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Steamboats of the Past.■ - ♦ ■Some r*»w weeks ago an article on “ttteotnbouta of tho Cast' was pul.llnh od in tint II It. Herald, and reprint od l»y tho Wlngham Chronicle. Mr T J Houghton, compiler of the North Cobmi Guide, iRSliod by the Nurlli Coast S.N. Co., proceeds to correct it number or errors Ho ‘tnto„t ho ft ret mistake wan In atyllng thn Co In iho 'W* a* the North Coast S.N Co , but tho writer, for tho rake «f brevity, did so knowing that every body who interests himself in shipping wnli Unrw the Co'*, hiatory. \ print or's error stated the Bloclra waa built In tho early Dfl’n Thr, Blectrn wan built In the imrly *lt;'* lor n Victorian firm not to tho order of tho C anlt;l K If H S’ fo . which fori ono t*o well giottmlrrt in : hipping hlntory -,ih Mr Houghton • bilmu to be should hnve known The writer of tho article re Iterates th.it Captain Hraceglrdlc wns (.qinmandi-r of I In* New England, that Captain II Creer was tho Co’a man oger at Grafton ift#,r retiring from tho t.’M.v, that lt;'a plain K Karri'll wns iommunder of the '‘City for snmr yearn, and thrl tho hollers taken out of Him City” when dismantled were i ho original, notwithstanding Mr. Houghton's lU'ijiiallfleil assertion? to tho contrary In conflrmatior tho writer .»-l‘► us »• publish llio following litter received Irntn Captain W It Newlon. who, before referring to Mr llmighlnn'n lot tor. writes-I will flrM give you a slight resume of my early connection with tho North Cc-tst tradu and will correct some of tbo orrura In which Mr Houghton ha* allow cd hltiii'olC lo flounder. I *hlp l»cd on henrd tho s.n Agnes Irvine in November, 1KTI, Captain H. Cr* *r In command. and Mr John Magee lir»t mate. At thin time tho Co wap the Clnjonco and Hirhiuond River S-.N. Co, Honu* ye:trs afterwards It wa* altered to tho Clarence, Richmond and Mucley S N Co., and in 1811 l-Ccume tlio N’nrth Coast S N Co In IN4 ibf ll« t consisted of tho Agoe* Irving, Captain Creer Rnlllna. Cnpt llrutcglrdb. an I Platypus. Cpt Medford I a'ii not certain whether Dla-mantlna, Captain ltor«eo. had boon r• »li| to the Manning River Co. at thl^ time, lint, if nol. rhe wan sold shortly alierward* Abuul August. lSIT.. Cap tain freer went to England, to super intend the building of thn City of Graf ton, Capt Bracegirdle to »k command of the Agnes, (’apt. Bedford tho Hal r.na, and Capt John Magee the Platy-Piib, with Mr E Farrell an first mate of ihc latter On January 4th. IS7G.I loft the Agrtev Irvinx nnd shipped on hoard I ho^ White Star Balling ship Samuel Pllinso] for London While at Hum1* In thr Isle t Man 1 wrote to Greenock, lo Captain Creer, ox; reusing a wish to Pn out to Sydney with hint In the Cltv nf Grafton. He re-plied. Mlatlng nt«* for not ronitminlcnt InR with him ot»»iler. an he was rvallins: for Sydn* .v n*‘vt day. I atayed at Home anelhor couple of months, and I hen hipped on board Messrs Iavltl and Moorc’u imllllig ship Kodnev, for Mellmurno, where I left her and Joined « llttlo schooner of 120 tons on » voyage to New Zealand t»n rlt; turning to Mn1lourne I left tin* t-i huoner nnd um.' rouud to Sydney, where I Joined tho Agnes Irving n« second male, under Captain I’rnce-gtrdle. In May, IN77 In October. 1H77. I was promoted flrht mate .»f the City of Grafton, which position I held until October, li*H2. when 1 resigned to taki- (omrnand of the f^.S It Co’a ritcamer Terranora In Jununry, 1878. Oaptuin Crcqr was appointed local manager at Grafton and (’apt Itrace-Klrdlv tiwik command of tho City The crossing nt the Clnronce Heads was very had at thl;; time, ami wo had to load and discharge Into doughers In lh*‘ Deep llolo” Thin meant that, when the i*hlp mine in over tho bar. tsh had to anchor in tho Deep llolo, dfficharge Into dougher to lighten ship, go cut over the bur and come in aguin Into the main river; and the same on tho outward trip We stowed .’100 bags of maize in the City’s forehold In Grafton to bring her on even koel, went down the river and out over the bar, and came in again Into the Deep Hole. whlt; re we completed loading from droughera. and proceeded out to »oa in 1880 Captain Creer again took command of tho City, until 1881. when he went to Kngland lo bring oat the s.b. Woodburn. and Captain Brace-girdle again to;k commend. I might mention that previous to taking command of tho City In 1880. Captain Cre.er had linen homo and brought oul tho a.a Tomkl. Captain Brnoo*:iniie was In command of thn City when I left the service In 1KH2. While I was mate of the City with Captain Creer. a