REAL PIONEER

Waipa Post, Volume 51, Issue 3694, 6 December 1935, Page 3

REAL PIONEER

OIL BARGE ONCE CONVICT SHIP. Moored by (lie city light plant in Lake Union, at Seattle, Washington Slate, U.S.A., is the hull of an old iron vessel, serving as an oil storage barge for Ihe General Petroleum Corporation of California. People inicrested in. matters of historic interest frequently visit her, for ilie battered old vessel is a fink'with older, more glamorous days. A member of the stall of the Vacuum Oil Company supplies these details of her historic career:—• From London, England, in the year LSflti, was launch'd one of the first wrought iron ships ever constructed; 20G feet long, MI.I feet in breadth and 20.1 feet deep, site grossed 1012 tons, staunch, sturdy and fast. Proudly she carried the flag of Hie British Empire; proudly also she bore upon her prow tiie sculptured form of Lady Gainsborough, after whom she was named. Her maiden voyage t.oolc her to India. It was in the Indian trade she remained for several years. She was the pride of British shipping between Liverpool and Calcutta; swift and trim—one of Hie fastest on the seven seas. With no motive power other than her sails, she held her own in competition with steam vessels on that long voyage, after' most sailing ships-had boon relegated to second place in the passenger trade. For a time during those early years Lady Gainsborough was a British convict ship, carrying passengers to Van Diemen’s Land. Tasmania. Later sh.e was stolen and sailed under Hue black flag of a pirate master. Him was recaptured, however, and returned to Hie Britisli-Imlian trade. There, as a tramp, she again sailed the seas until, in 1806, she foundered gj Diamond Head, on the Island of Chau, while entering Honolulu harbour. Tints ended the career of Hie Lady Gainsborough. But Honolulu merchants salvaged and refitted her. and put her into service under the name Diamond Head. For many years the Diamond Head

v;as engaged in coastwise service, and from (be time Hawaii was annexed by the United .Stales she sailed under (he Stars and Stripes. Tier last active service was as a sort, of mother ship for whalers, under the ownership of 1 lie Barneson-Tlibbard Com

pany. When the whaling interest, of that company was sold it so happened the Diamond Head faded more and more into an uneventful, but.useful old age. ! Shortly after 1920 she took her famous last voyage through Lake Washington Canal to her present berth in Lake Union. She is now a fuel oil storage barge, serving, the city light plant of Seattle and belongs to General Petroleum Corpoiation of California. In the Puget Sound Academy of Science, Lake Washington Ship Canal, Ballard Locks, Seattle, there is on display a number of curious and interesting objects taken from the Diamond Head. Among these is the capstan plate, bearing the British Coat of Arms and Hie name of the maker: C. Lungley, London.