POLYPHEMUS (1) was built in 1890
by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a tonnage of 2868grt a length
of 336ft 1in, a beam of 38ft 6in and a service speed of 10 knots.
Sister of the Myrmidon she was built at a cost of £53,364
for the Far East service but also had the facilities to undertake
the pilgrim runs from Singapore to Mecca. She also carried the
company's first stewardess. In 1898 she was transferred to N.
S. M. 'Oceaan' where she remained until 1904 when she was sold
to Tatsuma Shokwi K. K. of Naruo and renamed Tatsu Maru No.2.
Her owners renamed her Chikyu Maru in 1911 and on 31st January
1916 she was wrecked at Joshin on the coast of Korea.
IXION
(1) was built in 1892 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 3572grt a length of 354ft 9in, a beam of 42ft 8in
and a service speed of 10 knots. Costing £51,000 she was
the first of a class of four vessels. After 10 years service
she was transferred to N. S. M .'Oceaan' without a change of
name. On 2nd October 1902, during a voyage from Tandjong Priok
to Amsterdam with a general cargo, copra and tobacco, she was
gutted by fire and lost off Enggano in Indonesia, the first
loss for twenty one years. (Photo: John Clarkson Collection)
TANTALUS
(1) was built in 1892 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 3572grt a length of 354ft 9in, a beam of 42ft 8in
and a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Ixion she was
completed in 1892 and transferred to N. S. M. 'Oceaan' in 1904.
Although flying the Dutch flag and technically registered in
a neutral country she was requisitioned by the British Government's
Shipping Controller in 1917 and placed under management of Holt's.
Returned to N. S. M. 'Oceaan' in 1919 she remained with the
company until 1922 when she was sold to Leonard R. Muller of
Hamburg and renamed Florian Geyer. Two years later she was broken
up at Hamburg. (Photo: Peter Newall Collection)
ULYSSES
(3) was built in 1892 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 3572grt a length of 354ft 9in, a beam of 42ft 8in
and a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Ixion she cost
£52,185 and remained with the company until 1912 when
she was sold to Japanese owners and renamed Daisai Maru. In
1917 she was purchased by the French Government, who were desperate
for replacement ships, and renamed St Medard. Her name was changed
to General Moiner in 1920 and in the following year she was
sold to Société Maritime Française of La
Rochelle who reverted to the name of St Medard. She was broken
up at Ardrossan in 1924. (Photo: G. J de Boer Collection)
PYRRHUS
(1) was built in 1892 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 3572grt a length of 354ft 9in, a beam of 42ft 8in
and a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Ixion she cost
£52,180 to build and entered service in 1892. She was
transferred to N. S. M. 'Oceaan' in 1907 and, after returning
to British registry for a very brief period, was sold to Japanese
owners in 1914 and renamed Shingo Maru. In 1916 she was sold
to Madrigal & Co. of Manila and renamed Macaria but in the
following year was taken over by the United States government
for use as a transport ship and renamed Villemer. On 7th November
1938 she was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine UC-38 east
of Crete during a voyage from Barcelona to Singapore. (Photo:
John Clarkson Collection)
BEAGLE was built in 1892 by Blackwood
& Gordon at Port Glasgow with a tonnage of 147grt a length
of 110ft 5in, a beam of 20ft 2in and a service speed of 8 knots.
She was a steam lighter based at Cossack in Western Australia
where she remained until 1908 when she was sold to Italian owners.
In the following year she was owned by the Government of Siam
and thereafter her history is unknown.
NESTOR
(2) was built in 1889 by Schlesinger, Davies & Co. at Newcastle
with a tonnage of 3767grt a length of 370ft 6in, a beam of 42ft
2in and a service speed of 10 knots. She was built as the Sullamut
for Hajee Jasoob Poorbhoy of Bombay and after a spell as the
Queen of India under the ownership of Beyts, Craig & Co.
acquired by the Ocean Steam Ship Co. in 1894. After an extensive
refit costing £37,000, a sum which could have substantially
contributed to the cost of a new ship, she was renamed Nestor.
In 1911 she was sold to Italian owners and renamed Teresa for
a brief period and then Assunzione. On 15th June 1917, whilst
on a voyage from Bahia Blanca, she struck a mine laid by the
German submarine UC-37 and was lost off the North African coast.
