Dumbarton & Vale of Leven Reporter | News

Tuesday, 6th January, 2009

Published: Tuesday, 22nd May, 2007 09:24

CUTTY SARK DESTROYED

By Steve McElroy

FIRE has ripped through the Cutty Sark, one of Britain best-preserved maritime treasures and the best known clipper ever built in Dumbarton.

Firefighters were called to the historic 19th-century tea clipper, preserved in dry dock in Greenwich, south-east London, at 4.45am yesterday (Monday.)

Residents were evacuated as at least eight fire engines were used to battle the blaze on the famous 138-year-old tea clipper which resides on the banks of the Thames.

The ship, built at Denny's Shipyard in 1869 for just £16,150, had been closed to the public for a £25m renovation.

Anne Hoben, manager at Dumbarton's Denny Tank Museum, said the fire was `a tragedy`.

She added: `As far as a know about eighty per cent of the vessel has been damaged. Fortunately the good news is that because of the refurbishment about fifty per cent of her had been removed.

`The mast and planking were taken off, so that has still been preserved. It seems there was more concern about the hull. If that is lost then it is irreplaceable.`

The Cutty had been closed since November 2006 and was due to re-open in 2009 as a museum attraction centre allowing visitors to walk underneath her hull.

The ship is named after the short shirt worn by the fleet-footed witch featured in the Burns's poem Tam O' Shanter.

She was built in 1869 at Dumbarton by the firm of Scott & Linton, but because of an extremely high standard of material and workmanship wanted by the owner the builders went bankrupt and the creditors arranged for William Denny & Brothers to complete the construction. She was launched on November 23 of that year.

The Cutty Sark sailed on the tea trade from China to London, was used for the Australian wool trade, sold to a Portuguese firm, and resold, re-rigged in Cape Town and renamed.

In 1922, she was restored her to her original appearance and used as a stationary training ship and in 1954 dry-docked at Greenwich.

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