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Rydalmere | Official Number
70908 |
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Rydalmere | Official Number
70908 |
The Rydalmere was an iron ship built by the Whitehaven Ship Building Company and launched in February 1875 for Fisher & Sprott of Liverpool.
The Cumberland Pacquet, Thursday, 9th February 1875,
page 2;
" SHIPLAUNCH AT WHITEHAVEN:- Another fine iron ship, the Rydalmere,
was launched from the yard of the Whitehaven Ship Building Company, on
Saturday morning. The Rydalmere has been built for Messrs.Fisher
and Sprott, of Liverpool, and will be commanded by Capt.M'Williams, of
Maryport. The Rydalmere is 224 feet in length, 36 feet in breadth, and
22 feet in depth, and has a tonnage register of 1,300. She will, after
the necessary fitting up, proceed to Liverpool, and thence will sail with
a general cargo to Melbourne. After the launch, a number of friends assembled
in the directors' room at the yard, where the usual complimentary toasts
were drunk. Mr.J.Jackson, one of the directors of the company, occupied
the chair. "
The Times, Saturday, 21st December 1901, page 16;
" THE LOSS OF THE RYDALMERE.- Judgement was given this
week by the Liverpool stipendiary (who was assisted by Captains Anderson
and Dyer, R.N.) in the case of the sailing ship Rydalmere, which
was lost, with a crew of 25, last March. The inquiry began on Tuesday,
when Mr.Paxton, for the Board of Trade, stated that the vessel was a barque-rigged
ship of 1,166 tons register, built at Whitehaven in 1875, and owned by
Messrs. William Lowden and Co., of Liverpool. She left Marseilles for Melbourne
on March 7, with about 1,800 tons of tiles and 120 tons of ballast. On
the afternoon of the 19th she was sighted on her beam ends about 20 miles
south of the Cape de Gata, at which time there was a heavy sea and strong
westerly gale. The waves were breaking over her, and her crew were partly
on the forecastle head and partly on the poop on the weather side. The
vessel sighting her was the steamer Robert Harrowing, to which those
on the Rydalmere signaled a desire to abandon her. The captain of
the Robert Harrowing obtained sufficient volunteers to attempt a
rescue, but in the circumstances it was deemed better to wait awhile to
see if the weather would moderate. An hour later the Rydalmere signalled
for immediate help, but as it was becoming dark, without improvement in
the weather, only one man volunteered. The captain of the Robert Harrowing
signalled he would stand by. A light was seen on the Rydalmere until
about 8 p.m., when it disappeared, and at daylight there was no sign of
the Rydalmere. Thinking she might have drifted away the captain
of the steamer cruised about for some 15 miles, but nothing could be seen
of her. After hearing the evidence the magistrate found that the vessel
was in good and seaworthy condition as regards hull and equipment when
she left Marseilles, and was supplied with the boats and life-saving apparatus
required by the statute. The reason of the vessel's going over on her beam
ends was that the tiles in the 'tween decks were broken through the rolling
of the vessel and shifted. The cargo shifted through not being properly
stowed and secured. "
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