SALAMIS
Shipbuildervessel built by
Walter Hood & Co.
(Shipbuilder, Footdee, Aberdeen 1839 - 1881)
DateMay 1875
Object NameCLIPPER
MediumIRON
ClassificationsShip
Dimensionslength 212' x breadth 36' x depth 21'
gross tonnage 1079 ton
gross tonnage 1079 ton
Object numberABDSHIP000382
Keywords
Yard number: 67
Official number: 70443
Fate: Blown ashore and wrecked off Malden Island, Kiribati, South Pacific, 20 May 1905 while loading guano intended for Bluff, New Zealand.
Propulsion: Sail
Description: Ship rigged clipper, two decks, three masts, round stern, clencher built, no gallery, billet head, iron framework.
Aberdeen Register of Ships (CE87/11/14) folio 2, continued in Register 6, folio 106.
Owners:
03/06/1875: Registered at Aberdeen for subscribing owners;
William Henderson and Cornelius Thompson, both of Aberdeen and Stephen Thompson of 24 Leadenhall Street, London, all shipowners, joint owners of 40 shares. James Buyers, Aberdeen, shipowner, 4 shares; William Philip, Aberdeen, shipmaster, 8 shares James Walker, Aberdeen, mercantile clerk, 4 shares.
Isaac Merchant, 24 Leadenhall Street, London, shipmaster, 4 shares, Joseph A. Knight, 24 Leadenhall Street, London, shipping clerk, 4 shares.
(Aberdeen Register of Shipping (Aberdeen City Archives))
1898: Owners Actieselskab 'Salamis' (L. Gundersen, managers), Porsgrund, Norway.
Registered at Porsgrund.
Masters:
1876-78: Master W. Philip
1894: Master R. B. B. McKilliam
1902: Master I. Larsen
General History:
Built for Aberdeen White Star Line and managed by George Thomspon & Co.
Built along the same lines as her predecessor THERMOPYLAE, although her spars were reputed to be one foot longer all round. Alhough intended for the same tea routes as THERMOPYLAE she actually made her name as a wool clipper, the tea being carried by steamers by the time she was built.
07/05/1875: Launched. Named by Miss Philip, daughter of the vessel’s captain. During the launch, the bowsprit struck the structure of the covered building berth, bringing down part of the roof and injuring several workers.
Captains Phillips, senior and junior, the first mate and third mates were also sons of Captain Phillips at one time.
27/03/1878:
Prawle Point, 22 March, ship SALAMIS, Phillip, from London for Sydney and landed pilot.
(Aberdeen Weekly Journal)
15/09/1879, 20/11/1879:
Arrived Port Philip Bay 13 September from Foo-Chow, sailed Port Philip Heads (Melbourne) 19 November, for London.
(Bendigo Advertiser, Sydney Morning Herald)
06/02/1882:
London, 3 February - arrived from Melbourne 22 October.
(S. Australian Register)
15/05/1888:
Ordinary seaman George Watson, 18 years, on board ship SALAMIS lying at Williamstown, while engaged in tarring the mizzew mast, fell onto deck from height of about 50ft. Removed to Melbourne Hospital with fractures of thigh, arms and other injuries.
(Melbourne Argus)
24/03/1891:
St. Catherine's Point, SALAMIS, ship, from Melbourne, for London in tow.
(Liverpool Mercury)
19/01/1892:
St. Catherine's Point, Geelong for London.
(Glasgow Herald)
20/01/1892:
London, 18 January - there has been a great deal of betting on race between ship SIMBA which sailed from Sydney 24 October, and SALAMIS which left Geelowe 30 October (the wool fleet). SIMBA has reached London first, SALAMIS is in the downs.
(S. Australian Register)
10/01/1894:
Salamis reached London after passage of 77 days, having left Melbourne 19 October. She cleared the heads in company with Loch Katrine and Loch Tay and Avenger had left for London a week before. None of these arrived before Salamis.
(Adelaide Advertiser)
23/08/1895:
SALAMIS, still under command of Captain McKilliam, has arrived Melbourne, having left London 30 May, after landing pilot at start point, June. She had short stretch of WSW winds but soon ran into NNE, which lasted until 19 June, when she fell in with South East Trades in latitude 7 degrees North. Crossing equator on 23 June, she was soon beset by heavy SE gale, which continued for 5 days. Meridan of Cape of Good Hope was passed 18 July and in running down her easting NW, W, SW winds. Later on Salamis had a second opportunity of displaying her ability to successfully cope with hurricane weather, on 2 August. A storm from West blew with great fury for several days, violent squalls and prodigious seas contributing to general unpleasantness of the situation, decks were almost continually under water, but SALAMIS acted splendidly throughout and emerged from the ordeal relatively uninjured.
(Newcastle Morning Herald)
01/04/1897:
SALAMIS, ship, at London from Melbourne, Master McKilliam.
(Aberdeen Weekly Journal)
05/07/1897:
SALAMIS, McKilliam, off Beachy Head, London for Newcastle, N.S.W., 7 June.
(Aberdeen Weekly Journal)
25/01/1898:
SALAMIS at London from Newcastle, N.S.W., 20 January.
(Aberdeen Weekly Journal)
29/04/1898:
The well known iron clipper ship SALAMIS, lying in London and owned by Messrs. George Thompson & Co., Aberdeen, has been sold for sum of £3000. She was built Aberdeen 1875.
(Glasgow Herald)
25/04/1953:
The Salamis Story - SALAMIS was in her lifetime rated fastest row sailing ship. This beautiful clipper was intended to follow traditional clipper route - outward to Melbourne with general cargo, across Pacific with coal to China and home with first teas of the season. However, soon the first teas were taken by steamers and Salamis had to make her name as a colonial clipper. She enjoyed a long and popular career in the Melbourne wool trade. On May 20 1905, she was wrecked on Malden Island in the South Pacific,
(Newcastle Morning Herald)
Note: Converted to barque rig by 1898.
See also: History (CS): - http://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?year_built=&builder=&ref=56886&vessel=SALAMIS
Merchant Fleets, Aberdeen Line, Savill & Haws ISBN 0 946378 14 2
“The Aberdeen Line”, Peter H. King. ISBN 978 0 7509 781 4. History of voyages, pp.103-7.
