According to Wikipedia, the wool clipper ship Lightning was launched in East Bostin in 1854 and commissioned into the British Merchant Navy. It was scuttled at Geelong on 31st October 1869 after catching fire at around 1am the night before “when she was fully loaded and ready to sail”.
It was described as being a “full-rigged three-masted
sailing ship (clipper rigging) cargo clipper ship” of 2,084 (gross) tonnage.”
Its dimensions are given as:
“Length - hull:
237.5 ft (72.4 m), 277 ft (84 m) (LOA), Beam - 44 ft (13 m), Height - 164 ft
(50 m) main mast (deck to truck), Draught 23
ft (7.0 m) loaded.”
Two of Geoff Nayler’s books – “Shipwrecks along the Southern
Coast” and “Wreck and Relics” discuss the Lightning.
It is described as being a three-masted wooden ship (of) 1468
tons (2083 gross), totally burnt ….” Although it sank “about 150 yards (200m) north-west from the
end of the Yarra St. Pier” its remains have long been scattered over a largen
area by blasting operations to clear shipping lanes.
“Dredging operations have produced various relics …. And have
resulted in the …. recovery of a large anchor.”
Photos of the Lightning feature in both books and on
Wikipedia. My interest in the Lightning was reignited when I discovered
this painting of the vessel onboard the clipper ship City of Adelaide at
Port Adelaide: -
