The sinking of the RMS Titanic is arguably the most famous maritime disaster in history. This event has captured the world’s attention for over 110 years, partly because it occurred on the ship’s maiden voyage. What should have been a crowning moment turned into a total catastrophe. It serves as a sobering reminder that the sea can become a graveyard for human ambition and engineering achievements.
However, the Titanic isn’t the only ship to have sunk during its maiden voyage. Throughout history, several ocean liners have faced disaster on their first trip out. Today, as we approach the 113th anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking, let’s discuss five other passenger ships that also sank on their maiden voyages.
1. RMS Amazon
RMS Amazon, a wooden-hulled paddle steamer, was built by R & H Green for the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company and launched on June 28, 1851. It was intended to carry mail and passengers between Southampton, England, and the Caribbean
The Amazon set sail on her maiden voyage on January 2, 1852 commanded by Captain William Symons with 162 passengers and crew. Bound for the Caribbean, the ship carried 1,000 tons of coal for the boilers, as well as 500 bottles of mercury bound for Mexico mining operations, and bales of hay to feed the livestock onboard. The Amazon never reached her destination.
Two days later in the Bay of Biscay, crewmen detected smoke coming out of a cargo hatch. Despite attempts to move the hay bales, they caught fire and fueled the flames. Captain Symons ordered the engines stopped, but the engine room was now inaccessible to crewmen. RMS Amazon continued sailing at full speed.
Captain Symons ordered lifeboats launched. The ship’s movement, however, made it difficult to do so. Several boats swamped and many aboard them drowned. Several more boats made it safely away, however. The ships Marsden, Gertruida, Hellechina, and Royal Charlotte later picked up the 58 survivors.
Aboard the Amazon, the fire blazed uncontrollably. Her magazine subsequently detonated, causing a huge explosion. The ship sank a half hour later. A total of 104 people lost their lives in the disaster.
2. SS City of Philadelphia
Built by Tod & McGregor in Glasgow for the Inman Line (officially known as the Liverpool and Philadelphia Steam Ship Company), the SS City of Philadelphia entered service in 1854. She was based on the SS City of Manchester’s design and featured several improvements.
The City of Philadelphia left Liverpool for Philadelphia on August 30, 1854 under the command of a Captain Leitch. Just over a week later, however, the ship wrecked off Cape Race, Newfoundland. All passengers and crew survived.
The New York Times reported on September 27 that 540 survivors were brought to Halifax, while the rest waited for transport at St. John’s, Newfoundland. Authorities declared the City of Philadelphia a total loss.
3. SS Willem III
The SS Willem III entered service for Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland in 1872. She’d been built on the Clyde in Scotland by John, Elder & Co. and launched on March 8, 1871. The ship’s engines were an improvement of the Wolf system and burned approximately 20 tons of coal per day.
Under the command of Captain E. Oort, the Willem III left Nieuwediep for Batavia in the Dutch East Indies on May 17, 1872. Onboard were 284 people: 90 crewmembers, 69 passengers, and 125 soldiers. The first days at sea were largely uneventful, although some passengers complained that the steam pipes in their cabins produced unbearable heat.
On May 19, several First Class cabins near the bow caught fire. Efforts to stop the blaze failed and it soon burned out of control. Captain Oort ordered the boats launched. Due to limited space, however, most of the soldiers had to remain aboard the blazing ship. Thankfully, Willem III was near Southampton and the ships Mary, Flora, Scorpio, and Alarm rescued survivors from the lifeboats and the remaining people aboard the stricken ship. All seemingly survived.
Willem III was towed to Portsmouth where its cargo was salvaged. William Mc Arthur & Co. bought the burnt-out wreck at auction on January 10, 1872. Renamed Quang Se, the ship was rebuilt and ready for service by January 1873. It then sailed as the Glenorchy and later as the Pina before being sold for scrap in 1903.
4. MS Georges Philippar
MS Georges Philippar was launched on November 6, 1930 by Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire in St Nazaire. The ship caught fire shortly thereafter during her fitting out. It was an eerie sign of things to come for the new motor ship. Finally finished in January 1932, the Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes took possession of the Georges Philippar.
The Georges Philippar left Marseilles, France on February 26, 1932 commanded by a Captain Vicq. Before its departure however, French police informed the Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes of threats made against the new ship. However, a search of the vessel revealed nothing amiss. Georges Philippar arrived in Yokohama, Japan via the Suez Canal without incident. The ship subsequently made stops in Shanghai, China and Colombo, Ceylon. She departed with 347 crew and 518 passengers aboard.
On May 16, 1932, a fire broke out in a D Deck stateroom while the Georges Philippar was off Cape Guardafui. Faulty wiring from a light switch ignited the room’s wood paneling. Despite the crew’s best efforts, the fire spread rapidly. A distress call went out, and Captain Vicq gave the order to abandon ship. Most passengers escaped aboard lifeboats, although some jumped into the sea and took their chances in the shark-infested sea. Reportedly, several passengers remained trapped in their cabins due to the raging fire. In all, 54 people died in the disaster—most because the fire spread too rapidly.
Three ships came to the Georges Philippar’s aid: Sovietskaïa Neft, Mahsud, and Contractor. These ships landed survivors at Djibouti and Aden. Captain Vicq was reportedly the last person to leave the flaming ship. The Georges Philippar drifted for a time and finally sank on May 19, 1932.
5. RMS Magdalena
Belfast’s famed Harland & Wolff shipyard built the cargo liner RMS Magdalena. Launched on May 11, 1948, it was the third-largest vessel constructed in the United Kingdom at that time. Royal Mail Lines took possession of the ship and intended to operate it between England and South America.
RMS Magdalena left England on March 9, 1949 bound for Buenos Aires, Argentina. Once there, she took on a cargo of meat. The ship then sailed to Santos and took on a cargo of oranges. The Magdalena departed for Rio de Janeiro with 237 crew and 347 passengers aboard.
On April 25, 1949, with the First and Third Officers on the bridge, RMS Magdalena hit the Tijucas Rocks—located between the Carragas and Palmas Islands. The ship sent out a distress call, and the Brazilian Navy dispatched six ships. Tugs, tenders, and a cargo ship also responded. Everyone aboard the Magdalena was eventually rescued.
The ship was eventually refloated and towed away. However, the Magdalena soon broke apart in Guanabara Bay. Salvagers recovered most of the cargo from the two halves of the ship, but most of the oranges washed ashore on Copacabana Beach. On May 4, authorities declared the RMS Magdalena a total loss. They salvaged her stern section, but her bow remains at the bottom of Guanabara Bay.
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