Iron steam schooner De Schelde, yard number 2, ordered 1 May 1876, laid down 2 August 1876 by Prince Hendrik der Nederlanden, launched 21 July 1877, trials and transferred to the navy 20 December 1877. Displacement of 205 tons and as dimensions 30 x 6,5 x 2,75 (fore)-2,10 (aft) metres and a hold of 3,30 metres. Horsepower 250 ihp supplied by a vertical low pressure engine, the new engine in 1896 supplied 315 ihp allowing a speed of 11,3 knots. In September 1878 temporarily in naval service. In 1914 as auxiliary minelayer commissioned, in May 1916 sunk in the Nieuwediep after a collision, April 1917 salvaged and again commissioned, 1919 handed over to the pilot service as the Stoombetonnings- en Verlichtingsvaartuig No. 2 and finally sold in 1928 to the HTS at Amsterdam.
The newspaper Het Zuiden dated Saturday 29 July 1876 reported that on next Wednesday the keel was to be laid down of a screw steamboat for the buoy and lightning service. The newspaper Middelburgsche Courant dated 3 august reported the visit of the Dutch prince Hendrik at 16.30 o’clock on the yard during which her keel was laid down. By hoisting a flag appeared her call sign. The newspaper Vlissingse Courant dated 22 July 1877 reported her launching at 15.00 o’clock.
The newspaper Het Zuiden dated 19 June 1877 reported that the Dutch minister of navy Erp Taalman Kip (1) visited the shipyard and saw this screw steam schooner being build.
The newspaper Middelburgsche Courant dated 21 August 1882 published an item dated Flushing 19 August reporting her departure to join the investigation of the wreck of the Adder.(2)
The newspaper Ierseksche en Thoolsche Courant dated 1 November 1884 reported that she towed the life-boat out of the harbour during a heavy storm to salvage the crew of the Russian bark Angela which stranded on the Spijkerplaat. After the successful rescue she towed the life-boat back with on board the Russian crew and the Belgian pilot.
De newspaper Tribune dated 26 May 1916 reported that the same morning the steam pilot transport Schelde which was converted into a mine layer collided due to the strong current off the harbour of Nieuwediep with the arriving Dutch artillery training ship Bellona. De Schelde sunk within two minutes. Her complete crew was saved. Commanding officer of the Schelde was lieutenant 2nd class H.A. Gregory of the Bellona captain lieutenant F.K. Weber.
The newspaper De Tijd dated Thursday 8 June reported that she was salvaged. In the morning of Tuesday were the preparations started and within some hours were her masts and funnel about the surface and were they able to tow her to the end of the harbour for the further salvage operation.
The morning edition of the newspaper Algemeen Handelsblad dated 30 October 1930 described what happened with later on. After the First World War she served again a transport for the pilot service and was in 1928 destined to be broken up. She was even already partly broken up when the Middelbare Technische School (Kweekschool voor Machinisten) purchased her. This was a school for schooling engineers. The director of this school wanted to have for a long time a ship for training the scholars but was lacking money to buy a new ship. At first he wanted to have a torpedo boat with her low freeboard and which could be lay in the canal but did not succeed in obtaining one. Two years ago was de Schelde for sale but her freeboard was to high for the channel. Still she was bought and towed from Den Helder to Amsterdam where the scholars of the school rebuilt her supported by shipping companies, former scholars and so on. Finally she was renamed Delprat. She was now described as a 2-mast schooner with a triple compound steam engine supplying 200 ihp allowing a speed of 10 nautical miles. Her master became the former pilot 1st class Vondel.
Source
Archive Kon. Mij De Schelde inv.no. 554 (Gemeentearchief Vlissingen)
Notes
1. Willem Frederik van Erp Taalman Kip (19 December 1824 The Hague-16 March 1905), navy officer and inspector for the pilot age in the Dutch East Indies which served four times as minister of navy between 1784 and 1885.
2. The Adder was a monitor of the Royal Netherlands Navy which sunk on 5 July 1882 of Scheveningen without any survivors. See for instance the link http://www.dodenakkers.nl/artikelen/rampen/261-adder.html
