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Official Number
81911 |
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Official Number
81911 |
The Oweenee was an iron barque built at the Williamson shipyard, Harrington, and launched as the Cumbriana on the 25th August, 1879.
From the Cumberland Pacquet and Ware's Whitehaven Advertiser, Tuesday, 26th August, 1879, page 4.
SHIPLAUNCH AT HARRINGTON.- An iron barque, named the Cumbriana, was launched from the yard of Messrs.R.Williamson and Son, at Harrington, on Monday forenoon. She was christened by Mrs.Williamson. The barque is 230 ft. long, 34 ft. 1 in. in breadth, and 21 ft. deep, and has a gross tonnage of 1,145 tons. She is classed 100 A1 at Lloyds, and is built by the firm for their own use in the colonial trade. Messrs.Williamson's lease of the Harrington yard expires in six months, and the only vessel they have now on the stocks is a small tug-boat for the Maryport Steamship Company. The Cumbriana is the 72nd vessel the firm has built and the 34th made of iron.
CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE |
The preceding vessel, the Oakhurst, launched in January 1879, was also retained under Williamson's ownership, and it can be speculated that this was a response to the general trade depression at the time, and the consequent difficulties of selling ships. On the very same page that the Cumberland Pacquet announced the launch of the Cumbriana is also reported the extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders of the Whitehaven Shipbuilding Company that decided to wind up their company. Williamson's Harrington yard was also closed down after the launch of the paddle tug Florence in October 1879. Williamson and Son continued to build ships at Workington, their last sailing vessel being the Iranian, launched in 1895. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The crew on the final voyage were :
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It seems that the Cumbriana was sold fairly quickly to the Derry-based
McCorkell
Line (Wm. McCorkell & Co. Ltd. of Londonderry), and that she was
renamed after a character in "The Song of Hiawatha", in keeping with that
company's practice. She was engaged on the Baltimore grain run.
From the West Cumberland Times, 9th October 1879 ; THE OWEENEE - This splendid iron barque, built under special survey
by Messrs. R.Williamson and Son, Harrington, Cumberland for Bartholomew
McCorkell, of the firm William McCorkell and Co, Londonderry, large
and extensive shipowners, sailed from our port on Wednesday for Baltimore.
She was launched on 18th of August last, and is classed 100 A1 at Lloyds.
Her main deck is diagonally strapped throughout her entire length,
and her 'tween decks (which is laid fore and aft, to the line of
main hatch opening) is diagonally strapped in the way of the
masts. The standing rigging is of the best selected steel wire, served
and parcelled over, running rigging of manilla, lanyards of specially
prepared steel wire, and dead eyes of galvanized iron; fore and main
mast, and bowsprit and lower yards, are of iron; mizzen mast of
Oregon pine. She is fitted with patent pumps, and her outfit is of
the very best quality. Her halfpoop is handsomely; fitted for captain,
officers, and apprentices, sail, bath-room, store-rooms, &c.
She has also house on deck for crew, galley, paints, oils, carpenter's shop, &c. This fine ship, one of the best ever built in Cumberland,
will bear the closest inspection, is a handsome model, and in every
way first class. She will be a large carrier, her estimated dead
weight being 1,740 tons, exclusive of stores, coal and water, and
stands with all spars aloft with little or no ballast. Her dimensions
are; length 227.3 feet, breadth 34.1 feet, depth 21 feet. She has
a picked crew of twenty-two men from Cumberland, and as she left
some 200 persons were present, and many a hearty cheer was given and responded to from on shore. She is a good specimen of our Cumberland workmanship, and we hope her owner may select our locality for another.
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From The Times newspaper, Thursday, 20th July, 1882, page 12;
OVERDUE AND MISSING VESSELS - The Oweenee, Captain Cogley, which sailed from Londonderry on February 28th last for Baltimore.
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