Ocean Monarch (barque)

Ocean Monarch was launched from the East Boston shipyard of Donald McKay on 13 June 1847. With three regular decks she measured at 177 feet between uprights, 40 feet beam and 27 feet depth. She had a 7 foot tall figurehead of Neptune. Ocean Monarch was registered at 1301 tons. Her first captain was Murdoch, previously commanded James Bates.[2] The estimate cost was reported at $80,000. She was the biggest American ship at the time and the second ship on the Atlantic route.[3] The barque was owned by the White Diamond Line and was registered in Boston.

Ocean Monarch had left Liverpool on the morning of 24 August 1848 carrying passengers to Boston in the United States. Helmed by Captain Murdoch, Ocean Monarch was towed from the port and entered the open sea around eight o'clock in the morning. Not far from harbor, between Abergele Bay and Great Orme's Head off Llandudno, at around noon, Ocean Monarch was witnessed to put up its helm as if to return to port and then a flag of distress was raised. Within a short time flames were seen rising towards the rear of the vessel.

In an attempt to control the fire, which was now a blaze, Captain Murdoch attempted to turn the ship up wind, but in failing to do so, dropped both anchors. At this time it was apparent that the crew had lost control of the passengers who had begun fleeing the fire, rushing around deck in panic and even throwing themselves overboard.[4] The captain ordered all movable spars overboard to give those passengers in the water an aid in flotation.

Two other vessels in the area, came immediately to the ships aid, they were the yacht Queen of the Ocean, captained by Mr. Thomas Littledale; and the Brazilian frigate Affonso, captained by Joaquim Marques Lisboa. On board of Affonso were Prince de Joinville, Duke and Duchess of Aumale, a Brazilian Minister, and Admiral John Pascoe Grenfell.[3] The latter one and Captain Lisboa manned two of the four boats lowered from Affonso to assist in rescue. Later on the American packet New World and the railway steamer Prince of Wales joined the rescue. These rescuing vessels launched boats to aid the collection of the survivors. Affonso managed to get close enough to Ocean Monarch to fasten a rope to her allowing for rapid ferrying of passengers via boats.[5]

By three o'clock the last ship at the scene, Queen of the Ocean turned and headed for Liverpool with their cargo of survivors.

On 25 August 1848 Ocean Monarch went down at her anchored point to a depth of roughly 14 fathoms (26 m). Her location is listed at 53°25′40.00″N 3°35′27.00″W.[6]

The Burning of the Ocean Monarch off the Great Orme is a series of three paintings by British artist Samuel Walters (1811–1882).[7]

It was initially reported in the Liverpool Mercury that the fire came from a wooden ventilator, which a passenger had mistaken for a chimney. This was later refuted by Captain Murdoch, stating that the craft had iron ventilators, and he believed that smoking amongst the steerage passengers, from whom he had confiscated smoking pipes earlier, was the cause.

Frederick Jerome a sailor working aboard New World, born in Portsmouth, but then a resident of New York, showed personal bravery during the rescue. He dived into the sea, swam to the burning ship and lifted more than fifteen female passengers into a rescuing boat. On his return to New York he was awarded the freedom of the city by the Common Council of New York. He also received a £50 award from Queen Victoria and another £50 from the Prince de Joinville and the Duc d'Aumale, both aboard the Affonso.

Almost all the cabin (1st Class) passengers were saved.[3]

¹ The figures given for the event are mathematically incorrect, but are recorded as given by the newspapers of the time.

• List of shipwrecks
• List of United Kingdom disasters by death toll

• Media related to Ocean Monarch (ship, 1848) at Wikimedia Commons
• Burning of the Ocean Monarch - Liverpool Mercury, August 25, 1848
• The Illustrated London News, September 2, 1848