The Colonial Clippers

The old Loch Torridon survived until 1915, when she foundered near the entrance to the Channel in the last days of January, and it is possible that a German submarine caused her end. Her Russian crew were rescued by the British steamer Orduna, and the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society awarded medals and certificates of thanks to Captain Taylor of the Orduna and her chief and second officers.

“Port Jackson.”

Port Jackson has always been considered one of the most beautiful iron ships ever built. She was designed by Mr. Alexander Duthie, and built by Hall under the supervision of the Duthie brothers; cost £29,000 to build or at the rate of £13 a ton; was unusually strong and in every way made as perfect as possible. She was one of the most sightly four-mast barques ever launched. Captain Crombie was her first commander, and under him she did some very fine performances, notably a run of 39 days from Sydney to San Francisco, when she was only three days behind the time of the mail steamer. Her best run in the 24 hours was 345 miles. Unfortunately, when Captain Crombie left her, for some years no one attempted to bring out Port Jackson’s sailing qualities, and for two years before she was bought by Devitt & Moore for their cadet training scheme she lay idle in the Thames. After long years of cadet carrying Port Jackson fell a victim to the war, being torpedoed by a German submarine in the Channel in 1916.

Notes on Passages to Australia in 1882.

Port Jackson holds the record of being the first four-poster to go out to Sydney in under 80 days. Her best run was 345 miles in the 24 hours. The Rodney’s best run was 312 miles, made the day before she sighted the Otway.

Ben Voirlich averaged 300 miles a day from Gough Island to Kerguelen.

Salamis crossed the Cape meridian the same day as the steamship Aberdeen, and the steamer only managed to get inside the Heads on 14th May, a bare 70 hours ahead of the gallant little green clipper.

The Simla was a fine Liverpool ship with a good reputation for speed. She registered 1260 tons and was built by Royden in 1874. For a change there were no Lochs out to the Colonies in under 80 days this year, and Messrs. Aitken & Lilburn had sent their new four-masters to Calcutta.

Notes on Passages to Australia in 1883.

The Maulesden, which figured in these tables in 1877, was a 1500-ton ship, built by Stephen, of Dundee, for David Bruce. She and her sister ship, the Duntrune, were very well known clippers with some very fine records to their credit. But this passage of Maulesden’s to Maryborough, Queensland, made a record which has never been approached. It will be noticed that she crossed the line 17 days out, doubled the Cape 39 days out, and passed Tasmania 61 days out, a truly phenomenal passage. Running the easting down, she made 24-hour runs of 302, 303, 304, 311, 317, 322 and 335 miles, whilst her best weeks were 1698, 1798, 1908 and 1929 miles. From Maryborough she went across to Frisco, and from there to U.K., calling at Queenstown; and the whole voyage, including detention in port, was only 9 months 13 days. I have a photograph of her, and she is a typical iron clipper very like the Ben Voirlich.

I have put all the passages together this year; of the ships bound to Sydney, only the Candida rounded Tasmania, the skippers generally preferring the shorter route through Bass Straits.

A notable return this year to the Australian trade is the wonderful little Cutty Sark, commanded by Captain Moore, this was her first passage to Newcastle, and I believe she was one of the first ships to load wool at Newcastle. In future we shall see her somewhere near the top of every table.

The Samuel Plimsoll did well to the south’ard again, averaging 278 miles for 13 consecutive days, her best day’s work being 337 miles.

The little Salamis made her second appearance in Port Jackson. She arrived on the same day as her composite sister, Thermopylae. Thermopylae, however, had a terrible passage, the worst of her career, being actually 107 days from the Start. Held up by continual gales, she did not cross the equator until her 45th day out, 8th March, the day Salamis passed the Cape Verde. She crossed the Cape meridian on 7th April, six days before Salamis, and passed the Otway on 5th May, only one day ahead of Salamis, so Salamis had been closing steadily on her the whole passage.

Dharwar arrived with 414 emigrants, and had measles and fever on board so had to go into quarantine.

The Candida hailed from Liverpool, a 1200-ton iron clipper. She brought out 35 passengers and a general cargo from London.

Mermerus had now made 12 consecutive passages to Melbourne, averaging 78 days. Her best runs this passage were 311 and 314 miles.

Ben Cruachan and Ben Voirlich made passages of 85 and 87 days respectively. Ben Cruachan certainly must have been severely handicapped by a foul bottom, as I find this was the third voyage since she had been docked!

The “Derwent.”

The Derwent was a very up-to-date ship, with numerous innovations. She was built to the specification of Captain Andrew, her first commander, and he overlooked her construction with an eagle eye. Derwent was one of the first ships to cross steel topgallant yards, substitute rigging screws for deadeyes, to have a donkey with winch barrels, etc.