Mary Ann Reardon

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SS Helvetia

The S/S Helvetia of the National Line, was built in England in 1864. It made the crossing between Liverpool and New York up to 1891. The ship had a tonnage of 3 318 gross tons, and had a length of 371,5 feet and a width of 41,2 feet. It was rebuilt in 1872 and lengthened to carry more passengers. There was space for a total of 72 cabin passengers and 1,200 passengers in the steerage. The ship is a typical example of how steam was combined with sails. The top speed of the S/S Helvetia was 10 knots. The company advertised large, light and airy quarters, which were heated with steam during the winter months. [old tradecard]

She was wrecked in 1894. The report read: The Court, having carefully inquired into the circumstances attending the above-mentioned shipping casualty, finds, for the reasons stated in the annex hereto, that the same was due to the "Helvetia" being sent to sea in an unseaworthy condition and to her being prematurely abandoned. The Court finds the master, John Gallichan, in default, and suspends his certificate for two years. The Court also finds the owner, Mr. Varley (a party to the proceedings), very seriously to blame, and orders him to pay to the solicitor to the Board of Trade the sum of 500l. on account of the expenses of this investigation.