3-052-446 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The Orient Line steamer Chimborazo in a gale, 1880. 'This magnificent vessel, one of the new "Orient Line," carrying passengers and mails from London to Adelaide and Melbourne, and returning by the Suez Canal route, met with a severe blow from a storm-wave in going out of the Channel on the 9th February. It caused some loss of life, and so much damage to the ship's fittings that she was obliged to put back and delay her voyage. The Chimborazo...had left Plymouth on the Sunday, having on board 484 persons, of whom 362 were passengers. About nine o'clock on Monday morning...in a violent gale, a high wave was observed to windward, towering high above and bearing down on the vessel, threatening to carry all before it...It struck the vessel,...heeled her over, and dashed across part of her deck. For a breadth of about 50 ft. the...deck was swept, and everything on it was carried overboard...The water was stepped from running below, and the engine fires were quite safe. The shock was fearful, and great was the consternation; but only three persons were washed overboard. The wounded lay about in sad confusion amidst the remains of the broken fittings, drenched to the skin, stunned by the crushing volume of water, and more or less severely injured'. From "Illustrated London News", 1880.