(Photo: John Clarkson Collection)
CERBERUS was built in 1894 by
Workman, Clark & Co. at Belfast with a tonnage of 1754grt
a length of 257ft 3in, a beam of 41ft 1in and a service speed
of 10 knots. She was built for Alfred Holt & Co/ and operated
by the East India Steam Ship Co. After five years service she
was sold to Norddeutscher Lloyd of Bremen for service in the
East Indies and renamed Singora. In 1910 she was sold to Y.
Hachiuma of Nishinomaya and renamed Tamon Maru No. 1. Fifteen
years later she was named Kiku Maru by her new owner Shizaki
Yokichi of Kobe. She was broken up in Japan during 1931.
SULTAN was built in 1894 by Workman,
Clark & Co. at Belfast with a tonnage of 2063grt a length
of 258ft 6in, a beam of 38ft and a service speed of 10 knots.
On completion she was jointly owned by Ocean Steam Ship Co.
and the West Australian Steam Navigation Co. and operated on
the Singapore - Batavia - Fremantle route. Four years later,
in 1898, she was wholly owned by Alfred Holt's and remained
with the company for a further eleven years before she was sold
to Oaki Goshi Kaisya of Yokohama in 1909 and renamed Kayo Maru.
In 1929 she laid up at Yokohama and broken up there during 1930-31.
ORESTES
(3) was built in 1894 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 4653grt a length of 392ft 3in, a beam of 47ft 1in
and a service speed of 10 knots. Costing £51,768 she was
the first of a class of eight ships and the largest built for
the company to that date. The class was the first designed by
Henry Wortley who had joined the company in 1892, and the first
to dispense with any form of sail assistance. They were equipped
with extensive cargo handling equipment which impressed the
shipping world immensely and which enabled Blue Funnel to provide
an improved quality of service. In 1901 she sailed from Liverpool
on the first voyage to Australia. After thirty one years of
service with the company she was sold for breaking up in Italy.
(Photo: John Clarkson Collection)
SARPEDON
(3) was built in 1894 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 4663grt a length of 391ft 6in, a beam of 47ft 1in
and a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Orestes she was
completed in 1894 and cost £52,010 to build. In 1914 she
was transferred N. S. M. 'Oceaan' without a change of name.
She reverted to the red ensign in 1915 to replace wartime losses
and for two years was requisitioned by the British Government
to transport food and coal for the Royal Navy. On 7th November
1918 she endured the final attack on a Blue Funnel ship in World
War 1 when she was missed by a torpedo in the Mediterranean.
She was purchased by Leonard R. Muller of Hamburg in 1923 and
renamed Gotz von Berlichingen. Two years later she was broken
up at Hamburg. (Photo: John Clarkson Collection)
DARDANUS
(2) was built in 1894 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 4653grt a length of 392ft, a beam of 47ft 1in and
a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Orestes she was built
at a cost of £52,030. In 1911 she was transferred to N.
S. M. 'Oceaan' and during World War 1 was requisitioned by the
Dutch Government to carry much needed wheat. Ever mindful of
the British Government's need for ships and their rule bending
tactics to acquire them the Dardanus was forbidden to leave
Amsterdam and was the only N. S. M. ships not to come under
British control. In 1923 she was sold to Paulsen & Ivers
of Kiel and renamed Fingal. Three years later she was sold to
I. N. S. A. of Genoa, renamed Fortunato Secondo and broken up
at Genoa in 1927. (Photo: National Maritime Museum)
DIOMED
(2) was built in 1895 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 4672grt a length of 392ft, a beam of 47ft 1in and
a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Orestes she was completed
in 1895 at a cost of £53,401. On 22nd August 1915, during
a voyage from Liverpool to Shanghai, she was captured by the
German submarine U-38 and sunk by gunfire 57 miles north west
of the Scilly Islands. Captain J. Miles and two others were
killed when the bridge was hit and eight further lives were
lost as the crew abandoned ship in heavy seas.
