The steamship suffered a boiler explosion at Buffalo, New York, killing eleven people. She was on a voyage from Buffalo to Port Colborne, Ontario, Dominion of Canada.[1]
The ship was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean. Her crew were rescued by Louise (United Kingdom). Onda was on a voyage from Greenock, Renfrewshire to Quebec City, Dominion of Canada.[3]
3 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 3 May 1868
Ship
Country
Description
HMS Lord Warden
Royal Navy
The Lord Clyde-classironclad ran aground in the Mediterranean Sea. Subsequently refloated, repaired and returned to service.[4]
Vesta
United Kingdom
The ship foundered off Barra, Outer Hebrides. She was on a voyage from Liverpool, Lancashire to New York, United States[5]
4 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 4 May 1868
Ship
Country
Description
Annam Maria
Hamburg
The ship was driven ashore on Amrum, Prussia and was wrecked. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Hamburg to "Heyer".[6]
United States
The sternwheel paddle steamer sank in the Missouri River near Atchison, Kansas.[7]
5 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 5 May 1868
Ship
Country
Description
Lady Middleton
United Kingdom
The schooner struck a sunken rock and foundered north east of the Isle of Skye, Outer Hebrides. Her crew survived. She was on a voyage from Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland to Dublin.[8]
Staffa
United Kingdom
The brig was driven ashore at Dragør, Denmark. She was on a voyage from Riga, Russia to Arbroath, Forfarshire.[9]
The 135-ton brig was thought to have hit the Seven Stones reef and sank 30 miles (48 km) northwest by west of Land's End, Cornwall.[11][12] She was on a voyage from Bilboa, Spain to Newport, Monmouthshire.[13]
9 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 9 May 1868
Ship
Country
Description
Ennerdale
United Kingdom
The barque ran aground on Rathlin Island, County Antrim. She was on a voyage from Ardrossan, Ayrshire to Montreal, Quebec, Dominion of Canada. She was refloated and put in to Belfast, County Antrim.[14]
10 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 10 May 1868
Ship
Country
Description
Industry
United Kingdom
The ship ran aground at Faro, Portugal. She was on a voyage from "Savira" to Hull, Yorkshire.[15]
Joseph Hume
United Kingdom
The ship collided with Columbia (United Kingdom). She was on a voyage from Saint Vincent to London. No further trace, presumed foundered with the loss of all hands.[16]
The schooner was driven ashore at Donaghadee, County Down. She was on a voyage from Glasgow, Renfrewshire to Brest, Finistère, France.[18]
Jane Campbell
United Kingdom
The ship was driven ashore near the , County Antrim. She was on a voyage from Cardiff, Glamorgan to Portrush, County Antrim. She was refloated and taken in to the Strangford Lough.[18]
Joseph Hume
United Kingdom
The barque collided with Columbia (United States) in the Atlantic Ocean (46°09′N31°58′W / 46.150°N 31.967°W / 46.150; -31.967). One sailor got on board Columbia. Joseph Hume was presumed to have subsequently foundered with the loss of all 29 people on board. She was on a voyage from Saint Vincent to London.[19][20]
Royal Navy
The brig-sloop was driven ashore at Kettle Point, Devon. Subsequently refloated, repaired and returned to service.[4]
13 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 13 May 1868
Ship
Country
Description
Union
United Kingdom
The schooner ran aground at Rabat, Morocco. She was on a voyage from Rabat to Gibraltar.[21]
14 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 14 May 1868
Ship
Country
Description
Auguste Vicran
Prussia
The ship was wrecked in the Orkney Islands, United Kingdom. She was on a voyage from Memel to Dublin, United Kingdom.[22]
Belfast
United Kingdom
The ship ran aground on the Horse Bank, in the Irish Sea off the coast of Lancashire and was damaged. She was on a voyage from Limerick to Preston, Lancashire.[14]
The barque-rigged steamship struck the Pearl Rock, off Gibraltar and sank. She was on a voyage from Venice, Italy to London.[22][25][26]
Pearl
United Kingdom
The smack sprang a leak and sank 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) north west of Padstow, Cornwall. Her three crew survived. She was on a voyage from Porthcawl, Glamorgan to Falmouth, Cornwall.[27]
16 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 16 May 1868
