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White Wings Vol I. Fifty Years Of Sail In The New Zealand Trade, 1850 TO 1900

Two Sister Ships

page 122

Two Sister Ships.

the Timaru and Oamaru—Popular with Emigrants.

The Timaru.

When the two ships Timaru and Oamaru were being built for Patrick Henderson it was his Intention to name them Scotia and Albion, but just before they were launched in 1874, the names were changed. The tonnage of the two ships was just about 1300, and both were built by Scott, of Greenock in 1874; the Oamaru being launched in October, and the Timaru in December. the Timaru was a flyer, and accomplished some very fast runs out and
the Timaru Under Patrick Henderson's Flag.

the Timaru Under Patrick Henderson's Flag.

Home She made three passages to Dunedin under Captain Fullerton in 74, 78, and 79 days, port to port, or 72, 73, and 74 days land to land. Captain Taylor was in command from 1877 until 1880, and he brought the Timaru out to Dunedin in 79, 85, 85, or 88 days port to port; and 76, 81, 80, or 84 land to land. On one of these passages (1879) the ship, whilst running her easting down averaged 270 miles a day for 17 days. Captain Taylor on two occasions was reported in the Channel after a run of 68 and 72 days. These passages were made in 1878 and in 1880 from Port Chalmers.

the Timaru was built and fitted up expressly for carrying passengers, and would frequently land from 400 to 500 at Dunedin from Scotland.

Captain Taylor, writes Mr. Basil Lub-bock, "was rather fond of sending bottles adrift, a common practice in the old days, and he was lucky enough to have two picked up in five years. One which he threw over in 12 N. in the Atlantic, was picked up in the Gulf of Guinea; and the other, thrown over just east of the Cape Meridian, was washed up on the beach in Western Australia."

Bad Weather.

the Timaru fared better than the Oamaru in avoiding heavy gales; but on one occasion, in 1880, when outward bound under command of Captain Taylor, she encountered a furious hurricane in latitude 14 N., longitude 27deg. 30min. West. This commenced on September 1, and blew with great force. The vessel was hove to on the starboard tack and shipped immense quantities of water. The gale lasted for twenty hours, and was followed by terrific seas which broke on board and stove in the booby hatch, besides doing other serious damage on deck. Afterpage 123 passing the Cape the Timaru, on October 12, struck another furious gale from the S.E., accompanied by a fearful sea. It lasted for three days. On October 26, still another gale was encountered with a dangerous sea. Heavy seas broke on board, smashing the passengers' latrines, ship's gig, and topgallant bulwarks, besides doing other serious damage. The ship passed Tasmania on November 3, and met with strong southerly gales all the way to the Snares, which was sighted on November 9.

When Patrick Henderson amalgamated with the Shaw, Savill Company the Timaru and Oamaru came out with painted ports and flying the Shaw, Savill flag.

When at anchor in Auckland on the 21st September, 1892, a fire broke out on the Timaru. The ship had fortunately discharged her inward cargo, and with the exception of 1000 casks of cement she was in ballast. The fire originated in the frozen meat chamber, starting in the charcoal insulator, thence spreading to the casks of cement. A bucket brigade was formed, and water poured down into the hold through a hole cut in the decking of the oil room. Steam was got up from the donkey engine, and, assisted by the ship's portable fire engine, a good head of water was soon playing on the fire. For over three hours all hands were working as if their lives depended on getting the fire under. The pig-iron ballast prevented the deck underneath the burning casks from catching fire, but one-half of the cement was rendered useless by fire and water. All hands worked vigorously for eight hours, when the fire was extinguished. The damage was considerable.

Captain Fullerton's theory regarding the outbreak was that the fire owed its origin to spontaneous combustion of oil and charcoal. The oil, it was believed, had found its way down through un-caulked seams or penetrated the wood of the decking into the charcoal insulator, which is a chamber of charcoal about 12in in thickness, immediately under the deck surrounding the whole of the space where frozen meat had been stored. It was stated that oil rags had been known to ignite charcoal before.

the Timaru, some years after being sold to Norway, was wrecked on a voyage from Flushing to Christiania. She stranded at Fjaltring on February 22, 1907. The masts went over the side immediately after she struck the ground, and the vessel then drifted along the coast, and soon broke up. A crew of about twenty were drowned, and a valuable cargo was lost.

