Marine Heritage Database

Shipwreck Details

Description

HAMBURG had a long career as a deepwater sailing vessel working primarily out of New York and from there making frequent voyages to Europe and Asia. She made one circumnavigation in 1890. She was built at the Churchill yard, started in the 1800s by Ezra Churchill (later Senator Churchill) which produced some 99 vessels. At the time HAMBURG was built, both sons (John and George) had taken over the family business, E. Churchill and Sons. HAMBURG was owned briefly by her long-time master Andrew Coldwell in 1906/8. He sold her to the J. B. King Co. based in New York but whose business was the export of Nova Scotian gypsum primarily from the Avon River area. The company had HAMBURG converted to a barge at Summerville on the Avon River.

Story

Abandoned on a riverbank after a long career, much of the wreck of HAMBURG survives today, making her one of the most significant remnants of Nova Scotia's Golden Age of Sail. After years working as a gypsum barge, this former sailing vessel made her last trip to the United States in 1925. After her return, the tug J.A. MUMFORD towed her to Hobarts Wharf, the scene of her conversion into a barge, and left her beside her fellow barges and ex-sailing vessels, WILDWOOD and PLYMOUTH.

Vessel Type

Barque, General Cargo

Type of Event

Loss

Nature of Event

Condemned

Cause of Event

Intentional grounding

Date of Wreck

1925-06-07

Location

Summerville

Cargo

Lives Lost

Voyage from

Voyage to

Remarks

Built at

Hantsport, Nova Scotia , Canada

Date

1886

Official Number

92482

Registered at

Windsor, Nova Scotia , Canada

Date

Propulsion

Sail

Rig

Barque

Details

HAMBURG was Canada's largest wooden, three masted barque. Bureau Veritas lists her materials as being oak, spruce, pitch pine, hackamatack, birch, bolted galvanized iron, and states that she was salted. The Record Of American and Foreign Shipping added copper fastenings. HAMBURG was single decked with orlop beams; in other words, in addition to her upper deck she had another lower run of transverse beams which could be left open or over which temporary decking could be affixed as cargo and circumstances dictated. The yard employed Ezra Churchill's brother-in-law, John Fox Davison, as one of the master builders. One of the most puzzling features of the wreck is an extra layer of ceiling timbers found in the inner hull. These run longitudinally and are about 10" by 14". One of the early photos of the wreck shows clearly that these ran from a flat deck built above the bilge to about three feet up the side. Certainly the first thing to suggest itself regarding the purpose for these is for strengthening. It was also suggested that part of the purpose might be to take the punishment inflicted by dropping gypsum directly into the hold.

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