THE LIGHTNING

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 79, 3 April 1928, Page 16

THE LIGHTNING

FAMOUS CLIPPPER SHIP MINERS FOX GABRIEL'S GULLY Tlie discovery near the Yarra Street Pier, Geelong, by the dredge Thomas Beat o! portions of the dipper Lightning, which was burned oh' the pier in October, ISU9, revives interest in that famous clipper, aud her connection with the early history of Victoria, writes V. AY Hosken in the Melbourne "Argus." The Lightning was built in 1853 by Donald Mackay, au American shipbuilder to the order of James Baines, of the Black Ball Line, at a cost of £30,000. Of 3500 tons burthen, she was 244 ft long, with a beam of 44ft, and a depth of 23ft. She has been described as "one of the sharpest ships ever launched." Her spar and rigging measurements were tremendous, and when under all plain sail she spread 13,000 yarls of canvas. She was provided with iron water tanks, holding 30,000 gallons o£ water—a novelty at that time —and her accommodation for passengers was an improvement on anything attempted before. On her maiden voyage across the Atlantic she made the greatest 24-hour run ever accomplished by a sailing ship, viz., 436 nautical miles. She also held the record for the second greatest run, viz., 430 miles on her trip to Australia in 1857, averaging more than IS knots an hour. Her first captain was the famous "Bully" Forbes, with the almost as famous "Bully" Bragg as mate. "Bully" lforbes is the original of the "Hell or Melbourne" story. On one of his outward passages his scared passengers sent a deputation to him, beseeching him to shorten sail, and to his curt refusal he added that it was a case of "Hell or Melbourne." The clipper Ked Jacket was launched only a few days before the Lightning, and the two vessels had an exciting race across the Atlantic. The Red Jacket made runs of 413, 374, 371, 343, and 300 miles a day, as against the Lightning's 436, 328, 312, and 306 miles. The two clippers arrived in Liverpool on the same day, their exact times being Red Jacket—Sandy Hook to Rock Light, 13 days 1 hour; Lightning, Boston Light to Rock Light, 13 days 19% hours.- The Red Jacket's six days' run of 2020 miles has only been beaten by the Cutty Sark, which in 1876 ran 2163 miles in the same time. SOME REMARKAKBLE RUNS. The Lightning's first voyage to Australia was in 1854. She arrived off Sandridgc (Port Melbourne) Pier on 31st July, 77 days from Liverpool, her best runs having been 348, 332, 329, 311, and 300 knots. Her return voyage was notable for the facts that she carried in her hold gold dust from Victorian goldfields to the value of £1,000,000 sterling, and that her sailing time between Melbourne and the Mersey was 64 days 3 hours 10 minutea—a record for her class which was never beaten. "Upon her arrival at Liverpool her passengers told weird stories of 'Bully' Forbes having kept his station at the break of the poop, with a pistol in each hand, in order to prevent his scared crew from letting -go the royal halliards." This was Forbes's last trip on the Lightning. He was transferred to the ill-fated Schombcrg, which was wrecked near Cape Otway on her first voyage to Australia. He was succeeded by Captain Anthony Enright, who had the Lightning for four voyages to Australia (1855-57). He was remarkably popular with passengers. Ho commanded the Lightning during the early years of the gold rushes, when all sorts and conditions of emigrants crowded outcoming vessels. . That his ship gained the reputation of being "as good an example of the best-run first-class emigrant ships as can be found" speaks volumes for shis tact and gift for ruling men. He always insisted upon the owners providing a good band to provide plenty of music on board, and he also took a keen interest in the ship's -weekly newspapers. Copies of the "Lightning; Gazette" are still extant, and they provide 'interesting reading. Thus wo have the following set of instructions •to sailors desirous of learning how to dance a quadrille:—"Heave ahead and pass your adversary ynrdnrm to yardarin; regain your berth on the other tack in the same order; take your station in a lino with your pnrtner, bai'k and fill, face on your heel, and bring up with your partner; sh<: then manoeuvres ahead and heaves all aback, fills and shoots ahead again, and pays off alongside. You then make sail in company until stern on with the other lino: make a stern' board and cast her off to shift for herself; regain your berth by the best means possible, and let go your anchor." ! AS A TROOPSHIP. In 1857 the Lightning was taken off the Australian trade and used as a troopship to carry reinforcements to India during the Mutiny. Subsequently, with Captain Byrne in charge—Captain Enright having resigned his command in consequence of his wife's ill-health—she returned to the Australian run. hi 1802 she was specially commissioned to carry about 900 diggers from Melbourne In Port Chalmers for the gold rush at Gabriel's Gully. The diggers gave the captain bo much trouble that he put into The Bluff and compelled v number to disembark there. Seven years later, while she was alongside the- Geeloug Pier loading wool-, 4000 bales having been put on board, a fire was discovered in the Lightning's forehold. From the iirst the ship seemed to bo doomed, and it was feared (hat the wharf might catch fire. iShe had an anchor out i»n«id, and nn attenipt_ was made to heave her clear of the pier, but the flames soon drove the crew from the windlass. However, on the mooring lines being cast off, she drifted clear and swung i.o her anchor, the whole forepart of the ship being in flames. The foremast, which was iron, melted in ita step owing to the heat, and soon went over tlie side. An attempt was made to scuttle lie:' by the desperate means of bombarding her from two 32-pounders. To a modern gunner the result was astounding. At only 300 yards range most of the rounds minded the Lightning altogether. A few that hit her did more harm than good by giving the wind access to the fire, and thereby increasing its fury. After burning all day the ship sank at sundown. There she has remained' until disturbed by the buckets of a dredge.