Tod & Macgregor Shiplist

 

Yard No.:

 76

Name:

 AVA

Year:

 1855

Description:

 Steamship

Webpage:

 Webpage, P & O

Picture:

 

Tonnage:

 1,373²

Length:

 266

Width:

 35.2

H.P.:

 320 later 1,056²

Type:

 Iron, Trunk geared engine, 17psi.²

Customer:

 P. & O.

Fate:

 Wrecked 15 miles north of Trincomalee out of Calcutta, 18.2.1858.

Points of Note:

 97 First Class passengers, 30 Second Class

Date of Launch:

 3 May 1855

Notes:

          Named after the ancient capital of Burma. She was delivered on the 21st of July 1855, making her maiden voyage to Alexandria on the 29th of August. She broke a screw on this voyage and had to be towed to Malta, with HMS Medusa and the Valetta completing her duties for her.

          On the 1st of October 1856 she departed for Calcutta, via Tristan da Cunha and Galle. In September she collided with the Teignmouth brig Blanche and lost a quarter boat. On the 3rd of September 1857 she carried Lord Elgin on his mission to China.

 

          Her days ended on the 16th of February 1858 on Pigeon Island while on route from Calcutta to Suez with women and children refugees from the Indian Mutiny. Her Captain had failed to take soundings or to heave to in poor weather. There were no casualties and most of the cargo of specie and (more importantly) a replacement shaft for Alma, disabled at Aden, were recovered by divers from the steam frigate HMS Chesapeake.¹

¹ [from information kindly provided by the P & O company]

² [One Hundred Year History of the P. & O., Boyd Cable]