There was probably not much to choose between the two sister ships in point of speed, though Loch Ness had slightly the better record. Loch Tay, however, had many fine runs to her credit. For many years she brought wool home from Geelong, her passages being most consistent and rarely being much over 90 days.
The Loch Earn became world-notorious by her fatal collision with the French Transatlantic mail steamer Ville du Havre. On 21st November, 1873, on a bright starlight night, the Loch liner struck the steamer right amidships, cutting her down to the water’s edge. The Ville du Havre sank in 12 minutes, and Captain Robertson of the Loch Earn was only able to save 26 of her passengers and 61 of the crew, 226 souls in all going down in the Frenchman. The following day the American packet ship Tremountain was fallen in with, and Captain Robertson transferred the survivors to her and they were landed at Cardiff. Two days later the Loch Earn, being fatally injured by the collision, also sank, Captain Robertson and his crew being rescued by a passing ship.
The Loch Lomond, which in her palmy days under Commander Grey, R.N.R., was known as the Scotch man-of-war owing to her smart appearance, was a steady going ship without any very special records to her credit. In May, 1908, she was sold to the Union S.S. Co. of New Zealand to be converted into a coal hulk. Loading a cargo of coal at Newcastle, N.S.W., she left there on 16th July, 1908, bound for Lyttelton, N.Z., under Captain J. Thomson. But time went by and she never arrived, and in due course she was posted as missing. The only trace of her that was ever found was a life-buoy which was picked up on the New Hebrides.
The Loch Leven came to a sudden end on her second voyage. On 22nd October, 1871, she left Geelong for London with 6523 bales of wool on board, valued at £154,000. Two days later she stranded on King’s Island and became a total loss. All her crew got ashore safely, but Captain Branscombe ventured back in a surf boat to rescue the ship’s papers. The boat capsized and the captain was drowned.
King’s Island—A Death Trap for Ships.
King’s Island, lying 80 miles S.S.W. of Port Phillip Heads, has been the cause of many a fine ship’s end. Nearly 50 sailing ships, from first to last, have found a grave in the King’s Island surf. A Captain Davis, who for many years carried cattle between the island, Melbourne and Tasmania in the coasting steamer Yambacoona, made a list some ten years ago of 36 ships known to have perished on the rocky shores of King’s Island. This list, which was included with other interesting data regarding tides, currents and pilotage notes of King’s Island, was used by the Hydrographic Office, Washington, U.S.A., and contains the following names:—
“MERMERUS” alongside.