The Wreck of the Norwegian Barque Helvetia at Rhossili Bay – 1 November 1887
Rhossili Bay On 1 November 1887, the Norwegian barque Helvetia was wrecked at Rhossili Bay on the Gower coast after encountering severe weather while attempting to reach Swansea Harbour. The vessel had crossed the Atlantic from Canada carrying approximately 500 tons of timber, but her voyage ended when she was driven ashore. Fortunately, all members of her crew survived. The Helvetia was built at Bremerhaven, Germany, during the 1850s, although historical accounts differ over her exact year of construction. Some records give 1855, while the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales records 1858. There is also some confusion over her registration, with Bremerhaven appearing in earlier accounts, although the Royal Commission identifies Horten, Norway, as her port of registry at the time of the wreck. The vessel measured approximately 135 feet in length and had spent nearly thirty years or more engaged in merchant shipping by the time she was lost. Having com...