(Photo: Ian J, Farquhar Collection)
HECTOR
(3) was built in 1895 by Workman, Clark & Co. Ltd at Belfast
with a tonnage of 4660grt a length of 391ft 6in, a beam of 47ft
1in and a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Orestes she
entered service in 1895 and had an uneventful career until World
War 1 broke out. She first acted as Fleet Messenger No. 20 before
being used as a balloon ship in the Dardanelles spotting for
HMS Queen Elizabeth. She then became White Sea Ammunition Carrier
No. 126 for a spell before becoming Expeditionary Force Transport
No. F01 deployed carrying wheat from Karachi to the Gulf and
stores and motor transport from Avonmouth to Alexandria. She
then carried coal as Royal Naval Collier No.2154 and finally
ended the war as Stores Carrier No.103. After returning to Blue
Funnel she was sold for breaking in 1923, firstly to a Swansea
based shipbreaker and then to Schiffswerke Unterelbe of Wilhelmshaven.
(Photo: Ian J, Farquhar Collection)
MENELAUS
(2) was built in 1895 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 4672grt a length of 392ft, a beam of 47ft 1in and
a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Orestes and the last
of the class she was delivered in 1895 at a cost of £53,532.
She was requisitioned by the British Government in 1915 as Fleet
Messenger No.21 and, subsequently, purchased by the Admiralty
in March 1916 for use as a balloon ship and temporarily renamed
Davao. She was deployed spotting for monitors bombarding the
German lines behind the Belgian coast. In 1917 she reverted
to her original name, Menelaus, and was transferred to the Shipping
Controller and placed under the management of Alfred Holt. In
this role she acted as White Sea Ammunition Carrier No. 189,
Royal Naval Collier No. 2003 and in December 1919 was Expeditionary
Force Transport No. F8621 carrying stores and motor transport
from London to the Mediterranean where she also operated a ferry
service before transporting wheat from Australia. Early in 1920,
having been considered no longer suitable for further commercial
service, she was sold for breaking up at Genoa. (Photo: Ian
J, Farquhar Collection)
CENTAUR (1) was built in 1895
by Workman, Clark & Co. at Belfast with a tonnage of 1900grt
a length of 278ft, a beam of 41ft 1in and a service speed of
10 knots. Virtually the same as the Cerebus she was built for
Holt's East India Steam Ship Co. but only stayed with the company
until 1899 when she was sold to Norddeutscher Lloyd and renamed
Korat. In 1911 she was sold to Japanese owners, renamed Daito
Maru and by 1918 was out of service.
ANCHISES
(2) was built in 1888 by Wigham Richardson Ltd at Newcastle
with a tonnage of 2718grt a length of 325ft, a beam of 40ft
and a service speed of 10 knots. She was built as the Wilcannia,
one of five ships for Lund's Blue Anchor Line, and acquired
by Holt's when a new Wilcannia was ordered with a condition
that the name was changed. As the Anchises she was used mainly
as a reserve ship on the Indonesian and West Australian services.
In 1898 she was transferred to N. S. M. 'Oceaan' but reverted
to the Ocean Steam Ship Co. in 1906. She was sold to T. W. Ward
Ltd in May 1910 for breaking up at Briton Ferry.
(Photo: G.J de Boer Collection)
PROMETHEUS
(2) was built in 1896 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 5570grt, a length of 422ft, a beam of 49ft and a
service speed of 10 knots. Costing £62,558 she was the
first of a class of four ships. In 1924 she was sold to Industrie
Navali Soc. Anon (I.N.S.A) of Genoa, Italy, renamed Delia and
broken up in the following year.
GLAUCUS
(2) was built in 1896 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 5509grt, a length of 423ft 1in, a beam of 49ft 2in
and a service speed of 10 knots. Completed for the Ocean Steam
Ship Co. at a cost of £62,801 she played an important
part in extending Blue Funnel's routes when she undertook the
first voyage to Australia in 1898. The venture was a success
and in 1901 a regular service was started, outward via the Cape
and back via the Suez Canal. Initially the monthly service sailed
from Glasgow where competition was not so severe but in 1902
a sailing from Liverpool was introduced. On 3rd June 1918 she
was sunk without warning by UB-68 20 miles west of Cape Granitola,
Sicily during a voyage from Liverpool to Shanghai with a general
cargo and with the loss of two lives. (Photo: John Clarkson
Collection)
PATROCLUS
(2)/PALAMED (2) was built in 1896 by Workman, Clark & Co.
