, the vessel,
just 3 months old, chartered for the
season to 'Block House Mining Company', went aground near 'the Northern Head of Cow Bay',
Newfoundland.
'A company from Quebec,
with the steamer Conquer, were using steam-pumps and other appliances for the
purpose of floating the vessel, and the Dominion Wrecking Company was at hand,
ready to offer their services if required. As the Coban does not appear to
have sustained much damage, it is quite possible the Company will get her off
during next high tide.' In 1898, the vessel was engaged in the Montreal to St. John's, Newfoundland, service via Charlottetown, P.E.I. & Sydney,
Nova Scotia - for 'Black Diamond Line'. 'Dent & Co.' the managers? On Dec.
11, 1897 the vessel was disabled, having lost her propeller, 30 miles off St.
Pierre. On Jun. 19, 1888, the vessel, with a cargo of 1,400 tons of coal, was aground at
Green Island. On Mar. 23, 1899, the vessel was damaged in ice off Cape Breton,
Nova Scotia,
en route from Louisburg to St. John (means St. John's?), & put into Halifax, Nova Scotia, for
repairs - such data was elsewhere (now gone). On May 21, 1903, 3 aboard were killed in an explosion,
likely of coal gas, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence - William Dawe & another
passenger &, I think, William Morgan, but maybe 'McGrath', a waiter.
The saloon & ladies' cabin were destroyed. On Apl. 6, 1908 the vessel ran
aground off Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. On Jun. 19,
1927, the vessel was wrecked in fog
at Partridge Island,
Bay of Fundy, en route from Sydney, Nova Scotia, to Saint John, New Brunswick,
with a cargo of coal. Then owned by 'Black Diamond Steamship Co.' I presume the
wreck stayed in situ. The vessel broke up in gales in Jan. 1928. 'Black Diamond'
may well have owned her throughout her lifetime & leased her to Dominion Coal
Company? Ashley Clarkson, of Montreal, has been in touch to advise that back in 1937
Coban's ship's bell was donated to 'The Last Post Fund's National Field of Honour' in
Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada, & placed within the 'Gate of Remembrance' there. It was
rung whenever a veteran who had died passed through those gates. Due to upkeep
issues, the bell was later removed from the gate & a
stained glass window took its place. Ashley has now created an exhibit
to explain the significance of the Coban bell & what it's ringing used to mean
for the veterans. Ashley would be happy to receive
any additional data you might have about Coban's history. The bell itself?
It is most distinguished - you can see it at left. Can you add
anything? An image?
A 3-masted iron barque. Per
1 (extensive data,
Erna, images),
2
[data, Ednyfed, ex Trove, Australia, (3)],
4 (F.
Hopper, 1891 oil painting, Christie's, Ednyfed),
5
(Lloyd's Register ('LR') data, Oriole, at 'Southampton City Council/Plimsoll', 1930/31 thru 1938/39,
build stated as 1881),
67 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
The vessel was launched on Nov. 11, 1882 & first registered, at London, on Dec.
15, 1882 (scroll to #87206). 221.0 ft. long (67.36 metres) perpendicular to perpendicular, 3 masts, signal letters WHBC, WHMK, & later KNVV & LHJD. The webmaster has
a number of editions of LR, ex Google Books, available to him,
thru 1889/90, see left. The vessel was christened Ednyfed by Mrs.
Davies, wife of the Master of the Sunderland Workhouse - named after the
residence of one of the owners. The vessel was built for 'Robert Thomas & Co.', of Criccieth,
Carnarvon, Wales, later of Liverpool. The vessel's maiden voyage was to Rangoon,
Owen Jones in command, but after that, during its first 7 or 8 years the vessel served the W.
coast of S. America. On Apl. 28, 1890, the vessel left Chatham, River Thames,
with a cargo of cement bound for Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. And then left for Pisagua, Chile. She visited Brisbane,
Queensland, in Aug. 1891 bringing a cargo which included
steel rails & water pipes, & then left for Oregon in ballast. In Oct/Nov 1896
the vessel carried Wallsend coal from Newcastle, New South Wales, to the
Australian west coast. It was frequently in Australian waters, ex Liverpool, in
the following years generally carrying coal to ports on the W. coast of S.
America. I read that on a date quite unknown, Ednyfed was 100 days overdue on a
voyage from Trapani, Italy, to Gloucester, Massachusetts. I have not read the
date, circumstances or outcome. In Apl. 1908, the vessel was sold to 'A/S Erna',
of Porsgrund, Norway, 'Pettersen
& Ullenæs', also of Porsgrund, the managers, & renamed Erna.
The vessel continued to serve Australia - for example on Jan. 27, 1909 the
vessel left S. Australia for Falmouth with 18,457 bags of wheat. In Jul. 1912, the vessel was sold to
'Cia. Mercantil Chubut', (Chubut Mercantile), of
Buenos Aires, Argentina, & renamed Edith Jones. And in
1917, it was sold again, to H. E. Wolden, of Montevideo, Uruguay, & renamed
Edith Wolden. In 1918,
'Oriental Navigation Corp.
Inc.', of New York, N.Y., U.S.A., became the
vessel's owners & renamed her Oriole. In 1923, then over 40 years
old, the vessel was converted into a 'schooner barge', owned by 'Sipsey Barge &
Towing Co.
Ltd.', of New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A., R. D. Reeves the manager. In Apl.
1927, Oriole was under the tow of 'De Bardeleben', a
tug, proceeding upbound in the Mississippi river at New Orleans, with no cargo.
Norne, carrying gasoline, was headed down river at speed. Norne
hit the tug's tow cable, collided with both De Bardeleben & Oriole
& considerably damaged both. Norne was held to have been at fault. In 1936, H.
F. de Bardeleben became the vessel's manager. The vessel was shortened a little
- it became 219.8 ft. long in 1936/37. The vessel was reported abandoned &
in the 1938/39 edition of Lloyd's was stated to have been 'broken up'.
Somewhere along the way R. Jones was Ednyfed's captain. He later,
in 1897, was swept off Powys Castle in giant seas & was lost.
Crew lists thru 1907 are here. Can you
add
anything? #1900
An iron 'schooner-rigged' passenger/cargo ship. Per
1 &
2
(Norway-Heritage pages), 3 (data, Hanoverian 1882),
4 (1885 passenger list),
5 ('pdf'
report of Inquiry into the vessel's loss #2725),
6 (Allan Line, Hanoverian),
7
(New York Times, Sep. 03, 1885),
8 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access). Alas a number of my earlier links
are no longer available, often now behind pay walls. 366.0 ft. long,
single funnel, single screw, 3 masts, speed of 11 knots, signal letters WJRV,
450 HP engines by William Doxford & Sons Ltd., of Sunderland. Accommodation for
passengers in 1st & 3rd class (an 1883 voyage had 29 in cabin & 273 in
steerage). The vessel, which was launched on Mar. 21, 1882 & first registered,
at Glasgow, on May 23, 1882 (scroll to #85931) is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed
from 1881/82 thru 1885/86 - images of the listings of a couple of those years
are at left. Her initial captain thru 1883/84 at least (LR of 1884/85 is not
available to the webmaster) was J. Stephen. In 1885/86 LR advises that B. Thomson was her then
captain. Built for 'J. & A. Allan', of Glasgow, Alexander
Allan being the managing owner. Per LR, always owned by 'Allan'. Most references are however to Allan Line, [i.e. Montreal Ocean Steamship
Company ('Steamship')], of Liverpool, which is a puzzle because 'J. & A. Allan'
clearly owned the vessel rather than Steamship. Another puzzle is that the wreck
inquiry report says it was owned by 'T. & A. Allen', i.e. with a 'T' and an 'e'. Allan Line would
also seem to have become 'Allan & State
Line' & later maybe just 'State Line' as a result of acquisitions. See
Corean
for a little more of the corporate history. The Mercantile Navy Lists of 1883
thru 1885 all list Alexander Allan, of Glasgow, as the vessel's then
sole or managing
owner. The vessel's maiden voyage, on May 25, 1882, was from Glasgow,
Scotland, to Montreal via Quebec (both Canada). The vessel would seem to have travelled mainly ex Glasgow & Liverpool to Canada, &
(from 1883) to the eastern seaboard of U.S.
(Baltimore & Philadelphia). The vessel left Baltimore on Aug. 25, 1885,
for Liverpool via Halifax & St. John's, Newfoundland, with a cargo of grain, flour & meat,
with passengers & under the command of
Benjamin Thomson, (Lieut. B. Thomson, RNR, it would seem), ('Thomson'). The
vessel made it safely to Halifax & left for St. John's with 152 passengers & a
crew of 78 all told. The vessel was wrecked,
in foggy conditions, soon after 9:20 a.m. on Sep. 2, 1885, in St. Mary's Bay,
7 miles E. of Trepassey, Newfoundland,
approx 400 yards from shore - stated to be near Portugal Cove, Trepassey Bay, in
the inquiry report. 'Grounded on Catherine's Point with the bottom ripped out for
nearly the entire length of the ship'. The passengers & crew were all safely
landed, 'with safety and rapidity', as were the mails that the vessel
carried & a part of the cargo. Nimrod was sent to the scene
but did not make it due to the 'impenetrable' fog. Steam tugs & other vessels also went to the
scene but it would seem that H.M.S. Tenedos, a British warship, came from St.
John's & carried the
passengers & the remainder of the crew to that port. The Captain, along with 3 of his officers, remained at the wreck
site for 6 weeks. The passengers, in a few days,
continued their journey ex St. John's to Liverpool aboard Polynesian. The Inquiry found Thomson alone to be at fault
for having failed to make sufficient allowance for the current & a heavy beam
sea, which combined to result in the vessel being off course. Thomson believed
the vessel to be on Pig Bank. The number of passengers aboard is
confusing indeed. Some passengers clearly originated in Baltimore, but I presume that the official enquiry
would have accurately reported the numbers of those aboard at the time of the wreck. Professor Alexander Graham Bell, aboard along with
his wife & family, was, I
have read, a calming voice in the disaster. He may have boarded the vessel at
Halifax, but I have not read that that was so.
8 states,
in error clearly, that the wreck was on Aug. 31, 1885. Four contemporary
newspaper cuttings - 1, 2,
3, 4. Some crew lists are
available here - but the reference to an 1899 such list is a puzzle.
The wreck was later sold for $1,000, I read. One final word. When the vessel was
constructed, her boilers were clearly considered to be technologically worthy of
reference in the magazine 'Engineering' of Jan./Jun. 1883. Two full page
engravings of the boilers & extensive descriptive text are available for those
who wish to know more at pages 337 thru 339 in the 'pdf' volume available here. Anything to add?
A cargo ship. Per
1 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
285.2 ft. long, single screw, 3 masts, signal letters HDMW. The webmaster has
a number of editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google Books, available to him,
thru 1889/90, see left. The vessel was built for 'Renton & Co.', of Glasgow. But
it was soon sold to 'Abington Steam Ship Co. Ltd.' ('AbingtonSteam') (Raeburn & Vérel,
managers), & registered at Glasgow. In the 1887/88 edition of Lloyd's, 'J. A.
Sillars' had become the owner, but the ownership would seem to have reverted to
AbingtonSteam in the last register I have available, the 1889/90 edition, with
J. A. Sillars the owner? or perhaps the manager? of AbingtonSteam. On Mar. 16, 1892, the vessel was involved in a collision at
Antwerp, Belgium, & was beached at Palingplaat, a mud flat in the Scheldt
estuary. Thanks to Arie Jan de Lange (1892 newspaper cutting at left), we can
advise that the vessel was in collision with Activa,
a 556 ton German cargo vessel, & broke in
two. A Norwegian company failed in its attempt to salvage the wreck & in the
spring of 1893 the wreck was blown up with dynamite. But Arie, who is side scan sonar equipped, advises
that parts of the Abington wreck
are still on the sea bed. WWW data is most limited. Can you
help
with more?
A cargo ship. Per
1 ('wrecksite.eu', wreck data),
2 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
258.0 ft. long, signal letters HWRM.
The webmaster has a number of editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google Books,
available to him, thru 1889/90, see left. Built for Fisher Renwick & Co.
('Fisher'), of Newcastle. In the 1889/90 edition of Lloyd's, 'Ella Sayer
Steamship Co. Ltd.', had become the owner,
Fisher being, I believe, the owner of that company. On Sep. 1, 1897, while en route
from Kotka, Finland, to Hull with a cargo of pit props, the vessel was wrecked about 7
(maybe 10) miles N. of
Scarborough. 2 says 'wrecked
N Hayburn Wyke 1.9.97 & beached'. Hayburn Wyke is on the Yorkshire coast. At
1 a.m. on Wed. Sep. 1, 1897, the vessel struck rocks & a large hole resulted in
the ship's plating. The Robin Hood's Bay Coast Guard responded, as did a steam
tug. Cargo was jettisoned & the vessel was towed free but had to be pushed back
on shore because so much water was entering the ship. The crew stayed aboard,
but that night the weather worsened, the vessel had to be abandoned & it became
a total loss. The wreck lies in 12 metres of water, at 54.22.554N/00.27.061W. WWW data is limited. Can you
add anything?
A passenger/cargo ship. Per
1 (20%
down, data & image, Warrego),
2 (image, Warrego),
3 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access). 250.0 ft. long, signal letters
HVWC. The webmaster has a number of editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google
Books, available to him, thru 1889/90, see left. Built for the Australian
coastal trade of Queensland Steamship Company Ltd. ('Queensland') & designed
to compete in the then trade war of Queensland with
Australasian Steam
Navigation Company ('Australasian) of Sydney, New South Wales. Registered at
London. Australasian was
owned, from 1886, by British India Steam Navigation Co. Ltd.
In Apl. 1887, an agreement was reached & the fleets of Queensland & Australasian
were combined into 'Australasian United Steam
Navigation Company Ltd.' Registered at Brisbane, Australia. The vessel was later laid up. And was sold, in 1912, to the Royal Australian Navy. Was
converted into a stores ship. A short lived career as such! A coal hulk at
Sydney early in 1913. In Oct. 1913, as a coal hulk, the vessel was towed by Coolgardie
to Darwin, Northern Territory, & beached there. In 1919, in a cyclone, the vessel, with 600 tons
of coal aboard, was driven higher onto the beach near the Darwin wharf. The
hull was
bombed by the Japanese on Feb. 19, 1942. The remains are still there today but invisible -
buried under landfill re the 1960 construction of a power station. Can you provide
more data?
A passenger/cargo ship. Per
1 (Eastern & Australasian,
Airlie),
2 (Burns Philp,
Airlie),
3 (an image source),
4 (1900 grounding),
5 (data & image,
1st vessel),
6 (launch etc. data re Airlie ex 'The Marine Engineer'
of 1884, a Google book),
7
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). The webmaster has a number of editions of Lloyd's
Registers, ex Google Books, available to him, thru 1889/90, see left. 314.0 ft. long, speed of 14 knots, 2 masts & bowsprit,
signal letters JMSK.
Fitted with an aluminium propeller & aluminium was extensively used in the
ship's interior. A sister to Guthrie. Built for 'Eastern & Australian
Mail Steamship Co. Limited', of London, which company provided mail & passenger service
from Sydney, Brisbane & other Australian ports to Japan, Shanghai, Hong Kong,
Manila & Thursday Island. Melbourne soon became the Australian terminal.
The owner would seem to have soon become 'Eastern & Australian Steamship Co.
Limited'. In Jan. 1900, the vessel was stranded on Chapman Island, Torres Straits, off the Queensland coast.
The vessel was initially thought to be a total loss, but that proved not to be so since
the vessel safely made it to Sydney. Passengers were landed (where?) by Culgoa. A 'seagoing
certificate' in 1901 for 128 passengers & a crew of 64. In 1904, the vessel
was sold to 'Burns Philp & Company Limited', of Sydney.
