Ticonderoga (clipper) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids History
United States
Name	Ticonderoga
Launched	1849, Williamsburg, New York
Fate	Wrecked off India, 1872
General characteristics
Class and type	4-masted clipper
Displacement	1089 tons
Length	169 ft (52 m)

The Ticonderoga was a large, fast sailing ship called a clipper. It was 169 feet (about 52 meters) long and weighed 1,089 tons. Launched in 1849, this ship became famous for a difficult journey in 1852. It was sadly wrecked in 1872.

The Ship's Story

The Ticonderoga was built in 1849 in Williamsburg, New York, in the United States. It was a four-masted clipper, meaning it had four tall masts with sails to help it move quickly across the ocean.

The Difficult Voyage of 1852

In 1852, the Ticonderoga began a journey from Liverpool, England, to Port Phillip in Victoria, Australia. It was carrying 795 passengers who were hoping for a new life in Australia. Many of these passengers came from the Scottish Highlands and other parts of Scotland, as well as from Somerset in England.

The ship was originally designed to carry goods, not a large number of people. It was a "double-decker" ship, meaning it had two main decks for passengers. It was very crowded, carrying more people than it was safely designed for. This happened because rules about how many children could be on board had been temporarily changed.

Problems on Board

Life on the Ticonderoga during this voyage was very tough. The ship did not have enough bathrooms or proper ways to keep things clean. The doctors on board quickly became overwhelmed. The main doctor even got sick himself, leaving a junior doctor to care for hundreds of ill passengers.

Supplies like medicine and clean water started to run low. The decks were rarely cleaned, and the areas below deck were very unsanitary. People on board described a terrible smell and very poor conditions.

Sickness and Arrival

During the long journey, many passengers became very sick with a serious illness called typhus. Sadly, over 100 passengers died from the disease. Due to the terrible conditions, bodies had to be buried at sea.

When the Ticonderoga finally arrived in Port Phillip, Australia, on November 3, 1852, it was flying a yellow flag. This flag signals that there is a serious disease on board. Because of the typhus outbreak, the ship was not allowed to enter the main port.

Instead, it was sent to Point Nepean, a headland where a temporary quarantine station was set up. A quarantine station is a place where people are kept separate to stop a disease from spreading. Many more passengers died at Point Nepean and were buried there. Years later, in 1992, a special memorial was built at the site by the families of those who survived.

Changes After the Voyage

The terrible conditions on the Ticonderoga caused a big stir in the news. Because of this, rules for ships carrying immigrants were changed. Double-decker ships were no longer used for passengers, and the limits on how many children could be on board were put back in place.

The Ship's End

After its famous voyage, the Ticonderoga continued to sail for several more years. However, in 1872, the ship was wrecked off the coast of India.

The story of the Ticonderoga's 1852 voyage was later told in a book called Hell Ship. It was written in 2018 by an actor and writer named Michael Veitch. He also created a play based on the ship's journey.