LOSS OF THE HILONIAN.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 25 May 1917, Page 6

LOSS OF THE HILONIAN.

END OF EVENTFUL CAREER

WRECKED SEVERAL TIM I' T,

The steamer Hilonian, whic’ has been reported as torpedoed i' the Mediterranean, was well knov i in Auckland about 35 years a<ro as the Triumph. Phe arrived in Auckland in undßr barter to the Shaw. Savm anf3 ' > ' Albion Company, being that

company’s second direct steamer from London. Her voyage here proved disastrous, as on leaving this port for Wellington on the evening of November 1 she ran on the rocks at the south-east end of Tiri. Her forepart filled with water, and it was thought she would become a total wreck. The vessel was sold by auction, the hull and engines were bought by Messrs Fraser and Tinne. She was refloated on January 4 1884, and towed to Auckland for repairs. She had a large hole in her bows, and, as the Calliope Dock was then only in course of construction, there was no dock in Auckland capable of taking a vessel of her size. The difficulty was overcome by putting as much of the vessel as possible in the dock and building a coffer dam round the portion protuding. It was not until October 25, 1885, that she was placed in, position enabling repairs to be effected.

The Triumph has been an unlucky ship from the first. Built in 1880 by Messrs R. Dixon and Company, Mid-dlesboro’-on-Tees, England, she first went to China, where she ran ashore. After being refloated she returned to England, where she was chartered for the New Zealand trade, as previously mentioned. After being repaired at Auckland she ran in the inter-colonial trade for three years under the ownership of Mr. W. Fraser, of Auckland. She afterwards returned to England and was sold. Her next mishap was when she tvas sunk in the Tyne with a load of coal on board. She was again refloated, but on one of her runs to Scotland with railway iron she was sunk in the Clyde. Her next adventure was in Norway, where she ran ashore and was abandoned in a sinking condition. A Norwegian salvage firm refloated and repaired her, and she was sold to a Spanish firm, being renamed the Gladitano. She was engaged in connection with the SpanishAmerican war, but she sank while anchoring in a port at Florida. She was again raised and sold to the Matson Navigation Company, in whose service she ran between Honolulu and San Francisco as the Hilonian.