SEEWO
Shipbuildervessel built by
DUTHIE
(Footdee, Aberdeen)
Shipownervessel built for
Jardine, Matheson & Co.
(Shipowners, Opium Traders and Merchants, Hong Kong)
Date1880
Object NameSCREW STEAMER
MediumIRON
ClassificationsShip
DimensionsLength: 242.2' x Breadth: 31' x Depth: 17.3'
1059 GRT
1059 GRT
Object numberABDSHIP000576
Keywords
Official Number: 82846
Fate: Wrecked 'Taichow' Islands (Taizhou, Zhejiang?), South China coast, 18 March 1886
Propulsion: Steam
Description: Iron screw steamer, 1 deck and a spar deck
Owners:
1880-86: Indo-China Steam Navigation Company, London, registered at London. (A subsidiary of Jardine, Matheson & Co.)
Masters:
1881-82: Master E. Bendall
1883-85: Master J. Mitchell
General History:
19/01/1882:
The Indochina Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. has been formed, under management of Jardine, Matheson and Co., to acquire from the China Coast S. N. Co. and Yangtse Steamer Co. vessels listed to run steamers on coast and rivers of China and between China, the Straits settlements and Calcutta [...] the new steamer SEEWO will be taken over at valuation of £26,000. Built in Aberdeen, she was despatched to China in February 1881. She was specially built for the southern coast trade that has Hong Kong for its centre.
(The Standard)
04/05/1886:
THE LOSS OF THE SEEWO"—Further details of the loss of the Indo-China Co.'s steamer SEEWO state that she left Shanghai on March 17 for Amoy and Swatow. All went well to Tongting, which was passed at 10.55 P.M., two miles off. At 4 AM. March 18 a dense fog set in, and the engines were stopped to get east of the lead. While this was being done land was sighted, and at 7.30 AM, the ship struck on Shang Rock. The engines were put full speed astern, then stopped to find a place to beach the ship; but the weather being thick, they could not find the land, so stood in again, and the two life-boats were lowered and the passengers put into them with orders to stand by the ship, but the officers had a good deal of trouble in keeping discipline. The water gained rapidly on the pumps, and it was found impossible to keep the ship afloat, and she sank in ten fathoms, and an hour and a half after she struck. The boats than pulled ashore to Taichow island, where the SEEWO's people were kindly treated by the inhabitants. They made signals, which were seen by the C. N. Co.'s steamer SWATOW, which was bound to Tientsin. When they left the island, March 19, the tops of the SEEWO's masts were visible at high water. The SWATOW brought the survivors to the entrance of the Yangtsze, as far as Tungsha Lightship, and then transferred them to the tugboat FOKELIN, which landed them at Shanghai March 21. Seven persons were drowned at the wreck, including the chief compradore, who had $300 on his persan, a Chinese passenger, two tallymen, and the captain's and the mess-room boy. No one on board saved anything from the wreck. Shang Rock is about a mile and a half to the north of Taichow Island.
(London and China Telegraph)
Note:
Engines by Blaikie Bros. Aberdeen, compound inverted, 2 cylinders of 28" and 54" diameter, length of stroke 36", boiler pressure 80lb., 130 NHP.
1841