I need help re the next item! From Feb. 10, 1904 to Sep. 5, 1905, Russia & Japan
were at war (Russo-Japanese War). It would seem that at a 1904 date that I have
not read, related to that war, Airlie was 'overhauled &
boarded' by a Russian cruiser (its name?) in the Red Sea. An artwork by Hodgson,
perhaps F. S. or I. S. Hodgson, depicting the incident was published in a 1904
edition of Illustrated London News. A postcard image of that artwork, ex eBay,
can be seen at left. Can anybody tell us what really happened & why? Refrigeration machinery was added
to the vessel in 1905. And in 1909, the vessel was on the Australia, Japan & China
service. In Apl. 1910, the vessel picked up 78 lascars from the wreck
of Satara, wrecked on Apl. 20, 1910, at Edith Breaker, 2 miles from Seal Rocks, New South Wales. The
vessel was laid up in 1910. And broken up in China, in Q1 of
1911. Much of the above was provided by Mori Flapan, of
Sydney, Australia (thanks!). Can you
add anything?
A passenger/cargo ship. Per
1 (McIlwraith McEacharn, Cloncurry),
2 (an 1884/85 Cloncurry arrival in Australia),
3 (article re the arrival of
Cloncurry at Brisbane on Aug. 7, 1885 ex 4),
5 (Allan C. Green watercolour),
6 (image, Cloncurry, ex Trove),
7
& 8 (data re Sir Malcolm D. McEacharn),
9
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access).
The webmaster has a
couple of editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google Books, available to him, see
left. 300.0 (or 314) ft. long,
schooner rigged, signal letters JPWS, crew of 51 (carrying passengers, I
presume). Built for McIlwraith, McEacharn & Co. (or
Ltd. or Limited?),
of London, & later Melbourne perhaps, whose fleet, known as 'Scottish Line' ('Scottish') carried cargo & immigrants to Queensland, Australia.
The vessel was christened by Miss McIlwraith, daughter of Sir Thomas McIlwraith,
ex Premier of Queensland. On Oct. 29, 1884, the Scottish Line vessel left Glasgow for
Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton & Brisbane, all Queensland, with 265 immigrants & a varied cargo
that included 5 locomotives. Scottish
soon began to carry frozen meat to the U.K. from Australia. Cloncurry was chartered, from 1885 to 1888, to British India Steam Navigation Company. On Jan. 3, 1890, the vessel
was in
collision with Maple Branch, (built at Sunderland by Bartram & Haswell, &
not Maplebranch) in Suez Bay. Cloncurry was sunk,
but was re-floated &
repaired. In 1905, it was sold to 'Itaya GK' of Japan & renamed Yoneyama Maru.
The vessel was wrecked at Kinkazan (near Sendai, in Tohuku, Japan) on Jan. 12, 1911.
WWW data is quite limited. Can you
add anything?
A passenger/cargo ship. Per
1 (Eastern & Australasian),
2 (Burns Philp),
3 (data
& image),
4 (Australia &
Oriental Line),
5
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). The webmaster has a
number of editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google Books, available to him, see
left. 314.0 ft. long, speed of 12 knots, with a clipper bow & 2 masts,
signal letters JLDW. Built for 'Eastern & Australian Mail Steamship Co. Ltd.', of London. A sister to Airlie.
By the 1887/88
edition of Lloyd's, the vessel was owned by 'W. Mactaggart', of London. It would
seem that William McTaggart, of McTaggart
Tidman & Co., of London, was one of the partners that created 'Eastern & Australian Mail Steamship Co.' The vessel was engaged on the Australia to Singapore run until 1902 & then on the
Australia to Hong Kong & Japan route. It was sold, in 1904, to 'Burns Philp & Company
Limited' ('Philp') &
reverted to the Singapore route (via Port Darwin, Java & Thursday Island). I
have read
that the vessel was laid up in 1911. And was sold, in 1912, to G. S. Yuill and Company Ltd., of Sydney,
i.e. 'Australian & Oriental Line'. Used on a single trip to Japan & then chartered to Philp.
The vessel was laid up in 1913, & in 1914 was sold to White
Cross Steamship Co. (A. Gallussen & Co. the manager?). 3 indicates that the
vessel may then have been renamed Helvette, a name not referenced
at Miramar. On Nov. 1, 1914, while en
route from ? to Vladivostok, Russia, with a general cargo, the vessel was wrecked off Taku Bar, or Tientsin Bar, nr. Tientsin, 170
km. E. of Beijing, China, & its port. Am grateful for the data from a long expired eBay listing for much of the above. But can you
add
anything?
A 3-masted iron barque. Per
1 (70% down),
2 (Miramar, link,
you now must be registered to access).
The webmaster has a couple of editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google Books,
available to him, see left. 220.0 ft. long, 67.1 metres perpendicular to perpendicular,
signal letters JQBF. Now normally there would be an owner & a manager for a ship. In this case we have
'Robert Thomas & Co.' as 'managing owner'. Shares were sold in the fleet vessels
to many parties it would seem, including, of course, Robert Thomas himself.
The fleet was managed, until 1899, from Criccieth, a small coastal village in North Wales,
& then from Liverpool.
WWW data is most limited. On Jan. 26, (or 25) 1907, Maelgwyn's ballast shifted, presumably in bad
weather. She lost her masts & had to be abandoned about 20 miles NW of Lord
Howe Island (off E. coast of Australia). The crew of 26 were all saved & landed at Sydney, New South Wales,
Australia. Can you
provide
additional data?
An iron steamer, passenger & cargo. Per
1 (data, New Guinea),
2 (text, 2 images of wreck
& links),
3 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
The webmaster has a couple of editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google Books,
available to him, see left. 300.0 ft. long, single screw, schooner rigged, 2 masts, speed of 11 knots,
signal letters JRFT. Built for McIlwraith, McEacharn & Co. of Melbourne,
Australia. On Jun. 16, 1885, the vessel first sailed from London to Batavia (now Jakarta,
Indonesia) & Brisbane. Described as a collier but link 2 indicates that its voyages from U.K. to Australia (Brisbane) from Jun. 1885 through May 1889
would be unlikely if a collier & it was probably a general cargo vessel. A new
propeller shaft was fitted in 1910. On
Feb. 13, 1911, still owned by 'McIlwraith' but chartered to Huddart, Parker &
Company Ltd., & en route from Melbourne to Sydney with general cargo, the vessel ran
aground at speed, in dense fog, W. of Green Cape Lighthouse, Disaster Bay, New
South Wales. In 2 days, the vessel slipped off the rocks & sank. It would seem
that the entire crew (28) survived & eventually, after considerable
difficulty, landed at Eden, some 26 km. away. The Captain (Coleman) was held to
be at fault at the wreck inquiry for sailing too fast in the conditions - his licence
was suspended for 6 months. It would be good to be able to read the inquiry's
actual report. A calm weather wreck site today.
Anything to add?
A 4 masted iron ship, rigged with double top sails, single topgallant
sails & royal sails. Per
1 (data),
2
(data),
3
(1885 ref. to launching, in red),
4 (an 1895 image of the crew of Principality),
5 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
The webmaster has a couple of editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google Books,
available to him, see left. 258.5 ft. long, 78.75 or 78.8 metres, perpendicular to perpendicular. Built for Principality Shipping Co. Ltd., of
Liverpool (William Thomas & Sons Co. owners & managers). Per Alun
Jones, to a design by William E. (Edward) Jones, shipbuilder, of
Caernarvonshire. Captain J. Jones her first
Captain. Sister to Kate Thomas
& Colony. Ordered as Annie Thomas but launched as Principality.
In 1890, or maybe a little earlier since the vessel is listed as a barque in the
1889/90 edition of Lloyd's Register, the vessel was re-rigged as a four-masted barque.
In 1895, the vessel sailed from Astoria, Oregon, to Queenstown, Ireland, in 96 days.
And in 1898, it sailed from Cardiff, Wales, to Valparaiso, Chile, in 74 days.
While I have no detail, G. W. Hilliard, an apprentice, was granted the
prestigious Sea Gallantry Medal for an incident on Nov. 19, 1899. On May 4, 1905,
the vessel left Junin, Chile, for Rotterdam with 2,600 tons of nitrate of soda.
The vessel was last heard from on May 13 (or May 23, sources differ), 1905. Believed
to have been lost at
Cape Horn, where wreckage, identified as being from Principality, was later found.
A crew of 25 were aboard - presumed all lost. Miramar states last spoken to at
23.30S/22.05W on May 13, 1905. A watercolour by Godfrey, of New South Wales, exists,
but no WWW image of it seems to be available. Can you add
anything?
A steel barque.
Per
1
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). The webmaster has a
couple of editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google Books, available to him, see
left. 222.0 ft. long, 67.7 metres perpendicular to perpendicular. Built for R.
Thomas & Co. of Liverpool (or maybe, at the time, of Criccieth, in
Wales). Registered at London. The vessel was
possibly sold, in 1911, to French owners,
per a long expired eBay item, 'F. Ballasky & Sons' or a name similar to that, &
was hulked, in 1911, at Noumea, New Caledonia
(France), in the
S. Pacific. Broken
up soon thereafter. Some 1886/7 documents may exist at University of Exeter (Henry
Parry Collection). Can you
add to the
above most limited data?
A 4-masted steel barque. Per
1 (history data),
2 (extensive data, India & Kate Thomas),
3
&
4 (both images),
5 (1885 launch of Kate Thomas),
6 (collision
report, Evening
Telegram, N.Y., May 1, 1906,
Kate Thomas/Blanefield, but image at bottom left),
7 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
The webmaster has a couple of editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google Books,
available to him, see left. 258 ft.
(78.63 metres) long, signal letters KBGF. Sister to
Annie Thomas.
Per Alun Jones, built to a design by William E. (Edward) Jones, shipbuilder, of
Caernarvonshire. Owned by 'Kate Thomas Sailing Ship Company', of Liverpool &
there registered. Thomas Williams her first Captain. Traded between
British (mainly Cardiff) & Continental ports & South America with general
cargo. On May 1, 1906, Kate Thomas collided with & sank the steamer Blanefield,
3411 tons, off Beachy Head, Sussex. I have not read the circumstances. It would
seem however that a Court found in favour of Kate Thomas. There is some confusion as to how many died
- most WWW sites state that 36 Blanefield lives were lost but read the text re Blanefield,
& the bottom image at left there, which
indicates that it may have been five only. Kate Thomas was
towed into Southampton in a damaged condition. Also in 1906, the vessel was in collision with the steamer Pyrgos. On Apl. 4, 1910, the vessel was sunk off Pendeen Light, Land's End, while on tow, in
ballast, by Belgian tug John Bull, from Antwerp to Port Talbot, Glamorgan, South Wales. Penzance steamer India,
of 364 tons, ran into
the starboard side
of Kate Thomas at 4 a.m. There were 20 aboard, & 19 died. John J. (Jack)
Nelson, an apprentice, was the only survivor. The vessel sank a few minutes (10 or
15) after the collision.
India, which suffered major bow damage, did not stop at the
accident scene. The Board of Trade Inquiry (2 bottom), determined
that the collision
was caused by the default of the India Master (Thomas F. Mitchell) in going below
& leaving an able seaman in charge of the deck,
& by the default of that able seaman in not
keeping a proper look-out. Of interest is the fact that Mitchell did not
have a 'certificate of competency'. Anything to add?
A 4-masted steel barque. Per
1 (data),
2 (wreck report),
3 (Launch ex The Marine Engineer of Jun. 1, 1885. Marked in blue.),
4
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). The vessel is not
recorded in Lloyd's Registers of 1887/88 & 1889/90. 258 ft. (78.63 metres) long. Built for William Edward Jones
(1844/1910),
('Jones') (or maybe W. E. Jones & Co.), of Caernarvon,
Wales (but owned by 'Richard Hayward Ship Company Limited' of which Jones was
the managing owner. The vessel was named by Mrs. Williams
of Treborth, Bangor, & cost £15,750 or £15,850. On Jul. 11, 1885, the vessel left Sunderland
on her maiden voyage,
under the command of Captain Joseph G. Richardson (1828/1885) ('Richardson'), bound for
Singapore with a cargo of coal - from the Dudley Pit of Cramlington
Colliery, 11 miles N. of Newcastle. The vessel must have passed Cape of Good
Hope & was last seen by Great Surgeon,
an American barque, on Sep. 29, 1885, abandoned & on fire. At or about 38S/35E in
the Indian Ocean, about 600 miles SE of the South
African coast. Fire probably due to 'spontaneous combustion' of the cargo. It seems that the crew of 26 had
taken to the boats, were not heard from again & all lost their lives. Alun L.
Jones of North Wales advises (thanks Alun!) that Richardson lost his life as a result
of the fire,
as did Henry, his 19 year old son. Indeed 7 men from the village of Y Felinheli,
Gwynedd, North Wales, were serving aboard Richard Hayward & lost
their lives. A memorial to Richardson is in the lych gate
at Llanfairisgaer
Parish Church,
on the mainland side of the straits at Menai, North Wales. Alun has further advised the names of the 7 village men who were lost.
Here. Anything to
add?
Or correct?
A 4 masted iron ship, rigged with double top
& topgallant
sails. Launched on Sep. 30, 1886 & first registered, at Liverpool, on Oct. 6, 1886
(scroll to #93697). Per
1, 2
& 3 (data),
4 (USS
Patterson, DD-36, Jun. 14, 1918),
5 ('uboat.net', sinking
Kringsjaa, image)
6 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
When this listing was first created the webmaster had just a couple of editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google Books,
available to him, see left. 258.0 ft. long, signal letters KHWP later WKJL. Built for 'Ogwen
Ship Co. Ltd.', of Liverpool, William Thomas & Co. ('Thomas'), also of Liverpool,
the managers & probably the managing owners.
Mercantile Navy Lists ('MNL') of 1890
& 1900. Per Alun Jones, to a design by William E. (Edward) Jones, shipbuilder, of
Caernarvonshire. In 1899, the vessel was re-rigged as a
4-masted barque.
'Went in 1899 from Flamborough to Rio in 39 days.' In 1910, the vessel
was sold to 'The County Shipping Co. Ltd.', of London (MNL of 1915) but still registered at
Liverpool with Thomas still the vessel's managers. The vessel was sold,
in Jul. 1915,
to 'Kr. Knudsen' of Christiansand (or Kristiansand), Norway,
for £7,500 & renamed Kringsjaa.
In 1917, the vessel became owned by 'Skibs A/S Kringsjaa (Kr. Knudsen)',
also of Christiansand.
A steel armed cruiser & cable vessel. Per
1 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access). The vessel's Far East service is covered, I understand, in 'The Chinese Steam Navy 1862-1945', by Richard N. J. Wright, published in 2000.
