A wooden three-masted barque. It was a typical Scandinavian-owned timber carrier of the late 19th century
Owner:
: J. Jorgensen. Master: O. Hasen
Construction:
Timber
Sunk:
July 22, 1900
Size:
Tons: 502 gross Length: 41.58 m Beam: 9.5 m Draft: 5.15 m
Underwater:
Very Little of the wreck remains?
Built:
Built in 1873 by N.O. Gjomle at Christiansand, Norway.
Location:
Mushroom Rock, Hamelin Bay
Sinking:
One of the most severe storms to hit the SouthWest occurred in July 1900. This storm occasioned much damage and caused the loss of three vessels and the stranding of a fourth in Hamelin Bay. There were two phases to the storm—the first phase with winds from the north-north-west on 22 July, and a second phase when winds swung round to the south-west the following day. The Lövspring survived the first phase but was blown from the jetty during the second phase. The Lövspring was moored to the north side of the Hamelin Jetty when the severe storm struck from the north-north-west. The barque was being pounded and ‘trying to jump on top of the jetty and smashing herself to pieces’ (McGregor, G.F., letter to McGregor, W., 1 August 1900). The wind then swung round and blew with equal ferocity from the south-west. The bow hawser on the barque snapped and the Lövspring was driven onto Mushroom Rock. It struck heavily and then slid off to sink in water deep enough to cover the hull, leaving only the top of the bulwarks and the spars and rigging above water. The captain and crew clung to the rigging during the night. The following morning, with the wind slightly abating, they managed to launch a boat and pull to the jetty. This boat was later used in the rescue of survivors from the wreck of the Katinka.
Longitude:
115.0179175
Latitude:
-34.2182529
Gallery
The bell from the Lövspring showing the date of the vessel’s launching—1885. Photo: Western Australian Museum.
The Lövspring sank as a result of being driven on to Mushroom Rock, shown on the left. The piles are remains of the Hamelin Bay Jetty. Photo: Peter Worsley