GREAT LIVERPOOL

Name: Great Liverpool
Type of vessel: mail and passenger ship
Flag: United Kingdom
Date of sinking: 24 February 1846
Cause: storm, grounding
Location: Gures beach, (Cee)
Diving level: basic
GALP territory: Estuary of Muros-Noia

HISTORY

Human tragedy when they were on the verge of being saved

The Great Liverpool was caught out by a storm in the Costa da Morte (Coast of Death) which led it to run aground on Gures beach (Cee). It was a wooden-hulled ship with copper lining measuring just over 73 metres long. The ship was propelled by sail and had a steam engine with side rocker and paddles yielding 468 NHP reaching a speed of 9 knots. The shipowner was Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co. (P&O).

It was carrying an assorted cargo, with mail and ivory, covering the route from Alexandria (Egypt) to Southampton (United Kingdom), under the command of Captain McLeod. Apparently, the sail-boat had previously hit a shallow which caused a major leak. The flooding caused the blackout of the engine’s fires causing it to run adrift until it ran aground on Gures beach.

Two women and a child were killed in the accident when one of the lifeboats overturned.

After colliding with a shallow during the storm, the Great Liverpool drifted until it ran aground on Gures beach (Cee).

GALLERY