220 ft. long perpendicular to perpendicular (67.1 metres), single screw. The
vessel was fitted as an armed cruiser (2 Armstrong 6 in. breech loaders & 4
small Armstrong guns in the 'tween decks) & cable vessel (cable-layer), & attained
an average speed of 12.8 knots at its trials at Whitley (North Tyneside). It was
launched on Apl. 23, 1887 & sailed for the East on Jun. 28, 1867. Built for James Whittall
(maybe Whittal), Esq., of London,
it would seem to the order of the Governor of Formosa. '..expected to sail shortly for the China station
under the command of Captain Lugar'. 'Fee Cheu' means 'Foochow'. Under the
command of Captain W. R. Lugar, the vessel laid cable to connect the
Island of Formosa i.e. Taiwan, (at Tamsui, northern Taiwan) with mainland China
[at Sharp Peak
(Foochow or Fuzhou) at the entrance to
the Min river] & similarly connected Formosa with Pescadore islands located
30 miles to the west of Formosa, then occupied by the French. Was at
one period armed with 'two Armstrong 6in BL
(breech loading guns), mounted on bow & stern' - but the guns were too heavy for the
vessel
& were surely removed. Her service
at Formosa ended when the island was ceded to the Japanese in 1895. She was used to transport disbanded soldiers ex Formosa. Taken over by the Fukien
(China) Government,
possibly as Fei Chieh or Feichieh. The vessel, Fee
Cheu, was at Amoy (Xiamen, Fujian Province, China) in 1908, for the visit of the U.S. battle squadron on
its world tour. It would seem that the ultimate fate of the vessel is unknown. Richard Wright (thanks!) kindly corrected my
earlier version of the above
text & then advised that a model of Fee Cheu is in the 'Merseyside
Maritime Museum'. Entry to the Museum is free, I see. Dr. Alan Scarth,
Curator of Ship Models at 'Merseyside', advises, however, that the Fee
Cheu model is not on
public display. But he has kindly provided (thanks so much!) the splendid photographs available at left,
both of which are 'Copyright of National Museums
Liverpool'. An extensive Richard Wright article about the vessel was published
in the Nov. 2011 issue of the World Ship Society Marine News. Can you add anything?
A
4 masted 'whaleback' passenger/cargo steamer. Per
1 (extensive
data, ship's bell, Golconda, Christies 2006 auction),
2
[British India, Golconda (2)],
3 ('uboat.net', Golconda sinking,
image),
4 (Nulli
Secunda engraving ex Engineering Vol. 42, Jul/Dec 1886),
5 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
Am confused by the presently & previously available data re this vessel.
The webmaster has just 2 editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google Books,
available to him, see left. 128.6 metres long, perpendicular to perpendicular, 422.0 ft. long, 2 funnels, barquentine rig, officers & a crew
of 100, speed of 12 knots, signal letters KVCG. Attained 13.9 knots on her trials. Laid down on speculation as Nulli Secunda, for Guion Line.
But launched as
Transpacific for Canadian Pacific Railway Co. When that deal fell through
the vessel was sold to a Hull owner (whom?) who named her Nulli Secondus,
but that data may be incorrect, though the name appears often. 'Marine
Engineer', in its Jan. 1888 issue, p.335, (1 ex
2) stated that the Transpacific had not by then
found a buyer. The limited passenger capacity was, I read, a 'sales problem', only 80 in 1st class & 28
in 2nd. The vessel was acquired,
in late 1887, by British India Steam Navigation Company Ltd. ('India'), of
London?, as Golconda.
But a long gone link stated that the vessel was completed only in Sep. 1888
& 1 says
that it was completed Dec. 1887.
The vessel was the India 'flagship' for 12 years (through 1902) with service during that period as
a Boer
War transport. Somehow the name Durbhunga seems to come into the history.
Not sure how. Perhaps before Sep. 1888 when commissioned (as per Miramar)? It would seem that a passenger, arriving at Plymouth from India in late Dec.
1899, suffered from a
mild case of the bubonic plague. 'The rats on board the
steamer have been utterly exterminated by burning...'. From 1900 to 1902,
i.e. during the 2nd Boer War, some 5,000 Boers were shipped by the British to
prison camps on the island of St. Helena in the S. Atlantic. To camps at
Deadwood Plain & Broad Bottom, with Deadwood being by far the largest. In Oct.
1902, when the war had ended, Golconda carried most of the last of
the Boer prisoners held on St. Helena back to South Africa. In
Mar. 1913, she was transferred to India's E. African service & in Oct. 1915, became an Indian Government
(Army) transport. On Jun. 3, 1916,
en route from Tees (Middlesbrough) to London, for Calcutta, India, with a general
cargo, the vessel was sunk by a mine
laid by UC-3, Oberleutnant zur See Günther Kreysern in command. But
I have also read that the vessel was torpedoed &
sunk by a German U-boat. The vessel sank, close to Aldeburgh (Suffolk, East Anglia
coast). At 52.09N/01.45E. 19 lives were lost. The captain (his name?) survived.
Golconda? Today a ruined city & fort, located west of Hyderabad, India, but
steeped in centuries of history quite beyond the terms of reference of this
site. The 'Koh-i-Noor' diamond, was likely found nearby. There were many vessels
of the name. A wonderfully detailed model of the ship is in the Thomson Ship
Models Collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, Canada. Images
of the model are in the beautiful volume - 'Ship Models: The Thomson
Collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario' Can you help with more data and/or an image
about this Golconda?
A cargo ship. Per
1 (Ref. 176),
2
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access).
80.8 metres long, perpendicular to perpendicular, about 85 metres long overall. Built for
'Cay, Hall & Co. Ltd.' ('Cay'), of South Shields, which company, originally
a sailing ship owner, became a steamship owner in 1880 by buying second hand tonnage.
Cay moved to Bristol in 1904. The vessel was sold, in 1920, to 'H. Uner', of
Norrköping,
eastern Sweden, ('R. Gohle' the managers), & renamed Borg. In
1922, the vessel was transferred to 'H. Uner A/B, also of Norrköping,
with no change of vessel name. In the 3rd quarter of 1934, the vessel was broken up at Oskarshamn, Sweden. WWW
data is most limited. Need help!
A cargo ship which carried a few passengers? Per
1
(Norway-Heritage), 2 (#16),
3 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access). 215 ft. 5 in. long. Built for
'Det Søndenfjelds-Norske Dampskibsselskab', of Kristiania (Oslo), Norway. Active
in Caribbean? And Norway to Hamburg, Germany. The vessel was sold, in 1908, to 'D/S A/S Kong Frode (Lauritz Kloster)' of Stavanger,
Norway. On Apl. 29, 1909, the vessel
ran aground at Lighthouse Reef, British Honduras, (now Belize), while en route from New Orleans,
U.S.A., to Puerto Cortés, Honduras (I think that
is what link 2 (#16) says).
A later ship of same name. Need help! With Norwegian also! And an image.
A refrigerated cargo ship. Per
1 (4 Jul. 1889,
name spelled Marmari), 2
[Shaw Savill, Mamari (1) 85% down], 3 (20 Nov. 1891),
4
(Hesione in 1st group),
5
[Houston
Line, Hesione (1)],
6 (U-41),
7 (sinking, image),
8 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
360.0 ft. long, triple expansion engines, 2 masts, speed
10 or 11 knots, signal letters LFNP. Built for Shaw, Savill & Albion Line.
Fitted for the New Zealand meat trade with refrigeration capacity for 40,000
carcasses. 'Suffered a broken tail shaft when rounding Cape Horn in her year of
build and had to be towed to Montevideo by the steamer Gulf of Corcovado.'
Known, it would seem, as 'New Zealand Thief'! I wonder why? In the 1891 reference, she carried grain
& wool. The vessel was sold, in 1903, to Houston Line of Liverpool, i.e. R. P. Houston & Company, but maybe more accurately 'British & South
American Steam Navigation Company', a line which specialised in refrigerated
ships, & renamed Hesione. On Sep. 23, 1915, Hesione was hit by a
torpedo & captured by U-41, Kapitänleutnant Claus Hansen in command, while 86 miles SE of Fastnet
(SW Ireland) & en route from Liverpool to Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a general cargo.
Was shelled & sunk. At 50.15N/8.30W. No loss of life. Can you add anything?
And can anybody ensure that I have the correct vessel images at left - there
were a number of vessels named Mamari.
A cargo ship. Per
1 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
83.8 metres long, perpendicular to perpendicular, speed
of ? knots. Built for 'La Compañía Bilbaína de Navegaçión', of Bilbao, Spain,
which company named its vessels for months of the year. Eduardo Aznar & Ramon de la Sota were the 2 principals, hence, perhaps, Miramar referencing
'Aznar & Co.' Spanish sites seem to consistently refer to the vessel as
Septiembre. Likely used to carry iron ore from Spanish mines to English ports. In
Mar. 1911,
the vessel was en route from 'Porman' (per an eBay listing. I cannot identify
the place, but likely
on the N. coast of Spain) to Maryport, Cumberland, with a cargo of iron ore. On Mar. 26, 1911, the
vessel ran aground on Hats Ledge, Crow Sound, Isles of Scilly, & became a total
wreck. I have not read the circumstances or if there was any loss of life. Very
little seems to be WWW available about this vessel. Or its wreck. The launch of the vessel was
covered in 'Marine Engineer ...' of Jan. 1890, but only a snippet is WWW
visible. Can you help
with more data?
An iron passenger/cargo steamship. Per
1 (Wikipedia, Fazilka),
2 (British India, Fazilka),
3 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
Built for British India Steam Navigation Company, of Glasgow. 366 ft. (111.6 metres) long, speed of 12 1/2
knots. Accommodation for 12 passengers in 1st Class & 1,650 Deck Class. An eBay item
said 'carried up to 1,667 deck passengers.' Sister to Fultala. In Oct. '1897 during a particularly bad spell of weather
whilst on passage she actually ran out of coal and subsequently burnt most of
her wood fittings to make port.' Used as a troop carrier re the Boer War
(Transport #30) & re the Boxer Rebellion. You used to be able to read the story 'Possibly The Greatest Ever Repair at Sea.'
- but no longer, alas - the source is now long gone! But you can still read about it here (thanks to Benjidog!). (A sheared propeller shaft in Feb. 1900 while en route in ballast from Mauritius to Colombo, Ceylon, (now Sri Lanka).
The vessel was given up for
lost - it took 48 days to reach Colombo after the shaft sheered.
Used to transport Indian indentured labourers to the colonies (5 such trips to
Fiji,
1901 thru 1907, listed at 1
with passenger load of each trip indicated). The vessel was requisitioned, in 1915, as a troop transport
& in May of
1917 came under the 'Liner Requisition Scheme'. Returned to Madras/Singapore
service. On Oct. 31, 1919, the vessel ran aground on the E. coast
of Great Nicobar Island in bad weather en route Penang/Calcutta (or Madras)
with cargo & passengers. Vessel lost.
All passengers aboard taken by Sabang to Penang. The crew was rescued
also. No loss of life, it would appear, however 3
indicates that 2 lives
were lost. Do you have anything to add?
A collier. Per
1 (data, image),
2
(launch, ex 'The Engineer', of Apl. 11, 1890),
3
(launch, ex 'The Marine Engineer', of May 1, 1890),
4 (an Aug. 1890 arrival at Hobart),
5 (Huddart, Parker & Co., 55% down),
6
& 7 (loss of Federal, partial crew lists),
8 (wreck data, Federal),
9
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 88.4 metres long,
perpendicular to perpendicular, 290 ft., two masts, schooner rigged, speed of 10
or maybe 11 knots. The webmaster has just 2 editions of Lloyd's Registers available
to him, ex Google Books, see left. Built for 'McIlwraith
McEacharn & Co. Ltd.', of
Melbourne, Australia. Built to serve the Newcastle, New South Wales ('NSW'),
Australia, & Melbourne
coal trade. I read that in Jul. 1898 the vessel was chartered to Adelaide
Steamship Co. And in early 1899, it would seem, was chartered to Huddart, Parker & Co. On Mar. 20, 1901, the vessel, Captain
J. Coull in command, with a crew of 30
all told (have also read 21, 29 & 37), left Port Kembla, NSW, bound for Albany,
Western Australia, with a cargo of coal. It would seem that the vessel
ran into a full gale (a terrific cyclone) & possibly also fog. I find the various accounts of what
happened to be a little confusing. The vessel would appear to have been seen a
few miles N. of Gabo Island by Peregrine. And is said to have been
last sighted by Melbourne
on Mar. 21, 1901, SE of Gabo Island. Gabo Island is a small uninhabited island
in Bass Strait, just 500 metres off the coast of
Victoria. At 37.33.32.64S/149.54.40.95E.
But I read also that Federal was sighted presumably later that day, in the
afternoon, hugging the shore, by the lighthouse keeper at Gabo Island. So
close indeed that he could have
thrown a stone into her and could almost have spoken to the men on board. The
keeper was surprised the ship was not in more open water since there are
hundreds of submerged rocks along the coast, the scene of many a shipwreck.
Anyway, the vessel went missing, & is
understood to have foundered on Mar. 21, 1901 in the area between Gabo Island & Ram
Head & Point Hicks, both of which points are on the Victoria coast. All aboard were lost.
5 lifebuoys, & a portion of the hatches, cabin fittings etc., I read, washed ashore on Gabo
Island. But I also read that there was wreckage at Ram Head where bodies
also came ashore. Can you help
with more data?
An iron steamship.
Per
1
[British India, Fultala (1)],
2 (Wikipedia, Fultala),
3 (clearly involved with Boer War),
4 (artwork by E. Wilkinson, image no longer there but can be seen via image link at left),
5 (image),
6 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
366 ft. long, speed of 11 knots. Sister ship to
Fazilka.
If so, may also have had accommodation for 12 passengers in 1st Class & 1,650
Deck Class. Built for British India Steam Navigation Company. Used as troop carrier re Boer
War. And, on Jan. 20, 1900, carried 280 horses contributed by Indian princes, to
Durban ex Bombay. Used to transport Indian indentured labourers to Fiji (4 such trips,
1901 thru 1906 listed at 2
with passenger load of each trip indicated). Maybe requisitioned in 1914 as a
troop transport? 1923 scrapped at Bombay, India. Can you
help with more data?
An iron steamship.
Per
1
(Donaldson Line, Hestia),
2 (data, Hestia),
3 &
4 (Hestia,
wreck detail, including a list of those aboard),
5 (NY
Times article),
6 (p#1
of a 216 page transcript of the Montreal hearing),
7 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
111.2 metres long, perpendicular to perpendicular, 365 ft., speed of 10 knots,
signal letters LPTC, expressly designed for the Bombay, India, trade. The
vessel's topmast could be lowered in case it used the Manchester Ship Canal. The
webmaster has just 2 editions of Lloyd's Registers, ex Google Books, available
to him, see left. Built for 'Bombay, London Steamship Co.
Limited', of London, with Beyts, Craig & Co., also of London, the managers. In 1893, the vessel was sold to Donaldson Bros,
of Glasgow, Scotland, & renamed Hestia.
Probably primarily for their Glasgow, to Quebec & Montreal, Canada, service.
On
Oct. 10, 1909, with Captain H. M. Newman in command, a crew of 35 all told &
five passengers, Hestia left Glasgow for Saint John, New
Brunswick, & onwards to Baltimore, Maryland,
with, I have read, a cargo of sugar. However the cargo would seem to have been,
in fact, most varied & included
carpets, fabric, rope,
horses, tombstones, 900 tons of iron, Scotch whisky & pickles. More about the
last two a
little later on. 4 of the 5 passengers were young boys from Glasgow tending farm
horses. It is thought that the vessel misidentified a navigation light - regardless, the vessel
was off course when, at 1:10
a.m. on Oct. 25, 1909, during a heavy north-easterly gale, the vessel ran ashore at Old Proprietor Ledge,
off Seal Cove, Grand Manan
Island, Bay of Fundy. At
44.33N/66.40W, 4 miles ESE of Southwest Head Light. The bow of the ship became 'impaled
on a rock, and her after part, swinging free, was tossed high by the heavy seas'.
Three ship's boats would seem to have been launched. The first was lost at its
launch. The second, launched with
very great difficulty, either soon after impact or 4 hours later, had 16 aboard
including 4 of the young horse handlers. It capsized during launch. Two crewmen survived the turbulent seas & were able to scramble back aboard the
ship while 2 others were taken aboard the 3rd boat. The third boat was launched with 18 aboard including the Captain.
All aboard that boat were
lost. Left aboard were two men from the first ship's boat, (who declined to
board the 2nd boat), & 4 others. But it may rather be that there was simply no space for
them in the 3rd boat. They prepared a raft for a possible escape, but instead lashed themselves to the upper rigging.
