Boston, Massachusetts

Steamer Rose Standish Sinking

August 29, 1884

The Steamer Rose Standish Sinks in Boston Harbor Near the Wharf.

Boston, August 29.---The steamer Rose Standish, of the Boston and Hingham Steamboat Company, plying between Boston, Downer Landing and Hingham, was sunk in the harbor within sight of the wharf from which she sailed at 5:15 p. m. The harbor was full of crafts and Captain Ingraham says he was feeling his way among the boats to get into clear water and was just rounding the stern of a large schooner when he descried the Commercial Company's tug, a very powerful boat, bearing down upon him. There was no time, the Captain said, to even blow the whistle before the propeller was upon him. The Standish was struck a foot abaft the forward port gangway. The prow of the tug ran into the side and into the engine room, scattering lighted coals IN ALL DIRECTIONS, igniting all the wood work in the vicinity, and as an officer of the boat said, "She would have burned up if she hadn't sunk so quick." There were one hundred and one passengers on board and for a moment there was great excitement. The instant Captain Ingraham saw that his vessel must sink, he blew a distress signal on his steam whistle. This called five tugs and the steamer William Harrison from adjacent wharves to the assistance of the disabled steamer, and so excellent was the discipline of the crew of the Standish and the ability of the aiding boats, that every passenger, in the language of a deck hand, "was taken from the steamer without even getting their feet wet." The Standish sank within six minutes after she was struck. The Standish was rebuilt in 1877 at a cost of seventy thousand dollars.

The Atchison Globe, Atchison, KS 30 Aug 1884

Transcribed by Linda Horton. Thanks, Linda!

Search for more information on the Rose Standish sinking and other disasters in the Historical Newspapers on line at genealogybank.com.  Search over 1300 different newspapers.

Search for ancestors in Boston, MA among billions of names at ancestry.com. Find birth records, census images, immigration lists and genealogy other databases for your surnames. Use this Free trial to search for your ancestors.

Massachusetts Census, 1790-1890 Searchable database online at ancestry.com.   Use this Free trial to search for your ancestors.