“LOCH TORRIDON.”Photo lent by late Captain Pattman.Larger image(184 kB)
“LOCH TORRIDON.”
Photo lent by late Captain Pattman.
Larger image(184 kB)
In the run to ValparaisoWendur’sbest day’s work was 330 miles with a moderate N.W. wind and heavy southerly swell in 54° S., 128° W. The next day she ran 310 miles, and three days later 320 miles, the wind strong at N.W. with heavy sea; her log remarks that she lost her boats, pigstye, goats, etc., on this day, so Captain Whiston was driving her.
Loch Torridonloaded at Tocopilla for Hamburg, and was 93 days coming home, a poor passage, her bottom was probably foul. On 6th July her decks were badly swept off the Horn and she had a big repair bill when she arrived in Glasgow from Hamburg.
In 1896-7 she went out to Adelaide from Glasgow in 71 days and then crossed from Newcastle, N.S.W., to Frisco in 46 days. She left Newcastle on 15th April in company with the four-mast shipThistleand the Norwegian shipHiawatha. Both these vessels were dropped hull down to leeward on the first day out. Going through the Islands continuous bad weather was met with; Captain Pattman never had his yards off the backstays until 35° N. and had difficulty in weathering Fiji; nevertheless on 31st MayLoch Torridoncame flying through the Golden Gate in front of a N.Wly. gale, and anchored in the Bay at 10 p.m.
Hiawathatook 62 days,Thistle79 days, and twoother ships, the American barqueTopgallant100 days and theCressington106 days. Besides beating these,Loch Torridonpassed no less than ten vessels which had sailed from Newcastle before her. Loading grain at Port Costa,Loch Torridonsailed on 23rd July, and arrived at Falmouth on 13th November, 1897, 113 days out. Captain Pattman stated that owing to the foulness of her bottom his ship was not sailing her best and he was disappointed with his passage.
Other passages home from Frisco that year were:—
Musselcragarrived Queenstown110days out.Lord Templetonarrived Queenstown111days out.Sierra Cadenaarrived Queenstown114days out.Andelanaarrived Queenstown114days out.Dominionarrived Queenstown117days out.Giffordarrived Liverpool118days out.Crown of Denmarkarrived Queenstown128days out.Caradocarrived Queenstown134days out.
All these vessels sailed about July and were considered crack ships.
In 1898Loch Torridonwent out to Adelaide in 79 days. Whilst running her easting down she was swept by a heavy sea, one man being lost overboard, the half-deck burst in like a pack of cards, the donkeyhouse stove, and three of the boats flattened out and left like skeletons in the chocks, whilst their davits were snapped off close to the deck. She came home from Melbourne to London in 90 days.
In 1898-9 she made the splendid run of 72 days 15 hours to Sydney.
She left London 5 a.m., 10th November, 1898—on 11th November she ran 300 miles in the 24 hours—on 12th November she ran 315 miles in the 24 hours—crossed the line in 28° W., 22 days out—ran her easting down in 45° S., best 24 hours 320 miles and was 23 days from the Cape Meridian to Tasmania.
She left London 5 a.m., 10th November, 1898—on 11th November she ran 300 miles in the 24 hours—on 12th November she ran 315 miles in the 24 hours—crossed the line in 28° W., 22 days out—ran her easting down in 45° S., best 24 hours 320 miles and was 23 days from the Cape Meridian to Tasmania.
Loch Torridonhad between 4000 and 5000 tons ofheavy general cargo in her hold and was very deep. Between 1875-1887 the clippers loaded nothing like such a heavy general cargo outwards, and yet this performance ofLoch Torridon’sis equal to any of that day.
She arrived in Port Jackson on 31st January, 1899. This year for a change she came home from Lyttelton, N.Z., in 86 days.
The next three years she did nothing remarkable.
1899London to Adelaide85days.Melbourne to London105„1900London to Adelaide88„Melbourne to London88„1901London to Adelaide86„Adelaide to London112„
In 1902 she went out to Adelaide in 79 days, then loaded coals at Newcastle, N.S.W., for Frisco. Again she made a remarkable run across the Pacific.
She left Newcastle on 27th April—crossed the line on 17th May in 169° 42′ W.—arrived at Frisco on 11th June, 45 days out.
She left Newcastle on 27th April—crossed the line on 17th May in 169° 42′ W.—arrived at Frisco on 11th June, 45 days out.
At San Francisco Captain Pattman loaded wheat for Liverpool. But when he was ready to sail he found himself 10 men short, so applied to the usual sources. And here is a good instance of the methods of Frisco boarding-house masters at that date. He was informed that each man would cost him $30 blood money, $25 advance, $5 shipping fee, $1 boat hire—total $61 per man. This was more than a resolute man like Captain Pattman could put up with, especially with wheat freights to U.K. at 11s. 3d. Though the boarding-house masters were a law unto themselves in San Francisco and boasted of their power, he determined to brave them and after some trouble managed to get men at $31 inclusive per man. His success broke the ring for a time, and they were soon offering men at $21 a head, less$2.50 commission of the captains. No doubt many a present day officer will remember the episode, which caused quite a stir in windjammer circles at Frisco, and even produced a long poem in one of the leading papers. This poem was entitled “The Lay of theLoch Torridon,” and the patriotic Frisco newspaper man takes care that the British captain is bested in his efforts. TheLoch Torridonsailed on 8th November, in company with the four-mast barqueCrocodile.Loch Torridonarrived Liverpool on 14th March, 1904, and theCrocodileon 31st March, over two weeks behind.
From 1904 to 1909, when Captain Pattman resigned his command,Loch Torridonwas kept on the Australian run, her passages being:—
1904Glasgow to Sydney77days.Sydney to London97„1905London to Adelaide85„Melbourne to London106„1906London to Adelaide83„Melbourne to London117„1907London to Adelaide83„Melbourne to London86„1908London to Adelaide94„Melbourne to London87„
On her arrival home in 1908, Captain Pattman reluctantly decided to give up his command and go into steam, his reason that vexed one, the lack of real sailormen to man her. Besides which, owing to the unwillingness of good men to remain in sail, he had to put up with an aged “has been” as mate and an apprentice just out of his time for second mate.
In 1912Loch Torridonwas sold to the Russians. About the same time Captain Pattman had his leg broken by a sea whilst on the bridge of his new command. He was landed at Falmouth and died there in hospital.