Here follow the records of the Timaru's outward passages:—

To Auckland.
Sailed. Arrived. Captain. Days.
Dec. 17, '91 Mar. 26, '92 Fullerton 98
To Wellington.
Apr. 23 July 26, '83 Fullerton 94
Aug. 5 Nov. 19, 86 Fullerton 106
To Lyttelton.
* Apr. 6, 96 Renaut
To Port Chalmers.
Jan. 5 May 6, '75 Rankin
Oct. 20, '76 Taylor 79
June 13 Sep 5, '77 Taylor 85
Aug. 8 Nov. 6, 78 Taylor 85
July 31 Oct. 19, '79 Taylor 79
Aug. 14 Nov. 11, '80 Taylor 88
July 22 Oct. 29, '81 Fullerton 96
April 20 July 3, '82 Fullerton 74
Land to land 72
April 14 July 1, '84 Fullerton 78
Land to land 74
June 23 Sep. 10, '85 Fullerton 79
Land to land 73
Dec. 18, '90 Mar. 20, '91 Fullerton 87
To Bluff.
Jan. 5 Apr. 20, '75 Rankin 105
Sep. 7 Dec. 14, '98 Culbert 98
*

There was another ship of the same name, a vessel of 883 tons, trading to New Zealand from 1864 until 1870. She made one voyage to Auckland, arriving on December 8, 1870. The same ship, under Captain Langlands and Captain Buchan, made five visits to Port Chalmers, arriving on October 1, 1865; November 25,1866; December 1, 1867; November 15, 1868; and November 18, 1869. With one exception all the passages occupied over 100 days.

* Via Bluff.

Via Otago Heads.

page 124

The Oamaru.

Made 24 Round Voyages.

the Oamaru was a handsome, fairly fast, and most comfortable iron ship. She made no less than 24 complete voyages to New Zealand and Home again, landing hundreds of immigrants at all the principal ports. Her best performance was in 1875 on her maiden voyage to Dunedin, when she ran out from London in 78 days, anchorage to anchorage; and her next best passage was from London to Auckland, winch was accomplished in 80 days in 1887.

During the many voyages out and
The Oamaru.

The Oamaru.

home she did not escape the severe gales so frequently met with in the Southern Ocean. Probably her worst experience was in 1898 on her passage to Wellington. On this occasion the Oamaru sailed from Liverpool on July 30th, in command of Captain Fullerton. All went well until she rounded the Cape of Good Hope, when she encountered a series of gales which, on October 4th, increased to a cyclone, blowing with intense fury, and forcing the ship to heave-to on the port tack for forty hours. The sea at the same time was running very viciously, especially to leeward, and as the vessel's head came up she smashed in the weather lifeboat, also some of the topgallant bulwarks, broke the fastenings of the lower bulwarks to leeward amidships, and almost washed out the topgallant forecastle. After this she met with a succession of gales until October 25th, when it was blowing "feather white."

Succession of Gales.

During the height of this storm this ship carried away several of her forecastle rails and mizzen stay, and did other damage. Luckily the Oamaru was a vessel that lay-to easily. After the gale moderated she had light variable winds all round the compass, which continued until November 3rd. On that day she passed the Snares; thence she had light northerly winds until breasting Banks Peninsula on November 7th. When off the Kaikouras on November 12th, she encountered another heavy gale, with a heavy south-east sea, which compelled her to stand off shore, and finally heave-to for thirty-six hours; the weather then moderating allowed the ship to stand in for the land again, but when about ten miles distant from Pencarrow Head another strong northerly gale set in, which sent the ship away off the land, and kept her there until November 19th. On the morning of that day, when close in to Flaxburn, a southerly wind was taken, and this carried her up to Wellington Harbour—arriving there on 19th November.

page 125

During the passage from the Cape of Good Hope to the Snares the ship was compelled to heave-to some six or seven times, owing to the prevalence of very severe northerly gales.

