SS Arctic
The paddle steamer SS Arctic, sank on September 27, 1854, after a collision with SS Vesta, a much smaller vessel, 50 miles off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada.
The SS Arctic was a wood hulled paddle steamer and ocean liner built in 1850 by Williams H Shipyards in New York for the Collins Line. She had three auxiliary sail rigged masts, a single funnel, a steam engine powering two paddle wheels amidships, and was built to luxurious standards. On September 27, 1854, the Arctic was just finishing a voyage from Liverpool to New York, when she collided with the French iron steamship, the Vesta. The ships were in foggy conditions when they collided off the coast of Cape Race, Newfoundland. The captain of the Arctic thought the Vesta was going to sink because of the collision, but upon further inspection, the Vesta stayed afloat thanks to her water tight compartments. On the other hand, the Arctic had no compartments and had been fatally wounded. Captain Luce of the Arctic decided to head for Cape Race, full steam ahead, after trying to plug the hole failed. However, this only seemed to make things worse. The hull became more flooded. The boilers were extinguished by the sea water and her engines ceased. Fast forward to an hour after the initial collision, the Arctic had steamed about 15 miles southwest from the original collision, and water and coming in at an alarming rate. One of the six lifeboats had been used to help the Vesta, The other five were used against orders to get the crew members off before women and children. With all the lifeboats gone, Captain Luce ordered the construction of another raft to carry the remaining passengers to safety, but the makeshift rafts had no affect. Three hours later, the SS Arctic sank, taking 300 passengers with it. From around 400 on board (250 passengers, 150 crew), 24 male passengers and 61 crew survived; no women or children survived. Some of the lifeboats launched vanished without a trace while only two made it to shore. Other survivors including Captain Luce were picked up out of the water by passing vessels. Among the dead included the wife and two children of Edward Knight Collins, the owner of the shipping line. Collins later died on January 22nd 1878, in New York City.