After 24 hours, fearing that the mast would topple, they made it to the ship's
bridge, still above the surface, but that position was untenable & they had to
return to the rigging. Now the ship had gone aground way off the main shipping
lanes. Grand Manan fishermen realised the ship's predicament on the afternoon of
Oct. 26, 1909, & a score of small craft tried to get near the wreck.
Eventually, lifeboats were sent from Seal Cove Station & they rescued the six survivors, by then
all in pitiable condition after 38 hours in the rigging. So 34 lives were lost & just 6 survived (but there
are many references to 35 being lost, & there being 41 aboard). The ship's boats
drifted ashore as did many bodies of the drowned. I read that local fishermen
salvaged everything that floated. The ship of course broke up. On Nov. 10, 1909,
a hearing was held at Montreal, Quebec, into the disaster. The causes were
believed to be i) compass error, possibly due to the iron in the cargo, ii) a
lack of depth soundings being taken, iii) an insufficient allowance for tide &
wind, iv) the Captain's error of judgment in misinterpreting the light that the
vessel did see. The whisky & the pickles? I
read that in the 1970's three cases of Scotch whisky, a part of the ship's
cargo, were found intact on the seabed. It sounds like it still tasted pretty
good! You might term it naturally aged? 'Allaby, Cook and Green', a team of
divers, found pickles, now in the New Brunswick Museum, that also were part of
Hestia's cargo. I rather doubt if anyone chose to taste them! I
have not spotted what wreckage exists at the site today. There are inconsistencies in the WWW available accounts.
So the above will surely need correction. Can you
add to and/or correct the above?
An image?
A refrigerated cargo ship.
Clipper bowed. Per
1
[Tyser, Hawkes Bay (1)],
2 (Essex Steamship, Chasehill),
3
& 4 (Kronprinz Wilhelm),
5
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 383 ft. 1 in. long, speed of 13 knots. Built for Tyser
Line Ltd., of London
(or maybe G. D. Tyser & Co.) & in fact their first
steamship. Engaged in the shipment of refrigerated meats from Australia & 'one
of the finest looking vessels operating in Australian waters'. The vessel was sold, in 1912, to Chasehill Steamship Co. Ltd. (which company was wound
up in 1915, but is stated as being
'restyled' as Essex Chase Steamship Co.), (Kaye Son & Co. managers) &
renamed Chasehill. In 1915 Essex Steamship Co. Ltd., of London, (Meldrum
and Swinson the managers) became her owner. In early WW1, Chasehill rammed Prinz Eitel Friedrich
in an attempt to sink her. Chasehill made it to New York with her
bow stove in. On Feb. 22, 1915, the vessel, en route from Newport, Wales to Zarate,
Argentina, with a cargo of 4,000 tons of coal, was captured by the
successful German
Armed Merchant Cruiser Kronprinz Wilhelm ('Wilhelm'), off the E.
coast of S. America. At 06.15S/28.15W. But was soon (Mar. 9, 1915) released (absent most of her coal
& heavily damaged), at 06.57S/26.05W, with 400 captured prisoners,
largely from passenger liner Guadelupe, that Wilhelm was unable to
accommodate or feed.
Chasehill made it to Pernambuco, Brazil, on Mar. 12, 1915. On Jan. 18, 1916, the vessel foundered
(at approx. 40.00N/63.00W) while en route from New
York to Le Havre with a varied cargo for the French Government. Under what circumstances?
Her crew of 32 was rescued
by Mar Adriatico, & landed - at Gibraltar? Can you
help with
more data? Honresfeld? A community at Littleborough, Lancashire, it would seem.
Per 1 (data), 2
(Miramar - as Honresfield). The
vessel's launch is referenced at left, & its registration, at Liverpool in 1891, is noted here
(scroll to #97867) with no date of registration stated. The Mercantile Navy Lists of 1892,
1893 & 1894 all record the vessel as then owned by The "Honresfeld"
Ship Co. Ltd. ('HShipCo'), of Liverpool, with John Joyce then her manager. LR of 1891/92
reports, however, that J. Joyce had become the vessel's owner replacing HShipCo. LR
of 1892/93 records the vessel as a 4 masted steel barque of 2873/3045 (N/G) tons, 312.9 ft.
(95.37 metres) long,
owned by J. Joyce & Co. of Liverpool & registered there, G. Guthrie her
then captain, signal letters MFBR. At her time of launch the vessel is stated to have been the largest sailing vessel ever built on the NE coast.
A 4-masted steel barque.
Rigged with royal sails over double top & topgallant sails. Doxford's very
last sailing ship. Per
1
(data),
2
(plans available),
3 (image, State Library of Victoria),
4
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). The last sailing ship
built by Doxford. Not built for speed. 95.31 metres (312' 9") long. Built for
Manchester Single Ship Co. Ltd., of Liverpool, (or maybe J. Joyce &
Co., also of Liverpool). In 1899, the vessel sailed from New York to Shanghai, China, in
127 days. And, later that year presumably, sailed from Shanghai to Puget Sound,
Washington, U.S.A., in 23 days. In Sep. 1900, the vessel left New York bound for
Yokohama, Japan, Captain N. F. Clemens in command, with a cargo of kerosene & a
crew of 25. The Captain's wife & 2 children were also aboard. The last contact
with the vessel was on Sep. 23, 1900 at 12N/29W (SW of Cape Verde
Islands). It was never heard from again. Now Carl Holmberg, of Hawaii, is researching Bikar Atoll, an uninhabited atoll in the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands
in the Pacific Ocean - for a Wikipedia article.
And Carl has advised (thanks!) that, per a Nov. 7, 1901 article in 'The Republican' of Estherville, Iowa, (at left) that 'Wreckage and signs of habitation was discovered on Bikar in 1901, suggesting that the ship had come to grief there, and that the survivors had pushed off in lifeboats shortly
before the discovery. No sign of the crew or passengers has since been found.'
I have since located an earlier article, ex the New York Times of Oct. 14, 1901
(also at left). Which article states that some of the wreckage had the vessel's
name upon it & that one body was also found. It must then be that it
foundered at or near Bikar Atoll. Can you
help
with more data?
A
self-powered 'whaleback' ship (most of them were towed barges). The available
data re this vessel is, to me at least, confused. While I provide the best data
I can locate, this listing may well contain unintended errors. Per
1 (Wikipedia,
whaleback),
2
(whalebacks),
3 (the image that used to be available, years ago, at 'modelshipworld.com', along with some interesting text),
4
(Johnston Line, Sagamore),
5 ('uboat.net', sinking,
Ilva),
6 (My source of the top
Sagamore image at left. Soon after its launch in 1893. We thank Tyne & Wear
Archives & Museums for the fine image),
7 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
311.0 ft. (94.79 metres) long, signal letters MBSG, 233 HP engines by William
Doxford & Sons Ltd. of Sunderland. I believe that the vessel was initially owned by 'Belgian American Maritime Co. S.A.', (or
maybe 'Belgian American Maritime Co.' which was restyled 'Belgian
American Maritime Co. S.A.' in 1896), of Antwerp (manager W. Johnston & Co.). But
4
includes the vessel as a 'Johnston Line' ship. The now gone 'www.doxford-engine.com' site indicated that the vessel was built under licence from Alexander
McDougall (1845-1923, a Scottish born Great Lakes ship's master from
Duluth, Minnesota). While
1 used to
state that the Doxford vessel was unapproved & not therefore built under licence.
She was, I read (at a now dead link),
refused registry in the U.K. (because of unconventional design!) & was
registered instead in Belgium. Most of the above is consistent, or so it seems
to the webmaster - i.e. in substance, Captain McDougall developed the concept of the whaleback
design in the U.S. And Doxford built a single 'whaleback'
vessel, i.e. Sagamore, & then went on to develop its own series
of 'turret' ships, similar in appearance to a 'whaleback' but with one
continuous turret rather than individual turrets. It's whaleback 'prototype', i.e. Sagamore, had to be registered outside
of the U.K. The vessel was at Sharpness Docks, Bristol, in Feb. 1904. In 1911,
the vessel was sold to Cognati
Schiaffino, of Genoa, Italy, & renamed Solideo. In 1914, the
vessel became owned by Filippo Bertolotto, also of Genoa. In 1916, the
vessel was sold to 'Soc. Anon. Ilva' of Genoa, & renamed
Ilva (maybe A. Piaggio of Genoa) (Ilva is the Latin word for Elba).
(But a now dead link
used to state that the vessel was renamed
Ilva in 1914 & sold in 1916). While en route from Genoa to
Barry Roads, Wales, Ilva was sunk by submarine UC-69,
Oberleutnant zur See Erwin Waßner in command, 5 miles from 'Isla Colleira',
Spain, (Atlantic coast) on
May 4, 1917. No loss of life. I have read, at a site which requests no links or
recognition, that the vessel was captured & then scuttled. Any help you could provide
to clarify the above data would be surely welcomed!
A schooner rigged 'turret' steamer, the 2nd ship
built to such design. With a checkered history indeed. Per
A (e-Bay image, Turret Age),
1 (a splendid illustrated 'pdf' article,
Turret Age, at pages 200/222),
2
(1898 collision, Lloyd S. Porter),
3 (Lloyd S. Porter),
4
(1900 wreck report, Turret Age),
5
(1902 wreck report, Firth of Forth),
6
(1903 wreck report, Firth of Forth),
7
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 311.0 ft. (94.79 metres) long, perpendicular to perpendicular, speed of
about 11 knots,
233 NHP engines by William Doxford & Sons Limited of Sunderland, engines aft, signal letters NDWP. Could carry 3,700 tons of coal, but
intended, perhaps, to carry wheat in bulk. Built, at
a cost of about £25,000. for
Petersen, Tate & Co., of Newcastle, which operated through 'Turret Steam
Shipping Company Ltd.' In Apl. 1898, while en route from Maryport, Cumberland, U.K., to
Louisburg, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, her propeller was damaged by
contact with ice floes off St. John's, Newfoundland. The vessel was repaired at St.
John's. In late Oct. 1898, Turret Age, of Black Diamond
Steamship Line (charterers of the vessel), James Russell Brady in command, was en route from Picton
(Cape Breton, Nova Scotia) to Montreal, Quebec, both Canada, with a cargo of coal,
& under the control of a pilot.
Soon after 6 p.m. on Oct. 23, 1898, she was in
collision with Lloyd S. Porter ('Porter'), a 536 ton steam barge,
near Ste. Croix, about 40 miles above Quebec City on the St. Lawrence river. Porter
proceeded to shore but sank within 5
minutes in 45 plus maybe 60 feet of water. Captain Snow, & about 11 of Porter's
crew, safely escaped in a rowboat, while the remaining crew, five in number, & a
pilot, climbed the ship's mast from which they were rescued by a Turret Age
lifeboat. Porter was soon re-floated, by 'Donnelly
Wreckage & Salvage Company', while Turret Age suffered
negligible damage. I read that the owners of Porter took legal action re the
matter & it would seem
that Porter was, in a manner of speaking, 'in the wrong lane'. But clearly my
understanding may be wrong, or incomplete. W. J. Jenks et al., the owners of Porter, were
awarded
$45,000 in damages against Captain Brady, who was held responsible even though a pilot
was in control. And it would seem they were awarded also a similar sum in a
claim against Turret Steam Shipping Company Ltd. Were those decisions upheld, I
wonder? Early on Aug. 24,
1900, the vessel left Lulea, Gulf of Bothnia, Sweden, with a cargo of iron ore,
under the command of John George Purvis. 19 hours later, at 0:45 a.m. on Aug. 25, 1900,
the vessel, approaching the Quarken Channel, stranded on the Sor Gadden
Reef, 1 1/2 miles ESE of the Holmogadd Light (near Umea, Sweden). A salvage
vessel was summoned, the holes in her hull were stopped & she was floated off &
anchored. To fill again, perhaps in bad weather, & sink the next day. She was
refloated on the 29th, sank again on the 30th & was abandoned on Oct. 5, 1900.
No lives were lost. The court found the Captain to be in default for failing to
verify the vessel's position in relation to the 3 visible lights. His licence
was suspended for 6 months. The vessel was considered to be a total loss! It was sold by the vessel's underwriters for £4,900 to 'Firth
Steamship Company Limited' ('Firth'), Arthur Tate of Newcastle the managing owner, & they
spent £11,300 to make her seaworthy again. Maybe at Stockholm, Sweden. In 1901 she was
renamed Firth of Forth & registered at Blyth. On Oct. 30, 1902, the vessel left Mobile,
Alabama, U.S.A., for Amsterdam & Sunderland with a cargo of pitch pine logs, a
portion of which was on deck - apparently with a 10 degree list to port. On Nov.
1, 1902, a major gale was encountered & the list increased significantly. The
ship proceeded to pass through the Rebecca Channel (E. of the Dry Tortugas & W.
of Key West). In the conditions, the decision was made to jettison the deck
cargo & the engines were stopped for about 7 hours to avoid damaging the
propeller in the high seas. Captain Brady became incapacitated due to
fever & William Tate (first officer & brother of Arthur) assumed command. On
Nov. 3, 1902, Firth of Forth stranded at full speed 2 1/2 miles NW
of Lavina Bank (W. of Key West) - due to compass deviation errors. Coal was
discharged to lighten the vessel & with the assistance of two tugs, she was
pulled off to then proceed to Newport News, Virginia, where she re-coaled. With
a new crew she then left for the Tyne where serious damage to the ship's bottom
was repaired. Tate's licence was suspended for 6 months & Brady was censored i)
for his lack of action re the compass errors & ii) for setting the dangerous
course thru Rebecca Channel when a safer course was available. 'Hocking' advises
that on Jul. 25, 1903, while en route from
Hamburg, Germany, to Vladivostok, Russia, (Sea of Japan), with a general cargo, the vessel
foundered 25 miles off Cape Bengut, (near Algiers), Algeria. There is far
more to the story however. The vessel left Hamburg, Germany, on Jul. 13, 1903
bound for Manila, China & Siberia, with a truly varied cargo. Poorly
trimmed - 6 ft. deeper at the stern. Early on Jul. 24,
1903, when 40 or so miles E. of Gibraltar, water was reported to be entering the vessel's auxiliary bunker (No. 3
tank). The pumps were started & the vessel was headed towards land. After 10
or 15
minutes, however, the captain ordered the engines to be stopped & the boats got
out. Pumping was therefore stopped (no power), water continued to flood in & at
7 a.m. just 4 1/2 hours after the water was first discovered, the vessel was abandoned - at 37.18N/3.48E, close to Algiers.
And sank by the stern.
Eddystone of London took the crew aboard, but later the crew took to the
boats again to land at Bône (Annaba, Algiers). And home via Marseilles. The cause of the water entering the ship
is not known, however the Court found no justification for the engines being
stopped, the ship not being kept afloat & beached. The court was not
satisfied with the manner in which both the captain & Arthur Tate gave evidence. It would seem
likely that the vessel was deliberately scuttled. 'The vessel's
insurance did 'not apparently err on the side of inadequacy'. Strange
indeed since the vessel carried 200 unmanifested cases of whisky, the private
speculation of the captain. I wonder how the insurance claims were settled? Captain Brady was found to be solely at fault for
the loss & his licence was suspended for a year with no recommendation that he
be granted a mate's certificate during that period. Firth went bankrupt, it
would seem. We thank 'Suzanne' (who requests anonymity) for much of the detail
above. Can
you
add anything?
A 'turret' steamer. Per
1
(data Caroline Hemsoth),
2
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access).
