TORRIDON
Shipbuildervessel built by
Alexander HALL & Co.
(Footdee, Aberdeen)
Date1885
Object NameCLIPPER
MediumIRON
ClassificationsShip
Dimensionslength 246' x breadth 38' 1" x depth 22'
gross tonnage: 1564 ton
gross tonnage: 1564 ton
Object numberABDSHIP001210
Keywords
Yard Number: 323
Fate: sunk by the German submarine U-34, 30 miles southeast from Ibiza on 27 August 1916.
Propulsion: Sail
Description: Ship rigged clipper, two decks, figurehead of a three-quarter female figure, iron framework.
Owners:
17/07/1885: Registered at Aberdeen for subscribing owners;
George William Nicol, shipowner, 44 shares, John Blaikie Nicol, shipowner, 8 shares, John Webster, advocate, 4 shares, William Shepherd, shipmaster, 4 shares - all Aberdeen. Jane Chalmers or Nicol, of Murtle House, widow, 4 shares.
21/07/1885: 2 shares sold by William Shepherd to Charles Shepherd, manager of the Steam Navigation Company.
13/08/1885: 2 shares sold by George Nicol to Johnston Philip of Broom Lodge, Kintore, brewer.
(Aberdeen Register of Shipping (Aberdeen City Archives))
1906: Sold to A. Milesi fu P. for £4,250, registered Genoa, Italy, Master F. Campodonico.
Masters:
1891-99: Master A. Mearns
1914-15: Master A. Massone.
General History:
Sailed her maiden voyage from Deal, Kent to Syndey in 90 days with Captain Shepherd, late of vessel Romanoff.
05/1885:
Launched by Mrs Nicol of Murtle. Sister ship of YALLAROI which was launched in January 1885. Steel masts, wire rigging and all the most recent improvements, very much above the requirements of her class. Will trade between London and Australia - provided with a saloon which will enable her to carry 8 or 10 passengers. Crew of 30, commanded by Capt. Shepherd. A large and fashionable company of ladies and gentlemen within the yard for the launch followed by a cake and wine banquet in the offices of the owners.
(Aberdeen Journal)
27/06/1885:
'This handsomely modelled iron sailing vessel will leave Aberdeen on her maiden voyage.'
(Aberdeen Journal)
13/05/1893:
LOCH TORRIDON, arrived London 3 April from Melbourne, reports that on Jan. 17 in 52.50S, 48W [between S. Georgia and Falklands, in Southern Ocean] she sighted two large icebergs to eastward, on 19th she passed between numerous immense bergs, ranging in size from 1/4 mile to 3 miles in length and from 500ft. to 1000ft. high. At 3.30 on same date Captain saw an immense continent of ice ahead, with apparently no open water. Passed to the east of this mass for about 50 miles, from aloft, as far as the eye could see, nothing but ice was visible. We threaded our way through numerous large bergs. Besides vast quantities of detached pieces of ice and small bergs.
(Launceston Examiner)
07/09/1896:
In perfect order ship TORRIDON, a notable trader between London and this port, put in an appearance with a general cargo. She is annually loaded here with wool for London. Capt. Mearns reports having left Gravesend 3 June and was towed to Beachy Head with light west winds. Thence to Startlight [Devon] SW winds and landed pilot 9 June. Took light variable winds to the NE trades (picked up at Madeira 15 June and were lost 22 June). Variable winds then to 27 June, when S winds picked up and SE trades on the equator 1 July in Long. 24W [between NW Africa and Brazil]. SE trades proved light and unsatisfactory and were lost 19 July. Variable winds followed to Tristan 2 Aug. No steady winds experienced during rest of passage - distance of 200 miles in 24 hours was only obtained on 11 days during whole voyage.
(Sydney Morning Herald)
23/05/1898:
LOCH TORRIDON left Greenock 3 Feb, when she made a smart run to the equator (1 March) and to Meridian of the Cape (24 March). While running the easting on 42S sensational events were met. 5 April in westerlies terrible squalls, which increased in violence during night. At 7.0a.m. on 6 April in 42S 72E [SW of Ascension Island], John Bell, an able seaman aged about 60 of Glasgow, was suddenly missed after a heavy sea had broken aboard - he had been engaged in clearing running gear on deck. Even if he had been seen in the water, nothing could have been done to rescue him in the gale then raging. An hour later 2 towering volumes of water thundered on deck, burying the ship to the rail. She staggered, stopped and all hands felt she was lost, but in a few moments she seemed to catch a fresh breath of life as she lifted and once more scudded before the hurricane - the 3 large boats were flattened. The apprentices' deck house had burst like a balloon and the donkey house had been gutted.
(Launceston Examiner)
30/05/1903:
LOCH TORRIDON, Capt. Mearns, lay a long time off the London berth at Sydney, but freights are not now so plentiful for sailing vessels. She left Port Pirie [South Australia] 14 May with cargo of ore for Antwerp. Heavy southerly gale struck on 24 May when south of Tasmania. Sea after sea tumbled aboard. Iron bulwarks went like so much paper. Several of the watch were swept off their feet by the seas and one seaman (H. Johnson) was picked up near the cabin entrance in a bad way (fractured collarbone) having been carried right aft by the sea. On 25 May, weather worse than ever, the ship broached to. Waves were taking charge of ship and threatening to send her to the bottom. Eventually we got her off before the wind. Subsequently in mountainous seas vessel again became unmanageable. Captain and two members of crew, while bricing the fore topgallant yard, were washed over the side, but fortunately seiged hold of fore stays. Vessel was towed into Sydney 31 May.
(Sydney Evening News) (and Adelaide Chronicle 06/06/1903)
29/11/1904:
Well known clipper LOCH TORRIDON cleared Sydney Heads yesterday with largest cargo ever despatched in this ship - 7919 bales wool, 1206 casks tallow, 10,426 bags ore, 2000 canned meats, 90,966 feet timber, 26 hogsheads whisky, commanded by Capt. Pattman.
(Sydney Morning Herald)
27/08/1916: TORRIDON (Capt. Antonio Massone), on a voyage from Baltimore to Genoa with a cargo of coal, was sunk by the German submarine U-34 (Claus Rücker), 30 miles southeast from Ibiza. There were no casualties, the crew was picked up by the steamer S.S. CATERINA ACCAME, sailing nearby.
("Lloyd's war Losses: The First World War, casualties to shipping through enemy causes 1914-1918" (Lloyd's of London, 1990) p. 52)
Note:
Contract cost £18,037 (Builder's List in the Lloyd's Library of the Aberdeen Maritime Museum)
TORRIDON had one sistership YALLAROI, renamed SANTA CATERINA, broken up in 1923, after a fire that made her a complete loss in 1921, Genova.
1841
