Alhambra (1855) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Ship primary use:	Services
Ship industry:
Ship passenger capacity:	Unknown

The Alhambra was an iron Steamer screw

Steamboat

A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...

built in 1853 by Samuda Brothers

Samuda Brothers

Samuda Brothers was an engineering and ship building firm at Cubitt Town on the Isle of Dogs in London, founded by Jacob and Joseph d'Aguilar Samuda. The site is now occupied by Samuda Estate....

at Cubitt Town

Cubitt Town

Cubitt Town is an area on the Isle of Dogs in Tower Hamlets in London, England. It is on the east of the Isle, facing Greenwich across the River Thames. To the west is Millwall, to the northwest Canary Wharf and to the north, across the Blue Bridge, Blackwall...

, London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. It was wrecked in a collision off Newcastle

Newcastle, New South Wales

The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...

, near Nobbys Head

Nobbys Head

Originally called Coal Island, Nobbys Head is a headland on the south side of the entrance to Newcastle Harbour, New South Wales, Australia. It is the location of Nobbys Head Lighthouse, the third lighthouse built in New South Wales after the Macquarie Lighthouse in 1818 and the Hornby Lighthouse...

, New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

, on 30 June 1888.

Construction 1855

The Alhambra was named Cintra during its design. It was later renamed Braganza, which was finally changed to its current name shortly before launch.

31.05 1855: Alhambra was launched. Its name is derived from Al-Hambra, the Red Palace, an ancient fortress of the Moorish monarchs of Granada

Granada

Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...

in southern Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

.

29.06.1855: The Alhambra was registered.

04.07.1855: Trials were run.

London 1855-1862

07.07.1855: The Alhambra took its maiden voyage. It set out to Marseilles.

17.03.1856: The ship experienced engine trouble after leaving Malta for Marseilles. It returned to Malta on the 18th, then proceeded home for repairs.

18.08.1856: The Alhambra entered service in Gibraltar

Gibraltar

Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...

.

May 1857: the ship was reported in Australia as "Loading in London For Portland Bay

Portland Bay

Portland Bay is a small Bay off the coast of Victoria, Australia. It is about 360 km west of Melbourne. The main town on the bay is also named Portland....

"

18 August 1857: Alhambra sailed for Mauritius

Mauritius

Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...

from the Port of Geelong

Port of Geelong

The Port of Geelong is located on the shores of Corio Bay in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The port is the sixth-largest in Australia by tonnage....

??.07.1857: The ship experienced machinery failure off Portuguese coast. It was towed from Lisbon

Lisbon

Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...

to Blackwall

Blackwall

-Places:*Blackwall, London - An area of east London, UK**Blackwall Tunnel - The main crossing of the River Thames in east London**The former shipyard Blackwall Yard**The former shipyard at Leamouth, London of Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company and others....

for repairs.

28.09.1857: Alhambra returned to Peninsular service.

27.12.1860: The Alhambra Returned to Southampton/Lisbon service until it ended in 1862.

01.07.1862: The ship was sold to Moss Joshua, London on behalf of John H Blackwood, Melbourne, for service with McMechan Blackwood & Co.

Melbourne 1862-1882

26.09.1862: The Alhambra sailed from Southampton for Melbourne.

The Alhambra was a pioneer boat between Melbourne and New Zealand. She was later sold to the firm of Messrs. McMeckin, Blackwood, and Co., who owned also the Arawata, Rincarooma, Tarama, and other vessels in the same trade, which were eventually bought out by the present Union Steamship Co.

April 1868 to February 1869 Mechanical Issues and Refits

April 1868 was the start of an ongoing number of mechanical issues with the vessel.

The fine screw steamship Alhambra, which has for some time been thrown out of the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

trade by a singular and untoward accident to her machinery, was taken upon the Government patent slip yesterday, and in the course of a week or two she will resume her stated trips. The Alhambra, it will be recollected, was proceeding on her voyage to New Zealand, when one of her engines broke down, and she was compelled to return to port to have the broken cylinder replaced by a new one.

