ILL-FATED BARQUE

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 52, 30 August 1919, Page 10

ILL-FATED BARQUE

Never, perhaps, was the irony of fate emphasised more than in the recent history of the British, formerly American, barque Normandy, built at Damariscotta, (Maine) in 1877, which, according to. a report from Monte Video, under date 24th May, took fire in port and has become a total wreck. While on a voyage from Halifax to Melbourne, this vessel put into Barbados on Ist May, 1916, in distress, damaged and strained, with her cargo shifted and considerably damaged by sea-water. The cargo was discharged, and tho vessel was condemned and sold to Mr. C. H. Kinch, of Trinidad. '

The Normandy was afterwards repaired and1 fitted out for service, and left Mobile on 3Oth August, 1917, for Buenos Aires, and was reported to be considerably overdue. She, however, arrived at Buenos Aires on 7th March, 1918, having occupied 189 days on the passage. On 24th "May, 1918, while loading at Monte Video for Havana, she developed, a leak, and it was found necessary to lighten 400 tons. On 21st July she put back to Monte Video leaky, and on Sth August she was towed back a distance! of 300 miles by the seamer Cymric Vale, having sprung a leak in a gale. The whole of the cargo, which consisted of jerked beef and bags of flour, had to be discharged.