# SS Canadian > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/SS_Canadian > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/SS_Canadian.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Canadian > Source revision: 1342199788 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Iron-hulled passenger ship History Name Canadian Owner Allan Line Port of registry Glasgow Builder R Steele & Co, Greenock Yard number 21 Launched 10 December 1859 Completed March 1860 Identification UK official number 28222 Fate Sunk by striking an iceberg, 4 June 1861 General characteristics Type Passenger ship Tonnage 1,926 GRT, 1,310 NRT Length 301.6 ft (91.9 m) Beam 35.9 ft (10.9 m) Depth 16.6 ft (5.1 m) Decks 2 Installed power 1 x compound engine Propulsion 1 × screw Speed 14 knots (26 km/h) Capacity 75 x 1st class; 300 3rd class Crew 60 **SS *Canadian*** was an iron-hulled [passenger ship](/source/Passenger_ship) that sank by striking an iceberg in the [Strait of Belle Isle](/source/Strait_of_Belle_Isle) while she was sailing from [Quebec](/source/Port_of_Quebec) in Canada to [Liverpool](/source/Port_of_Liverpool) in the [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom_of_Great_Britain_and_Ireland) in 1861. 35 out of 301 persons aboard the ship were killed in the disaster. ## Building *Canadian* was launched on 10 December 1859 and completed in March 1860 at the [Robert Steele & Company](/source/Robert_Steele_%26_Company) shipyard in [Greenock](/source/Greenock), Scotland for the [Allan Line](/source/Allan_Line). Her registered length was 301.6 ft (91.9 m), her [beam](/source/Beam_(nautical)) was 35.9 ft (10.9 m), and her depth was 16.6 ft (5.1 m). She had berths for 375 passengers: 75 in first class, and 300 in third class.[1] Her [tonnages](/source/Tonnage) were 1,926 [GRT](/source/Gross_register_tonnage) and 1,310 [NRT](/source/Net_register_tonnage). She had a single [screw](/source/Propeller), driven by a two-cylinder [compound engine](/source/Marine_steam_engine#Compound) that gave her a speed of 14 knots (26 km/h).[2] ## Loss On 4 June 1861, *Canadian* left Quebec, Canada for Liverpool, England, with 60 crew and 241 passengers aboard. When she sailed through the [Strait of Belle Isle](/source/Strait_of_Belle_Isle), ice and thick weather started to form. Her Captain ordered to slow the ship to 5 knots (9 km/h) while passing through the ice. At 11:50 hrs she struck an iceberg, which was largely underwater, 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) north of [Cape Bauld](/source/Cape_Bauld), at position [51°30′N 55°30′W / 51.500°N 55.500°W / 51.500; -55.500](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=SS_Canadian¶ms=51_30_N_55_30_W_).[3][4] The ship's three compartments quickly flooded. Since the collision was at such a low speed, and most passengers were preparing for lunch, most passengers did not know anything was wrong until they noticed that the crew, on order of the captain, were preparing the lifeboats to be lowered. The ship was sinking quickly, so the crew worked very quickly to evacuate everyone. All the lifeboats were safely launched except No. 8, which capsized when being lowered, killing at least 30 people. The ship sank about a half-hour after striking the iceberg. Some passengers and crew did not board a lifeboat, and went down with the ship. In total 35 people were killed in the disaster. Among the dead was mail officer James Panton, who is considered to be one a hero of the sinking. He guided many people to the lifeboats, and even saved some of his mailbags. He also gave up his seat in a lifeboat for a female passenger. Mr. Panton was last seen hanging by a rope over the side of the ship as she sank. The 266 survivors were soon rescued by four French fishing vessels, and taken to [Quirpon](/source/Quirpon) Bay.[5] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHaws197995_1-0)** [Haws 1979](#CITEREFHaws1979), p. 95. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Canadian"](https://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?&ref=21756). *Scottish Built Ships*. Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 10 July 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Ship-Iceberg Collisions"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120315031947/http://www.icedata.ca/Pages/ShipCollisions/ShipCol_OnlineSearch.php). icedata.ca. 22 May 2009. Archived from [the original](http://www.icedata.ca/Pages/ShipCollisions/ShipCol_OnlineSearch.php) on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["The Steamship Canadian Lost"](https://www.gendisasters.com/newfoundland/15991/belle-isle-strait-nf-steamer-canadian-wrecked-june-1861). gendisasters.com. 1861. Retrieved 9 February 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["James Panton and The Sinking of the "Canadian" June 4, 1861"](http://www.robertsewell.ca/canadian.html). Robert Sewell. Retrieved 9 February 2016. ## Bibliography - Haws, Duncan (1979). *The Ships of the Union, Castle, Union-Castle, Allan and Canadian Pacific lines*. Merchant Fleets in Profile. Vol. 3. Cambridge: Patrick Stephens Ltd. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-85059-352-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85059-352-2). v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1861 Shipwrecks 20 Feb: Enchantress 5 Mar: Monarch 8 Apr: Witchcraft 20 Apr: USS Columbus, USS Delaware, USS Germantown, USS Merrimack, USS Pennsylvania, USS Plymouth, USS Raritan 21 Apr: USS Columbia, USS Dolphin, USS New York 1 Jun: Lord Hungerford 4 Jun: Canadian 3 Jul: Victory 28 Jul: Petrel 2 Aug: Stag Hound 3 Aug: HMS Driver 18 Aug: Jefferson Davis 1 Oct: Infernal 5 Oct: CSS Venus 11 Oct: USS South Wind 5 Nov: Prony 7 Nov: CSS Winslow 10 Nov: Keystone State 14 Nov: SMS Amazone 23 Nov: CSS Tuscarora 5 Dec: USS Phoenix 8 Dec: USS Cossack, USS Peter Demill, USS South America 19-20 Dec: USS Amazon, USS Garland, USS Rebecca Sims, USS Tenedos 20 Dec: USS American, USS Archer, USS Herald, USS L. C. Richmond, USS Leonidas 21 Dec: USS Kensington 29 Dec: HMS Conqueror December (unknown date): USS Lewis, USS Maria Theresa, USS Robin Hood Unknown date: Glentanner Other incidents 9 Jan: HMS Cossack 15 Jan: Anna Paulowna 4 Mar: Marco Polo 12 Mar: Black Prince 20-21 Apr: Nightingale 24 Apr: Defence 25 Apr: Syren 4 May: HMS Victor Emmanuel 13-14 May: North Star 19 May: USS Baltimore 10 Jun: HMS Hydra 6 Jul: HMS Aboukir August (unknown date): HMS Hecate, HMS Imperieuse 22 Oct: HMS Virago 8 Nov: Trent (Trent Affair) Unknown date: Challenger, Surprise 1860 1862 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [SS Canadian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Canadian) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Canadian?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.