The Shipwreck Archives

The Sydney Morning Herald on the 9th of June, 1853 wrote that the inquiry into the wreck of the Monumental City had opened with an unusual statement by the man presiding over the hearing: “Previous to the commencement of the inquiry, Captain Browne said that the inquiry had been undertaken by the Board at the instance of Captain Adams himself, for the law officers had expressed their opinion that...

On the 16th of January, the Townsville Daily Bulletin announced the lack of definitive news about the fate of the Cobequid: “A search for the liner Cobequid disclosed nothing definite. A crew of 102 are aboard, together with 15 second-class passengers. The fate of the vessel is unknown, but the hurricane raging makes it extremely improbable she will escape. Cape Sable heard a wireless call announc...

In the Evening Republican on the 21st of November, 1887, Captain Webster of the Rosa Mary described the events that had led to disaster from his perspective:  “The weather was hazy. On Saturday morning there was a heavy fog and the Rosa Mary anchored for three hours off Halfordness. She proceeded at 11 o’clock and passed the East Goodwin lightship at 7 o’clock in the evening. The fog became so thi...

The New York Times on June 12th, 1930, reported the after effects of the Pinthis disaster: “Less than 200 yards east of the buoy the sea this afternoon was a seething flame, fed by the tanker’s 10,000 gallons of oil which continually oozes to the surface. Over an area of two miles the rolling waves are alive with oil which has not yet ignited. Only the whistling buoy stood guard during two hours t...

The British Columbia News of March 25th, 1898, made the announcement that the City of Ainsworth was changing her route temporarily due to railway activity: “The Steamer Ainsworth is scheduled next week to begin trips on the run between Kuskonook and Bonner’s Ferry for a tri-weekly run…The Ainsworth has been undergoing repairs and a thorough overhauling at Kaslo for several weeks past and will be i...

The Oregon Daily Journal from December 30, 1918, announced the return home of third officer Nolan of the Dumaru, long assumed to have been lost: “More like fiction--a tale of Jack London or Stevenson--is the story told by Nolan of the wanderings about the broad expanse of the Pacific, in an open boat, with rations running low, ever on the lookout for land or a friendly sail. Accompanied by a convo...

Captain William Barnes of the Greycliffe made his official statement regarding the collision between his ferry and the Tahiti: “I called at Garden Island and picked up as usual and was proceeding to Neilsen Park. I was hardly half way between Garden Island and Neilsen Park, and was heading slightly north of Shark Island light, when I heard two blasts from a vessel: I looked on starboard side, but...

Salvatore Chiappara, steward of the bark the Giovanni, told his story to the newspaper reporter of The Sun, of New York City, after arriving in that city: “The Giovanni, which had been storm-tossed for many days, neared Cape Cod. She was sailing under her main foresail and topgallant sail, the only canvas which the angry winds had left her. The sea was running high, the wind whistled shrilly throu...

A note: Sorry if this episode sounds like our narrator had a head cold, our narrator had a head cold. The Daily Gazette of Burlington, Iowa, from the 19th of August, 1887, contained the following description of the City of Montreal being abandoned: “There was a heavy sea running, and it was with difficulty the boats were kept from being smashed. The crew worked splendidly, and all the passengers w...

The Straits Times of the 29th of November, 1932, featured the following interview: “We picked up the S.O.S. of the Nevada through St. Paul’s radio Station,” Captain R. K. Healy, commander of the President Madison, told Newspapermen on the arrival of the liner at Victoria, B.C. on Oct. 5. “This was at 11.30 o’clock on the night of Sept. 26, and our course was immediately altered to render what aid...

The captain of the Elder, Dempster, and Co ship the Susu was the focus of the story of the Flachat in the London Daily Telegraph on the 1st of March, 1898: “The Susus, owned by Elder, Dempster, and Co, was ready to sail for Garachico on the night of the 15th, but owing to the bad weather she did not leave until six the next morning, when the sea and wind had gone down. It was about 7:30 a.m. when...

The Evening Express from the 7th of November, 1903, ran a story about the trials and tribulations of the crew of the Eldorado: “An attempt was made to force the passage of the Moose River, but the current was so strong that at the end of three days only fourteen miles had been covered, and the party turned back. Next the Abitibi River was tried. Numerous falls and rapids were encountered, and two...

