#maritmie history

[scotianostra]

On April 22nd 1838 the 703-ton Sirius, built in Leith and carrying 90 passengers, reached New York.

Built originally for service in the Irish Sea, the 703-ton Sirius, a side-wheeler, was chartered by the British & American Steam Navigation Company and sailed from London to New York by way of Cork in 1838 with 40 passengers. Her fuel ran out just short of her destination, but her captain, determined to complete the passage under steam, refused to hoist the ship’s sails and, instead, fed spars into the furnace.

Sandy Hook, New Jersey, was sighted in time to avert a potential mutiny, and the Sirius beat the much larger Great Western to New York by a few hours. In addition to establishing a crossing record, the Sirius introduced an important technical innovation, a condenser to recover the fresh water used in the boiler.

On January 16, 1847, Sirius ran aground in Ballycotton Bay in Ireland. Most of the 91 on board were saved, but 21 died.