CLONMEL

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aukepalmhof
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Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

CLONMEL

Post by aukepalmhof » Wed Oct 11, 2017 7:21 pm

The paddle steamer CLONMEL was arguably the first luxury steamship to operate in Australian waters and a stark contrast to its slow and uncomfortable predecessors. The CLONMEL departed Sydney on only its second voyage in December 1840, with 80 passengers and crew. On 1 January 1841, the CLONMEL struck a sandbar on the east coast of Victoria. All on board were saved, though the highly valuable cargo of bank notes and expensive drapery had been thrown overboard in a desperate attempt to save the ship. The wreck is the oldest located steamship wreck in Australia and an important archaeological site. The shipwrecks event also helped to draw attention to an alternate access route to the rich grazing land now known as Gippsland.
The painting of the CLONMELis by maritime artist Ian Hansen. The crystal decanter and stoppers, which symbolise the luxurious nature of the ship, are part of the Heritage Victoria collection.
https://australiapostcollectables.com.a ... shipwrecks

Built as a wooden hulled paddle steamer in Birkenhead, U.K. (can’t find a yard) for The Waterford Steamship Company, Ierland
1836 Delivered to owners under the name CLONMEL.
Tonnage 524 gross, 298 net, dim. 154,8 x 21.5 x 16.6 ft.
Powered by a 220 hp steam engine manufactured by George Forrester and Co., Liverpool, speed maximum 10 knots under steam. Coal consumption 610 kg a hour.
Accommodation for 36 passengers.
Two masted top-sail schooner.
Built for the ferry service between Liverpool and Waterford across the Irish Sea.

1840 Sold to Edye Manning & partners, Sydney.
She sailed from the U,K to Australia under sail, the passage took her almost 5 months.
05 October 1840 arrived in Sydney.
Early December 1840 she made her first voyage in the service from Sydney to Melbourne and Launceston. She was not so lucky on her second voyage in the service from Sydney she was lost without loss of life.

The newspaper “The Perth Gazette and Western Australia Journal of 20 February 1841 have the following on the wrecking of the CLONMEL.
Source: Various websites.
LOSS OF THE CLONMEL.
The following account of the loss of the steam-ship CLONMEL, we have taken from the Sydney Herald dated 20th January copied into that journal from the Port Phillip Herald. This was the first steamer established to open a communication be-tween Sydney and Port Phillip, and the expectations of its usefulness in increasing the traffic between the two ports, has been thus early blighted. It is regarded as a national loss, and a most previous calamity
A narrative of the occurrence is thus given by Mr. D. C. Simpson, one of the passengers, who, it is stated, exhibit the most heroic conduct, and is reported to be the principal sufferer both in purse and person :-
On Wednesday afternoon, the 30th Dec. 1840 I embarked on board the steam-ship CLONMEL, Lt. Tollervey, commander, bound from Sydney to Port Phillip. The passengers and crew consisted of 75 individuals. At four p. m., rounded the south head of Port Jackson ; wind from the southward, blow-ing fresh. Next morning, 31st, found us Jarvis's bay; wind still adverse with a strong head sea, the vessel progressing at an average of seven knots an hour. At daylight the first of January, Cape How bore W.S.W. of us; in the course of the morning sighted Ram Head, and took a fresh departure steering for Wilson's Promontory. The wind was now fair with smooth sea, and our course S.W. W.; the wind and weather continued favourable during the day and night. A little after three a. m., of 2d Jan., all the passengers were startled by the ship striking heavily. On reaching the deck I discovered breakers a-head ; the captain, who had been on deck during the whole of the middle watch, giving orders to back a-stern, and doing all in his power to rescue the ship from her perilous situation. Finding that the engines were of no avail in backing her off the bank on which we now found she had struck, orders were given to throw overboard cargo, &c., to lighten her, but without the desired effect, the vessel still surging higher upon the reef. The anchors were then let go, when, after a few more bumps, she swung head to wind, taking the ground with her stern, and bedding herself, with the fall of the tide upon the sand, rolling hard and striking occasionally. During the whole of this trying scene the most exemplary conduct was shown by the crew in obeying the orders of the captain and officers. Daylight had now made its appearance, and we found ourselves on shore on a sand spit at the entrance of Corner Inlet, about half a mile from the beach, between which and the vessel a heavy surf was rolling. It is necessary here to remark, that the course steered and the distance run, would not have warranted any person in believing us so near the shore, as we actually found ourselves. The sea was smooth, the wind fair, and the vessel going at the rate of at least ten knots an hour, and it was impossible for any navigator to have calculated upon such an inlet carrying a vessel, under the circumstances above alluded to, 30 or 30 miles to leeward out of her course, in eighteen hours. Capt. Tollervey's conduct had hitherto been that of a careful and watchful commander; he was on deck during the whole of the middle watch, which he himself kept, anxiously on the lookout and was on the paddle-box at the time the vessel struck, but the night proving misty, nothing could be seen beyond the length of the vessel. Had it pleased Providence to have retarded our voyage by half an hour, the calamitous event would have been avoided; but it was otherwise ordained.
Capt. T., on finding all attempts to get the vessel off by running kedges and warps out, throwing overboard cargo, &c., unavailing, and a strong sea rising with the floodtide, turned his attention to the safety of the passengers and crew. After several trips by the whale-boats first, and assisted by the quarter boats afterwards, every soul was landed in safety by 2 p.m., the captain being the last to leave the vessel. A sufficiency of sails, awnings, and lumber was brought on shore to rig out tents for all hands; and everybody set to work to make an encampment; in a short time the ladies and females were comfortably housed, having beds placed for them in a weather proof tent; the male passengers and crew were equally accommodated by means of spare sails and awnings brought from the ship, and we found ourselves at sundown as well provided for as we under the circumstances could desire.
A boat was prepared to be dispatched to Melbourne for relief, a crew of five men instantly volunteered ; Mr. Simson, who headed the party, and another passenger, joined in the undertaking, and with much difficulty, after being out in a whale-boat 63 hours, attained their object.
'The cutters SISTERS and WILL WATCH sailed for the wreck with all possible dispatch, but the result of the humane efforts of the captains of these vessels, has not transpired, but as the passengers and crew were safely landed, and were supplied with at least 10 days provisions, no apprehensions are entertained for their safety.
Among the passengers were Mr. and Mrs. Walker, (Mrs. W. is .the daughter of Mr. Blaxland, M.L.C., and the present is the second shipwreck she has suffered) ; Mr. Goodwin, of the firm of Hamilton & Goodwin of this town, to whom one half of the cargo belonged ; Mr. Robinson, of the Union Bank, having in his charge 3,000l. of the Bank's notes received at Sydney.
The whole has been lost, and is supposed to have been stolen - the Bank of course will sustain the loss; Mr. and Mrs. Cashmore, newly married, and bringing a large quantity of goods for the new establishment intended to be immediately opened at the corner of Collins and Elizabeth streets. There were on board 300 tons of coals and 200 tons general cargo. At the time Mr. Simpson left, her false keel and part of the sheathing was floating about the vessel, but she was not making any water, and he is of opinion that should the weather continue moderate, she would be got off.
When she first struck, her rate of speed was upwards of 10 miles an hour. We are sorry to have to add that the fire-men, and some others, acted in a most disgraceful manner.

Australia 2017 $1 sg?, scott?
Attachments
Clonmel.jpg
2017 clonmel_jpg.jpg

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