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Cassiope | Official Number
70979 |
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Cassiope | Official Number
70979 |
The Cassiope was an iron ship built in July 1875 by the Whitehaven Ship Building Company.
The Cumberland Pacquet and Ware's Whitehaven Advertiser, 6th
July,
1875, page 2;
" SHIPLAUNCH AT WHITEHAVEN - On Saturday last No.18 on the
books of the Whitehaven Shipbuilding Company was launched from the
company's
premises, the christening ceremony being performed by Mrs.Heap,
daughter
of Mr.Joseph Heap, of the firm of Messrs.Heap and Sons, Liverpool, for
whom the vessel has been built. This latest edition to the fast
increasing
fleet of iron ships launched at Whitehaven is named the Cassiope.
Her dimensions, &c., are :- Length, 240 feet; moulded breadth, 39
3/4
feet; depth, 24 feet; register tonnage, about 1,550 tons. She is
classed
in the double A class at Lloyd's, and is as fine specimen of a sailing
ship - combining strength with carrying capacity - as has been turned
out
by the same builders. After leaving the ways the Cassiope was
taken
in tow by the Prince of Wales, and berthed alongside the Sugar
Tongue,
where she will be 'finished'and then leave for the Mersey. From
Liverpool
she will proceed to Melbourne with general cargo, thence to Calcutta
with
horses, and home with grain. The Cassiope is sister ship to the
Parthenope,
which was built for the same owners, and which left Liverpool about a
month
ago."
The Argus, Monday, 5th March 1883, page 4;
Shipping Lists
Cassiope arrived 5 / 3 / 1883 - schooner 1559 tons
Captain - William Wither sailed from Calcutta on 31st Dec.
1882
Passengers -: Cabins - Mrs. Wither, Miss Wither, Mrs. Hodges,
Misses Minnie & Loretta Hodges, and three in steerage.
Jas. Henty & Co. - Agents
Cargo - 1778 chts., 6430 half chts., 141
quarter chts., 111 boxes, 9502 bags rice, 1200 bls. Wool
pack,
500 bls. Corn sacks, 303 bls. Gunnies,
332
bls. Potato bags, 269 bags coir yams, 109 bls. Fibre, 325 bls. Jute,
341
bags myrabolan, 125 bls. Cutch, 135 bags linseed, 40 pkts
gambier,
35 chts shellac, 10 chts button lace, 68 cases chutney, 25 cases
condiments,
19 cases taraminds, 1 case whips, 1 package.
The Argus, 5th March 1883;
" The iron clipper ship, the Cassiope, has completed her
round
voyage hence to Madras and Calcutta with horses and back with rice,
jute
and tea. The tea is the largest shipment which has been brought here in
one bottom. The Cassiope left here in October last and has had
a
fair run up. The trip was also successful, only nine of the horses
having
been lost.
On the return voyage the Cassiope was less fortunate in
the matter
of winds and weather, especially at the commencement and the close.
Captain
Withers reports leaving Sand Heads at 10pm on December 31st. The ship
was
becalmed soon after however and was in sight of the eastern channel
lightship
for three days. Light easterly winds and calms were met with all the
way
to the equator which was crossed on 13th January - longitude 93 E. The
wind freshed south to south-east until reaching 30 S. For the
five
degrees of southing the winds were light from the north-east and
variable
and then a gale from the south-east was experienced for two days - Feb.
7th & 8th. There was a continuance of light south-easterly winds
afterwards
until Feb. 17th and south-west winds from that date to Feb. 20th.
The winds were subsequently light from the south-east and
sou’south-east
until making Cape Otway on Feb. 27th. At 6:00 pm next day just as the
pilot,
Mr Draper, was taken on board the wind came away suddenly from the
south-west
as if it had been shot through a funnel and it was with the utmost
difficulty
that the pilot schooner’s boat got back.
The ship at the time was under lower fore and maintopsail and
foretopmast
staysail. At 10:00 am she was struck by a terrific gust which blew the
maintopsail and the foretopmast staysails to ribbons. The ship was
almost
overborne by the sheer pressure of the winds and lay over with the rail
under water. The ship was blown away through the straits to within 30
miles
of Wilson’s Promentory and 39 miles off Curtis Island. The wind raged
with
hurricane violence until midnight of Feb. 28th when it moderated to a
fresh
gale at south-west, the ship at the time standing to the southward. By
the gale taking off in time the
Cassiope was able to reach the heads
on Saturday . On deck the Cassiope has some animals for The
Acclimatisation
Society. The ship is in first class order. Captain Withers claims no
notice
was taken of his signals off Cape Otway, although he was close in and
kept
them flying for a couple of hours. He also signalled a steamer from
Launceston
in the straits but no mention was made in her report of the
circumstances."
The Age, Monday 5th March 1883;
" The ship Cassiope which arrived yesterday morning from
Calcutta,
has brought out a number of animals at the insistance of the
Acclimatization
Society of Victoria. Amongst these are an elephant about six years old
and between six and seven feet in height, a dozen small monkeys and
nine
mongoose out of a total of sixteen which were shipped, the remainder
having
died on the way. The survivors seem to be in a perfectly healthy
condition."
The Daily Telegraph, 5th March 1883;
" The ship Cassiope which arrived in the bay yesterday
morning
from Calcutta brought a number of animals for the Acclimatisation
Society
of Victoria. There were nine species of mongoose out of the sixteen
that
were shipped, the remainder having died on the passage. There is also
an
elephant on board. The animal is only six years of age but between six
and seven feet in height. It is described by its caretaker as a
most
playful creature and perfectly tame . Twelve small monkeys complete her
collection. "
The Cassiope spent her whole career in the trade between Liverpool and Australia, always under the command of Capt.William Withers, and usually returning to Liverpool from Rangoon with rice. She was bought by Heap & Co. from her builders for £27,500, but was sold by them in 1882, for £19,500, to the Australasian Shipping Company Ltd. (William Gracie, Liverpool, manager). In October 1883 the Cassiope left Liverpool with a salt cargo for Diamond Island, Rangoon, and then loaded there a return cargo of 2,110 tons of rice. She departed Rangoon on the 23rd February 1884, bound for Falmouth or Queenstown for orders, still under the command of Capt.Withers and with thirty crew. She was not seen again, and after being posted overdue the Cassiope was listed as "Missing" at Lloyd's on the 15th October 1884. A Board of Trade Inquiry was held at Liverpool and it concluded that the vessel must have foundered in a cyclone that had occurred in the area on the 23rd March. The ship was insured for £19,500, and the freight was insured for £4,250.
Capt.Henry Lambert was also lost with the vessel. He was not mentioned in the Inquiry Report and was presumably a passenger.
Joseph Heap & Sons was a company of rice millers at Liverpool.
They built up a small fleet of vessels in the 1870's and 1880's. Known
as the Diamond H Line after their house flag, these iron ships usually
sailed from Liverpool to Australia with passengers, often took horses
from Australia to India, and then returned to Liverpool from Rangoon
with rice. Apart from the Cassiope and the Parthenope, the fleet included the Antiope and the Marpesia, sister ships, the Eurynome, and the Melanope and Theophane.
The fleet was acquired by Gracie, Beazley & Co., also of Liverpool,
in 1882. It became the Australasian Shipping Company, and included the
iron barques Aethelstan and the Aethelbert.
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