Photo: shipsnostalgia

SS Malta was built for The British & Foreign Steam Navigation Company, Glasgow by James & George Thomson, Govan at their Cessnock Bank yard as Yard No.84.

2,132GRT, 1,541NRT, length 303.1 ft, beam 39.3 ft & depth 25.0 ft

Single screw powered by a 2 cylinder compound steam engine built by the yard giving 280HP.    Launched on 19th October 1865

July 1878 ownership was transferred to Cunard Steam Ship Co. Ltd., Liverpool (British & Foreign Steam Navigation Co had been formed in 1855 by Cunard investors into which they had consolidated all their Mediterranean activities)

1879 she was re-engined with a 2 cylinder compound stem engine built by James Jack, Rollo & Co., Liverpool giving 212HP.

At about 19.00hours 15th October 1889 whilst en route from en voyage from Liverpool for Genoa and Venice via Falmouth under the command of Captain Richard A. Lavis carrying 21 passengers and about 2,000 tons of cargo, she ran ashore in dense fog under the cliffs of Kenidjack Castle, half-mile north of Cape Cornwall. The boats were lowered and all the passengers were put safely ashore by 20.30hours. The crew remained aboard until they were ordered into the lifeboats, the Captain and a couple remaining aboard. The lifeboats stood by the ship until about 08.30hours on 16th When the Captain and the remainding men left the ship.

At the formal enquiry held at Liverpool on 2nd November 1889 her loss was attributed to failure on the part of her Captain. When calculating her course he used his own set of deviation cards he had made for the compass errors, which he had compiled on previous voyages rather than the ship's own deviation cards for the compass. He further did not appear to make proper allowance for the tide and upon making his distance and not being sure of his position was not justified in making full speed and should have used the lead to ascertain his position. The Court making allowance for his favourable antecedents only suspended his ticket for three months.

The Liverpool Salvage Associations SS Hyaena was involved in salvage operations but when the weather broke in late November with little possibility of favourable easterly winds she returned to Liverpool. A contract was then made with the divers on the basis of a percentage of the value of any property recovered.

Source: clydeships co uk /wrecksite eu /benjidog co uk