Mersey (ship)
From Wikipedia, the free 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. She 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. She 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:
| Destination | Date of Arrival | Number of Passengers | Deaths During Voyage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suriname | 10 April 1896 | n/a | n/a |
| Trinidad | 20 October 1897 | 668 | 11 |
| Suriname | 28 January 1902 | n/a | n/a |
| Fiji | 13 June 1903 | 585 | n/a |
| Trinidad | 8 February 1906 | 665 | 5 |
On 12 May 1908, the Mersey was sold to the White Star Line and used as a training ship with 60 cadets. She made six voyages to Australia as a trainig ship. In 1914, she was the first sailing ship to be equipped with a radio. She was also the first sailing ship abroad which an operation for appendicitis was perofomed on a cadet. In 1915, the White Star Line gave up their traing scheme due to the war and sold the Mersey to Norwegian owners. She changed hands a number of times and her name was changed to Transatlantic then to Dvergso. In 1923 she was scrapped.
[edit] See also
- Indian Indenture Ships to Fiji
- Indian indenture system
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- Lubbock, Basil (1981). Coolie ships and oil sailors. Brown, Son & Ferguson. ISBN 0-85174-111-8.
- Perry, F. W. (1991). Nourse Line. World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-62-2.