Ship
Country
Description
Coronation
United Kingdom
The ship foundered 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) off Padstow, Cornwall. Her crew were rescued.[28]
Edith
United Kingdom
The steamship ran aground near Maassluis, Zeeland, Netherlands.[25]
Gesine
Flag unknown
The ship was driven ashore at Agger, Denmark. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from London, United Kingdom to Narva, Russia.[25]
Royal Navy
The Rosario-class sloop ran aground at Port-au-Prince, Haiti.[29] She was refloated and taken in to Port Royal, Jamaica for repairs.[30]
The brigMary and Anne struck the pier, capsized and sank at Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais, France. She was run into on 24 May by the steamshipNorfolk (United Kingdom) and was declared a total loss. Norfolk was also wrecked.[21][32]
The ship ran aground on the Stag Rocks, near Brook, Isle of Wight. She was on a voyage from Truro, Cornwall to London.[15]
Minerva
United Kingdom
The ship collided with Nestor (United Kingdom) and sank off the Copeland Islands, County Down. She was on a voyage from the Clyde to Gijón, Spain.[34]
19 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 19 May 1868
Ship
Country
Description
St. Bride
United Kingdom
The ship sprang a leak and sank off Skenagham Point, County Antrim. Two crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Bangor, County Down to Larne, County Antrim.[21]
20 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 20 May 1868
Ship
Country
Description
Helene
Belgium
The barque was driven ashore in . She was on a voyage from Liverpool, Lancashire, United Kingdom to Cronstadt, Russia. She was refloated with the assistance of a tug and resumed her voyage.[26]
William Miles
United Kingdom
The ship was wrecked at Pensacola, Florida, United States. She was on a voyage from Pensacola to Queenstown, County Cork.[35][36]
The steamship ran aground and was wrecked on the Buck Rocks, near Land's End, Cornwall with the loss of nineteen of the 37 people on board. She was on a voyage from Liverpool, Lancashire to Bordeaux, Gironde, France.[37][38][39]
Hope
United Kingdom
The brig sprang a leak and was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean. Her crew were rescued by the steamshipBeatriz (Spain). Hope was on a voyage from , Portugal to Liverpool, Lancashire.[40]
Moravia
United States
The ship ran aground at Dundee, Forfarshire, United Kingdom.[41]
Templar
United Kingdom
The ship was driven ashore at Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States and was abandoned by her crew. She was on a voyage from Calcutta, India to Boston, Massachusetts. She was refloated and towed in to Edgartown, Massachusetts in a derelict condition.[35]
23 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 23 May 1868
Ship
Country
Description
Benares
United Kingdom
The steamship ran aground in the Fisherman's Group, China and was wrecked.[36]
The ship was wrecked on Fair Isle, Shetland Islands, United Kingdom. All 480 people on board survived.[43][36]
Martha Birnie
United Kingdom
The ship was run into by Lottie Maria (United Kingdom) in The Downs and was severely damaged. She was on a voyage from London to Sydney, New South Wales. She put back to London for repairs.[44]
United Kingdom
The steamship ran aground and was wrecked north of Port Patrick, Wigtownshire. All on board were rescued. She was on a voyage from Newry, County Antrim to Ardrossan, Ayrshire.[45]
24 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 24 May 1868
Ship
Country
Description
Heroine
United Kingdom
The ship was driven ashore and wrecked on Vlieland, Friesland, Netherlands. She was on a voyage from Swansea, Glamorgan to Hamburg.[21]
Norfolk
United Kingdom
The steamship ran onto the wreck of Mary Ann (United Kingdom) at Boulogne, Pas-de-Calais, France and was severely damaged. She was on a voyage from Boulogne to Hull, Yorkshire.[21]
25 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 25 May 1868
Ship
Country
Description
Lesmona
China
The ship was captured by pirates and sunk off the Paracel Islands. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Hong Kong to Shanghai.[46]
Lochnagar
United Kingdom
The ship was wrecked in the Navigator's Islands. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Baker's Island to an English port.[47]
Prince Frederick William
United Kingdom