297 ft. (about 95 metres) long, speed of 8 1/2 knots. Built for George Horsley &
Son, (or per Lloyds List G. Horslay & Son), of West Hartlepool. In 1899,
the vessel
became a 'Horsley Line Ltd.' vessel, with M. H. Horsley the manager. I read that
'Horsley's' were both ship owners & managers & operated a timber importing
business in West Hartlepool. The vessel 'often carried coal out/timber home (Baltic) although she was to be found in
Trieste/ New Orleans and east coast of the USA'. The vessel was sold
in 1913 to 'Wilh. Hemsoth'?, (Wilhelm Hemsoth A.G., the managers) of Emden, Germany, & renamed Caroline Hemsoth.
The vessel was a WW1 war prize & became owned by the Shipping Controller, of
London, (J. & J. Denholm managers). In 1921, the vessel was sold to
'Alfred Calvert Ltd.' & registered at Poole. It was intended that she be renamed
'Maud Larssen' but that did
not happen. Rather the vessel was resold to 'Wilh. Hemsoth' in 1922. It was sold
again, in 1926, to "Holland" Sciffahrts G.m.b.H., 'C. F. Schutt & Co.'
the managers, of Lübeck, Germany, & renamed Holland.
And sold again, to 'Zerssen & Co.', of Rendsburg, Germany, in 1930. Broken up at
Flensburg, Germany, in May 1931. Can
you add anything?
A cargo ship which carried some passengers also. Per
1
(Norway-Heritage), 2 (Furness Withy, Carlisle City),
3 (Elders & Fyffes, Oracabessa),
4 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access). 345 ft. long,
speed of 11 knots. Built for
Furness Withy & Company. The vessel was chartered, in 1896, by
Beaver Line (Canada Steamship Lines), for two return voyages
from Liverpool to Montreal
(via Quebec). In 1903, the vessel was sold to
'Elders & Fyffes Shipping Ltd.' (of Avonmouth?) & renamed Oracabessa.
In 1909, it was sold to W. Garthwaite & Co., of
Hartlepool. And sold again, in 1916, to 'Soc. Anon Martinelli', of Rio de Janeiro, & renamed
Belem. In 1925, the vessel was sold for the last time, to 'Lloyd National, Martinelli'. Hulked at Rio de
Janeiro in 1932. And scrapped that same year. Can you add to
or correct the above? Another image?
A cargo ship. Per
1 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
300 ft. (about 95 metres) long, speed of 8 knots, single screw. Built for
'Hudig & Veder's Stoomvaart Maats' (Hudig & Veder, managers), of Rotterdam, Netherlands, &
Rotterdam registered.
In 1912, the vessel was sold to 'J. L. Prado' & renamed Prado. and
sold again, in 1918, to 'J. M. Urquijo' & renamed
Begoña No. 2. And sold for the last time, in 1926, to
'Maura y Aresti', of Bilbao, Spain, & renamed Sodupe. The vessel
was broken up in Spain in the 4th quarter of 1933. WWW data is limited. Can you add more?
An image?
A 'turret' steamer. Per
1
(Toronto Marine Historical Society),
2 (1906 storm & grounding),
3 (11 Mar 1917),
4 (3 page
illustrated article re 1906 wreck, ex 'The Island Magazine' #24 of 1988),
5 ('uboat.net' re Kwasind),
6 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
297 ft. (90.5 metres) long, speed of 10 knots. Owned 1894 thru 1907 by 'William Peterson Ltd.' ('Peterson') which company
secured a contract in 1900 to haul coal from Sydney, Nova Scotia, to Montreal,
Quebec, (both Canada), for Dominion Iron & Steel Co. Ltd. Turret Bell was one of
at least 7 turret steamers engaged in that trade. Peterson it would seem
operated as 'Turret Steam Shipping Co. Ltd.' (Wm. Peterson Ltd. - Peterson, Tate & Co.).
There are references to the vessel being 'Turrett Bell', including
this reference to the vessel going aground, on Jul. 13, 1900, on the N. side
of Byron Island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Can anybody explain?
The vessel
was too long to be able to transit the St. Lawrence & Welland
canals without being 'cut down' in size. Before that could be done, on Nov. 2, 1906,
(then registered at Newcastle), the vessel ran into one of the worst storms ever
in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Turret Bell, en route from Montreal
to Port Hastings, Cape Breton, to load a cargo of coal, was driven ashore at Cable Head,
St. Peters, on the N. shore of Prince Edward Island ('PEI'). The article linked
above (do read it!) states that the vessel was then owned by 'MacKenzie & Mann' of Montreal
(I had read that in 1907, the vessel was owned by Canadian Lake & Ocean Navigation
Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of 'Mackenzie & Mann', &
chartered to 'Inverness Railway and Coal Company' of Port Hastings). She ended up
upright, 150 yards offshore, on a rocky ledge. The storm continued to rage & the
ship was soon driven inland to just 20 yards from the shore. Captain Murcassen
was brought ashore in a boatswain's chair & his wife too a little later, while the crew stayed aboard
until the wreck could be surveyed. As a result of that survey, the vessel was abandoned, & declared a constructive total loss.
It is interesting to note that three other ships were also wrecked in that
storm, which amazingly lasted two weeks, all on a 20 mile stretch of PEI coastline. The vessel lay there for the
better part of 3 long years. An attempt was made to free her in the summer of
1907 but it failed. Further most difficult efforts followed & eventually, Reid
Wrecking Company completed the task. On Jul. 31, 1909, Turret Bell
was towed to Charlottetown by wrecking tug James Reid. Very very rusty
but substantially intact. On Aug. 13, 1909, the vessel was towed to Quebec &
repaired.
...'the versatile Capt. Tom Reid of Sarnia and Port
Huron eventually salvaged her and sent her back to salt water service as KWASIND'.
Reid Wrecking Co., of Sarnia, Ontario, took over ownership in 1907 (not 1909?). It was owned (1912-1917) by Arctic Steamship Co.
Ltd. ('Arctic'), of Quebec. The vessel returned to 'salt water' in 1912. Name changed (1912?
but maybe in 1911), to
Kwasind. In early 1917, (thanks Michael Lowery), Arctic was part owned by 'W. F. Bentinck-Smith' of Quebec, Canada.
On Mar. 11, 1917, when en route from Bilbao, Spain, to Hartlepool with
a cargo of iron ore, Kwasind hit a German mine, laid by German minelaying submarine
UC-4, off the E. coast of England. Have read near Southwold, Suffolk but have also read near Southend, Essex, both U.K., but
I believe that Suffolk is correct. (52.08N/1.45E). 12 lives lost (names listed
here). The captain survived. Can you
add anything?
A 'turret' steamer.
Per 1 (vessel
launch ex Marine Engineer... of Dec. 1, 1895),
2 (Nautilus, Elm Branch),
3 (1899 loss of propeller),
4 (Polish-American,
Wisla),
5 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
103.6 metres long, perpendicular to perpendicular, 340 ft., speed?, signal
letters (as Ellen Jensen) NFRJ, accommodation for 3 passengers. Built for
Nautilus Steam Shipping Co. Ltd., F. & W. Ritson the managing owners, both of
Sunderland. Launched, on Nov. 18, 1895, by Mrs. W. Ritson, the wife of the owner.
... the officers' quarters are superior to those in most ocean liners, They
are fitted up in bird's-eye maple and mahogany and, instead of stoves, have
dainty fireplaces inclosed in handsome tile work. As
times goes by, more & more old newspapers become WWW available. It is clear
that the vessel travelled much of the world - ports mentioned in such newspapers are Adelaide,
African coast, Antwerp, Astoria, Durban, Mediterranean, Newchang (China), New
York, Pensacola, San Francisco & Vancouver. On or about Jan. 12, 1900, during
a voyage in ballast, Captain Iliff in command, from Nagasaki, Japan, to Puget
Sound, Washington, U.S.A., under charter to Pacific Export Lumber Company, the vessel lost a propeller &
anchored near the Umatilla lightship. Off Cape Flattery. The newspaper references are
'difficult' but
you can read a summation here:- 3.
Elihu Thompson found
Elm Branch & tried, unsuccessfully, to tow her to port,
but her tow hawser separated. She did, however, raise the general alarm as to
Elm Branch's predicament. Wahtenau, a collier, also tried to tow her. It was a
'Puget Sound
Tugboat Company' tug however, Tyee I believe, one of two tugs (Tacoma
was the other) that
attended the scene, that brought Elm Branch safely to Seattle, being
later awarded $8,500 for her efforts by a Seattle court. I read that in Jul. 1919 the vessel was sold to
Christoffer Hannevig, of Norway, for £76,000, before being
resold, in Aug. 1919, for $550,000, to Polish-American Navigation
Corp.', of New York,
& renamed Wisla. A series of later sales one after the other -
in 1922 to Wisla Steamship Corp., of New York, in 1923 to Wabash Steamship
Corp., also of New York or maybe of Delaware. Both with no change of vessel name. And then, in 1924, to 'Jensen Linien Aktieselskab', (H. Jensen),
of Copenhagen, Denmark, & renamed Ellen Jensen. And sold again, in
1926, or perhaps in 1927, to T. E. Evans & Co., of London, & renamed
Purley Beeches - though there may have been a sale ahead of that one, to
'D/S Codan'. Frederick H. Gethring, of Aberavon, was her captain for a number of
years from Ellen Jensen thru to Purley Beeches. On Mar. 29, 1928, the vessel arrived at Bo'ness, i.e.
Borrowstounness, Firth of Forth, Scotland, to be
broken up. Anything to
add?
A 'turret' steamer.
Per 1 (Norwegian page, image, English translation),
2 (Norwegian page, image),
3 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
280 ft. long. Built for Forest Oak Steam Shipping
Co. Ltd. of
Newcastle (H. Sherwood the managers). In 1898, the vessel was sold to 'A/S
D/S Stiklestad' (A. F. Klaveness & Co., the managers), of Sandefjord, Norway,
& renamed Stiklestad. The managers moved (the owners also?) to Kristiania
(Oslo) in 1907. On Nov. 23, 1908, the vessel left Glasgow for Sydney, Cape Breton,
Canada, with a cargo of bricks & clay & with a crew of 20. The vessel
was never heard
from again. Anything to
add?
A 'turret' steamer.
That was cut into two pieces twice! Per 1
(Toronto Marine Historical Society),
2 (data
search alphabetically),
3 (10 June 1917),
4 (1905 stranding),
5 ('uboat.net', 1917 sinking),
6 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
297 ft. long (95.5 metres) perpendicular to perpendicular, 315 ft. 6 in. overall. Ray Lloyd advises that the vessel
was built for 'Scottish Line Ltd.', of London, but was sold in 1899 to 'Scottish
Hero Steamship Co. Ltd.' of Newcastle. McIlwraith, McEacharn were the vessel's managers.
Under contract, the vessel carried coal from Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia, to
Montreal, Quebec, both Canada. In foggy conditions,
the vessel was
on Apl. 30, 1905 stranded, 22 miles E. of Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada, while en route from Sydney, Nova Scotia to Havana, Cuba. 4 describes the
grounding as a partial loss. The damage was presumably repaired. The vessel was sold, in 1907, to 'Canadian Lake & Ocean Navigation Company, Limited'.
Being of too long a length to be able to transit the then St.
Lawrence & Welland canals, the vessel was cut into two pieces at Levis, Quebec, & in 1907, brought
up through those canals to the Great Lakes
& there the pieces were 'rejoined'.
I wonder where they were joined together? The vessel was sold, in 1913, to 'Canada Steamship Lines, Limited', of Montreal. The vessel was requisitioned for war service in 1916.
Accordingly, it again had to be cut in two
- at Ashtabula, Ohio, to be able to return to the Atlantic (in 1917). It was sold in 1917 to
'Hero Steamship Company' of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
On Jun. 10, 1917, while en route from Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, to Le Havre, France,
with a cargo of steel products, the vessel was captured by submarine U-155,
Kapitänleutnant Karl Meusel in command - & sunk by gunfire,
in the N. Atlantic, 440 miles 'W by S 1/2 S' from Fastnet (SW tip of Ireland). At
46.59N/18.12W. One life was lost. I have not spotted his name. 5
indicates that at
the time of her sinking the vessel was owned by 'Merchants Mutual Lake Line, Ltd. (Canada Steamship Lines, Ltd.)'. The above may well require correction. Need an image!
A 'turret' steamer with a turtle-backed forecastle.
Per
1 (Toronto Marine Historical
Society page),
2 (trial trip),
3 (a mid-ship section),
4 (September 28, Mon),
5 (Australia),
6 (1942 rescue, Alcoa Mariner),
7 (20% down),
8
&
9
(images),
10 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access). 253 ft. long,
speed of 9 knots.
Owned, from 1895 thru 1907, by 'William Peterson Ltd.' ('Peterson') which company
secured a contract in 1900 to haul coal from Sydney, Nova Scotia, to Montreal,
Quebec, (both Canada), for Dominion Iron & Steel Co. Ltd. But ... 10 states
built for 'Turret Steam Shipping Co. Ltd. (Petersen, Tate)', of Newcastle. Turret Cape
was one of at least 7 turret steamers engaged in that trade. In 1899, the vessel was in collision with Australia,
a tug, off Gravesend, River Thames.
The vessel was brought to Great Lakes. Owned by
Canadian Lake and Ocean Navigation Co. Ltd. 1907 thru 1913 & then Canada Steamship Lines Ltd.
(absorbed the owning company) thru 1916. (Chartered 1915 by Canada Steamship Lines to Nova Scotia Steel & Coal Company.)
The vessel was requisitioned in 1915 for WWI service.
Owned by Turret Steamship Co. Ltd. (Dominion Iron & Steel Co. Ltd.) of Halifax,
Nova Scotia, Canada in 1916/17. Thru 1925 owned by Cape Steamship Co. Ltd (Dominion
Iron & Steel), of Halifax. Operated in the 1920s on the lake & river trade.
Thru 1937 was owned by International Waterways Nav. Co. Ltd. (R. W. Campbell & J. E.
Russell), of Montreal. The engines were condemned in 1930. The vessel lay idle until 1937 when sold to Fort
William-Montreal Nav. Co. Ltd. (Robin Hood Flour Mills Ltd.). & converted to
a flour storage barge.
10 states, however, a dumb barge from 1933 to 1941.
The barge was sold, in 1941, to Saguenay Terminals Ltd., of Montreal, Quebec, & rebuilt
in 1941, Montreal, as a diesel stemwinder for the bauxite trade
(to Port Alfred, Quebec) with British Guiana. On Sep. 28, 1942, the vessel rescued 41
merchant seamen & a 13-man armed guard from U.S. freighter Alcoa Mariner,
torpedoed off the Orinoco River, Venezuela, & landed them at Georgetown,
British Guiana. Was converted
in 1943 to a suction dredge for the Demerara River. In 1948, the vessel's name
was changed to Sun Chief, (or maybe Sunchief). In 1947 (or 1949)
the name changed to Walter Inkster (R. Scott Misener).
The vessel returned to the Great Lakes in 1949. A gap in the ownership data, it would seem (1949/51).Was
inactive at the Lakehead for
some years. Owned by Colonial Steamships Ltd. (1951-56). The vessel was sold, in 1956, for scrap to
A. Newman & Co., of St. Catharines, Ontario but was actually scrapped at Port
Dalhousie in 1959. 10 says arrived at Port Weller,
Ontario, on Aug. 17, 1959
to be broken up. Lots
of data. A long & interesting history. Can you add anything?
Images maybe?
A 'turret' steamer with a turtle-backed forecastle.
Per
1 (Toronto Marine Historical
Society page, image Turret Crown),
2 (image),
3 (image),
4,
5 &
6 (fine Wm. Notman & Sons 1895 images at Lachine Canal & Locks, Montreal, Quebec),
7 (c.
1916 image at Seward Dock, Alaska),
8 (1917
image at Anchorage, Alaska unloading Panama freight),
9 (an 1896 voyage from Cadiz),
10 (3 images of vessel at Anchorage, Alaska, c.1917. Do view
them in full size),
11 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access). 253
(or 258) ft. long,
speed of 9 knots.
