“Wellington” Collides with an Iceberg.
Early in the nineties she nearly finished her career by colliding with an iceberg to the eastward of the Falkland Islands. Her bows were stove in, two men being killed in the foc’s’le by the deck being driven down on top of them, broken down by a mass of ice falling aboard. The bowsprit and jibboom were, of course, carried away, and also the fore topmast; only the collision bulkhead saved the ship from sinking. Captain Cowan shored up his bulkhead and squared away for Rio de Janeiro. He was a month getting there and repairs were hardly under weigh before the Civil War broke out, and all work was stopped for six months.
Meanwhile in order to keep the mutton frozen, the engine had to be kept going at full speed night and day; owing to the heat not even a rest for an hour to overhaul it could be thought of, and it says a good deal for Captain Cowan and his engineer that they managed to keep the engine running without a breakdown for so many months.
Orders came out from home that the mutton was to be sold; whereupon Captain Cowan rashly sold some of it to the rebels—the Government at once issued a warrant for his arrest—and he had to be smuggled aboard the New Zealand Shipping Co.’s steamer Norangi, the mate being left in charge. After this very trying experience Captain Cowan, feeling that he needed a rest, retired from the sea.
“TIMARU.”
Photo by De Maus, Port Chalmers.
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“WELLINGTON.”
At Picton, Queen Charlotte Sound.
Lent by F. G. Layton.
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In 1904 the Wellington was sold to S. O. Stray, of Norway, for £3150. In December, 1906, she was abandoned on her beam ends and foundered when bound from a Gulf port to Rosario.