SS Schiller
From Freepedia
The German ferry the SS Schiller was one of the largest ocean going vessels of her time. On 7 May, 1875, when operating a route between New York and Hamburg, she hit the Retarrier Ledge in the Isles of Scilly, causing her to sink with the loss of most of her crew and passengers.
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The shipwreck
On her final voyage, the SS Schiller had been making a fast trans-Atlantic crossing, but needed to slow due to poor visibilty as she approached the British Isles. Lookouts failed to spot the Bishop Rock lighthouse, leaving the Schiller sail on to the Retarrier Ledges. She sustained significant damage after the captain attempted to reverse off the rocks, a couple of freak waves breaking her hull against the ledges.
Many of the lifeboats were not sea-worthy due to poor maintanance. Other lifeboats were destroyed, crushed by the wrecking ship. Panic spread across the ship, many succuming to cowardice as men forced their way ahead of women and children into the lifeboats. Only two lifeboats made it to shore, carrying 26 men and one woman. No children survived.
Cannon fire was supposed to signal to Isles of Scilly coastguards, but was misinterpreted as a signal for arrival, common practise at that time.
St Agnes pilot gig, the O and M, was summoned to investigate multiple cannon shots. Her crew discovered the mast of the sinking Schiller. The O and M rowed to pick up five survivors before returning to St Agnes for assistance. Steamers and ferries from as far away as Newlyn, Cornwall, assisted the rescue operation.
Of her original 254 passengers and 118 crew, there were 37 survivors. The death toll, 335, make the disaster one of the worst in British history.
Legacy
In respect to the great assistance that the Scillonians made to assist the mostly German people onboard, orders were given in the two World Wars to spare the Isles of Scilly from being attacked.
See also
References
Austin, Keith (2001). The Victorian Titanic: The Loss of the SS Schiller in 1875. Halsgrove. ISBN 184114133X.
