Wreck of the Torhamvan, The (The Wreck of the Toravan)

DESCRIPTION: The singer, lying in bed, hears a steamer blowing, gets up, and sees the Torhamvan wrecked. The next morning, the crowd from all around "tried to fight and grab it all, whatever there they found" They'll be able to live for a year off the salvage.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1951 (MUNFLA-Leach)
KEYWORDS: sea ship shore storm wreck
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
Oct 29, 1926 - Steamship freighter Torhamvan bound to Halifax, Nova Scotia from St. John's stranded in fog at Ferryland, Newfoundland (per Northern Shipwrecks Database)
FOUND IN: Canada(Newf)
Roud #30147
RECORDINGS:
John Power, "Wreck of the Toravan" (on MUNFLA-Leach)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Kelligrews Soiree" (tune)
cf. "The Old Mayflower" (theme of wreckers)
NOTES [354 words]: The name Torhamvan is derived from TORonto-HAMilton-VANcouver, according to Northern Shipwrecks Database.
As for routine wreckage salvage by the Newfoundlanders on shore see the notes to "The Old Mayflower." - BS
According to J. P. Andrieux, Marine Disasters of Newfoundland and Labrador, O.T.C. Press, 1986, pp. 99-100,
"On October 29, 1926, the S. S. Torhamvan, en route to Montreal, ran aground in dense fog on a point on the north side of Ferryland.
"For some time the residents of the community could hear her horn blowing, but were unable to see the doomed vessel as she attempted to manoeuvre between Goose Island and the reefs which were menacing her. Then the inhabitants heard the unmistakable sound of wrenching metal. They ran to the beach, but were unable to see anything through the fog. At one point they became very concerned as an empty lifeboat drifted in on the beach.... Later, however, it was found to be an empty lifeboat that had accidentally fallen off....
"Some residents braved the rough seas and made it to the Torhamven where they rescued the crew, who had no idea of their close proximity to a settlement. Area residents took the crew and passengers to their homes until they were able to leave on the train for St. John's....
"...there is no doubt that the residents did benefit from the grounding of the Torhamvan; for although the Wreck Commissioners were soon on the scene and quickly impounded the cargo, it was not before a good supply of paint, soap, jam, lard, and macaroni had found its way ashore to ease the hardship of the forthcoming winter.
"Fortunately there had been no loss of life in this particular incident."
The account in B. D. Fardy, Ferryland: The Colony of Avalonia, Flanker Press, 2005, pp. 211-212, is similar. Supposedly the loot even included a pair of bronze statues that went outside Ferryland's Catholic church. Fardy adds that the Torhamvan usually operated from Montreal to Vancouver, but in this case was going from St. John's to Quebec. The crew stayed in Ferryland for a day or so, then went back to St. John's, presumably to go home from there. - RBW
Last updated in version 5.2
File: ML3Tormh

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