Ltd at Belfast with a tonnage of 5509grt, a length of 422ft,
a beam of 49ft 4in and a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of
the Prometheus she was completed in June 1896. On 13th September
1907, during the final days of a voyage from Australia, she
grounded in fog at Flew's Gangway, half a mile north of Portland
Bill and close to two previous wrecks. The ship was approaching
Portland to pick up the channel pilot and her master thought
that he had cleared Portland Bill. Fortunately, the ship was
proceeding slowly when she struck the bottom. Although tugs
were sent from Weymouth and Portland assistance was declined
initially as the weather was fine and the sea calm. An inspection
of the damage revealed that there were several holes and fifteen
feet of water in the hold. After some of the cargo was removed
to lighten the ship she was refloated and subsequently repaired.
On 19th January 1911 she sustained extensive damage when she
collided with the Great Eastern Railway's Harwich to Hoek van
Holland steamer Vienna. The ferry sustained little damage and
continued on her voyage. In 1914 she was transferred to N. S.
M. 'Oceaan' and, like most of the other vessels flying the Dutch
flag, was requisitioned by the Shipping Controller in 1917 and
placed under Holt management. She was returned to N. S. M. 'Oceaan'
in 1919. She was renamed Palamed in 1923, when the name 'Patroclus'
was required for a new building, and in the following year was
sold to Atlantide S. A. per Imprese Marittima of Genoa and given
the name Australia. In 1929 she was broken up at Genoa. (Photo:
John Clarkson Collection)
IXION
(1) was built in 1892 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 3572grt a length of 354ft 9in, a beam of 42ft 8in
and a service speed of 10 knots. Costing £51,000 she was
the first of a class of four vessels. After 10 years service
she was transferred to N. S. M .'Oceaan' without a change of
name. On 2nd October 1902, during a voyage from Tandjong Priok
to Amsterdam with a general cargo, copra and tobacco, she was
gutted by fire and lost off Enggano in Indonesia, the first
loss for twenty one years. (Photo: John Clarkson Collection)
TANTALUS
(1) was built in 1892 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 3572grt a length of 354ft 9in, a beam of 42ft 8in
and a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Ixion she was
completed in 1892 and transferred to N. S. M. 'Oceaan' in 1904.
Although flying the Dutch flag and technically registered in
a neutral country she was requisitioned by the British Government's
Shipping Controller in 1917 and placed under management of Holt's.
Returned to N. S. M. 'Oceaan' in 1919 she remained with the
company until 1922 when she was sold to Leonard R. Muller of
Hamburg and renamed Florian Geyer. Two years later she was broken
up at Hamburg. (Photo: Peter Newall Collection) 
ULYSSES
(3) was built in 1892 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 3572grt a length of 354ft 9in, a beam of 42ft 8in
and a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Ixion she cost
£52,185 and remained with the company until 1912 when
she was sold to Japanese owners and renamed Daisai Maru. In
1917 she was purchased by the French Government, who were desperate
for replacement ships, and renamed St Medard. Her name was changed
to General Moiner in 1920 and in the following year she was
sold to Société Maritime Française of La
Rochelle who reverted to the name of St Medard. She was broken
up at Ardrossan in 1924. (Photo: G. J de Boer Collection) 
PYRRHUS
(1) was built in 1892 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 3572grt a length of 354ft 9in, a beam of 42ft 8in
and a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Ixion she cost
£52,180 to build and entered service in 1892. She was
transferred to N. S. M. 'Oceaan' in 1907 and, after returning
to British registry for a very brief period, was sold to Japanese
owners in 1914 and renamed Shingo Maru. In 1916 she was sold
to Madrigal & Co. of Manila and renamed Macaria but in the
following year was taken over by the United States government
for use as a transport ship and renamed Villemer. On 7th November
1938 she was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine UC-38 east
of Crete during a voyage from Barcelona to Singapore. (Photo:
John Clarkson Collection) 
NESTOR
(2) was built in 1889 by Schlesinger, Davies & Co. at Newcastle
with a tonnage of 3767grt a length of 370ft 6in, a beam of 42ft
2in and a service speed of 10 knots. She was built as the Sullamut
for Hajee Jasoob Poorbhoy of Bombay and after a spell as the
Queen of India under the ownership of Beyts, Craig & Co.
acquired by the Ocean Steam Ship Co. in 1894. After an extensive
refit costing £37,000, a sum which could have substantially
contributed to the cost of a new ship, she was renamed Nestor.
