The Royal Netherlands Steamship Company, being in want of a fast steamer for the conveyance of the mails between Queenborough and Flushing, bought the Snaefell and afterwards chartered the second Snaefell built in 1876, of rather larger dimensions, and with a gross tonnage of 849, and engines of 540 nominal horse-power and 1700 indicated, capable of driving her at an average speed of 15 knots. In 1871 the second King Orry was built. She was 290 feet in length by 29 feet beam, with a depth of 14 feet 7 inches, and of 1104 gross tonnage, and was much the largest steamer the company had possessed up to this time. Her engines were of 622 nominal horse-power, and 4000 indicated, and her speed was 17 knots. Her original length was 260 feet, and another 30 feet were added in 1888. The second Ben-my-Chree was built to the order of the company in 1875, and was 310 feet in length, 1192 gross tonnage, and with a speed of 14 knots. She was the only passenger vessel for some time in the British Isles to be fitted with four funnels, two of which were carried before and two abaft the paddle-boxes. From this peculiarity of her construction she was known to her patrons and to the west of England shipping people as the floating coach-and-four. What advantage was gained by the four funnels is not known, for they held a lot of wind.
The second Mona, a much smaller vessel, followed in 1878 and was the first of the company’s fleet to be fitted with a screw. Three years later the Fenella, which in its general dimensions was almost a sister ship to the second Mona, was built and was the first to be fitted with twin screws. She was so successful that the conversion of the Mona’s Isle into a twin-screw boat followed. The company returned to paddle-wheels for their next vessel, the third Mona’s Isle, which was the first to be built of steel, of which material all the company’s subsequent boats have been constructed. The Mona’s Isle was 330 feet 7 inches between perpendiculars, 38 feet 1 inch beam, 15 feet 1 inch depth of hold, and of 1564 gross tonnage. Her engines were of 1983 nominal horse-power, and 4500 indicated, and her speed was 17¹⁄₂ knots. Two years later the little Peveril was launched, also bearing a name of historical association in the island. She was the company’s first steel twin-screw boat, and was lost in September 1899, not far from where the Ellan Vannin went down. The second Mona’s Queen, only slightly smaller than the second Mona’s Isle, followed in 1885, and in 1888 the sister vessels Prince of Wales and Queen Victoria were added to the fleet.
The “Mona’s Isle” (II.). Built 1860 as a Paddle Steamer.
They were each 330 feet between perpendiculars, 39 feet 1 inch beam, 15 feet 2 inches depth of hold, with a gross tonnage of 1557. The engines of each were of 925 nominal horse-power, and of 6500 indicated, and their average speed was 20¹⁄₂ knots. Both these were paddle-vessels. The third Tynwald was launched in 1891, and is a twin-screw ship. The Empress Queen, the biggest paddle-steamer the company ever possessed, was ordered in 1896 from the Fairfield Company. She is 360 feet 1 inch between perpendiculars, 42 feet 3 inches beam, and 17 feet depth of hold. Her gross tonnage is 2140; her engines, of 1290 nominal horse-power and 10,000 indicated, gave her then a speed of 21¹⁄₂ knots, which has since sometimes been exceeded. The third Douglas and the third Mona call for no special comment, except that the former was the Dora of the London and South-Western Railway, from which the Manx Company purchased her in 1901, and that the last-named steamer was the last paddle-boat ordered by the company. The directors in 1905, finding the need of newer and faster vessels, ordered the steamer Viking, propelled by triple screws driven by turbine machinery, and so successful was she that the third Ben-my-Chree was added in 1908.
It may be questioned if any other of the coasting companies presents in its vessels such an illustration of the development of steam-ships and steam-engines, from the insignificant little tubs no bigger than river barges to the latest examples of the shipbuilder’s art.
The opposition which the Manx Company has had to fight has been severe. Its first steamer, the Mona’s Isle, on her first voyage found herself pitted against the Sophia Jane, the boat which afterwards made the first steam voyage to Australia. It would be more correct to say that in this case the Mona’s Isle was the opposition boat, as the Sophia Jane, which belonged to the St. George Company, was already on the service. The older boat got in first by something less than two minutes. But new steamers seldom attain their best speed at first, and the newcomer soon developed such speed that the old boat was left behind on every voyage afterwards in which they competed, and once came in after a rough trip three and a half hours behind. The rivalry resulted in the usual rate war, and the St. George Company brought its fares down to 6d. single. But neither this step nor the placing of the splendid steamer St. George on the service did the Manx Company any harm. The first race between their vessels was remarkable for an ingenious piece of seamanship on the part of the commander of the Mona’s Isle. The little paddle-boats of those days usually felt a strong beam wind to such an extent that the paddle on the windward side would be out of the water half of the time, and that on the lee side half buried owing to the boat heeling over. The captain, judging that the dirty weather which then prevailed would continue next day, spent the night before the race in shifting the cargo and coal on board his boat to the windward side. When the two vessels left the Mersey in the morning the St. George was in beautiful trim, and the Manx boat was leaning over on one side in a fashion which caused those who did not understand what had been done to laugh at her. When the open sea was reached it was the St. George’s turn to heel over before the gale, and the Mona’s Isle went along practically on an even keel, using both her paddles to the best advantage, while the St. George had one nearly buried and the other beating the air uselessly much of the time. Of course the Mona’s Isle won. This incident is interesting as it shows the daring nature of the expedients which the captains of the little steamers of those times were prepared to adopt.
The “Ellan Vannin” (the foregoing altered to a Screw Steamer and renamed, 1883).
This rivalry was destined to end in the wreck of the St. George. The Manx captain, having probably a better knowledge of local conditions than the commander of the St. George, foresaw that a south-easterly gale was rising, which always blows inshore at Douglas. As soon, therefore, as he landed his passengers he put to sea again, but the St. George was anchored in the bay, and during the night as the gale freshened she was blown on the Connister Rocks and went to pieces. All on board were saved by the Douglas lifeboat, whose captain was one of the founders of the Royal Lifeboat Institution. The St. George Company maintained the opposition for a little while longer, until another vessel, the William the Fourth, was lost. They then retired from the service altogether.