HMS Calliope (Corvette, 1884-1951)
HMS Calliope, a 2779-ton Calypso Class screw corvette, was built at Portsmouth Dockyard, England. Completed in 1884, her design was optimized for distant cruising service, with a fouling-resistant coppered hull, full sailing rig and relatively powerful engines. While so employed, as a unit of the Australian Station, Calliope performed one of the late 19th Century's most notable feats of seamanship when she escaped from the harbor at Apia, Samoa, during the violent hurricane that struck there on 15-16 March 1889.
In 1907, following the end of her active service, Calliope became a drill ship for the Tyne Division of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. She was employed in that duty for several decades, under the name Helicon between 1914 and 1931, and as HMS Calliope before and after those years. The gallant old ship was finally sold for scrapping in 1951.