The successful tender for supplying this new cylinder was that of the Langland’s Foundry Company, by whom there have recently been executed heavy and difficult repairs to iron vessels and marine machinery. The work of casting a cylinder of the size required for the engines of a vessel like the Alhambra is not of frequent occurrence in this port, and the fact of its being accomplished successfully on a first essay is an undoubted achievement in iron founding in Victoria, and furnishes another illustration of the value of the mechanical resources of the colony. The dimensions of this huge casting are as follows

Diameter of bore, 50 inches (1.27 m)

full length of cylinder, 4 in 10 in (1.47 m)

sole-plate, 5 in 8 in (1.73 m) by 6 foot

and the weight 4 tons 15 cwt.

The time allowed for completing the cylinder was five weeks, and, considering that only three moulders were engaged on it, the despatch is somewhat surprising. In iron founding in the old country it is not infrequently the case that a bad casting of a cylinder of even lesser size than the one involved occurs, and it is especially noteworthy that the cylinder for the Alhambra after being bored out and faced up, was pronounced to be everything that could be desired in accuracy and finish. After being launched from the slip, the Alhambra will be taken up the river to have the cylinder fixed, and the necessary repairs to her machinery completed.

In Mid January 1869 She again broke down en route to New Zealand.

The intelligence received by telegram from Queenscliff
Queenscliff, Victoria
Queenscliff is a small town on the Bellarine Peninsula in southern Victoria, Australia, south of Swan Bay at the entrance to Port Phillip. It is the administrative centre for the Borough of Queenscliffe...

yesterday morning, that the screw steamship Alhambra had returned to Port Phillip
Port Phillip
Port Phillip Port Phillip Port Phillip (also commonly referred to as Port Phillip Bay or (locally) just The Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia; it is the location of Melbourne. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for...

Heads disabled, and in tow of the steamer Dandenong, after being little more than a week away from port, was fully confirmed by the arrival of both vessels in the bay about ten o'clock yesterday afternoon.

The Alhambra steamed out from Melbourne on the afternoon of Saturday, the 9th, for her usual trip around New Zealand ports, with a full cargo and a large number of saloon steerage passengers. On leaving Port Phillip Heads strong favourable westerly winds and fine weather were experienced, and the steamer had every prospect of making a rapid run down to the Bluff. Kent’s group
Kent Group
The Kent Group of Islands lies in Bass Strait, Australia, north-west of the Furneaux Group. They form the Kent Group National Park.The islands were named Kent's Group by Matthew Flinders, "in honour of my friend captain William Kent, then commander of the Supply" when Flinders passed them on...

was passed at 9am on Sunday, and throughout that day and up until about a quarter to five o’clock on the afternoon of Monday the Alhambra continued to make splendid weather of it, when suddenly, and most unfortunately, her screw shaft broke, somewhere, it is supposed near the inner stern post. The Alhambra at this juncture was about 250 miles (402.3 km) past Kent's Group, and about 500 miles (804.7 km) from Port Phillip Heads.

Captain M'Lean at once gave orders to have additional sails bent, and the steamer's course was then altered, the wind which had hitherto been favourable to her progress being now against her. Notwithstanding the difficulty to be surmounted of sailing the vessel, deeply laden as she was, and with the additional impediment of her now useless propeller, against contrary weather, Captain M'Lean accepted the exigency of his position, and in spite of all hindrance, baffling winds, and occasional calms included, he succeeded in making land near Cape Howe on Saturday the 16th inst. When about forty miles on this side of Cape Howe the Alhambra was signalled by the SS Dandenong, inward bound for Melbourne, and Captain Pain at once bore away for her, and about seven pm took her in tow. The Dandenong and her charge reached the Heads about two o’clock yesterday morning, but the chapter of accidents in so far as the Alhambra was concerned was not yet complete since the two hawsers by which she was being towed parted in coming through the Rip
The Rip
"The Rip", also known as "The Heads", is a dangerous stretch of water in Victoria, Australia, connecting Port Phillip and Bass Strait. It is the only entrance for shipping into Port Phillip and hence into Melbourne. Because of large tidal flows through the relatively narrow channel from the bay to...

.