Owned 1895 thru 1907 by 'William Peterson Ltd.' ('Peterson') which company
secured a contract in 1900 to haul coal from Sydney, Nova Scotia, to Montreal,
Quebec, (both Canada), for Dominion Iron & Steel Co. Ltd. But ... 11 states
built for 'Turret Steam Shipping Co. Ltd. (Petersen, Tate)', of Newcastle. Turret Crown
was one of at least 7 turret steamers engaged in that trade. Registered
at Newcastle. A minor collision on Jun. 8, 1895, 15 miles off Cape Rosier, Gaspé, Quebec. Brought to
the Great
Lakes (have read in Sep. 1902). The vessel, on Jul. 22, 1903, was in collision
with & sank Waverley, off Harbor Beach, Michigan. Was beached,
trying to make harbour, in
a storm off Grand Marais, Michigan, in 1907 or earlier. And, on May. 4,
1913, was in collision with William C. Mack near Sault Ste Marie,
requiring repairs to Turret Crown at Collingwood, Ontario. Owned by Canadian Lake & Ocean Nav. Co. Ltd. 1907 thru 1913 & then Canada
Steamship Lines Ltd. thru 1915. The vessel was requisitioned for WWI service in 1915. 'Operated late in war
on Pacific although owned in Toronto'. Owned by Turret Crown Ltd., 1915 to
1916 & by Coastwise Steamship & Barge Co., of Vancouver, 1916-18. In 1918/21
the vessel was owned by Commonwealth
Steamship Co. Ltd., (or maybe Navigation Co.) of Toronto. The vessel returned
to the Great Lakes in 1922. Owned 1921/22 by W. J. & S. P. Herivel, of London, &
1922/24 by A. B. MacKay, of Hamilton, Ontario. On Oct. 9, 1922 the vessel was grounded on
Cove Island. But salvaged. On Nov. 2, 1924, the vessel was
driven ashore in a gale & snowstorm at Meldrum Bay Point, N. side of Manitoulin
Island, Lake Huron, Ontario. No loss of life. A now long gone site advised
'some reports claim that vessel was run ashore intentionally'. Vessel abandoned
& destroyed in
winter storms. Cut up for scrap in 1923. However, I have also read 1926, while 1 says removed for scrap in WW2.
The vessel was owned by Capt. William C. Jordan, of Goderich, at the time of loss,
it would appear. Can you add
anything?
A 'turret' steamer. Per
1 (27 Nov. 1917, Almond Branch),
2 ('uboat.net', sinking, Almond Branch),
3 (image, of the correct Almond Branch?),
4 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access),
& also kind e-mail messages from
eBayers 'lat50south' & 'gales-of-november'.
Built for Belgian-American Maritime Co. Soc. Anon., of Antwerp (W. Johnston &
Co. managers) which company was 'restyled' & became Belgian Maritime Trading Co. Soc. Anon.
Sold 1897 to The Nautilus Steam Shipping Co. Ltd. of Sunderland (F. & W. Ritson
managers), known as
'Branch Line', & became Almond Branch. On
Nov. 27, 1917, defensively armed, Almond Branch was torpedoed without warning
by UB 57, Kapitänleutnant Otto Steinbrinck in command, & sank, 2 miles
SE of Dodman Point (S. coast of Cornwall), while en route from London to S.
America via Port Talbot, Wales, with general cargo. At 50.12N/04.45W. 1 life lost.
It would appear that the wreck has never been
located. Can you help
with more data?
A 'turret' steamer. Per
1
(Wilson Line, Castello),
2
('uboat.net', sinking, Grigorios Anghelatos),
3
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access).
107.0 metres long, perpendicular to perpendicular, 351 ft. (about 110 metres) long
overall. Built for Thomas Wilson, Sons & Co. Ltd. (Wilson Line), of Hull.
The vessel was sold,
in 1913, to 'Anghelatos
Bros', of Constantinople (Istanbul) or maybe to 'D. Anghelatos' of Piraeus, Greece, (who
owned the vessel in 1916) & renamed Grigorios Anghelatos. On
Dec. 5, 1916 (Greek registered then), en route to Genoa, Italy, with a cargo of coal, the vessel was torpedoed & sunk, by U-63,
Kapitänleutnant Otto Schultze in command, 20 miles S. of Genoa.
At 43.52N/08.49E. No loss of life. WWW data re this vessel is most limited. Can you add anything?
A 'Hardy' class torpedo boat destroyer.
Per
1 (Wikipedia),
2 (Haughty Class,
near top of page),
3
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 196 ft. long, speed of 26.8 knots, armed with one 12 pounder & 2
torpedo tubes, complement of 53 (or 50). Built for the Royal Navy. The class is
confusing! Only two vessels in
'Hardy Class', i.e. this vessel &
HMS Haughty, built
by Doxford in 1895. But
2 says was 'Haughty'
class & not 'Hardy' class. And a now gone site said was
instead 'Havock (A) Class', & built by 'Northumberland Shipbuilding Company' of
William Doxford & Sons. Those are words that I do not presently understand since
i) ownership of Doxford's would seem to have been
sold to 'Northumberland' only in 1919, & ii) 'Northumberland', even in 1919, would seem to
have been a shareholder rather than a shipbuilder. I read that Royal Navy vessels named 'Hardy' are named after Sir
Thomas Masterman Hardy (1769-1839), Captain of HMS Victory during
the Battle of Trafalgar. The ship was commissioned on Aug. 1, 1896. Served 'in home waters'.
It was present, I read, at the
Naval Review at Spithead in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen
Victoria. On Jul. 17, 1911 the vessel
was sold off, to 'Garnham', of Chatham, to be scrapped. Need
help!
A 'Hardy' class torpedo boat destroyer.
Per
1 (Wikipedia),
2 (Haughty Class,
near top of page, with images),
3
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 196 ft. long, speed of 27 knots. Armed with one 12 pounder, & 2
torpedo tubes. Complement of 50 or 53. Built for the Royal Navy. Only two vessels in
'Hardy Class', i.e. this vessel &
HMS Hardy, built by Doxford in 1896. But
4 says was 'Haughty'
class & not 'Hardy' class. Cannot spot when commissioned. Served 'in home waters'. Was present, I read, at the
Naval Review on Jun. 26, 1897 at Spithead in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen
Victoria. On Apl. 10, 1912 the vessel was sold off, to be scrapped. Need
help!
A refrigerated 'turret' steamer
launched on Apl. 25, 1896. Per
1
[Clan line, Clan Shaw (1)],
2 (Nautilus, Vine Branch),
3 (a turret
ship at Fitzroy Dock, Sydney, Australia. The webmaster believes that the vessel
depicted is
Vine Branch),
4 ('uboat.net',
sinking, Vine Branch),
5 (U-55),
6
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 340.2 ft. long (103.69 metres)
perpendicular to perpendicular, speed of ? knots, a crew of 44 in
1909, carried a few passengers, signal letters PJSC (as Vine Branch),
300 HP engines by W. Doxford & Sons Limited of Sunderland. Built for Angier Line (1877) Ltd., owned & managed by Angier Brothers of
London. It would seem that the vessel was acquired by 'The Clan Line of Steamers
Limited' ('Clan'), of Glasgow, as an experiment to gain experience with a
'turret' ship, which experience was positive since they ended up owning 30
ships of the design. I have read that Clan bought the vessel in Sep. 1896, &
renamed the vessel Clan Shaw. On Aug. 8, 1898, the New York Times reported that Clan Shaw,
en route from the Clyde to Bombay, India, had towed Cashmere,
(2,593 tons), en route from Aden to Bombay, for 250 miles until the tow hawser
parted. Cashmere had lost her rudder & rudder post in a
storm. Clan Shaw continued to Bombay & help was sent to
Cashmere. The matter was the subject of a later court case, in which the
meanings of the words 'towage' & 'salvage' were important. I have not WWW read
details of the case. In 1898, the vessel was sold to Nautilus Steam Shipping Co. Ltd.
('Nautilus'), Wm. Ritson, then
Frank W. Ritson, then
Arthur Ritson, have also read F. & W. Ritson the managers,
all of Sunderland, & renamed Vine Branch.
I have read also that the renaming was in 1900, but that would seem to be
unlikely since there are many 1899 & forward references to Vine Branch
being in Australian & New Zealand waters. The vessel carried many cargoes of
oats, frozen meat, livestock, & general cargo to Durban & Cape Town, South
Africa, related, I believe to supplying the British forces in the Boer War. One
reference indicates that the vessel carried 140 horses on deck in one such
voyage. Another indicates that the vessel was owned by the 'Australian-South
African Steamship Company Limited', but it may be that the vessel was rather
chartered by them. It did not only carry such cargoes. It frequently carried
coal & grain also. On one voyage from Lyttleton, New Zealand, to Albany, Western
Australia, the vessel encountered heavy seas & lost 160 tons of coal overboard.
There are a great many references to the vessel at Trove, Australia, thru 1910,
& indeed later than that re WW1. H. J. Ritson was the vessel's captain in
the period of 1908/1911. It is possible that Vine Branch was
requisitioned by the British Government for service
during WW1. Can anybody confirm that?
It was reported, falsely, that Leipzig, a German cruiser, had sunk
Vine Branch off the W. coast of S. America in Nov. 1914. Early in 1917, Vine Branch, defensively armed, left Valparaiso,
Chile, for Liverpool, with a cargo that included nitrates & frozen meat. The
vessel safely reached Dakar, Senegal, & left there on Mar. 23, 1917 for
Liverpool. On Apl. 6,
1917,
Vine Branch, was SW of Ireland. She was struck in the engine room by a
single torpedo fired by U-55. The vessel sank, with the loss of
all aboard including the Master (44 lives). At 50.02N/13.58W, but 4 says
rather at
49.45N/14.08W. Both are about 400 miles SW of the southern tip of Ireland.
Only on Jul.
4, 1917 was the vessel posted missing by Lloyds. U-55, mostly captained by decorated
Oberleutnant zur See Wilhelm Werner (Blue Max & other medals), sank 64 ships in
WW1, took 2 vessels as prizes, & damaged 7 more (all, except 4 sunk, by
Wilhelm Werner). U-55 surrendered to Japan in Nov.
1918. I find what then happened to her a bit confusing. Despite the above, the WWW record for the vessel is scanty.
Crew lists are here. Can you
help
with additional data?
A 'turret' steamer.
Quite a history! Lots of material. Abandoned twice & resurrected. The vessel
ended its 34
year life as a barge! Per
1
(Toronto Marine Historical Society article, image as Jolly Inez),
2
(fine Bowling Green State University image, other images & text),
3 (1903 image),
4 (a 1923 image of Jolly Inez),
5 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
253 ft. long (have read 273 ft. also). Owned 1896 thru 1907 by 'William Peterson
Ltd.' ('Peterson') which company secured a contract in 1900 to haul coal from
Sydney, Nova Scotia, to Montreal, Quebec, (both Canada), for Dominion Iron &
Steel Co. Ltd. But ... 5 states
built for 'Petersen, Tate & Co.', of Newcastle. Maybe they were the managers for Dominion Turret Line Ltd. Turret Chief was one of at least 7 turret steamers
engaged in that trade. It would seem
(in red) that in mid Nov. 1898 the vessel ran
aground in the St. Lawrence River & had to be drydocked at Quebec City. Sold to Canadian Lake & Ocean Nav. Co. Ltd. & worked on Great
Lakes 1907 thru 1913. Was briefly owned by Canada Steamship Lines Ltd. On Nov. 8,
1913, owned by Merchants Mutual Line of Toronto, the vessel was stranded 6 miles E of Copper Harbor,
Michigan, (Keewenaw Peninsula, Lake
Superior) while en route from Midland, Ontario, to Fort William
in ballast, & abandoned, in a hurricane & snow-storm - the hurricane
of the century - 12 vessels (maybe 19) foundered in Great Lakes that day. The
vessel was salvaged in 1914, rebuilt at Port Arthur & became owned by
Entente Steamship Co. of London. There may be an owner Turret Chief Ltd., of
Canada, at
about this time? The vessel was requisitioned re WW1 service & carried munitions from
the U.K. to Archangel, Russia. It would seem that the vessel was sold, in 1915, to
Leopold Walford, of London & renamed Vickerstown. The name was
changed again, in 1918, to
Jolly Inez. I wonder why that name? The vessel came back to the Great Lakes in 1922 &
was owned by
International Waterways Nav. Co. Ltd., 1922 thru 1927. On Nov 26, 1927, the
vessel was stranded
'under peculiar circumstances' (what were they?) on Saddlebag Island, False DeTour Channel, Lake
Huron. En route from Milwaukee to Fort William. It was again abandoned. It was salvaged,
in 1928, by T. L. Durocher, of Detour, Michigan,
& converted to a steel lightering barge & became Salvor, a 'stone-hauler and wrecker'. On Sep. 26, 1930, when carrying stone,
the barge broke loose from
the tow of tug
Fitzgerald (or maybe Richard Fitzgerald) in a gale & foundered in Lake Michigan
almost 3 miles N. of
Muskegon, Michigan, in 25 ft. of water, near the pier it was helping to build. All 5 aboard (maybe 11) were lost
(data conflicts). Vessel is a dive
site today. Quite a story indeed. Have I missed anything
significant?
A 'turret' steamer.
Per
1 (Toronto Marine Historical Society article, informative page,
many references),
2 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
77.1 metres long, perpendicular to perpendicular, 253 ft., speed of 10 1/2 knots,
machinery & bridge amidships. The vessel was owned, 1896 thru 1907, by 'Turret Steam Shipping
Co.', owned or managed by 'Wm. Peterson Ltd.' ('Peterson') which company secured a contract in 1900 to haul coal from
Sydney, Nova Scotia, to Montreal, Quebec, (both Canada), for Dominion Iron &
Steel Co. Ltd. But ... 2 states
built for (or maybe managed by) 'Petersen Tate & Co.', of Newcastle. On Jul. 28, 1898 the vessel
may have hit a bridge, possibly Black's Bridge, in Montreal. On Aug. 5, 1899,
the vessel's steam steering gear failed, & the vessel veered to port & collided
with Ramillies, 1 1/2 miles below Pointe à la Citrouille lighthouse, Batiscan,
Quebec. Per the NY Times,
she first came to Montreal in May 1902 & lay
there until the fall of 1902 when she carried coal from Cleveland to Fort
William. It would appear that she was a tight fit in the Welland Canal & was stuck,
for a short while, 'in the bridge at St. Catharine's'. Then used to carry
western grain from Fort William to ports in Georgian
Bay. 1 however states, incorrectly it would seem, that she first came to the
Great Lakes in 1907. On Jul. 22, 1903, indeed, the vessel was in collision
with bulk freighter Waverly, which was at the time towing W. S. Crosthwaite,
a schooner, 5 miles S. of Harbor Beach, Michigan, Lake Huron. Turret Court's
steering failed, causing the collision & Waverly
sank. Have not read what happened to Turret Court nor to W. S. Crosthwaite, but no loss of life aboard Waverly.
On Dec. 2, 1904, the vessel ran aground, in a snow storm, near Vermillion,
Michigan, perhaps? The vessel was sold to
'Canadian Lake and Ocean Navigation Co.
Ltd.', of Toronto, Ontario, R. O. & A. B. MacKay of nearby Hamilton, the managers, &
worked on the Great Lakes 1907 thru 1913. Briefly owned (company absorbed) by Canada
Steamship Lines Ltd. (1913 thru 1916). The vessel was requisitioned re WW1 service, but where
did it serve? From 1916
to 1925, the vessel was owned by Turret Steamship Co. Ltd. (Dominion Iron &
Steel Co. Ltd.), of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. At an un-stated date in or
about 1921, the vessel was in collision with & sank Acadia, a
barge, in Montreal harbour. And then was owned, 1925 to 1930, by
International Waterways Navigation Co. Ltd. Was engaged in lake & river trade in
the 1920s.
