Iron screw steamer Mail, built Thomas Wingate, Glasgow 1852
283 grt, 195 nrt, 151 x 20.5 x 12.5 ft
1854 owned Dublin & Liverpool Screw Steam Packet Co, Liverpool - mng George King, Dublin - reg Dublin.
1857 owned Dundalk Steam Packet Co, Dundalk
6 March 1859, from Ardrossan, went aground entering Dundalk channel near pile-light
All aboard saved, but vessel broke up
1893 the boiler (which dried) was destroyed with explosives.
Saturday 5 March 1859 Newspaper: Northern Standard [also 8 Jan,..]
THE NEW AND POWERFUL IRON STEAM SHIP MAIL or TIMES Is intended to Sail between
DUNDALK, DROGHEDA, and GLASGOW, via ARDROSSAN, Taking Passengers,
Cattle, and Cargo, at through Rates, between Dundalk, Troon, Ayr,
Kilmarnock, Dumfries, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, Gretna, and every
Town of importance in Scotland, (With or without Pilots, with liberty to
Tow and call at intermediate Ports.) Sailing from DUNDALK every
Thursday, and from every Friday, (unless prevented by stress of weather or
other unforeseen circumstance).
Dundalk Democrat and People's Journal - Saturday 12 March 1859
Wreck of a Steamer. - We regret to state that as the screw steamer Mail,
plying between the ports of Drogheda, Dundalk, Newry, and Ardrossan,
and is the property of Messrs Malcomson, went aground near the light
house, as she entered this port on Sunday evening last[6 March 1859]. She was nearly
three hours behind the time of high water, and by some means or other got
in the sand. Before she could be relieved, a storm sprung up and dashed the
waves over her doing her immense damage. The Captain and crew had
previously got ashore. A tug and lighters are now engaged striving to
tow her from the place on which she lies. Her cargo consisted of
merchandise and some coal. We have heard that an insurance for £3000
was afficted on her.
Dundalk Democrat and People's Journal - Saturday 02 April 1859
No hopes are entertained that the screw steamer Mail which went on a sandbank
close to Dundalk harbour lighthouse, will be got off. Great
dissatisfaction prevails amongst those who had goods on board, as the
owners of the vessel are not disposed to compensate them; they
alleging that the vessel was in the hands of a pilot of the port, and
that, consequently, they are not responsible.
Dundalk Herald - Saturday 17 June 1893
DUNDALK HARBOUR. On Thursday, Captain Rigden (contractor
for the removal of wrecks) and his brother, Mr H. Rigden, had their
plant and staff in readiness, and made preparations for blowing up the
screw steamer " Mail," of Dublin, lost in Dundalk Bay about 35 years
ago. At low water the boiler of this wreck stood high out of the water
and at a distance seemed like a large floating buoy. Mr H. Rigden
having been enveloped in a diver's suit, descended to the wreck and
laid four charges of Tonite, the new explosive used for submarine
explosions. The diver having been taken into a boat, all the boats
drew off to a safe distance, and then shortly followed four distinct
explosions, water, sand and mud being thrown up to a great height. The
old boiler apparently remained intact, and again the boats approached
that object, and again Mr Rigden made a descent into the water and
attached the explosive to the old boiler. Again the boats drew off,
and in a short time there was a loud explosion, and water, mud, gravel
and fragments of iron were blown into the air to the height perhaps of
200 feet. When the agitation of the water subsided, not a vestige of
the old boiler was visible, but the tide by this time had risen.