rum, of horse stealing occurred. A man stolo two draught horses at Ul-mnra on a Friday night, travelled them down to Rocky Mouth, and left them with a hotelkeeper to be shipped when the City came down on Saturday, the supposed owner leaving word for me that be would meet ihe ship at Harwood When w0 got I here a man came aboard nnd asked me to manifest thr horsr^ from himself to hltnsolf fglving me his name) as he was going fo Sydney in ihe ship When w0 arrived at Paliner’ii Island a constable came nhonrd and a«kcd H 1 hal any nes on tho ship.I told him he would find a couple In the forward 'tween decks. Whll* Ihe constable wan apesking to me the supposed owner was standing nearby, nndwhen the conatablo went forward to look at the horses, I noticed this mnn go ashore nnd i«tan to run Slnrtly after the constable tame uft, lo mo and said two horses had been stolen from Ulraarra (evidently the wires had been at work.) Th*' constable naked If the man w-ho claimed Ihe hlt;»rh»* wan IIboard I said. “Hb was when yon first spoke to me, but he. went ashore, anil thn last I saw nf him he was going along the river hunk, and at thr price he was goinit he will noon ho back al Rocky Mouth Wo look tho horses on lo Sydney, and. when we nr rived, a detective cam© aboard, and I received Instruction# from the manager not to land the horses, but to ink»• hem hack to Grafton, and he sure and olloct Ihe double freight on them h'fore delivering thntn to any person When we got buck lo Grafton tho •'ollclt; had arrested u man for nteulitig• hem, and after I hml Identified the suspect, and given my evidence n| th FNdlcn Court, h- was commuted and F wh* subpoenaed to irlve ovlden'T i'» the trialWhen the trial i-mr on the * 'I* v wni laid up for ber half-yearly over •mill, and was on thp nld A S N tVi's .lip at Prymnnt The New Kngland, which our Co hnd bnnght from the de funct Clarence and New Knglitnd Co .• ook the City’s place while ah’ wtw IhIiI up. and, it., I hud lie In Grufion for the trial. Mr K Farrell who was nale ol the New Knglnnd, was In Mmeted to relieve me nnd I went to Grefton acting mate of the Net* •■Tnpnnd under thn command of Captain Hracogirdle Tho prisoner wn« convictd and sent up for three yearn Mr J p Want was barrister for the defen-lant After giving my ovld«pe,» i went down the river In the New Kng 'unil. wont p.shorn at Yumbu, and Join •ul the City, which came fu next morning. Mr Farrell remi'ln'.ng In Sydney •o Join his own ship when *he came InI am under the Impression that tho \gncs Irving, under Captain Magee, van loj-t on the Macleay bur while Cap '.••In (’reer was at home for th« T imkt. ind when the Tomkl arrived Cintnin •'rcer took the City and f'aptnln ttraepglrdln the New Kngland I know I was mate with Captain Bracegirdle n the City, and we wer* at Grafton when the news came through of the ■osw of the steamer Agnes Irving Ithe City, nnd I, by Captain Crcer’s remand of the Kallatlna. Captain Mage* quest, wont a« mate of the Kallatlna At thlu tlm* the ill health, which sub-tu-quontly compelled Captain Creer to resign, and was nfterwnrds the cause of his death was beginning to affect him In his death the Co lost th ■ ttnr vices of a Miinrf, hillllunt competsnl irainau. and f a rlouo personal friend When Cipli'in t'ronr renigned Oh plain Magee look thr Kdllutlna, nnd I (he Wyrallah, In tho Byron Bay trado. where f was engaged for two years carrying plant and m.i'eri.il for th» Tweed-Idamerc railway, which wanthen building Cnpt Anr.hnn was mas ter of | hr fit v at this time When here-nig nnd Captr.ln Farrell was appointed to her, and when he took command of thlt;- N'mybolda Captain Sinter look the City, in the I’laronce trad alt; first, and iilt.-rwiirdH in llin Klchiuoiul trade. While ihe City wan laid up undergoing in ixtrnvlve overhaul. Captain S'ater iimjU temporary r mm nnd o, the t)nk-!unil whlr-h lesi off port Stephens. Ciifsln Slater rolnn down with hln• hit C.ipta'n I. C.Mtlncn nexl look i oiuu.tnil of ih« fltv in tb«: IMr.raiond trade fi«r a !• w innnlb'i when I was anptilnied to tier and rem.,»!rlt;d in• ' nittmnd iiuttl the good old ship went out or i tiimlt;s*ton In I Of. When rhe Kvr-:ln came r»i*| Cnptnltt All'V had i-.omiand of her for u few trips In the nirhmond trade, hill, na he wii un-miltaldo faptain Farrell took com mnnd of lo r in the f.lnr«»ne« Irade. and reim.innl i n*ster »: ^.«*r until he utired i|.,.