WW100

A unique aspect of this website is the collection of architectural drawings of the HMS Calypso. The copies of the ship's drawings for the Calypso are located in the Digital Archives Initiative (DAI) at Memorial University in the Walter Sellars Collection (Coll-176). Additional material for the Calypso is located at the Maritime History Archive. This material includes correspondence, three journals relating to the construction of the vessel, and detailed sketches of the machinery aboard the vessel from 1883. These, combined with the ships drawings, provide exceptional details about the Calypso. Students currently in the Naval Architecture program at Marine Institute learn to do their drawings using computer design software. However, the detailed drawings and sketches for the Calypso were done by hand with incredible precision and detail.

The Calypso was designed by Nathaniel Barnaby and launched at Chatham, England in 1883. With her iron frame, covered in steel plating and cased in teak and oak, the Calypso was the last of the steam and sail class corvette. In 1902 the Calypso was assigned to the British Admiralty as a training ship for the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve. She remained in St. John's until 1916 when she was re-named the Briton. As the Briton, she remained a training ship until 1922 when she was declared surplus and was purchased by A.H. Murray and Company to be used as storage for salt and coal. The Calypso's remains still lie at Embree near Lewisporte, NL.