A four-masted barque, built in 1895 for Brown & Corblett of Le Havre.
Displacement 2401 tons.
This vessel was wrecked on March 13, 1908.
Log Book December 1981
New Caledonia SG99/101 123 126/7 132/6 P137/9. New Hebrides F5 F10. Wallis & Fortuna Is 15/17 28 33/4 38/42 323 595
President Felix Faure
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john sefton
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President Felix Faure
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aukepalmhof
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Re: President Felix Faure
This four-masted steel barque was built by Chantiers de La Mèditerranèe, Le Havre for account of Cie Havraise de Navigation & Voiles (C. Brown & E.Corblet mgrs.), Le Havre.
03 Feb. 1896, launched under the name PRÈSIDENT FÈLIX FAURE.
Tonnage 2.860 gross, 2.410 net., dim. 311.6 x 45.4 x 24.9ft.
Mr Brown one of the shareholders had been master on American sailing vessels, and rigged the four master PRÈSIDENT FÈLIX FAURE in the American fashion, with skysails.
She was trading between Europe and New Caledonia in the Pacific from her maiden voyage till her end.
02 Feb. 1898, she was swept from stem to stern by a tremendous sea off the Kerguelen Islands, and 15 men were washed overboard and never seen again. There were not enough crew left on board to launch a boat, had it been possible to rescue the crew. She sailed on to Port Adelaide, Australia, arriving there after a passage of 131 days.
She was a good sailer and one of her fastest voyages was in 1903 when on an outward voyage from Le Havre to New Caledonia she made the passage in 79 days.
13 March 1908, she was totally wrecked on the North Cape, Main Island, Antipodes Islands, and her crew of 22 all told, being saved.
From the statement of Capt. Noèl given on arrival at Lyttelton, New Zealand comes the following:
When why left from Puembout, New Caledonia, with a cargo of nickel ore, why encountered bad weather, which continued nearly all the time. I intended to pass north of New Zealand but strong winds drove the barque south.
On 13 March the weather was exceptionally bad. I found that the vessel was from seven to ten miles south of the Antipodes. In the afternoon through fog and thick weather, I suddenly saw breakers on the starboard side. The barque was kept up to the wind and was driven to the north of the island. Breakers were seen everywhere. I tried to wear the ship, and cleared the first cape, but did not succeed in clearing the second, and the ship struck on the rocks, with cliffs rising to a height of about 800 feet, sheer out of the water.
The lifeboat was provisioned and all hands embarked. The breakers were running high and all the men were thrown into the water, but fortunately all hands landed without mishap. The boat was smashed to pieces, and all the stores and everything the men possessed, except what they stood up in, were lost. Some of the men ascended the hill, which was in front of them, and on the other side, in a hollow, they were overjoyed to see a hut, which was found to be the provision depot established by the New Zealand Government. All the men reached the hut the same evening, but they found that accommodation was not on a liberal scale. By standing up they were able to squeeze themselves in, and that was how they spent their first night on the island.
With dawn next day all men roamed about. Matches were obtained and a fire lighted. The food in the hut was taken out and apportioned. The tinned meat was soon consumed and the other provisions vanished very quickly before the hungry men. It was not long before they had to seek other articles of food. These were found in the birds on the island. The albatrosses came first, and there was no difficulty in killing the birds. After the albatrosses came the penguins. Their numbers were countless and the food supplies they offered were unlimited. The men also collected shellfish, but these were though and leathery. The root of a low-growing plant, which grows on the island, was dug up and prepared, but it was found to be innutritious. The men, therefore, had to keep mainly to the birds for their principal supplies of food. On one occasion the tracks of cattle were found. They came across a calf, and this was eaten. It was a large animal at the time of the wreck and it afforded splendid beef. The bull and cow placed on the island some time previously by the New Zealand Government steamer HINEMOA had died, and their skeletons were found. The skin of the calf was used for mending the men's boots. On a few occasions some of the parakeets on the island were killed and eaten.
The cold winds and general bleakness of the climate were the most dreaded enemies. Clothing was scare, and there were only a few blankets, to keep the men warm at night. A fire was kept alight for a long time, but much difficulty was experienced in obtaining dry wood for fuel, and after a time it was allowed to go out, being lighted again by the supply of matches.
It was about 11 am on 12 May 1908 when HMS PEGASUS came in sight. The fire had been kept alight all night, and the smoke was seen by those on board the warship. The wrecked sailors saw HMS PEGASUS in the distance, evidently bearing down upon the island. The men thought the ship was going away, and there was bitter disappointment. The warship came closer; a boat was lowered, and passed through the breakers, with some difficulty. The shipwrecked crew were taken on board HMS PEGASUS and arrived at Lyttelton on 15 May 1908 then taken to Sydney, from where they returned to France.
