The Great War found her lying a hulk in the Tagus. The Portuguese fitted her out when tonnage began to get scarce in 1915, and sent her across to America. On her return passage to Lisbon in January, 1916, she was posted as missing—possibly a Hun torpedo sent her to the bottom—and that terrible word “missing” may be hiding some awful tragedy or glorious heroism. Anyhow her name goes on the “Ships’ Roll of Honour in the Great War,” along with more than one of her sisters in the Australian trade.
Messrs. Aitken & Lilburn started their venture with six splendid ships, of 1200 tons each, all built during 1869-70. These were the _Loch Katrine_, _Loch Earn_, _Loch Lomond_ and _Loch Leven_, all built by Lawrie, of Glasgow, and the _Loch Ness_ and _Loch Tay_, built by Barclay, Curle & Co.
At first it had been intended to name the ships after clans, but the Clan Line registered first, and so at the start the “Lochs” were advertised as the “Clyde Line of Clipper Packets.”
The _Loch Katrine_ was the first ship away. She arrived in Hobson’s Bay under Captain M’Callum, on 20th December, 1869, 81 days out from Glasgow. The _Loch Ness_, Captain Meiklejohn, arrived on 13th January, 1870; the _Loch Tay_, Captain Alex. Scott, on 12th February, 1870; the _Loch Earn_, Captain W. Robertson, on 31st March, 1870; the _Loch Lomond_, Captain Grey, R.N.R., on 26th May, 1870; and the _Loch Leven_, Captain Branscombe, on 19th August, 1870.
Of the six clippers, the _Loch Tay_ made the best passage out, being only 73 days, anchorage to anchorage. Running her easting down, her best week’s run was over 2000 miles, and she averaged 285 miles a day for nine consecutive days. Stunsails and large crews were carried by the Loch clippers right up to the end of the seventies; and the following passages under these conditions will show their speed capabilities:—
_Loch Katrine_ 74 days _Loch Ness_ 68 „ _Loch Tay_ 67 „ _Loch Earn_ 63 „ _Loch Lomond_ 76 „ _Loch Leven_ 68 „
Their average, pilot to pilot, 69½ days; port to port, 77 days.
Four of these ships lived to a good old age, whilst the other two came to early and tragic ends.
When sailing ship freights began to fall, the _Lochs Katrine_, _Tay_, _Ness_ and _Lomond_ were converted into barques, but in spite of losing the yards on the mizen, they continued to make good passages right into the twentieth century.