BARQUE PENANG

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 111, 11 May 1940, Page 6

BARQUE PENANG

MEMENTO OF MISHAP

GIFT TO PATRIOTIC FUND

An interesting memento of the mishap to the Finnish barque Penang, which led to the vessel putting into Dunedin for repairs in June, 1938, has been received by the National Patriotic Fund Board from an anonymous donor with the suggestion that it be disposed of in aid of the National Patriotic Fund. The memento is in the form of a compass face, suitably inscribed and framed, and it bears the signatures of those on board the ship at the time.

The gift has been given to Mr. R. H. Nimmo for display, and the intention is that it shall go to the highest bidder. /

The Penang, a steel barque, of 1997 tons, is no stranger m New Zealand waters, having visited Auckland more than once and having made calls also at other New Zealand ports. A unit of the famous fleet owned by Captain Gustav Erikson, the largest fleet of sailing ships in the world, the Penang was built at Bremerhaven in 1905 as the full-rigged ship Albert Rickmers. She was later purchased by Hamburg owners, and, renamed the Penang, was employed in the Chilean nitrate trade of the "Flying P." Line until the outbreak of war in 1914. The survivors of the fleet dispersed after the war and the Penang was acquired eventually by Captain Erikson. With her rig cut down to that of a barque, she entered the Australian grain trade. She is at present under charter to a London company.

The mishap to the Penang with which the memento is associated occurred while she was bound from Port Victoria, South Australia, to the United Kingdom with a cargo of wheat. At 1.10 a.m. on June 1, 1938, when she was about 50 miles from Stewart Island, the vessel was struck suddenly by a violent squall which rendered her mainmast useless. Then began a halfspeed journey which ended when .the Penang was towed into Port Chalmers on June 14.

Her commander, Captain K. V. Karlsson, stated on his arrival at Dunedin that at the time of the mishap the Penang was moving along under full sail, when suddenly she was struck by a squall which literally threw her on her beam ends. The maintopmast, which was broken in two places, went overboard, and for five minutes or so the ship had a list to starboard, the bulwarks being under water. Only the starboard watch was on deck when the ship.was stuck, .but as soon as the mishap curred the cry of "All hands on deck" was: immediately given, and ho time was lost in lashing and broken mast and loose gear where it was hanging over the side.

Among those on board were two women, Miss Dorothy Laird (Scotland) and Miss Catherine Bri'dger (Wallasey, England). The repairs to the vessel occupied two months, and when they were completed the Penang left for Falmouth.