An Old-Time Steamer.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 272, 21 November 1904, Page 3

An Old-Time Steamer.

INTERESTING HISTORY. CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 15. For more than twenty years a funny little steamer of some 60 tons has been laid up in Lyttelton harbour. Few people knew anything about her, but it was generally understood that she was one of the survivors of the mosquito fleet that in the early days traded between Eyttelton and the Heathcote River, .which was then the port of Ohristchurch. - Lately this steamer, the Mullogh, has been tuken in hand, and on Sunday last she made a trial trip in the harbour. Nearly fifty years have .elapsed since she uiade her first trial trip, for she was built at lielfast, Ireland, in 1855. It is said by sAme people that she was built at the yards of Messrs Hariand and .Wolff, the famous lielfast firm, who are the buj'Jcrs of the gigantic White Star liners now trading between England and America. Soon alter die was built the Hullogh came out ;to Melbourne, where she arrived after a passage of 147 idays. During the next three years

or so she was engaged in running - t from Broken Bay to Darling Harbour. In 1859 she was purchased by Messrs Dalgety, Buckley and Co., of Lyttelton, and was brought over by Captain J. H. J.oveit. After refitting she was placed by her owners in the running between Port Lytteltou and the Heathcote River. They carried about 70 tons of general cargo, which sho loaded from vessels In the stream at Lyttelton. Her return cargo was shipped on board sailing ships, generally consisting of either wool or grain. She is said to have earned more money in her time that she could hold many times over. The freights then were 30s a ton for general cargo from Lyttelton to Heathcote

Kiver, and on the. return trip 7s * per bale for wool, 15s per ton for .flour, and 4d per bushel for grain. The Muliogh could carry about 100 bales of wool. When, in 1861, the gold rush to Gabriel's Gully set in the Muliogh was sent down to Port Chalmers, and for several months she was engaged !in taking passen-

gers from vessels arriving from land and Australia, and : landing them at Dunedin Wharf. After this she came back to Lyttelton and the coastal trade, and in 1878 was sold for wcrk on the West Coast, run-

ning with coal from Grey mouth to Hokitika. Subsequently the Muliogh

came back to Lyttelton, :trat the competition was becoming 1 too keen, and she was finally laid up about the year 1882. Some months ago a

syndicate acquired her for the pur- * pose of a trawler, mid has had her repaired and refitted yMi) she looks as good as new. Anmog t)iu many stories told of the MuU.offh is pne that reflects great credit on the presence of niifld of one of her crew. In the 70's she had bees pff to &

vessel to bring the passepgefs ashore, and had just cast o(T from the ship when the mate went- JwJow to get .something up. Just then one of the flukes of tlw Mullogfo's anchor, was driven through a plank teloiy the waterlinc, and the water commenced to pour in. The mate promptly pulled up a sack and jammed it into the hole, and then sat up against it, and braced himself firmly into position by putting his feet against a solid support. This had the effect of preventing the in•.rush of water, and those on deck knew nothing of the accident. The MullogW came into Lyttelton, and had got her passengers ashore before •■the mate was missed.) Search was ;made, and he was found in his un•comfortablo position below.