Mountain Maid (1841 - 1856)
Unfortunately no illustrations of the ship have ever been found. However by careful examination of the wreck site near Swan Island and with the help of descriptions from archives such as Lloyd's Register of Shipping, maritime Archaeologists now have a good impression of what the Mountain Maid looked like. The Mountain Maid was a cargo vessel and for twelve years the ship sailed between Europe and North America and the Orient. At one point it was thought to be involved in the smuggling trade. In 1853 it was sold to its third owner who reconised the potential of trading with the young but wealthy colony of Victoria. The Mountain Maid sailed to Australia and made voyages to Calcutta and Manila. It was on a return voyage from Manila in 1856 that the Mountain Maid was wrecked in a collision with the Victorian steamer SS Queen. Ships ConstructionThe ship was a strongly built wooden snowbrig. It had two square rigged masts and a smaller sail - a spanker, behind the main mast.The ship was not a huge vessel. It measured only 84ft (25.59m) in length, 20.5ft (6.25m) in breadth and had a hold 15ft (4.57m) deep.Lloyd's Register of Shipping describes the ship as a well built vessel of good material having frames and keels of oak and planking of oak and elm. Surveyors from Lloyds said the timbers were well fastened with iron staples and the rigging was of the best quality. The Final Voyage of the SchombergThe ship was bound for Melbourne from Manila on 14th September, 1856 carrying a cargo of rice, sugar and rope.The weather was fine and clear and fresh southerly wind was blowing as the ship passed through the Heads. With the help of a flood tide, the ship was heading towards the West Channel at a rate of seven knots. At the same time, the Victorian West Coast iron Screw Steamer, SS Queen, was making its way out through the heads at full speed against a head wind and opposing tide.On their set courses, both vessels had ample room to pass. However, Pilot Patterson on board the Mountain Maid altered course to hug the west bank of the channel to avoid a shift in the wind as he was steering the ship past Swan Island. This move was not expected by the SS Queen whose captain had also ordered his vessel to turn towards Swan Island in an effort to make the two vessels pass on their port sides. The two vessels collided and the SS Queen sliced through the Mountain Maids starboard bow. The ship filled with water and sank immediately. The crew had to swim for their lives but were picked up by the SS Queen. As the vessel broke up, the cargo was washed away. The Pilot Board found Pilot Patterson to blame, for the collision. In his career with the Pilot Service he had already run two other ships aground on the approach to Corio Bay. As a result of his bad record and the collision between the Mountain Maid and SS Queen, he was dismissed from the Pilot Service. An attempt was made to drag the Mountain Maid out of the channel and into the shallow waters of Swan Bay to salvage what remained of the wreck. This was unsuccessful and the ship was left where it now lies, just 200 metres north-north east of the Coles Channel Pile Light. Check this wreck on the Shipwreck Map
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