|i( 12 month, ago, with the »-t« ov'lon cf :• few trlp^ he made In the Ibrrringhar As regards thn re.ntlvo ■hi eiU of the t'liy nnd clarence you t're iptlie rlifht that it w:ih entirely a inafter of conditions. There wiw very little difference In the average peed *f the I wo «.hips, bu| th City made a bettnr record with IM hours 35 minutes. than the Clarence put upWhen Mr Houghton ignores the fact that the C nnd R II.S.N Co ever owned thr New Knglnnd ho put■« him .'elf dui *'t court entirely as far sh historical date Is lt;onct t'ttcd in connection itthe Northern Rivers shlnplng trade As to Mr Houghton's record trip In the City of days. 1 can only i ay I never heard of it before It ccr fultilv did nor happen during the five years l wa* mate on hrr Perhaps MrGOLD COMMISSIONER I88UINC. LICENSES AND DU8T AT BATHUR8T.WEIGHING GOLDroekon It was between 1880 and 1HS1 hat Captain Brucogirdle bud ihn Now Kngland. I have gone it lorn; way round to prove that Captain |nnc«v girdle was In command of the New Kngland. but I think that In ihe far* of it Mr Houghton with all his ox porienc-o of Clarence niver i,hipping, mimt admit hp ha* made another blunter. In \RSft, when the C 8.II Co. sold the Terrunora, I rejoined mv ol«l sorvice. which wan then known na the R. and M R.S N tv* , as master f thn Platypus. In the Richmond trade At 1 hist time Captain Creer was marine auperlntendent of the Co., which position he held until he went home to bring out the Kalatina Capt Mageo was appointed master f the 3Uy, Captain Bracegirdle having r**-nlgned and Joined thn pilot service In Sydney Captain Jackson wag master of the Tomkl, Captain Farrell of the Woodburn (which wan ro-nimed tho Macleay). Captain Wood of the Corakl, Captain Poatann of thn Queen of the South-Capt. H Wood was In commend of her first trip to the Richmond, nfter-warda Capt, Pontann took command, and. when ho resigned through Ill-health, I wan placed In charge, and ran her for some time In the Richmond trade. Captain Farrell relieved me and ran her In the Manning trade, where she was very successful and a great favorite with the trnvnlllng public. Captain C.eer brought on* the Kallatlna In 1890, during the big marl-timn strike. When he arrived at Sydney Hendu he received orders In proceed fo Ihe Clareoce. thus belnt, the first ship in steam direct from Home to the Clarence. Captain Creer took up his old position of marine superintendent. Captain Ms geo took the Kalla-* tlna. and I the City In the Clareacn trade In 1891 when the Co. amalgamated with John See nnd Co , Caitaln Creer went back to sea, taking com-Houghton got trlxcd up with the six day trip tho City made undnr Captain Bruccgirdlo Wo left Sydney nt 9 am on Tueadny, with dirty looking weather anil all indications of an easterly gale. We carried moderate weather to the South Solitary, where nt 2 p in on Thursday, we hud a h^ary cast* rly galo. and Captain Bracegirdle decided to eland off ih« land We stocd out E N B for is hours under rai y steam, with u heavy aea and blinding rain twpmllft. Ihe- ship making good weather of It and not shipping any heavy water When we stood In again we made the land south of Smoky Cape. 60 miles south of where we stood out. We proceeded north for the Clarence bar. where we arrived on Sunday and found a heavy sea on the bar. with « strong fre#h running eut. The pilot signalled River in flood, no pio*pect of cro.iL»ng In for three d'-ys.The Captain decided to returi to Sydney, whore wo arrlvod on Monday night, nnd took up our usual running on Tuesday night. The ship came through the gdTe without any dtmgo, not losing even a proverbial rope yarn. He the Cloctra. I am not aware whether she waa built to tho Co’e. order or not. but when I had hor In the Richmond the principal loading was log limber, and In speaking to Captain Creej- about tho nnnuttabllfty of the ship for tho trade I cxpremia.I surprise at tho Co building such a vessel tor the Richmond, lie Maid. 'She was nol built for the Richmond or any ether trada out hero. 1 hare given you a very long scrced, but whs». yon sturt an old sailor talking of hi» van-going llfo he is very hard to choke off.P.S.—I nearly forgot to anawor an Important quea'lon. Re City's bollora, I can state positively that the hoilera which were put into tho City on tho Clyde in 1S76 were In the ship whan sho went out of commission on March 29th, 1913. and had never been lifted out of her lor repairs.
Newspaper Details
Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer
Wingham, New South Wales, AU
Fri, Feb 11, 1921
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Julie T.
AU 29 Feb 2020
Other Publications Near Wingham, New South Wales
Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer
