.gif)
Syria (ship)
Encyclopedia
The Syria was a 1,010 ton, iron sailing ship
with a length
of 207.7 feet, breadth of 34.1 feet and depth of 20.8 feet. She was built by William Pile
of Sunderland for the Nourse Line
, named after the Syria River in Karnataka
, India and launched in 1868. She was primarily used for the transportation of Indian indenture
d labourers to the colonies.
Five of the six lifeboats were destroyed by the heavy seas and on the sixth, four crew members went to look for assistance. They reached Nasilai village at dawn but their inability to communicate with the natives resulted in them being taken to Levuka
instead of Suva
. On reaching Levuka at 5 pm a rescue party was organised and they reached the stricken ship at 9 pm Dr William MacGregor
, the Chief Medical Officer and Acting Colonial Secretary, took charge of the rescue operations on the morning of Tuesday 13 May. When the first rescue boats reached the scene, the majority of the passengers were in the water on the reef, making as far towards the land as they could, but a considerable number were still in the wrecked vessel, chiefly women and children. The ship lay on her port side. The masts were all broken into fragments, and sails, ropes, and debris of all kinds were mixed up and thrown about in the breakers in wild confusion.
The survivors were carried by boats and Fijian
canoes to Nasilai village. The last rescue boat reached the village at 8 pm The next morning they were taken to Nasilai Immigration Depot and then to Nukulau
. Fifty-six passengers and three crew members died in the wreck but a further eleven died in the next fortnight due to complications resulting from their experience.
On 29 June 2006, the Fiji Indian Association in Auckland (New Zealand) donated a 100 year old tree root, recovered from the sea, to be placed in the crematorium foyer of the Memorial Gardens Crematorium in the city of Manukau
. The artifact commemorates the ship Syria.
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 207.7 feet, breadth of 34.1 feet and depth of 20.8 feet. She was built by William Pile
William Pile (shipbuilder)
William Pile was a renowned British shipbuilder. He was the first to introduce the Clipper class of ship to the river Wear, Sunderland.'his genius was displayed in the building of ships, wherein he was not excelled...
of Sunderland 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:...
, named after the Syria River in Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, India and launched in 1868. She was primarily used for the transportation of Indian indenture
Indenture
An indenture is a legal contract reflecting a debt or purchase obligation, specifically referring to two types of practices: in historical usage, an indentured servant status, and in modern usage, an instrument used for commercial debt or real estate transaction.-Historical usage:An indenture is a...
d labourers to the colonies.
Destruction
The voyage to Fiji was the last for Syria as she ran aground on the Nasilai Reef, only four miles from shore, at 8.30 pm on Sunday 11 May 1884 with the loss of 59 lives. This was the worst maritime disaster in the history of Fiji. On this fateful voyage, the Syria left Calcutta on 13 March 1884 carrying 497 passengers. Its journey was uneventful except that the route, through the Indian Ocean and travelling south of Australia to utilise the prevailing winds, took only 58 days which was two weeks less than expected. On sighting Kadavu at 9 am, the captain failed to allow for the strong winds and currents and consequently the ship was closer to Nasilai Reef than the captain believed. By 7.00 pm there was a full moon and had a lookout been posted on the mast-head, disaster could have been averted as the breakers would have been visible from a long distance. At 8.15 pm the ship was only half a mile from the reef when the breakers were sighted. The Captain took desperate measures to turn the ship but was unsuccessful and the Syria ran aground at 8.30 pmFive of the six lifeboats were destroyed by the heavy seas and on the sixth, four crew members went to look for assistance. They reached Nasilai village at dawn but their inability to communicate with the natives resulted in them being taken to Levuka
Levuka
Levuka is a town on the eastern coast of the Fijian island of Ovalau, in Lomaiviti Province, in the Eastern Division of Fiji. It was formerly the Capital of Fiji. At the census in 2007, the last to date, Levuka town had a population of 1,131 , about half of Ovalau's 8,360 inhabitants...
instead of Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
. On reaching Levuka at 5 pm a rescue party was organised and they reached the stricken ship at 9 pm Dr William MacGregor
William MacGregor
Sir William MacGregor GCMG, CB was a Lieutenant-Governor of British New Guinea, Governor of Newfoundland and Governor of Queensland.-Early life:...
, the Chief Medical Officer and Acting Colonial Secretary, took charge of the rescue operations on the morning of Tuesday 13 May. When the first rescue boats reached the scene, the majority of the passengers were in the water on the reef, making as far towards the land as they could, but a considerable number were still in the wrecked vessel, chiefly women and children. The ship lay on her port side. The masts were all broken into fragments, and sails, ropes, and debris of all kinds were mixed up and thrown about in the breakers in wild confusion.
The survivors were carried by boats and Fijian
Fijian people
Fijian people are the major indigenous people of the Fiji Islands, and live in an area informally called Melanesia. The Fijian people are believed to have arrived in Fiji from western Melanesia approximately 3,500 years ago, though the exact origins of the Fijian people are unknown...
canoes to Nasilai village. The last rescue boat reached the village at 8 pm The next morning they were taken to Nasilai Immigration Depot and then to Nukulau
Nukulau
Nukulau Island is a small islet belonging to Fiji. It is close to Suva, Fiji's capital, which lies about ten kilometers to the west. It is an island rich in history, which has played a pivotal role in Fiji's demographic and political development over the past 160 years.- History :Nukulau played a...
. Fifty-six passengers and three crew members died in the wreck but a further eleven died in the next fortnight due to complications resulting from their experience.
On 29 June 2006, the Fiji Indian Association in Auckland (New Zealand) donated a 100 year old tree root, recovered from the sea, to be placed in the crematorium foyer of the Memorial Gardens Crematorium in the city of Manukau
Manukau
Manukau City was a large territorial authority in Auckland, New Zealand. The city was sometimes referred to as South Auckland, but this term did not possess official recognition and did not encompass areas like East Auckland, which was previously within the official boundaries of Manukau City...
. The artifact commemorates the ship Syria.