SS Camorta was an iron-hulled passengersteamship that was built in Scotland in 1880, and lost with all hands in the IrrawaddyDelta in 1902. The disaster killed more than 700 people.
In her 21-year career Camorta had a succession of different owners. However, all of her owners and operators were owned or controlled by the British India Steam Navigation Company (BI).
In 1880 and 1881 A. & J. Inglis of Pointhouse, Glasgow, built a pair of ships for BI. Camorta was built as yard number 160, launched on 16 November 1880, and completed 25 January 1881.[1] Her sister shipCompta was built as yard number 161, launched on 2 February 1881, and completed on 4 March.[2]
Camorta's registered length was 285.2 ft (86.9 m), her beam was 35.2 ft (10.7 m) and her depth was 24.1 ft (7.3 m). Her tonnages were 2,094 GRT, 1,352 NRT, and 2,790 DWT.[1] She had a single screw, driven by a two-cylinder compound engine. It was rated at 200 NHP and gave her a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h).[1] She had two masts, and was rigged as a brigantine.
In 1883 BI transferred Camorta and Compta to its Nederlandsch-Indische Stoomvaart-Maatschappij (NISM, meaning "Dutch Indies Steamship Company") subsidiary, which it had founded in 1866 to operate a mail contract for the Netherlands Government.[7] The government contract required all ships on this service to be Dutch-registered.[8] NISM therefore registered Camorta and Compta in Batavia.[9][10]
Glenfruin, which Camorta rammed and almost sank in 1885
On 17 October 1885 Camorta collided with the Glen Linecargo shipGlenfruin in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong. Glenfruin was run aground to prevent her from sinking. Camorta's bow was also damaged. The Vice-Admiralty Court of Hong Kong seized Camorta to meet the cost of damage to Glenfruin, and on 17 April 1886 advertised Camorta for sale.[1] Frederick Bell of Shanghai became her principal owner. She was registered in Hong Kong, and her code letters were SKJW.[11]
Camorta returned to BI control with Edwyn Dawes and GS MacKenzie as her principal owners.[1] In 1886 BI transferred her to its route between Nagatapam in India and Singapore.[7] In 1887 she was registered in Glasgow.[12] In 1891 Richard Evans became her principal owner.[13] From 1892 BI owned her directly.[14]
Lossedit
Camorta
In May 1902 Camorta was sailing from Madras (now Chennai) in India to Rangoon (now Yangon) in Burma. On 6 May a cyclone sank her with all hands between the Krishna Lightvessel and the Alguada reef[15] when she was crossing the Baragua Flats in the Gulf of Martaban.[1] Sources variously number the dead as 655 passengers and 82 crew;[16][17] 650 passengers and 89 crew;[1][18] or 781 total.[15] A week after her loss, one of her lifeboats was found adrift at sea at position 15°30′N96°0′E / 15.500°N 96.000°E / 15.500; 96.000.[18] On 3 June her wreck was found in water 15 fathoms (90 ft; 27 m) deep.[15]
Referencesedit
^ abcdefgh"Camorta ID – 10670". Stichting Maritiem-Historische Databank (in Dutch). Retrieved 5 January 2024.
^"Compta ID – 10671". Stichting Maritiem-Historische Databank (in Dutch). Retrieved 5 January 2024.
camorta, iron, hulled, passenger, steamship, that, built, scotland, 1880, lost, with, hands, irrawaddy, delta, 1902, disaster, killed, more, than, people, painting, camorta, robinsonhistorynamecamortanamesakekamorta, islandowner1880, gray, dawes, 1883, nederla. SS Camorta was an iron hulled passenger steamship that was built in Scotland in 1880 and lost with all hands in the Irrawaddy Delta in 1902 The disaster killed more than 700 people A painting of Camorta by Tom RobinsonHistoryNameCamortaNamesakeKamorta IslandOwner1880 A Gray amp ES Dawes 1883 Nederlandsch Indische SM 1886 FH Bell 1887 ES Dawes amp GS MacKenzie 1891 RH Evans 1892 British India SN CoOperator1880 British India SN Co 1883 Nederlandsch Indische SM 1886 British India SN Co 1891 British India SN CoPort of registry1880 Glasgow 1883 Batavia 1886 Hong Kong 1887 Glasgow 1891 GlasgowBuilderA amp J Inglis GlasgowYard number160Launched16 November 1880Completed25 January 1881IdentificationUK official number 84285 1881 code letters VFMK 1886 code letters SKJWFatesank in cyclone 6 May 1902General characteristicsTypecargo linerTonnage2 094 GRT 1 352 NRT 2 790 DWTLength285 2 ft 86 9 m Beam35 2 ft 10 7 m Depth24 1 ft 7 3 m Decks3Installed power200 NHPPropulsion1 2 cylinder compound engine 1 screwSail plan2 masted brigantineSpeed10 knots 19 km h Capacityat least 650 passengers 20 1st class 10 2nd class amp the rest deck classCrew89Notessister ship ComptaIn her 21 year career Camorta had a succession of different owners However all of her owners and operators were owned or