Oceana (1888)

Builder:
Harland & Wolf Ltd.
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Ordered:
N/A
Keel Laid:
N/A
Year Built:
1888
Launched:
September 17, 1887
Type:
Passenger
Completed:
February 26, 1888
Fate:
Sunk Mar. 16, 1912 after being rammed by Pisagua (German steel barque).
Oceana crossed the bows and was hit on the port side. She remained afloat for several
hours and was taken in tow by the tug Alert, but sank in shallow water. Wreck was later
blown up as a navigational hazard after several ships had hit the wreck.

Location: English Channel, 6 miles ESE of Beachy Head, England.
(50.52N - 00.25E)

17 passengers and crew killed, 244 survivors picked up by SS Sussex, SS Queensgarth,
Alert (tug), Newhaven lifeboat and the Eastbourne lifeboat. Some made it to shore in
a lifeboat. According to the one of the ship's engineers the ship's cat also perished.


Owner:
Peninsular & Oriental
Steam Navigation Company
London, England


Dimensions, machinery and performance

Length:
468' 3" (PP)
Engines:
1 triple expansion
Beam:
52'
Boilers:
N/A
Draft:
26' 9" (depth)
Shafts:
1
Gross Tons:
6,610
HP:
7,000 (IHP)
DWT:
N/A
Speed:
16 knots
Crew:
250+
Funnels:
2
Passengers:
410
Masts:
4


Captains
From
To
Name
N/A
Mar. 16, 1912
Capt. Thomas H. Hide, R.N.R


Timeline
Mar. 19, 1888:
Maiden voyage London - Colombo - Melbourne - Sydney.
May 12, 1905:
Last voyage on Australian route, moved to London - Bombay route following return.
Mar. 16, 1912:
Sunk in collision.
Mar. 19, 1912:
German steamship Rocklands hit the wreck and carried away two of the masts.
July 1912:
Salvage operations completed by the Liverpool Salvage Association under Capt. Young
in early July.It was reported that of the £747,610 of gold and silver on board, all but
£260 had been recovered. The wreck was then blown up in stages, but much of it remains.
Notes
Chief officer Walter Naylor was blamed for causing the collision and for the loss of life
by giving the order that the boat should be lowered even though the ship was still
underway at the time causing it to capsize.


Builder's Data
Page published Oct. 3, 2009