Walter H. Wilson

A four-masted iron barque built in 1882 by Harland & Wolff, Belfast, as Yard No. 150. Her dimensions were 93,89×12,97×7,53 meters [308'1"×42'7"×24'9"] and tonnage 2518 GRT, 2461 NRT and 2347 tons under deck. The forecastle was 34 ft long and the poop 58 ft. Rigged with double top- and topgallant sails and royal sails.

1882 July 6: Launched at the shipyard of Harland & Wolff, Belfast. Assigned the official British Reg. No. 86533 and signal WMFC.
1882 August 18: Delivered to Samuel Lawther & Co., Belfast.
1899 [?]: The cargo of 2120 tons of coal and 857 tons of cokes caught fire. The ship had to be towed into Bahia where the smouldering fire was finally extinguished.
1901: Sold to J. Edgar & Co., Liverpool, and was renamed California.
1911: Sold to R. Mattson, Mariehamn. The new master was Captain A. Ekbom.
1913 January 15: Wrecked in a storm on St Mary's Island in the Whitley Bay, North Shields, while under tow in ballast from South Shields to Rotterdam.

The figurehead is preserved at the Ålands Sjöfartsmuseum.

Images

Under all sail. Port side. From Ålands Sjöfartsmuseum [51 kB JPG]

Updated 2001-01-22 by Lars Bruzelius.

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