controlled by the British India Steam Navigation Company BI Contents 1 Building 2 Career 3 Loss 4 References 5 BibliographyBuilding editIn 1880 and 1881 A amp J Inglis of Pointhouse Glasgow built a pair of ships for BI Camorta was built as yard number 160 launched on 16 November 1880 and completed 25 January 1881 1 Her sister ship Compta was built as yard number 161 launched on 2 February 1881 and completed on 4 March 2 Camorta s registered length was 285 2 ft 86 9 m her beam was 35 2 ft 10 7 m and her depth was 24 1 ft 7 3 m Her tonnages were 2 094 GRT 1 352 NRT and 2 790 DWT 1 She had a single screw driven by a two cylinder compound engine It was rated at 200 NHP and gave her a speed of 10 knots 19 km h 1 She had two masts and was rigged as a brigantine Career editCamorta s original owners were Archibald Gray and Edwyn Dawes 1 who were BI s London agents 3 She was registered in London Her official number was 84285 and her code letters were VFMK 4 Her maiden voyage was on the British India Associated Services BIAS route from the UK to Brisbane 5 via the Suez Canal and Torres Strait which BIAS had launched in 1881 with a subsidy from the Queensland Government 6 In 1883 BI transferred Camorta and Compta to its Nederlandsch Indische Stoomvaart Maatschappij NISM meaning Dutch Indies Steamship Company subsidiary which it had founded in 1866 to operate a mail contract for the Netherlands Government 7 The government contract required all ships on this service to be Dutch registered 8 NISM therefore registered Camorta and Compta in Batavia 9 10 nbsp Glenfruin which Camorta rammed and almost sank in 1885On 17 October 1885 Camorta collided with the Glen Line cargo ship Glenfruin in Victoria Harbour Hong Kong Glenfruin was run aground to prevent her from sinking Camorta s bow was also damaged The Vice Admiralty Court of Hong Kong seized Camorta to meet the cost of damage to Glenfruin and on 17 April 1886 advertised Camorta for sale 1 Frederick Bell of Shanghai became her principal owner She was registered in Hong Kong and her code letters were SKJW 11 Camorta returned to BI control with Edwyn Dawes and GS MacKenzie as her principal owners 1 In 1886 BI transferred her to its route between Nagatapam in India and Singapore 7 In 1887 she was registered in Glasgow 12 In 1891 Richard Evans became her principal owner 13 From 1892 BI owned her directly 14 Loss edit nbsp CamortaIn May 1902 Camorta was sailing from Madras now Chennai in India to Rangoon now Yangon in Burma On 6 May a cyclone sank her with all hands between the Krishna Lightvessel and the Alguada reef 15 when she was crossing the Baragua Flats in the Gulf of Martaban 1 Sources variously number the dead as 655 passengers and 82 crew 16 17 650 passengers and 89 crew 1 18 or 781 total 15 A week after her loss one of her lifeboats was found adrift at sea at position 15 30 N 96 0 E 15 500 N 96 000 E 15 500 96 000 18 On 3 June her wreck was found in water 15 fathoms 90 ft 27 m deep 15 References edit a b c d e f g h Camorta ID 10670 Stichting Maritiem Historische Databank in Dutch Retrieved 5 January 2024 Compta ID 10671 Stichting Maritiem Historische Databank in Dutch Retrieved 5 January 2024 Haws 1987 p 14 Mercantile Navy List 1882 p 23 Haws 1987 p 62 Haws 1987 p 17 a b Haws 1987 p 63 Haws 1987 p 15 Lloyd s Register 1886 CAM Lloyd s Register 1886 COM Mercantile Navy List 1887 p 31 Mercantile Navy List 1888 p 32 Mercantile Navy List 1891 p 44 Mercantile Navy List 1892 p 46 a b c Allen Tony Lettens Jan 18 October 2021 SS Camorta 1902 Wrecksite Retrieved 5 January 2024 Shipping Disasters The Times London 15 May 1902 page needed Shipping Disaster The Times London 5 June 1902 page needed a b The Camorta probably lost PDF The New York Times 15 May 1902 p 9 Bibliography editHaws Duncan 1987 British India S N Co Merchant Fleets Vol 11 Burwash Travel Creatours Ltd Publications ISBN 0 946378 07 X Mercantile Navy List London 1882 via Crew List Index Project a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Mercantile Navy List London 1887 via Crew List Index Project a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Mercantile Navy List London 1888 via Crew List Index Project a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Mercantile Navy List London 1891 via Crew List Index Project a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Mercantile Navy List London 1892 via Crew List Index Project a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Universal Register London Lloyd s Register of British and Foreign Shipping 1886 via Internet Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title SS Camorta amp oldid 1209856078, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
