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Re: SS Warrimoo
From: Don Seltzer
Date: 2017 Jul 29, 09:56 -0400
From: Don Seltzer
Date: 2017 Jul 29, 09:56 -0400
I think that my previous post omitted the most important part of the shipping news clipping:
...Honolulu was reached at daybreak on 24th December, and after spending the day there the
vessel proceeded on her voyage at 9 pm. Next
day (Christmas Day) jollifications were indulged in
fore and aft. New Year's Eve was far from being
forgotten, and the first day of the century will be
remembered by many being the day they saw
the pretty ,almost unknown island of Arorai
in the Gilbert Group where, as usual the natives
flocked off to the ship in their catamarans. Beau-
tiful weather and smooth seas prevailed throughout
from Honolulu.
Don Seltzer...Honolulu was reached at daybreak on 24th December, and after spending the day there the
vessel proceeded on her voyage at 9 pm. Next
day (Christmas Day) jollifications were indulged in
fore and aft. New Year's Eve was far from being
forgotten, and the first day of the century will be
remembered by many being the day they saw
the pretty ,almost unknown island of Arorai
in the Gilbert Group where, as usual the natives
flocked off to the ship in their catamarans. Beau-
tiful weather and smooth seas prevailed throughout
from Honolulu.
On Fri, Jul 28, 2017 at 5:53 PM, Don Seltzer <NoReply_Seltzer@fer3.com> wrote:
Whether intentional or not, the Warrimoo was certainly near the right place at the right time for the story.The story gets a little bit better. The discussion regarding the Jan 1901 observance of the turn of the century led me to check the shipping news for that year. The sailing of the Warrimoo was almost exactly to the schedule of the year before, leaving Honolulu on the evening of the 24 Dec 1900.According to the account below, the Warrimoo passed Arorai/Arorae Island in the Gliberts on New Year's Day. This is 250 nm SW of the equator and dateline. If the ship had been there at midnight, it was 18 hours of cruising to reach Arorai by 6 pm.
Don Seltzer
Brisbane Courier Wed 9 Jan 1901
THE WARRIMOO'S VOYAGE. .
The RMS Warrimoo, 3326 tons JDS Phil
lips commander arrived from Vancouver late last
night. She left Vancouver at 3 pm on 14th
December arrived at Victoria at 9 pm, leaving
again at midnight. After passing Cape Flattery at
4 a m 15th December, a fresh south-east gale
sprang up with the barometer rapidly failing. The
weather became worse as the steamier proceeded,
and for six consecutive days the wind was never
less than a moderate gale, often reaching storm
force. On the 16th the barometer showed 28.65
having fallen nearly 2in in less than forty-eight
hours, and from that date to 20th it rose and fell
between 29.00 and 29.50, furious south-east and
south west gales raging with mountainous seas.
Durng most of this time it was necessary to keep
the seamer at reduced speed, two days run reach-
ing only 145 and 153 1 knots each. However in
spite of adverse weather and the buffeting received
for over 1000 miles, the vessel grandly maintained
her reputation of being: one of the steadiest sea
boats afloat, coming through without accident.
The change to fine weather on 21st December
enabled the steamer to resume her average daily
speed of 340 miles, and was welcomed by all on
board. Honolulu was reached at daybreak on 24th.
