Mersey (1894 ship)
Encyclopedia
The Mersey was a 1,829 ton iron
sailing ship
with a length
of 270.7 feet, breadth of 39 feet and depth of 22.5 feet. It was built by Charles Connell & Company of Glasgow
, named after the River Mersey
in north-western England
and launched on 18 May 1894 for the Nourse Line
. The ship was primarily used by the Nourse Line for the transportation of Indian indentured labourers
to the colonies. Details of some of these voyages are as follows:
In 1908 the Mersey was sold to the White Star Line
for use as a training ship for 60 cadets, makinge six voyages to Australia
as a White Star training ship, traveling around the Cape of Good Hope outbound and Cape Horn inbound. In 1910, it became the first sailing ship to be equipped with a radio. It was also the first sailing ship aboard which an operation for appendicitis
was performed on a cadet. In 1915 the White Star Line gave up their training scheme due to the war and sold the Mersey to Norwegian
owners. It changed hands a number of times and the name was changed to Transatlantic then to Dvergso. In 1923 the ship was scrapped.
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
sailing ship
Sailing ship
The term sailing ship is now used to refer to any large wind-powered vessel. In technical terms, a ship was a sailing vessel with a specific rig of at least three masts, square rigged on all of them, making the sailing adjective redundant. In popular usage "ship" became associated with all large...
with a length
Length
In geometric measurements, length most commonly refers to the longest dimension of an object.In certain contexts, the term "length" is reserved for a certain dimension of an object along which the length is measured. For example it is possible to cut a length of a wire which is shorter than wire...
of 270.7 feet, breadth of 39 feet and depth of 22.5 feet. It was built by Charles Connell & Company of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, named after the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
in north-western England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and launched on 18 May 1894 for the Nourse Line
Nourse Line
The Nourse Line was a shipping company formed by Captain James Nourse in 1861. After taking delivery of his first ship, the Ganges, in 1861, Nourse went on to build up one of the last great fleets of sailing ships.- Early life of James Nourse:...
. The ship was primarily used by the Nourse Line for the transportation of Indian indentured labourers
Indian indenture system
The Indian indenture system was an ongoing system of indenture by which thousands of Indians were transported to various colonies of European powers to provide labour for the plantations...
to the colonies. Details of some of these voyages are as follows:
In 1908 the Mersey was sold to the White Star Line
White Star Line
The Oceanic Steam Navigation Company or White Star Line of Boston Packets, more commonly known as the White Star Line, was a prominent British shipping company, today most famous for its ill-fated vessel, the RMS Titanic, and the World War I loss of Titanics sister ship Britannic...
for use as a training ship for 60 cadets, makinge six voyages to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
as a White Star training ship, traveling around the Cape of Good Hope outbound and Cape Horn inbound. In 1910, it became the first sailing ship to be equipped with a radio. It was also the first sailing ship aboard which an operation for appendicitis
Appendicitis
Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. It is classified as a medical emergency and many cases require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly because of the risk of rupture leading to...
was performed on a cadet. In 1915 the White Star Line gave up their training scheme due to the war and sold the Mersey to Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
owners. It changed hands a number of times and the name was changed to Transatlantic then to Dvergso. In 1923 the ship was scrapped.
See also
- Mersey (1805 ship)Mersey (1805 ship)For the River, see River Mersey.The Mersey was a ship wrecked in the Torres Strait, Australia about mid-June 1804. The Mersey was built in Chittagong, Bangladesh in 1801 and registered at Fort William, India. It was 350 tons and carried 10 guns . It was owned and captained by James Wilson...
- Indian Indenture Ships to FijiIndian indenture ships to FijiBetween 1879 and 1916, a total of 42 ships made 87 voyages, carrying Indian indentured labourers to Fiji. Initially the ships brought labourers from Calcutta, but from 1903 all ships except two also brought labourers from Madras. A total of 60,965 passengers left India but only 60,553 arrived in...
- Indian indenture systemIndian indenture systemThe Indian indenture system was an ongoing system of indenture by which thousands of Indians were transported to various colonies of European powers to provide labour for the plantations...