The machinery was condemned in 1930, & the vessel was converted to a salvage barge.
Was owned
in 1931 by Sin-Mac Lines Ltd., of Montreal & (1935
thru 1940) by Sincennes - MacNaughton Tugs Ltd., (or possibly Lines Ltd.), also of Montreal. But inactive at Sorel, Quebec, for a long period. In
Nov. 1940, the vessel was broken up at the Hamilton, Ontario, facilities
of Steel Company of Canada Ltd. Much of the above references are from incomplete
'snippets' of data. Can you add anything?
A 'turret' steamer. Per
1
[Clan Line, Clan Murray (2)],
2 ('uboat.net',
UC 55),
3 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
400 ft. (about 126 metres)
long, speed of 11 or 12 knots. Built for 'The Clan Line Steamers Limited', of Glasgow (Cayzer,
Irvine & Co., the manager). At 4 a.m. on May 29, 1917, under the command of Captain
John E. Woodall, while
en route from Port Pirie, S. Australia to Belfast with a cargo of wheat, the vessel was torpedoed
by UC 55, Oberleutnant zur See Theodor Schultz in command, 40
miles WxS of Fastnet (SW tip of Ireland). At 50.57N, 10.21W. It was armed with
just one recently
installed gun. The Captain & the 3rd officer, A. G. Macpherson, were 'blown
off the bridge by the force of the explosion'. The Captain recovered
somewhat, stopped the engines, went below to destroy the code books & was
never seen again. Macpherson was taken aboard UC 55, & taken to Germany as a prisoner.
And maybe the 3rd Engineer also, however 2 does not so indicate. 64 persons died
- nearly all on those on board. Can you
help with additional data?
A 'turret' steamer. Probably an ore carrier since Oxelösund was the port from
which iron ore from the mines in central Sweden was shipped. Per
1 (Batavier Line, Maud Cassel),
2 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
About 115 metres long, speed? Built for 'N.V.
Maats SS Maud Cassel' (Wm. Müller & Co. the managers? But maybe also the owners),
(Batavier Line) of Rotterdam, Holland. Miramar state Wm. H. Muller & Co's 'Algemeene
Scheepvaart Mij'. On Feb. 22, 1906, Master 'de Jonge' in
command, while en route in
ballast from Rotterdam to Oxelösund, Sweden, the vessel grounded in heavy weather at Arköbådan (but sometimes Arköbåden)
Reef, near the
Oxelösund pilot watch station called Hävringe, about 2 miles from Oxelösund.
The crew were all saved. Two salvage ships, Belos & Argo (both 'Bergningsbolaget
Neptuns')
tried to refloat the ship, but their efforts were not successful. The vessel later broke in two &
sank. We thank Björn Waldenström for his kind
guidance re Swedish place names. And for the links to vessel images that he provided
- which links no longer work so I have provided the images themselves at left
all these years later. WWW data about vessel is limited. Can you
add
anything?
A 'turret' steamer,
that had a short life. Per
1 (builder's
model of ship, Bonhams, New York, Apl. 2010 auction, sold for $30,500 incl.
premium),
2 (1963 sale of
the builder's model, realised $8,125)
3 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access). 103.7 metres long, perpendicular to
perpendicular, speed? Built for 'South Shields Steam Ship Co.',
presumably a company owned by Moor Line Ltd., of London, Walter Runciman
& Co. Ltd.,
the owners & managers. On Nov. 17, 1904, the vessel went ashore on or near
the Kuria Muria Islands, during the SW monsoons & became a total loss. The 5 island
group, located in the Arabian Sea, lies 40 km off the SW coast of Oman.
In 1904, the islands were British, but in 1967 they were returned to the
Sultanate of Muscat & Oman. Have not read the grounding circumstances. Any loss of life?
The WWW record for this ship is essentially non-existent. Can you
add
anything?
A
steel 'turret' steamer, which was launched on May 6,
1898 & completed in either May or Jul. 1898. Per
1
[Clan Line, Clan Macfarlane (1)],
2 ('uboat.net',
sinking),
3 (U-38),
4 (1910 voyage, Wellington & Napier, NZ, to London &
Antwerp with 15,800 bales of wool, at page bottom),
5 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access). 400.5 ft. long (122.07 metres)
perpendicular to perpendicular, speed of 12 knots, signal letters QFGL, 413 HP
engines by William Doxford & Sons Ltd. of Sunderland. Built for 'The Clan Line of Steamers Limited'
('Clan'), of Glasgow. It would seem, however, that the vessel was initially
registered in the name of Sir. Charles W. Cayzer. Clan became 'Cayzer, Irvine & Company, Limited' in 1907.
Possibly the line was named 'Union-Clan Line' in 1902? Was chartered to Mr. G.
H. Scales in 1910. W. H. Price is listed as the vessel's captain in Lloyd's
Register of 1911/12. I have read that from Aug. 29, 1914 thru Dec. 12, 1914 the
vessel was used as an Indian Expeditionary Force Transport vessel. On Dec. 30, 1915,
Clan Macfarlane was in the eastern Mediterranean, en route from the
Clyde & Liverpool to Bombay (now Mumbai), India, with a general cargo. It was torpedoed &
sunk by U-38. At
34.06N/26.08E, per U-38's KTB ('kriegstagebuch' or war diary) or 34.50N/25.55E per Miramar,
or 34.05N/25.44E, 66 miles SExS of Cape Martello, Crete. Of the 75
aboard, 52 lost their lives, including the Captain. U-38 sank 138 vessels in its long career. It was captained by
the much
decorated (including 'Pour le Mérite', i.e. the Blue Max) Max Valentiner who was
responsible for the sinking of 143 merchant ships, 1 warship, with others captured &
damaged. Can you
help with additional data?
A 'turret' steamer. Per
1
[Wilh. Wilhelmsen, Guernsey (2)],
2
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 365.6
ft. (111.4 metres) long, speed of 10 knots. Built for A. N. Hansen & Co. of Copenhagen, Denmark
& registered at Tønsberg, Norway, in the name of a company in which Wilh. Wilhelmsen was a
shareholder. Listed (1)
in the Wilh. Wilhelmsen Line
fleet.
On Dec. 22, 1922, the vessel was sold to Emil R. Retzlaff, of Germany, & renamed
Walsung. In 1923, the vessel was registered to 'Dampfer Reederei "Merkur" (1922) Gmbh.
(Emil R. Retzlaff, of Szczecin (Stettin) the managers), of Germany'. The vessel was wrecked, on Jan. 21, 1925, at Stangholmen Light near Trannoy, Norway,
en route from Stettin (Szczecin), then Germany now Poland, to Narvik, Norway, in ballast. Can
you add anything
additional?
A 'turtleback-back' or 'turtle-bowed' destroyer. Per
1 (about 70%
down),
2 (data),
3 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access). 3 funnels, 210 ft. long, speed of 30 knots
(though in normal service 27 knots). Initially of 'Violet' class but became C
Class in 1913. Russell Kennedy advises, (thanks!), that on Aug. 30, 1912 the Admiralty directed
that all destroyer classes were to be designated by alpha characters starting with the letter 'A'. Since
Sylvia's design speed was 30-knots & she had three funnels she was assigned to C Class. After
Sep. 30, 1913, she was
known as a C Class destroyer & had the letter 'C' painted on the hull below the bridge area and on either the fore or aft funnel.
She would appear to have later become 'D' Class- D 23 on Dec. 6, 1914. Became D 69 in 1918, & then D 84, & finally H 03.
Was commissioned on Jan. 1, 1899. Armed with
a single 12 pounder gun, five 6 pounder guns & two 18-inch torpedo tubes.
Complement of 63. 2 states that the distinctive 'turtleback', intended to clear water
from the bows, 'actually tended to dig the bow in to anything of a sea,
resulting in a very wet conning position and poor seaboats that were unable to reach top speed in anything but perfect
conditions.' An eBay item advised that HMS Sylvia spent her entire career in home waters attached to the Devonport Flotilla
& by the beginning of WW1 was a tender to HMS Leander. On Jul. 23, 1919, the vessel was sold for breaking up at Ward, New
Holland (where is New Holland? North Lincolnshire perhaps. 'Ward' surely means
Thomas W. Ward Ltd. who had ship breaking yards
in many places). It
would seem that there also was HMS Violet, built by Doxford in 1898. Those 2 destroyers (Sylvia & Violet)
constituted the entire 'Violet Class'. But
2
states that HMS Lee, built 1899, was also part of that Class. But was it?
The reference relates, I believe, to HMS Lee,
a 350 or 365 ton destroyer, also built by Doxford, which vessel was launched in 1899 but
only completed in 1901. Can anyone add
anything? And explain
the '6' on the image at the thumbnail?
A 'turtleback-back' or 'turtle-bowed' destroyer. Per
1 (Violet Class),
2 (about 70%
down),
3 (data, C Class),
4 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access). 3 funnels, 210 ft. long, speed of 30 knots
(though in normal service 27 knots). Built for The Admiralty. Initially of 'Violet' class but became C
Class in 1913. D 09. Became D 73 in 1918, & then D 94. Was commissioned on Jun. 1, 1898. Armed with
a single 12 pounder gun, five 6 pounder guns & two 18-inch torpedo tubes.
Complement of 63. Served in home waters throughout WW1. 3 states that the distinctive 'turtleback', intended to clear water
from the bows, 'actually tended to dig the bow in to anything of a sea,
resulting in a very wet conning position and poor seaboats that were unable to reach top speed in anything but perfect
conditions.' On Jun. 7, 1920, the vessel was sold for breaking up at J. Houston, at Montrose (NE of
Dundee, Scotland?). It
would seem that there also was HMS Sylvia, built by Doxford in 1898. Those 2 destroyers (Sylvia & Violet)
constituted the entire 'Violet Class'. But
3
states that HMS Lee, built 1899, was also part of that Class. But was it? I have not yet tracked HMS Lee. Can
anyone add anything?
A 'turret' steamer. Per
1
[Sutherland, Inverness (1)],
2
('uboat.net', sinking, Trento),
3
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 102.4 metres
long perpendicular to perpendicular, speed? Was built for 'Belgian Maritime
Trading Co. Ltd.' (or S.A.), of Liverpool, W.
Johnston & Co., the managers, & registered at Belgium. Later in the year of
delivery, i.e. 1899, the vessel was sold to
Sutherland Steamship Co. Ltd. ('Sutherland'), of Newcastle, & renamed
Inverness. In 1901, the vessel was sold
again, to 'Burrakur Coal Company Ltd.' ('Burrakur'), W. L. Hunt, of London, the
manager, & renamed Flamingo. Now Burrakur would seem to have
been, indeed may well have been until quite recently, a long established coal
company based in Calcutta, India, controlled then perhaps by 'Andrew Yule'
& 'Bird & Company'. Known as 'Bird Line'? It would seem that they owned also
Florican, another Doxford turret steamer yet to be detail site listed.
The vessels served, for a few years carrying coal to Karachi for use by the
North-Western Railway ex company mines in Gourangdhi & Loyabad, (both West
Bengal), & Kumardhubi (Jharkhad state), India. In 1912, the vessel was
sold to A. Parodi, of Genoa, Italy, 'Soc. Anon. Ilva', of Genoa, the managers?, & renamed Trento.
On Aug. 7, 1917, while en route from Cardiff, Wales, to Torre Annunziata, Naples,
Italy, with a cargo of coal,
the vessel was captured & sunk by U 61, Kapitänleutnant Victor Dieckmann in
command, approx. 150 miles WSW of Ushant. Any loss of life? The WWW record for the vessel is most scanty. Can you
help
with additional data? Images?
A 'turret' steamer. Per
1
[Clan Line, Clan Colquhoun (1)],
2 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access). 134.1 metres
long, perpendicular to perpendicular, (440.0 ft.), speed of 12 knots. Built for 'The Clan Line of Steamers Limited', of Glasgow (2
says Sir Charles W. Cayzer
- a related party).
It would seem that a model of the rigged ship
is, or maybe from 1965 was, on display in the Science Museum in
Kensington, London, however the related WWW image would seem to have gone missing.
Possibly the line was named 'Union-Clan Line' in 1902? I read that on Nov. 25,
1916, the vessel was attacked by gunfire from a submarine in the Mediterranean,
but escaped the encounter. I have WWW read no detail as to the circumstances or
detail, except a brief reference to the vessel having suffered a dynamite
explosion. The vessel was sold, in 1925, to 'Villain & Fassio',
of Genoa, Italy, & renamed Nasco. And was sold
again, in 1927, to 'Soc. Anon. Parodi & Corrado', also of Genoa, & renamed Cengio. The
vessel arrived (was it not already there?),
at Genoa, Italy, on Jun. 26, 1929 to be broken up. And maybe was broken up in
1930. WWW data is quite limited. Can you
help with additional data?
A 'turret' steamer. Per
1
[Clan Line, Clan Urquhart (1)],
2 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access). 134.1 metres
long. Built for 'The Clan Line of Steamers Limited', of Glasgow (2 says Sir Charles W. Cayzer
- a related party).
The vessel was sold, in 1929, to 'Retzlaff, Rostock' (maybe name relates to Emil R. Retzlaff, above
re Guernsey), & renamed Generaldirektor Sonnenschein.
The vessel was broken up,
I read, at Stettin (Szczecin), then Germany now Poland, in late 1933. But stop the presses! It would seem that is not
so! On Jun. 7, 2008,
a Dutch dive team of 'Duikteam Zeester', dived a wreck in the North Sea near
the Dutch island
of 'Schiermonnikoog', one of the West Frisian Islands. Visibility was poor - 2 metres & murky.
The team found that the wreck has a brass bell inscribed 'CLAN URQUHART 1899 GLASGOW'.
We thank Remy Luttik, of Bellingwolde, Netherlands, for this
exciting new data. And we have an
image of the bell, no less! Thank you,
Remy, so very much! Arie Jan de Lange advises (thanks!) that he has checked all of the
1927/33 Dutch newspapers, especially those from the
N. of Holland, but could find no reference to the ship being sunk there. Can you help with additional data?
WWW data is most limited.
A 'turret' steamer. Per
1 (Batavier Line/Müller, Skandia),
2 &
3 (both data in Swedish),
4 (the correct Freikoll?
80% down. Built 1905),
5 (Skandia page),
6
(Miramar, who indicate 1900 built, link, you now must be registered to access).
123.0 (or 121.6 or 121.85) metres long, 16 knots (probably truly 11 or so knots). Built for Wm. H. Müller & Co.s
'Algemeene Scheepvaart Mij', of Rotterdam. The vessel was sold, in 1905, to
'Rederi AB Luleå-Ofoten' (P. A. Welin),
of Stockholm, Sweden ('Luleå'). On Nov. 9, 1915, the vessel sank after a collision with
Freikoll, a small Norwegian vessel, nr. Haugesund, Norway (W. coast of Norway, S. of Bergen).
6 indicates collision was outside Aalesund (N. of Bergen). We thank Björn Waldenström for advising the collision
circumstances. 'Skandia was at night anchor
because of the ongoing war, which did not allow for night travel. The little steamer
Freikoll saw the light from the huge Skandia
but thought it was from two
different ships and planned to pass between them. But it was one long
ship. Four people
died. The
Skandia was loaded with iron ore and sank very fast.' He
also advises that Luleå changed it's name to Trafikaktiebolaget
Grängesberg-Oxelösund in May 1916, which name was shortened to Gränges Shipping
in 1971. Anything to add?
A 'turret' steamer. Per
1 ('uboat.net', 1915 sinking),
2 (U-41),
3 (ref. to
sinking),
4
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access).
