HISTORIC SHIP

Taranaki Daily News, 3 January 1935, Page 2

HISTORIC SHIP

HELEN DENNY USED AS HULK. TO BE TOWED TO LYTTELTON. Another of Wellington’s fleet of hulks is to leave Wellington Harbour, writes “Martindale,” in the Evening Post. The Helen Denny, as attractive a little ship as ever voyaged in the Britain-New Zealand trade in the closing quarter of a century, but for long shorn of her attractiveness by service as a coal hulk in Port Nicholson, is to be towed to Lyttelton and will probably never return.

Sixty-eight years of age, the Helen Denny has survived a deal of history in her time, trading to ports scattered far apart on the high seas. In her earlier days the old barque bore an honourable reputation as a wool clipper, and in the flush of her youth she served in' many trades. Originally she was a fullrigged ship, but a few years later her rig was altered to that.of a barque. The first few years of her existence she spent under the flag of Messrs. Patrick Henderson and Company, of Glasgow, when she ran between that port and Rangoon and other eastern seaboard towns. Later she was acquired as one of the fleet of sailing ships belonging to the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company, and from 1874 until 1896 she traded between London and New Zealand. Her first commander as a Shaw, Savill vessel was Captain William Ruthe, who died at Auckland 10 years ago, and on her second run to New Zealand in 1875 he brought her out in 85 days. Eightyfive days from Plymouth to Napier was an excellent performance for a vessel of her tonnage, especially so when it is considered that during one 24 hours 310 miles were logged. On that trip she brought 229 immigrants to the Colony. Another fast voyage of the Helen Denny was the 82-day run, port-to-port, from London to Lyttelton in 1889. She broke the 80-day limit in 1877. with a land-to-land trip of 78 days, again in command of Captain Ruthe. On a passage to Lyttelton from London in 1890 the little barque ran through a very heavy gale, the top gallant bulwarks being washed away by tremendous seas, and the decks cleared of everything movable. The longest outward run she ever mqde was a 135-day passage in 1891, her master being Captain Carnell. In all she made 12 trips, which lasted more than 100 days, and nine under that mark. She also made several smart trips with cargo of wool from this country to Britain. With the advance of steam propulsion the Helen Denny was withdrawn from

the England-Dominion service, and was. taken over in 1896 by Turnbull and Company, of Christchurch, running successfully for several years between Newcastle and Lyttelton and other New Zealand ports. Twice she carried cargoes of wheat from Lyttelton to Auckland. Some 12 years after the Christchurch purchase she was acquired by Captain F. Holm, who continued to run her in the intercolonial trade. She was hulked at Wellington in 1913 for the Paparoa Coal Company, being later used as a Union Company vessel. The Helen Denny was an iron ship of 695 tons, being 187.5 ft long, 31.2 ft in beam and 19.1 ft in depth. After her departure for Lyttelton there will be nine active hulks in Wellington Harbour—Adderley. Alameda, Amokura, Holrnwood, Lutterworth, Prince of Hales, Occident, Rosemond and William Manson. The Countess of Errol is now in the process of being broken up on the Evans Bay foreshore.