The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954)(about) |
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Saturday 9 December 1933
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Right: H.M.S. Terrible with dere- lict In tow. Left: Calcutta recon- ditioned. Inset: Capt. Daniel Owen who was drowned.
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WHEN the big sailing ship Cal-
cutta In a terribly battered and crippled condition, was abandoned in the English Channel, in the trough of an overwhelming sea, that seemed the end, so far as she was concerned. But, almost by a miracle, she was salvaged and towed into Ply- mouth. How, under a new name-the "Darling Downs"-she became one of the smartest and most popular passen- ger ships and wool clippers in the Aus- tralian trade makes a romantic story. Unfortunately, it was saddened by the tragic deaths of Captain Daniel Owen, who had- won high esteem as a com- mander of Queensland Immigrant ships, and 26 others, who perished in the abandonment of the Calcutta.
The Calcutta, built of iron, had been launched from a shipyard on the Thames hi 1852 as a full-powered steamer, and had had varying fortunes for 15 years or so before she was converted Into a sailing vessel. Flying the flag'of the Black Ball line, she left London on January 24, 1869, bound for Bombay. Stowed in her capacious holds she had 270 miles of telegraph cable, which was to be laid from Bushire across the Persian Gulf. She was in charge of Captain Daniel Owen, who previously had commanded the Commodore Perry and the Queen of the Colonies, two of the largest ships that had ever visited Moreton Bay.
Terrific Gale.
A CALL was made at Plymouth, and ?". a departure taken from there on February 5. Headwinds in the Chan- nel kept the Calcutta beating about for eight days. Then a strong S.W. wind set in, and soon increased to a terrific gale. It was pitch-dark, shortly after midnight on February 7, and the big ship was tossing about in a high, confused sea about 150 miles
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SW of the Lizard. Suddenly the lights of another vessel, right in her track, were dimly seen. It was im- possible to tell in which direction she was steering. Capt. Owen at once ordered the helm to be put up; but It was too late. Within a few minutes of sighting the other vessel a collision took place. The other vessel proved to be the barque Emma, flying the Prussian flag, and bound from Car- diff to Barcelona Instead of getting under the stern of the Emma, as Cap- tain Owen had hoped to do, the Cal- cutta struck her amidships, cutting her almost In two; and, three minutes later, the Emma went down bows fore- most. Ropes were lowered over the sides of the Calcutta, and, despite the awful darkness and the tumult of the sea, the mate, the cook, and two boys from the sunken barque were rescued from death. But the captain and six
men were drowned.
Calcutta's Dire Plight.
»pHE Calcutta, meanwhile, had been
badly knocked about. Her jib boom and foretopmast had been car- ried away, and a large gaping hole In her bow was letting the water in fast. Pumps were set to work; but all ef- forts to cope with the Inrush of water
proved unavailing. Besides the hand pumps, two steam pumps were started, but these soon got choked.
The ship was sinking deeper and deeper, and Captain Owen ordered the boats to be kept in readiness for the final emergency. Some of the crew had urged the captain to leave the ship; but he appealed to them to hang on to her a little longer, and they agreed to do so. At 2 p.m. on Febru- ary 8 all hands were called aft, as the vessel seemed in imminent danger of foundering. Three vessels had been seen to leeward; and, after a hurried consultation, some of the crew made up their minds to put off in the ship's boats. Fortunately, the Calcutta was well equipped in that respect- One boat, containing 15 men, under the third mate, was safely launched, and then another with eight. On a third boat were six men and the second mate. Then the ship's lifeboat was lowered over the side with 17 men under the first mate. Unfortunately, before the lifeboat got away the mate was seriously Injured, and thrown Into the boat In an almost dying condition. The captain's gig was the last to leave the ship; but while it was being lowered the slipping of the rope precipitated .the 13 occupants into the raging sea. The captain, the injured mate, a mid. shipman, and seven others were drowned. The fourth boat, with 17 men, was upset in the surf, and all of them lost their lives. Eight men, who were left on the Calcutta, were after
wards rescued by the lifeboat from Cadgwith, Cornwall. Altogether there
was a death roll of 27.
Warship to the Rescue.
'T'HE unexpected happened a few
days later, when the Calcutta a waterlogged derelict-was picked up by H.M-.s. Terrible and towed into Plymouth. She had lost her bowsprit and .headgear, her foretopmast, main topgallant mast, and mlzen royal mast, also portions of her bulwarks. Her fore-compartments were full of water; but her after-compartments,were quiie dry and .sound.
After extensive repairs the vessel was fitted up most lavishly for the con- veyance of passengers, and was put into the Australian trade, under the name Darling Downs. As a.full-rigged ship, her graceful model, wiih painted ports, made' as beautiful a sight as any sailor would wish to see. The Darling Downs was one of the first ships to come out to Moreton Bay under the auspices of the London line, the managers of which were Messrs. Taylor, Bethel, and Roberts. That firm had previously secured the Queensland Government contract for the conveyance of Immigrants to More- ton Bay and other Queensland ports. The Darling Downs, on that trip, was under the command of .Captain D. R. Bolt, who had previously been closely associated wiih the Queensland Immi- gration service. On that occasion the ship brought out a few paying pas- sengers, and a larger number of Gov- ernment immigrants, 626 in all. She afterwards went to Sydney to load wool for London and for several years sub- sequently was one of the best known of the wool clippers between that port and London. In 1887 ner career ended, she being sunk off the Nore, after a
collision with another vessel.
Captain Daniel Owen, who lost his life in leaving the Calcutta, was the father of Mr. David Owen, M.A., for many years well known in Brisbane as a tutor for University and legal ex- aminations. He also was a recognised authority on Welsh history and litera- ture. Captain D. Owen had a brother, Owen Owen, who was master of the ship Netherby, which was wrecked on King Island, Bass Strait, in July, 1866, while on a voyage from Ply- mouth to Moreton Bay with immi- grants. Fortunately no Uves were lost
on that occasion.