The ship was run ashore at Dunaff, County Donegal and was wrecked. She was on a voyage from Grangemouth, Stirlingshire to Quebec City, Dominion of Canada.[48]
Thomas Connolly
United Kingdom
The ship was driven ashore at Silloth, Cumberland. She was on a voyage from Dublin to Maryport, Cumberland. She was refloated.[49]
Union
Prussia
The ship foundered in the North Sea. Her crew survived. She was on a voyage from Sunderland, County Durham, United Kingdom to Swinemünde.[50]
The ship was abandoned at sea. She was on a voyage from Liverpool, Lancashire to Narva, Russian Empire.[35]
Excelsior
United Kingdom
The schooner was driven ashore and wrecked on Fire Island, New York. She was on a voyage from New York City to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Dominion of Canada.[52]
Industry
United Kingdom
The ship caught fire off Sheringham, Norfolk. She was on a voyage from Sunderland, County Durham to Colchester, Essex. She was taken in to Blakeney, Norfolk for repairs.[24]
Jacare
United Kingdom
The steamship sank at Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was later refloated and taken in to Tigre for repairs.[53]
Mora
United Kingdom
The ship ran aground at Kurrachee, India. She was on a voyage from Greenock, Renfrewshire to Kurrachee. She was refloated.[36]
Sarah
United Kingdom
The ship was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Sunderland, County Durham to Montreal.[35][54]
The brig was wrecked on the coast of the Cape Colony with the loss of two of the 116 people on board.[55][56]
30 May[]
List of shipwrecks: 30 May 1868
Ship
Country
Description
Disraeli
United Kingdom
The ship was sighted in the Atlantic Ocean whilst on a voyage from Akyab, British Burma to Falmouth, Cornwall. No further trace, presumed foundered with the loss of all hands.[57]
Stephane
France
The ship was wrecked 18 nautical miles (33 km) off St. Andrew's Island She was on a voyage from Aspinwall, United States of Colombia to a Mexican port.[58]
The schooner was wrecked 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) north of "Arzilla".[60]
Unknown date[]
List of shipwrecks: Unknown date in May 1868
Ship
Country
Description
Actif
France
The ship foundered in the Atlantic Ocean before 18 May. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Brest, Finistère to the Newfoundland Colony.[28]
Albert Gallatin
United Kingdom
The ship was destroyed by fire at Mobile, Alabama.[18]
Ann
United Kingdom
The steamship ran aground in the Danube. She was on a voyage from Brăila to Sulina, Ottoman Empire and Antwerp, Belgium. She was refloated.[18]
The sealer was lost in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence before 11 May.[21]
Home
United Kingdom
The ship foundered in the Atlantic Ocean before 28 May. She was on a voyage from Troon, Ayrshire to Quebec City.[48]
Jules
France
The ship was wrecked on the English Bank, in the River Plate. She was on a voyage from Havre de Grâce, Seine-Inférieure to Monte Video, Uruguay.[22]
Karanjah
Egypt
The steamship was wrecked in the Red Sea. She was on a voyage from Suez to Jeddah, Jeddah Eyalet.[35]
Lettice Catherine
United Kingdom
The ship was wrecked near Bahia, Brazil before 11 May. She was on a voyage from Liverpool, Lancashire to Monte Video, Uruguay.[18]
Providenzia
Spain
The schooner was wrecked 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) north of Arzila, Morocco. She was on a voyage from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands to Barcelona.[62]
Royal Charlie
United Kingdom
The ship was abandoned at se before 6 May. She was on a voyage from Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland to Boston, Massachusetts.[63]
Susan
Dominion of Canada
The sealer was lost in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence before 11 May.[21]
Vedra
United Kingdom
The ship was lost whilst on a voyage from South Shields, County Durham to Quebec City.[35]
References[]
^"Explosion of a Steamship. Eleven persons killed". Liverpool Mercury. No. 6333. Liverpool. 14 May 1868.
^"Turkey". Belfast News-Letter. No. 34135. Belfast. 4 May 1868.
^"Mercantile Ship News". The Standard. No. 13700. London. 2 July 1868. p. 7.
^ ab"Naval Disasters Since 1860". Hampshire Telegraph. No. 4250. Portsmouth. 10 May 1873.
^ ab"Shipping". Liverpool Mercury. No. 6336. Liverpool. 20 May 1868.
^"Ship News". The Times. No. 26121. London. 11 May 1868. col F, p. 11.