At first great alarm was felt for the neighbouring shipping, several of the steamers of the Cunard fleet being in the same dock, but no material damage was sustained by them, and they, with others, were as soon as possible removed out of harm’s way.
The value of the _James Baines_ and cargo is estimated at £170,000. The vessel became a complete wreck, looking, according to one account, like a huge cinder in the Huskisson Dock; and very little of the cargo was saved.
The loss of this magnificent ship was considered as a national disaster. Since that date thousands and thousands of people have boarded the _James Baines_ without knowing it, for the old Liverpool Landing Stage was none other than the wreck of this celebrated clipper.
America Sells her Clippers to Great Britain.
When the great financial depression fell upon America in 1857 and was followed four years later by the Civil War, James Baines seized the opportunity to buy American clippers cheap and many other British firms followed his example. Mr. George Crowshaw, the American shipbroker in London, negotiated the sales and working arrangements. I have given a list in the Appendix of the best known of these ships, which put up the last fight for the sailing ship built of wood. Their day in the Australian trade was a short one; and they soon found iron passenger clippers in the lists against them, even to flying their own house-flag. And in their last days we find the Black Ball and White Star Lines chartering fine iron ships such as the _Sam Cearns_, _Cornwallis_ and _Ellen Stuart_.
Notes on the later American-built Passenger Ships.
Space does not admit of more than a few lines on the best known of these later clippers.
The _Southern Empire_ was an old three-decker Atlantic packet ship, and so was the Mackay-built _Chariot of Fame_, which is credited with a run out to Melbourne of 67 days. There has lately been a reunion in New Zealand of the passengers who came out to Maoriland in that ship.
The _Invincible_ was said to be the tallest ship sailing out of Liverpool. She was a White Star clipper and made some very fast passages.
The _Empress of the Seas_, No. 1, was also a very fast ship. On 1st June, 1861, she left Liverpool, and arrived in Melbourne on 6th August, 66½ days out.
