ATRATO / ROCHESTER

ATRATO WAS A THREE MASTED  IRON BARQUE FITTED WITH A STEAM ENGINE ( IN 1872 FITTED WITH A  350 HP STEAM ENGINE, REPLACING THE ORIGINAL 800 IHP ENGINE ) BUILT IN 1853  FOR THE ROYAL MAIL STEAMSHIP PACKET COMPANY BY CAIRD & CO IN GREENOCK. SHE WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT AS A PADDLE STEAMER

SHE WAS LAUNCHED ON 26TH APRIL 1853 SHE WAS A VESSEL OF 3184 ( 2,051 TONS ? ) TONS .

SHE CONTINUED AS A ROYAL MAIL VESSEL UNTIL 1870 WHEN SHE WAS  OWNED BY J MORRISON IN 1870 . HER MASTER AT ONE STAGE WAS CAPTAIN HUSBAND.

 J MORRISON & CO OF LONDON CONVERTED HER TO SCREW PROPULSION AS OPPOSED TO PADDLES  AND KEPT HER UNTIL 1879 WHEN SHE WAS SOLD TO HENRY H HORN THE FOLLOWING YEAR SHE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN OWNED BY ADAMSON & RONALDSON UP UNTIL 1884 WHEN SHE SANK ( THEY RENANED HER ROCHESTER FROM 1880 UP UNTIL HER LOSS IN 1884 ) 

IN 1872 SHE DID AT LEAST ONE VOYAGE CHARTERED TO THE ABERDEEN LINE  FROM LONDON DOWN TO PORT PHILLIP VIA THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

IN ABOUT 1874 DUE TO THE RUSH OF  EMIGRANTS  WAS CHARTERED TO SHAW SAVILL & CO DOWN TO PORT CHALMERS AND LYTTELTON VIA THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE AND DID AT LEAST ONE TRIP, NOT SURE IF IT WAS THE SAME VOYAGE BUT SHE WAS REPORTED AS HAVING LEFT LONDON ON 6TH APRIL 1874 BOUND FOR OTAGO AND CANTERBURY, ARRIVING IN TH JUNE 1874, HAVING TAKEN ONLY 62 DAYS, WITH 617 PASSENGERS ONBOARD. 

IN 1874 WITH 762 PASSENGERS ONBOARD ( 280 OF WHICH WERE CHILDREN ) SHE MADE A VOYAGE TO NEW ZEALAND. THIRTY THREE OF THE CHILDREN DIED ON THE VOYAGE MOST PROBABLE CAUSE WAS MEASLES 

25TH JUNE 1884 SHE WAS WRECKED ON STAG ROCK SPRING BAY PATAGONI