In 1911 she was sold to Italian owners and renamed Teresa for
a brief period and then Assunzione. On 15th June 1917, whilst
on a voyage from Bahia Blanca, she struck a mine laid by the
German submarine UC-37 and was lost off the North African coast.
(Photo: John Clarkson Collection) 
ORESTES
(3) was built in 1894 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 4653grt a length of 392ft 3in, a beam of 47ft 1in
and a service speed of 10 knots. Costing £51,768 she was
the first of a class of eight ships and the largest built for
the company to that date. The class was the first designed by
Henry Wortley who had joined the company in 1892, and the first
to dispense with any form of sail assistance. They were equipped
with extensive cargo handling equipment which impressed the
shipping world immensely and which enabled Blue Funnel to provide
an improved quality of service. In 1901 she sailed from Liverpool
on the first voyage to Australia. After thirty one years of
service with the company she was sold for breaking up in Italy.
(Photo: John Clarkson Collection) 
SARPEDON
(3) was built in 1894 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 4663grt a length of 391ft 6in, a beam of 47ft 1in
and a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Orestes she was
completed in 1894 and cost £52,010 to build. In 1914 she
was transferred N. S. M. 'Oceaan' without a change of name.
She reverted to the red ensign in 1915 to replace wartime losses
and for two years was requisitioned by the British Government
to transport food and coal for the Royal Navy. On 7th November
1918 she endured the final attack on a Blue Funnel ship in World
War 1 when she was missed by a torpedo in the Mediterranean.
She was purchased by Leonard R. Muller of Hamburg in 1923 and
renamed Gotz von Berlichingen. Two years later she was broken
up at Hamburg. (Photo: John Clarkson Collection) 
DARDANUS
(2) was built in 1894 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 4653grt a length of 392ft, a beam of 47ft 1in and
a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Orestes she was built
at a cost of £52,030. In 1911 she was transferred to N.
S. M. 'Oceaan' and during World War 1 was requisitioned by the
Dutch Government to carry much needed wheat. Ever mindful of
the British Government's need for ships and their rule bending
tactics to acquire them the Dardanus was forbidden to leave
Amsterdam and was the only N. S. M. ships not to come under
British control. In 1923 she was sold to Paulsen & Ivers
of Kiel and renamed Fingal. Three years later she was sold to
I. N. S. A. of Genoa, renamed Fortunato Secondo and broken up
at Genoa in 1927. (Photo: National Maritime Museum) 
DIOMED
(2) was built in 1895 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 4672grt a length of 392ft, a beam of 47ft 1in and
a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Orestes she was completed
in 1895 at a cost of £53,401. On 22nd August 1915, during
a voyage from Liverpool to Shanghai, she was captured by the
German submarine U-38 and sunk by gunfire 57 miles north west
of the Scilly Islands. Captain J. Miles and two others were
killed when the bridge was hit and eight further lives were
lost as the crew abandoned ship in heavy seas. 
HECTOR
(3) was built in 1895 by Workman, Clark & Co. Ltd at Belfast
with a tonnage of 4660grt a length of 391ft 6in, a beam of 47ft
1in and a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Orestes she
entered service in 1895 and had an uneventful career until World
War 1 broke out. She first acted as Fleet Messenger No. 20 before
being used as a balloon ship in the Dardanelles spotting for
HMS Queen Elizabeth. She then became White Sea Ammunition Carrier
No. 126 for a spell before becoming Expeditionary Force Transport
No. F01 deployed carrying wheat from Karachi to the Gulf and
stores and motor transport from Avonmouth to Alexandria. She
then carried coal as Royal Naval Collier No.2154 and finally
ended the war as Stores Carrier No.103. After returning to Blue
Funnel she was sold for breaking in 1923, firstly to a Swansea
based shipbreaker and then to Schiffswerke Unterelbe of Wilhelmshaven.
(Photo: Ian J, Farquhar Collection) 
MENELAUS
(2) was built in 1895 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 4672grt a length of 392ft, a beam of 47ft 1in and
a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Orestes and the last
of the class she was delivered in 1895 at a cost of £53,532.