George Bates, pilot of a Lydd steam tug, told the Cumberland Evening News on the 25th of February, 1928: “We first heard the news of the collision about 8:40 pm, the message stating that a Russian barque was in distress. I got my motor boat ready, and preparations were made to launch the Dungeness lifeboat, but another message came through, which led everybody to believe that no assistance was req...

19-year-old Samuel J Evans, one of two apprentices who had been on the Jason, sat down with the newspapers to tell his story on December 6th, the day after the Jason had met with disaster. The New York Times of December 7th, 1893, reported: “We sailed,” said he, “from Calcutta last February with a cargo of jute butts for Boston. Two days after leaving port, we were nearly dismasted in a storm and...

The Melbourne Argus on the 17th of March, 1933, had a very small article at the bottom of its seventh page: “Fears are growing that the Japanese cargo steamer Kinsen Maru has sunk with all hands. Nine ships unsuccessfully searched for lifeboats and wreckage yesterday. The Kinsen Maru, which was commanded by Captain M. Yerabu, had a crew of 33. She was carrying a cargo of 3,000 tons of zinc concent...

The Virginian Pilot from the 3rd of September 1933 contained various interviews related to the sinking of the Coldwater, as well as the complete story of what had occurred. “Courageous action on the part of Captain West was credited with the fact that there was no loss of life. ‘Captain West is the hero’ was the terse comment of Capt. Makepeace Ridley, veteran Dollar Line Captain in command of the...

The Sydney Empire from June 21st, 1864, contained a detailed account of the fate of the All Serene, as told by the survivors: “She appears to have proceeded on her way without anything occurring worthy of notice until the 20th of February, when she experienced equally weather, accompanied by thunder, lightning, and rain. Although the most unmistakable indications of a storm were evident as early a...

The Malaya Tribune of the 8th of August, 1928, described what had occurred when the first typhoon of the season, which had so troubled shipping, made landfall in the Philippines: “High winds have lashed the sea into a fury. Telegraphic communications from Pettit Barracks at Zamboanga state that half the Army post there is under water. The sea wall that protects the barracks and part of the city ha...

The Glamorgan Monmouth, and Brecon Gazette and Merthyr Guardian of the 28th of November, 1840, described the storms that had wrecked havoc on the village of Pill, in North Somerset, where over half of the crew of the City of Bristol came from: “We have had a continuation of gales, accompanied by storms of rain, snow, and hail, throughout the week; scarcely a vessel has arrived but bears evidence o...

One of the people who had been on the Pregreso for her destruction told his story to the Marine Engineering Log for January, 1903: “I knew it was an explosion, but was not sure until later as to just what had happened. I can say, positively, that the cause of the explosion did not lie in the oil burners, which were working splendidly. We did not see anyone as we left the after fire room, and I thi...

A C Buchanan, His Majesty’s Chief Agent for Emigration to Upper and Lower Canada, sent in his end of the year emigration report for 1834 with the following information: “Before concluding this report, it is with regret that I feel myself compelled to notice the increasing number of shipwrecks to emigrant vessels, particularly during the past season, attended with a very serious loss of life. The l...

The Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph of the 2nd of January 1901 reported: “One of the most furious gales of recent years swept over this vicinity on Thursday night, but fortunately without effecting any really serious harm. Slates were swept off roofs, some trees were blown down, and debris of all kinds whirled about. But, at sea, and around the exposed coasts of Wales, the storm unhappil...

Notable Shipwrecks, Retold by Uncle Hardy, published in 1873, contained an account of the loss of the Floridian. It set the scene as follows: “A south-westerly gale ravaged our English coasts on Wednesday, the 28th of February, 1849. Beginning in the early morning, it increased every hour, reaching its height at dusk. Then a heavy snowstorm set in, which lasted till midnight. Wholesale havoc was d...

The Graham’s Town Journal from September 15th, 1842, featured a scathing article about the recent shipwreck in Table Bay, especially the loss of the Waterloo. “Yet we should lose no time in having our Life Boat and other Humane Apparatus in readiness, and our Boatmen, now experienced Salvors, should hold themselves prepared for sudden calls. If in the finest weather a vessel of the Waterloo class...

The Straits Times Weekly Issues from the first of June, 1887, reported the proceedings of the Marine Court of Inquiry against Captain Harrison of the Fair Penang. The witness was Mate Farquharson of the Bentan: “Cross-examination continued, -- I cannot say that if we continued on our respective courses we should have passed without collision. We were meeting end on -- I cannot say if the other shi...