SS Pacific (1849)

SS Pacific was a wooden-hulled, sidewheel steamer built in 1849 for transatlantic service with the American Collins Line. Designed to outclass their chief rivals from the British-owned Cunard Line, Pacific and her three sister ships (Atlantic, SS Arctic and SS Baltic (1850)) were the largest, fastest and most well-appointed transatlantic steamers of their day.

Pacific's career began on a high note when she set a new transatlantic speed record in her first year of service. However, after only five years in operation, the ship, with her entire complement of almost 200 passengers and crew, vanished without a trace during a voyage from Liverpool to New York City, which began on 23 January 1856. As of 2025 Pacific's fate is not known. A message in a bottle found on the remote island of Uist within the Hebrides in 1861 declared her sunk by icebergs.[1]

Development

For several decades prior to the 1840s, American

Service history

Pacific was launched on 1 February 1849 and made her maiden voyage from New York to Liverpool on 25 May 1850. She would retain service on the New York-Liverpool route for her entire career.

Between 11 and 21 September, Pacific made a record passage from Liverpool to New York with an average speed of 12.46 knots, breaking the previous record of 12.25 knot held by the Cunard Line's Asia, and thus winning the coveted Blue Riband for fastest transatlantic crossing. Pacific would hold the record for less than a year however, as her sister ship SS Baltic (1850) would set a new record the following August with a new record speed of 12.91 knots. Between 10 and 20 May 1851, Pacific also set a new eastbound record with an average speed of 13.03 knot, beating the previous record of 12.38 kn set by the Cunard Line's Canada. Again however, the record would stand for only nine months before being broken again by Pacific's slightly more-powerful sister ship, SS Arctic.[8]

In 1851, Pacifics passenger accommodations were increased to include an additional 80 second-class passengers.[8] In March 1853, she rescued the crew of the barque Jesse Stevens, which had foundered in the Atlantic Ocean.[9][10] In May 1853, while the Pacific was passing under an open swing bridge near Norwalk, Connecticut, a train crashed disastrously into the water nearby after its engineer missed the bridge signal; the ship's crew helped rescue many of the survivors.[11] Also in 1853, Pacifics mizzen mast was removed,[8] presumably in order to reduce drag.

Collision With Brig Alfaretta

Between 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM on August 16, 1851, Pacific 's crew saw the mast light of the sailing brig Alfaretta off the starboard side at full sail towards their direction. The officer in charge ordered the Quartermaster to pull her hard-to-starboard and keep the ship at full sail to avoid collision. The brig turned towards Pacific, and rammed Pacific 's starboard bow. Alfaretta 's forward mast was stuck in the bow of Pacific before the brig sank. An inquiry put the blame on the crew of Alfaretta after it was determined that their last-minute decision to change course put both ships in danger of collision. Pacific suffered damages adding up to $2,000 ($82,000 today).[12]

Loss

On 23 January 1856, Pacific departed Liverpool for her usual destination of New York, carrying 45 passengers (a typically small number for a winter voyage) and 141 crew. Her commander was Captain Asa Eldridge, a Yarmouth skipper and navigator of worldwide reputation; in 1854 he had set a transatlantic speed record on the clipper Red Jacket from New York to Liverpool.

After Pacific failed to arrive at New York, other ships were sent to conduct a search, but no trace of the vessel was found. Contemporaries concluded that she had probably hit an iceberg off Newfoundland, as the ice had been particularly bad that year.

country	United States
namesake	Pacific Ocean
operator	Collins Line
route	New York-Liverpool
builder	Brown & Bell, New York
original cost	$700,000
launched	1 Feb 1849
maiden voyage	25 May 1850
honors	Blue Riband holder, 21 Sep 1850–16 Aug 1851
fate	Lost with all aboard under unknown circumstances, possibly sunk by iceberg, January 1856

Development

Description

Service history

Collision With Brig Alfaretta

Loss

References