Sources: The Bounty Ships of France by Alan Villiers & Henri Picard. New Zealand Shipwrecks by C.W.N. Ingram.
03 Feb. 1896, launched under the name PRÈSIDENT FÈLIX FAURE.
Tonnage 2.860 gross, 2.410 net., dim. 311.6 x 45.4 x 24.9ft.
Mr Brown one of the shareholders had been master on American sailing vessels, and rigged the four master PRÈSIDENT FÈLIX FAURE in the American fashion, with skysails.
She was trading between Europe and New Caledonia in the Pacific from her maiden voyage till her end.
02 Feb. 1898, she was swept from stem to stern by a tremendous sea off the Kerguelen Islands, and 15 men were washed overboard and never seen again. There were not enough crew left on board to launch a boat, had it been possible to rescue the crew. She sailed on to Port Adelaide, Australia, arriving there after a passage of 131 days.
She was a good sailer and one of her fastest voyages was in 1903 when on an outward voyage from Le Havre to New Caledonia she made the passage in 79 days.
13 March 1908, she was totally wrecked on the North Cape, Main Island, Antipodes Islands, and her crew of 22 all told, being saved.
From the statement of Capt. Noèl given on arrival at Lyttelton, New Zealand comes the following:
When why left from Puembout, New Caledonia, with a cargo of nickel ore, why encountered bad weather, which continued nearly all the time. I intended to pass north of New Zealand but strong winds drove the barque south.
On 13 March the weather was exceptionally bad. I found that the vessel was from seven to ten miles south of the Antipodes. In the afternoon through fog and thick weather, I suddenly saw breakers on the starboard side. The barque was kept up to the wind and was driven to the north of the island. Breakers were seen everywhere. I tried to wear the ship, and cleared the first cape, but did not succeed in clearing the second, and the ship struck on the rocks, with cliffs rising to a height of about 800 feet, sheer out of the water.
The lifeboat was provisioned and all hands embarked. The breakers were running high and all the men were thrown into the water, but fortunately all hands landed without mishap. The boat was smashed to pieces, and all the stores and everything the men possessed, except what they stood up in, were lost. Some of the men ascended the hill, which was in front of them, and on the other side, in a hollow, they were overjoyed to see a hut, which was found to be the provision depot established by the New Zealand Government. All the men reached the hut the same evening, but they found that accommodation was not on a liberal scale. By standing up they were able to squeeze themselves in, and that was how they spent their first night on the island.
With dawn next day all men roamed about. Matches were obtained and a fire lighted. The food in the hut was taken out and apportioned. The tinned meat was soon consumed and the other provisions vanished very quickly before the hungry men. It was not long before they had to seek other articles of food. These were found in the birds on the island. The albatrosses came first, and there was no difficulty in killing the birds. After the albatrosses came the penguins. Their numbers were countless and the food supplies they offered were unlimited. The men also collected shellfish, but these were though and leathery. The root of a low-growing plant, which grows on the island, was dug up and prepared, but it was found to be innutritious. The men, therefore, had to keep mainly to the birds for their principal supplies of food. On one occasion the tracks of cattle were found. They came across a calf, and this was eaten. It was a large animal at the time of the wreck and it afforded splendid beef. The bull and cow placed on the island some time previously by the New Zealand Government steamer HINEMOA had died, and their skeletons were found. The skin of the calf was used for mending the men's boots. On a few occasions some of the parakeets on the island were killed and eaten.
The cold winds and general bleakness of the climate were the most dreaded enemies. Clothing was scare, and there were only a few blankets, to keep the men warm at night. A fire was kept alight for a long time, but much difficulty was experienced in obtaining dry wood for fuel, and after a time it was allowed to go out, being lighted again by the supply of matches.
It was about 11 am on 12 May 1908 when HMS PEGASUS came in sight. The fire had been kept alight all night, and the smoke was seen by those on board the warship. The wrecked sailors saw HMS PEGASUS in the distance, evidently bearing down upon the island. The men thought the ship was going away, and there was bitter disappointment. The warship came closer; a boat was lowered, and passed through the breakers, with some difficulty. The shipwrecked crew were taken on board HMS PEGASUS and arrived at Lyttelton on 15 May 1908 then taken to Sydney, from where they returned to France.
Sources: The Bounty Ships of France by Alan Villiers & Henri Picard. New Zealand Shipwrecks by C.W.N. Ingram.