The Alhambra was thus once more in a position of peril, but sail being immediately clapped on her, she fortunately cleared the reef inside of Shortland Bluff, and with the weather becoming hazy, she anchored off the Swanspit light. The Dandenong also anchored and at six am took the Alhambra once more in tow, and arrived in the bay with her off Williamstown, where she was relieved by the steamer Resolute, which took the Alhambra alongside the ship Essex, at the Railway pier at Sandridge. The passengers and cargo of the Alhambra will he transferred to the SS Rangitoto which is announced to sail on Thursday next instead of Saturday next, as previously scheduled.

By January 1869 the vessel was again in for repair.

The work of repairing the screw abaft of the SS Alhambra has been completed in a satisfactory manner, and she was yesterday floated out of Messrs. Hughes, Sinnott, and Co.'s graving dock, Yarra-bank. During her stay in dock she has had some important alterations effected by which her steering will be much improved. She has also had her hull painted, and the bottom coated with patent anti-fouling composition. The Alhambra will be the next steamer to leave for New Zealand, and is announced to sail on Wednesday next

1883 Kimberley Coast speculation

During June 1883 land and stock agents in the Kimberley region were advised that leaseholders of Blayney

Blayney, New South Wales

Blayney is a farming town and administrative centre with a population of 2,745 in 2006, in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia...

and Forbes

Forbes, New South Wales

-Notable residents:*Carolyn Simpson - Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales; Member of the first all-female bench to sit in an Australian court*NSW Deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt was born and raised in Forbes....

had purchased the steamer Alhambra which is being fitted up to carry sheep, and that the vessel will start for her destination as soon as possible.

By July of that year the three gentlemen involved, Messrs. Plumb, Pascoe, and Cook, of Blayney, Bathurst and Forbes, N. S. W., had stated that they had purchased the steamer Alhambra to convey stock to Kimberley. After completing their own shipments, they were prepared to enter into contracts for delivering sheep in Kimberley for other parties, at a reasonable figure per head.

But unfortunately this never happened with the whole saga then continuing in court with a suit being brought by Samuel Marsden against Henry Oliver and John Plumb. It appears that the parties, who all resided at Blayney, took up a quantity of land in the Kimberley district, Western Australia, and agreed to stock it with sheep. Subsequently Samuel Marsden purchased the steamship Alhambra to convey the stock and his case was that he did so with the concurrence of the defendants. The shipment was not carried out, and the steamer was afterwards sold for very much less than was paid for her. Samuel Marsden sought to have a decree made that the defendants pay him the sum of £720 each to settle the accounts.

The steamer turned out a bad investment, and after she was sold there was a debt of over £2000 owed against her. Defendant Plumb consented to bear his share when he heard the evidence which was produced in court, but Oliver was firm that he never had anything to do with the steamer, and the Judge thought so too.

1884: The Alhambra was sold to H Perdriau, Sydney.

1884 Newcastle Runs

1884: Sold to Aaron Wheeler Junior, Sydney.

May 1885 Collission

On the 19 May 1885 The steamer Alhambra, whilst entering Newcastle port at 6 o'clock this morning, ran aground abreast of the light ship, and in swinging round she struck the lightship, carrying away the moorings. Whilst aground, the outward bound steamer Balmain ran into the Alhambra, striking her on the port quarter, smashing her stanchions and main rails, and doing other damage. The Alhambra, however, was floated off safely at 9am. The Balmain had her deckhouse carried away during tho collision, but she proceeded on her voyage.

Injuries to Crew

On Tuesday 7 July 1885 Henry Johnson a 82 seaman suffered spinal injuries and paralysis to the lower extremities through being thrown over the wheel of the steamer Alhambra during a gale off the coast and was treated at the Sydney Hospital

Sydney Hospital

Sydney Hospital is a major hospital in Sydney, Australia, located on Macquarie Street in the Sydney central business district. It is the oldest hospital in Australia, dating back to 1788, and has been at its current location since 1811. It first received the name Sydney Hospital in 1881.Currently...

. Then on the 7 December 1886 a labourer named John Van Rampan fell down the hold of the ship Alhambra, a depth of about 10 feet (3.05 m). He was admitted to the Sydney Hospital suffering from back injuries and shock.
Towed Into Port Again

On the 3 August 1886 the steam collier Alhambra was again towed into port (Newcastle) by the tug Young Dungaree. The Alhambra had met with an accident to her machinery while on the passage from Newcastle

Shipwreck Event

On Tuesday 19 June 1888 the following telegram has been sent by the Sydney Marine Board to the Governments of all the other colonies and to all the pilot stations on the coast:
This was the start of the Alhambra involvement as the blowing up of the derelict were suspended, as Captain Summerbell, of the steamer Alhambra, has undertaken to remove the derelict within forty eight hours

A week later the Alhambra had moved one of the anchors of the derelict vessel, but has not yet raised it and the hulk still remained in the same position.