340 ft. (about 109 metres) long, 103.6 metres perpendicular to perpendicular, speed of 11 knots. Built for Moor Line Ltd., of London
(Walter Runciman & Co. Ltd., of Newcastle, the managers). On May 28, 1915, while
under the command of Captain Holford, & en
route, in ballast, from Genoa, Italy, to the Tyne, the vessel was captured
by U-41, Kapitänleutnant Claus Hansen in command. At 49.19N/05.21W, 52 miles N. of Ushant, off Brittany, France. A shot
was fired by U-41 from 15 yards distance. The crew were given 10 minutes to abandon ship
& take to the boats. And then the vessel was shelled (almost 40 shells)
until it sank. Tullochmoor
was not boarded. Before it sank, Engineer Dockeray swam back to the ship &
rescued the ship's papers. No lives were lost. After 3 hours in the boats, the
entire crew of 26 were rescued by the Spanish ship Olizarra & landed at Barry, Wales. Anything to
add? Another image?
A 'turret' steamer. Per
1 (P&O Line,
Banca),
2 (image, Taiyu Maru),
3
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access).
134.0 metres long, speed of 11 1/4 knots. Per a long expired website, named for 'Bangka', an island
& strait off the northeast coast of Sumatra. Built
for Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company ('P&O') at a cost of
£77,879 - the only 'turret' ship owned by P&O. The vessel's maiden voyage
was from London to China & Japan. In 1914 the vessel was used
in Rangoon to Bombay
service carrying coal, & after WW1 was used on the India to Japan & India coastal services. In
Aug. 1923 the vessel was sold for £13,500 to 'Hinode Kisen Kabushiki Kaisha', of
Dairen, Japan & renamed Taiyu Maru. Used on service between Japan
& Siberia & also on transpacific services. The vessel was sold, in 1930, to Japanese ship breakers.
1932 broken up at Yokohama, Japan. Can you add anything
additional?
A 'turret' steamer. Per
1
[Clan Line, Clan Lamont
(2)],
2
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 108.2 metres
long. Built for 'The Clan Line of Steamers Limited', of Glasgow.
The vessel was requisitioned, I read, for WW1 war service during the period of 1917/1919. On Jul. 29, 1921, Naldera, a 15825 ton Peninsular & Oriental Steam
Navigation Company passenger liner, ran into Clan Lamont, which
was lying at
anchor in Bombay Harbour.
No reference to damage to Clan Lamont. The vessel was broken up at
the Bo'ness, River Forth/Firth of Forth, Scotland, ship breaking facilities of
P. & W. MacLellan Ltd. in late Nov. 1928, I read
'after engine damage'. Can you
help with additional data?
Data is most limited.
A
'turret' steamer. Per
1 (extensive 2 page 'pdf'),
2
[Clan Line, Clan Ranald (2)],
3 (wreck
detail, Clan Ranald),
4 (wreck data),
5 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access). Built for
'The Clan Line of Steamers Limited' ('Clan') (I think - company names are often referenced inexactly),
which company, I read, bought 30 of such steamers & was engaged in trade with
S. Africa, India & Australia. 355 ft.
long (about 112 metres), 108.2 metres perpendicular to perpendicular. Registered at Glasgow. Clan became 'Cayzer, Irvine &
Company, Limited' in 1907. The vessel arrived at Port Adelaide, South Australia, on Jan. 15,
1909, in ballast, from Mauritius (Captain Arthur Gladstone), to take on a cargo
for Durban, East London & Capetown, S. Africa - 39,862 bags of wheat &
28,451 bags of flour. The water ballast tanks were emptied. The vessel 'listed'
as the cargo & also 638 tons of coal was being loaded, (170 tons of coal on
the top decks). On Jan. 31, 1909, it was towed by tug Eagle &
commenced its voyage to Africa. 64 in total crew, largely (50) of Asian &
Indian origin (lascars). The wind increased & in rough seas, when S. of Troubridge Island on Yorke Peninsular, the ship lurched to starboard at a 45°
angle. 8 hours later the vessel capsized & sank, & came to rest
upside down in 20 metres of water, 700 metres from an inhospitable rocky shore.
The lifeboats had been destroyed. 24 survived, 36 were found dead, battered &
mutilated by the seas at the foot of the rocky cliffs. A total of 40 were lost. The 'Marine Board
Inquiry' did not determine the cause of the disaster, but it would seem that the
lack of ballast may have been a major contributing factor. I read that 2 fires
had broken out in the coal bunkers during her loading & that the 170 tons of
coal were as a result stored on deck. That coal may have also affected her
stability. The non-white
survivors were extradited to Colombo, then Ceylon, (with the best wishes of the
Mayor of Adelaide), being considered to be illegal immigrants (what a way to
disembark)! Captain Gladstone did not survive. The dead that were
found were buried
in nearby Edithburgh Cemetery. A dive site today, currents dangerous, however. Can you
add anything?
A 'turret' steamer. Per
1 ('uboat.net', sinking),
2 (U-84),
3 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
340.3 ft. (about 109 metres)
long, 103.7 metres perpendicular to perpendicular, speed of 9 1/2 or 10 knots. Built for 'Sutherland Steam
Ship Co. Ltd.' of Newcastle
(A. M. Sutherland the managers).
On Aug. 12, 1915, 'Shipbuilding and Shipping Record' reported the sale (A) of the
vessel, to an unnamed buyer, for £42,500. That buyer presumably was Routhi SS.
Co., Ltd., since
1 refers
to 'Routhi SS. Co., Ltd.' (Lykiardopulo & Co.), of London, being the
operators (perhaps the
owners) of Argyll at the time of the sinking. On Apl. 13, 1917, while en route from Port Kelah, Algeria, to Middlesbrough with a cargo of
iron ore, the vessel was torpedoed & sunk by U-84, Kapitänleutnant Walter Roehr in
command, at 49.23N/09.07W, 110 miles W. of Bishop Rock
(Isles of Scilly). 22 lives were lost, the Captain was amongst the survivors.
Rhys Jones advises (thanks) that Argyll was at the time, in fact, registered at Newport,
Wales. Rhys (e-mail) seeks data re his ancestor John Parry
Williams, the vessel's 3rd Engineer in Apl. 1917. Have
not read how the survivors were rescued. Little data is WWW available. Can you
clarify that data
and/or help with anything additional?
A 'turret' steamer, described as being 'schooner', presumably
meaning schooner rigged. Per
1 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
104.4 metres long perpendicular to perpendicular, 342.4 ft., speed of 9 knots. Built for North Moor
Steamships Ltd. (Walter Runciman & Co. Ltd.), of London. In 1906 the vessel
was transferred to Moor Line Ltd., of London. The vessel was sold, in 1920, to 'Berg Shipping Co. Ltd.',
'T. G. Berg' the manager, & renamed Wye
Valley. And sold again, in 1923, to 'Monument Steam Navigation Co. Ltd.',
of London, Richards Longstaff
the managers, & renamed Yorkvalley. In Apl. 1926,
the vessel arrived at Venice, Italy, to be broken up.
Can you add anything?
A 'turret' steamer, which was launched on Jul. 20,
1901 & completed in Sep. 1901. Per
1 (data),
2
(Horsley Line Ltd., click link),
3 (Lloyd's Register
('LR') data, 1930/31 & 1931/32, Aranguren, ex 'Southampton City Council/ Plimsoll'),
4
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 342.2 ft. long perpendicular to perpendicular (104.3 metres), speed of 8 1/2 knots,
signal letters SNMF, later HJLN, 310 HP engines by Richardsons, Westgarth & Co.
Ltd. of Hartlepool. Built for Horsley Line Ltd. ('HorsleyCo') of West Hartlepool, M. H.
Horsley the vessel's manager. HorsleyCo, a tramp ship company, owned a total
of 8 Doxford turret ships in its history. In 1915, the vessel
was sold to Plisson Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. of London, & renamed
Fructidor. It
was sold again, in Sep. 1915, (item B, here), to Union Shipping & Trading Co. Ltd.
('UnionCo') of London, W. T. Jaques the manager, &
was soon renamed Reims.
A 'turret' steamer. Per
1 (name ref.),
2 (Keighley),
3 (sinking,
Ivydene),
4 (UB-52),
5 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access).
310 ft. (about 108 metres) long, 103.6 metres long perpendicular to
perpendicular. Built for Dene Steam Shipping Co. ('Dene'), of Newcastle (J. T. Lunn & Co.,
('Lunn') managers). Miramar states however that the vessel was initially owned
by Lunn, & the owner became Dene only in 1905. The vessel was later sold, at a date unknown to the webmaster, to
'Keighley Shipping Co. Ltd.', of Hull, (Bell James & Co. or James Bell & Co.,
the managers), who owned it in Mar. 1918. On Mar. 17, 1918,
while en route from Sfax & Bizerta (both Tunisia) to Gibraltar with a cargo of phosphates,
the vessel was hit by a torpedo
fired by UB-52, Oberleutnant zur See Otto Launburg in command, & sank.
At 38.49N/06.32E, in the Mediterranean, 36 miles NNE
of Cape Bougaroni, Algeria. One life was lost. Can you
add
anything?
A 'turret' steamer. Per
1 (1902 image,
Jerseymoor, 2nd image down),
2
(Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 104.2 metres long, perpendicular to perpendicular, speed of 9
knots. Built for Moor Line Ltd., of London (Walter Runciman & Co. Ltd., of Newcastle, the
managers). But maybe 'North Moor Steamship Co.' was the registered owner. On Jun. 23, 1915,
while en route from Bombay, India, to Liverpool, with a cargo of wheat, the
vessel ran aground & was wrecked at Burbo Bank, at the entrance to the River Mersey.
The WWW record re this vessel is non-existent. Can you
add
anything?
A 'turtleback-bowed' destroyer. 'Violet' class. Per
1 (extensive data),
2 (data, 20% down),
3 (data, 1909-01-01),
4 (Miramar,
link, you now must be registered to access). 210 ft. long perpendicular to
perpendicular, 214.9 ft. long overall, 3 funnels, speed of 30 knots
(though in normal service 27 knots). Armed with
a single 12 pounder gun, five 6 pounder
guns & two
18-inch torpedo tubes. Completion & acceptance
was delayed - she was launched on Jan. 27, 1899 & only completed in Mar. 1901 - she was
apparently not able to reach her 30 knot contract speed & her construction may have
been effected by labour troubles in the shipbuilding trades. Wikipedia advises
that after commissioning she was deployed to the Channel Fleet, based at Shearness as part of the Medway Instructional Flotilla
- but was replaced in that role in Dec. 1901 by Mermaid which, in
fact, took
over her crew. Was paid off into the Fleet Reserve. Have read that the vessel was 'wrecked near Blacksod
Bay' (County Mayo, W. coast of Ireland) on Oct. 5, 1909. Can anybody tell us
what exactly happened? A collision it would seem (2).
Or maybe (or as well) grounded (3).
Kevin Murphy confirms (thanks!) that the vessel was grounded off Doolough Point, within Blacksod
Bay. Can you add
anything additional? There are more (later) vessels built by 'Doxford' on the 2nd
'Doxford' page available
here.
And on the 3rd & 4th pages also, here & here. TO END THE PAGE
Many of the vessels listed on the
first two Doxford pages on this & the following page are 'turret' ships. A 'Doxford' design, produced in
considerable numbers by 'Doxford' in the years of 1893 thru 1911. 'Doxford' themselves built 176
or 177 of them, a handful (6) were built under licence at other U.K. yards, & at
least one was built in Germany. To whet your appetite, here is an image of the only passenger 'whaleback' vessel - Christopher Columbus,
built in 1893.
May I suggest that you navigate the site via the
index on page 001.
'Turret' ships, referenced in these pages.
94 so far, I believe. In groups of 25.
Per 1 (Miramar, link,
you now must be registered to access).
Built by Swan, Hunter, & Wigham Richardson, Ltd., at Wallsend, for Forest
Oak Steam Shipping Co. Ltd., of Newcastle. In 1906 sold to S.S. Ibex Ltd. &
renamed Ibex. In 1909 sold to Anglo-Hellenic Steamship Co. Ltd.,
of Greece, & renamed Patras. The vessel was sold again in 1914 to
'Filli', of Denegri, Italy, with no change of name. Broken up at Genoa, Italy, in 1927. Per 1 (Miramar, link,
you now must be registered to access). Built by Swan, Hunter, & Wigham Richardson, Ltd., at Wallsend,
for Cia. Bilbaina de Navigation ('Bilbaina'), of Spain. In 1899 the vessel was
sold to Aznar y Cia, also of Spain, but in 1903 reregistered to Bilbaina. On
Sep. 8, 1916, while en route from Newport to Bordeaux, the vessel was torpedoed
& sunk by a German submarine at 48.54N/5.28W. Per 1 (Miramar, link,
you now must be registered to access).
Built by Swan, Hunter, & Wigham Richardson, Ltd., at Wallsend for Thompson
Steam Shipping Co. Ltd., of Sunderland. On Jan. 9, 1904, while en route from
Bilbao, Spain to Middlesbrough with a cargo of iron ore, was wrecked on the Longsand. Per
1 (Miramar, link,
you now must be registered to access).
Built by Vickers, Sons & Maxim
Ltd. at Barrow, for Cayzer, Irvine & Co., of Glasgow. On Sep. 6, 1917, the
vessel was torpedoed & sank 15 miles NW of Cape Spartel. At 35.50N/6.10W. With the loss of 10 lives. Per 1 (Miramar, link,
you now must be registered to access).
Built by R. & W. Hawthorn Leslie & Co. Ltd. at Hebburn for J. T. Lunn &
Co., of Newcastle. Later in 1898, the vessel was sold to Forest Oak Steam
Shipping Co. Ltd., of Newcastle, & renamed Forest Dale. In 1910,
the vessel was sold to Neptune Steam Navigation Co. Ltd., of West Hartlepool, &
renamed Cleveland Prince. In 1913, the vessel was sold to Fratelli
Gavarone, of Italy & renamed Giuseppe G. In 1917, the vessel
was sold to Soc. Anon. Ilva, also of Italy. And sold again, in 1918, to Lloyd Mediterraneo Soc. Italiana di Navigation, of Italy. On Jul. 24, 1918, while en
route from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro with a cargo of wheat & oats, an
explosion occurred off Cape Polonio & the vessel sank. Per 1 (Miramar, link,
you now must be registered to access).
Built by Vickers, Sons & Maxim
Ltd. at Barrow for Cayzer, Irvine & Co., of Glasgow. In 1925, the vessel was sold
to Soc. Anon. Cantieri Olivo, of Italy & renamed Ettore. In 1926,
it was sold to Tito Campanella Soc. Anon, also of Italy, & renamed Elisa
Campanella. On Feb. 5, 1932, the vessel arrived at Savona, Italy, to be broken up. Per
1 (Lloyds List,
1907/08),
2 (Miramar, link,
you now must be registered to access).
Built by Friedrich Krupp AG, at the Germania shipyard, Kiel, Germany, for L. Possehl & Co.,
iron ore dealers, of Lübeck. 342.2 ft. long, signal letters PBMR. The ship capsized, in 1913, off Borkum, & they bought
Drumcondra,
a 7 year old turret ship, as replacement.
Thanks Björn Waldenström. I am advised that Lloyds Register refers to this
vessel as being a 'Turret deck' vessel. So it is possible that Narvik
is not the one Doxford design 'turret' said to have been built under licence in
Germany. Can anybody clarify the matter? Have read that the design was developed by Arthur Havers
who was employed by Doxfords in Sunderland. |
Miramar, Plimsoll, images, xplornet, mariners-l.co.uk, Excel DP, MNL, eBay, Delcampe, wrecksite.eu 
_-_SLV_H99.220-379.jpg "'Ganymede', built by Doxfords at Sunderland in 1868. In a Nautical Photo Agency card.")
