SS Arctic

The Arctic by Edwin Weedon for The Illustrated London News
History
United States
Name	Arctic
Namesake	Arctic
Owner	Collins Line
Operator	Captain James C. Luce
Builder	William H Brown Shipyard - New York
Launched	January 28, 1850
Completed	1850
Maiden voyage	October 26, 1850
Out of service	September 27, 1854
Fate	Sank on September 27, 1854 after collision with SS Vesta
General characteristics
Tons burthen	2,856 American tons burthen
Length	284 feet (87 m)
Beam	45 feet (14 m)
Draught	19 feet (5.8 m)
Depth	32 feet (9.8 m)
Installed power	2,000 hp (1,500 kW)
Propulsion	two side-lever steam engines
Capacity	Passengers: 200 1st class, 80 2nd class
Crew	153

SS Arctic was a 2,856-ton paddle steamer, which was one of the few Collins Line liners, which operated a transatlantic passenger and mail steamship service during the 1850s. She was the largest of a fleet of four, built with the aid of U.S. government subsidies to challenge the transatlantic supremacy of the British-backed Cunard Line. During her four-year period of service, the ship was renowned both for her speed and for the luxury of her accommodation.

On September 27, 1854, while on passage to New York from Liverpool, the Arctic collided in fog with the French steamer SS Vesta, a ship with little to no background, off the coast of Newfoundland, and sank four hours later. The Arctic's lifeboat capacity was around 180, enough for fewer than half those on board; the boats were launched in an atmosphere of panic and disorder, and the principle of "women and children first" was ignored. From around 400 on board (250 passengers, 150 crew), 24 male passengers and 61 crew survived; all the women and children died. No one was called to account for the disaster, and no official enquiry was held. Lifeboat provision on passenger-carrying ships remained inadequate until well into the 20th century.