Episode 322: Nova Scotia’s rugged coastline and treacherous waters have made it a graveyard for ships throughout history. The SS Atlantic, a White Star Line steamship, sank off Nova Scotia on April 1, 1873, in one of the worst maritime disasters before the Titanic. On its 19th voyage from Liverpool to New York with around 975 people on board, the ship ran short of coal and diverted to Halifax. Navigational errors caused it to strike rocks near Prospect, Nova Scotia. Rough seas hindered lifeboat launches, trapping many passengers below deck. Local fishermen and others aided in rescue efforts, but 562 people perished, marking it the greatest civilian loss in the North Atlantic at that time.
Sources:
Nova Scotia Archives – Where the Land Meets the Sea: Shipwrecks of Nova Scotia
HMS Tribune: Halifax’s first maritime disaster is almost forgotten
Atlantic’s Last Stop by Robert Chaulk
They Went Down To The Sea by lay Spicer
Hypothermia: How long can someone survive in frigid water?
The Chilling Truth About Cold Water
SS Atlantic History – Rev. Ancient’s Account
The SS Atlantic | Canadian History Ehx
The Final Voyage of SS Atlantic
The S/S Atlantic of the White Star Line, disaster in 1873
The Wreck of the SS ATLANTIC – Halifax, NS 1873
SS Atlantic – The Mystery of the Davidsons’ Grave
The Grave of the Davidsons, from the SS Atlantic
Sable Island: Shipwrecks at the graveyard of the Atlantic
Sable Island: Shipwrecks at the graveyard of the Atlantic | CBC News
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