Bad Buffeting.

On a previous passage to Wellington, in 1894, the Oamaru also had a bad buffeting. Shortly after passing the Cape she was driven before a heavy N.N.W. gale, when she pooped mountainous seas, which did considerable damage. Big seas constantly broke over the ship, carrying away lifeboats, rails, and most things movable on deck. Apart from this mishap she had a good run to the coast. She was off Akaroa on the 11th August, passed Cape Campbell
Captain Maxwell.

Captain Maxwell.

on the 15th, and arrived in port on the 18th, having had to fight against light and moderate head winds for seven days.

In 1893 the Oamaru experienced another very rough passage when bound for Lyttelton. She left London on October 12th, and immediately upon getting to sea encountered a south-west gale, which compelled Captain Wright to put into Torbay. She started again and landed the pilot off the Start. When off Falmouth another westerly gale drove the ship back to the Start, and she again took shelter in Torbay, where she remained until the 20th. Fairly good weather ensued until November 20th, when the ship had further bad luck.

But the heaviest gale was met with after passing the Cape, when off Kerguelen Island, on December 21st. The barometer in four hours fell three-tenths, and later in the day fell to 28.2. The wind was of hurricane force, with tremendous seas, which broke aboard, stripping off the bulwarks, carrying away sails, smashing most of the boats, and drowning a number of valuable stud sheep. From that point right up to the Snares wretched weather continued; heavy gales with rain and sleet being almost incessant.

the Oamaru in 1905 was sold and renamed the Fox, and rigged as a barque. She was eventually abandoned at sea, timber-laden, off Pensacola, U.S.A.

On the voyage to the Bluff in 1878 the Oamaru encountered very severe gales the day after her departure, and they continued for eight days, during which the ship made but little progress.

During the voyage to Lyttelton in 1883 the Oamaru once more struck heavy gales in the Channel, and put into Torbay for shelter. On December 12, when off Kergulensland, she encountered another very fierce gale, during which the sheep pens were washed away, the topgallant bulwarks carried away, the port lifeboat and pinnace smashed, and the deck flooded. One of the passengers was knocked down and severely injured.

Here follow the records of the Oamaru's passages outwards:—

To Auckland.
Sailed. Arrived. Captain. Days.
Aug. 19 Nov. 23, '84 Maxwell 96
Feb. 4 Apr. 25, '87 Maxwell 80
Jan. 28 May 6, '88 Maxwell 98
Oct. 3, '90 Jan. 15, '91 Thomas 104
To Wellington.
Feb. 3 May 7, '86 Maxwell 93
Oct. 26, '89 Jan. 20, '90 Moffat 85
Jan. 19, '92 Thomas 105
May 11 Aug. 18, '94 Fullerton 99
Aug. 10 Sep. 14, '95 Fullerton 95
July 30 Nov. 19, '98 Fullerton 112
To Lyttelton.
Oct. 11, '83 Jan. 12, '84 Wright 93
page 126
To Port Chalmers.
Sailed. Arrived. Captain. Days.
Nov. 30, '74 Feb. 17, '75 Stuart 78
Sep. 25 Dec. 17, '76 Hood 84
*Oct. 25, '77 Jan. 13, '78 Stuart 83
Oct. 12, '78 Jan. 10, '79 Stuart 90
Dec. 11, '79 Mar. 29, '80 Stuart 108
Dec. 1, '80 Feb. 27, '81 Wright 89
Land to land 71
Oct. 29, '81 Jan. 25, '82 Wright 87
Nov. 6, '82 Jan. 29, '83 Wright 83
Land to land 75
Nov. 15, '88 Mar. 6, '89 Boorman 110
April 1 July 15, '93 Thomas 105
To Port Chalmers.
Sailed. Arrived. Captain. Days.
May 28 Sep. 9, '96 Fullerton 103
May 20 Sep. 5, '97 Fullerton 105
July 13 Oct. 22, '99 Fullerton 94
July 16 Nov. 2, '00 Fullerton 110
To Bluff.
Oct. 25, '77 Jan. 13, '78 Stuart 79
*

* From Glasgow, via Bluff.