EON

New York – The Cutty Sark, one of the most famous ships in the world, has been seriously damaged by fire in the early hours of Monday morning, May 21st.

Fire crews are still on the scene and as of 8.15 a.m. local time (BST)) the fires have been reported as extinguished. The fire brigade was first called to the blaze on the tea clipper at 4:45 a.m. BST. The blaze was so intense the Fire Brigade sent 8 fire engines and 40 firefighters to put out the fire. No injuries have been reported.

Cutty Sark Trust chief executive Richard Doughty said he was told the blaze was being treated as suspicious. “We’re losing history,” he lamented. “It’s unbelievable.” He went on: “When you lose the original fabric, you lose the touch of the craftsmen; you lose history itself. What is special about Cutty Sark is the timber, the iron frames, that went to the South China Sea. To think that is threatened in any way is unbelievable. It is an unimaginable shock.”

However, Drafty also confirmed that half of the ship’s timbers, planking, masts and rigging had been removed for renovations prior to the fire. The iron framework of the hull has been twisted and buckled.

The historic ship, one of London’s best known tourist attractions, has been in dry-dock in Greenwich since 1954. It was currently undergoing a £25m renovation scheduled to last until 2009. It was feared that gas canisters used in the reconstruction work might explode in the blaze but the London Fire Brigade is now confirming that there are none present.

The Cutty Sark was built in 1869 by Scott & Linton, Dumbarton and completed by Dennys. It is the world’s last surviving tea clipper. The iron-hulled boats were used in long-distance races between China and England, with large profits for the first ship back with the the first tea of the year. The Cutty Sark sailed in the China trade between 1870 and 1877/78. She sailed in the Australian wool trade between 1883 and 1895, during which period she achieved the record breaking voyage under wind power between Australia and England via Cape Horn of 72 days in 1885.