But on the 30 June 1888 things progressed for the worst for the vessel

The efforts of the master of the steamer Alhambra to remove the derelict vessel which has been lying about seven miles (11 km) off Newcastle for the past fortnight, ended disastrously yesterday. The Alhambra was lying at anchor close to the derelict on Saturday morning, with ninety fathoms of line out, and a line from her bows to the steamer Tasmania, which had gone out to assist in towing the derelict ashore close to Broken Bay
Broken Bay
Broken Bay is a large inlet of the Pacific Ocean located about 50 km north of Sydney on the coast of New South Wales, Australia, and is the first major bay north of Sydney's Port Jackson.- Geography :...

A steel rope was fixed from the stern of the Alhambra to the chains of the derelict, and it was proposed to send a diver down in order to lash the chain to the cable. The diver, however, found that he could not work from the north-eastern side of the derelict, on which the Alhambra was lying, and the captain decided to shift around to get the bow of his vessel to westward of the derelict. Arrangements were completed shortly before 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and the steamer was just about bringing up to the desired position when she fouled the derelict about amidships. An attempt was made to alter the course of the steamer, but it was found that she had a huge hole knocked in her side. All attempts to stop the leak proved unavailing, and as the steamer was rapidly settling down, the crew took to the boats and reached the steamer Tasmania safely.

The Alhambra sunk a few minutes afterwards, and for the present the idea of shifting the derelict has been abandoned. The Tasmania returned to port, and some difficulty was experienced in arranging for another steamer to stand by the wreck at night the wreck was left without anything to warm any vessels of the danger until 10 o'clock, when the Government steamer Juno went out. The lookout man at Newcastle reported that about two hours before the Juno went out he saw in the vicinity of the wreck a Steamers lights, which were visible for short time, and then suddenly disappearing, suggesting the idea that a steamer stuck the derelict and sunk. Nothing was seen, however, to give colour to the suggestion. Nothing has been decided as to what shall be done with the derelict.

The Alhambra was owned by A Wheeler, of Sydney, and insured in the South British Company of New Zealand for £6000 She was valued at £10,000

The Derelict

The derelict off Newcastle is supposed to be the John T. Berry, American ship, Philadelphia to Hiogo, which caught fire and was abandoned on January 2 in Lat. 34 S., Long. 164 E. An abandoned burnt-out hull, supposed to be this vessel, was sighted on January 27, and again on February 2, in 1st. Lat 32 18 S, Long. 161 20 E., and Lat 31 5 S., Long. 162 25 E.' respectively. A large vessel, bottom up, was discovered last week floating about a few miles from Port Stephens, NSW A tug was sent to tow her out of the way of passing vessels, but after getting her within a few miles of Newcastle she became fast, it is thought, by the anchors having taken the ground, and all efforts to move her were useless. She was to have been blown up by torpedoes, but attempts are to be made to take her into Broken Bay. A diver who went down reports that she has been burnt out, and that she evidently was loaded with kerosene.

The crew of the Government steamer Juno cut a hole in the bilge of the hulk with a view to sinking her, but the operation had no effect upon the position of the derelict, which is supposed to have an inner skin. Captain Summerbell, of the steamer Alhambra, says the derelict was a fine vessel of about 1000 or 1200 tons, and had evidently a large quantity of kerosene on board, but nothing was seen during the time he was attempting to remove the derelict to lead to her positive identification. The Government decided this afternoon to blow up the derelict, and the steamer Thetis left Sydney tonight with torpedoes and other implements of destruction for the purpose of sending to the bottom this dangerous impediment to navigation.

External links

Encyclopaedia Peninsular - Factsheets on the most notable ships of the P&O Fleet http://portal.pohub.com/pls/pogprtl/poghistory.display_document.pdf?p_id=1071

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.