She was requisitioned by the British Government in 1915 as Fleet
Messenger No.21 and, subsequently, purchased by the Admiralty
in March 1916 for use as a balloon ship and temporarily renamed
Davao. She was deployed spotting for monitors bombarding the
German lines behind the Belgian coast. In 1917 she reverted
to her original name, Menelaus, and was transferred to the Shipping
Controller and placed under the management of Alfred Holt. In
this role she acted as White Sea Ammunition Carrier No. 189,
Royal Naval Collier No. 2003 and in December 1919 was Expeditionary
Force Transport No. F8621 carrying stores and motor transport
from London to the Mediterranean where she also operated a ferry
service before transporting wheat from Australia. Early in 1920,
having been considered no longer suitable for further commercial
service, she was sold for breaking up at Genoa. (Photo: Ian
J, Farquhar Collection) 
ANCHISES
(2) was built in 1888 by Wigham Richardson Ltd at Newcastle
with a tonnage of 2718grt a length of 325ft, a beam of 40ft
and a service speed of 10 knots. She was built as the Wilcannia,
one of five ships for Lund's Blue Anchor Line, and acquired
by Holt's when a new Wilcannia was ordered with a condition
that the name was changed. As the Anchises she was used mainly
as a reserve ship on the Indonesian and West Australian services.
In 1898 she was transferred to N. S. M. 'Oceaan' but reverted
to the Ocean Steam Ship Co. in 1906. She was sold to T. W. Ward
Ltd in May 1910 for breaking up at Briton Ferry. 
PROMETHEUS
(2) was built in 1896 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 5570grt, a length of 422ft, a beam of 49ft and a
service speed of 10 knots. Costing £62,558 she was the
first of a class of four ships. In 1924 she was sold to Industrie
Navali Soc. Anon (I.N.S.A) of Genoa, Italy, renamed Delia and
broken up in the following year. 
GLAUCUS
(2) was built in 1896 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 5509grt, a length of 423ft 1in, a beam of 49ft 2in
and a service speed of 10 knots. Completed for the Ocean Steam
Ship Co. at a cost of £62,801 she played an important
part in extending Blue Funnel's routes when she undertook the
first voyage to Australia in 1898. The venture was a success
and in 1901 a regular service was started, outward via the Cape
and back via the Suez Canal. Initially the monthly service sailed
from Glasgow where competition was not so severe but in 1902
a sailing from Liverpool was introduced. On 3rd June 1918 she
was sunk without warning by UB-68 20 miles west of Cape Granitola,
Sicily during a voyage from Liverpool to Shanghai with a general
cargo and with the loss of two lives. (Photo: John Clarkson
Collection) 
PATROCLUS
(2)/PALAMED (2) was built in 1896 by Workman, Clark & Co.
Ltd at Belfast with a tonnage of 5509grt, a length of 422ft,
a beam of 49ft 4in and a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of
the Prometheus she was completed in June 1896. On 13th September
1907, during the final days of a voyage from Australia, she
grounded in fog at Flew's Gangway, half a mile north of Portland
Bill and close to two previous wrecks. The ship was approaching
Portland to pick up the channel pilot and her master thought
that he had cleared Portland Bill. Fortunately, the ship was
proceeding slowly when she struck the bottom. Although tugs
were sent from Weymouth and Portland assistance was declined
initially as the weather was fine and the sea calm. An inspection
of the damage revealed that there were several holes and fifteen
feet of water in the hold. After some of the cargo was removed
to lighten the ship she was refloated and subsequently repaired.
On 19th January 1911 she sustained extensive damage when she
collided with the Great Eastern Railway's Harwich to Hoek van
Holland steamer Vienna. The ferry sustained little damage and
continued on her voyage. In 1914 she was transferred to N. S.
M. 'Oceaan' and, like most of the other vessels flying the Dutch
flag, was requisitioned by the Shipping Controller in 1917 and
placed under Holt management. She was returned to N. S. M. 'Oceaan'
in 1919. She was renamed Palamed in 1923, when the name 'Patroclus'
was required for a new building, and in the following year was
sold to Atlantide S. A. per Imprese Marittima of Genoa and given
the name Australia. In 1929 she was broken up at Genoa. (Photo:
John Clarkson Collection) 
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