SS Florizel
Encyclopedia
SS Florizel, a passenger liner, was the flagship of the Bowring Brothers
' Red Cross Line of steamships and one of the first ships in the world specifically designed to navigate icy waters. During its last voyage, from St. John's
to Halifax
and on to New York
, it sunk after striking a reef at Horn Head Point (46°50′56"N 52°56′20"W), Cape Race
near Cappahayden
, Newfoundland
, Canada
, with the loss of 94 including Betty Munn, a three-year-old girl, in whose memory a statue of Peter Pan
was erected at Bowring Park
in St. John's.
The sinking of the Florizel and the tragic loss of life, compounded by the controversy surrounding her ill-fated voyage was the subject of a book by Cassie Brown
entitled A Winter's Tale - The Wreck of the Florizel, ISBN 0-9698767-4-2.
waters around Newfoundland and Labrador
. The vessel was modified each spring to participate in the annual seal hunt
off the coast of Newfoundland. Often captained by Captain Abram Kean, she broke many records on her numerous voyages to the seal hunt.
The Florizel was also used as a transport vessel during World War I
. In October 1914 it carried the first 540 volunteers of the Newfoundland Regiment, the Blue Puttees
, to Europe.
Bowring Brothers were the operators for the New York, Newfoundland and Halifax Steamship Company, Limited. At the time of the Florizels construction it was considered a luxury liner; it had room for 145 first-class
accommodations.
The Bowring fleet of ships of that era were given names from Shakespearean
plays: the Florizel was named after young Prince Florizel in The Winter's Tale
.
and consequentially turned westward. However, because of the gale force winds the Florizel had actually traveled just 45 miles and was well short of the Cape. The sea crashing against the rocks at Horn Head Point was white with froth and Captain Martin mistook it for ice and eventually crashed full speed into the rocks. Most of the passengers and crew that survived the initial crash found shelter in the Marconi Shack, the least damaged portion of the ship.
was sent out and received by the Admiralty
wireless station located at Mount Pearl. By the evening of the 24th the first rescue ships had arrived to no sign of life. The weather had abated somewhat when light was spotted and a rescue attempt was carried out after the storm had calmed. Of the 138 passengers, 44 had survived the initial crash and after 27 hours, the ship struck ground and the last of the passengers and crew were rescued. Medals of bravery were awarded to several crew members of HMS Briton
and HMS Prospero (1910) who had responded to the wreck; these were given by the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VIII
, while he was in St. John's in 1919.
Passengers Perished
Officers and Crew Perished
Passengers Saved
Officers and Crew Saved
These men, along with H. Clouter, C. W. Penny, R.N.R., Adolf "Dolf" Morey, R.N.R., G. Westcott, R. Pierson, and J. Budden, also received the Board of Trade Medal for Gallantry in Saving Life at Sea (Sea Gallantry Medal or S.G.M).
Bowring Brothers
Bowring Brothers Limited is currently an operator of retail stores, mostly focused on gifts and home decor, throughout Canada....
' Red Cross Line of steamships and one of the first ships in the world specifically designed to navigate icy waters. During its last voyage, from St. John's
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
to Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
and on to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, it sunk after striking a reef at Horn Head Point (46°50′56"N 52°56′20"W), Cape Race
Cape Race
Cape Race is a point of land located at the southeastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland, Canada. Its name is thought to come from the original Portuguese name for this cape, "Raso", or "bare"...
near Cappahayden
Cappahayden, Newfoundland and Labrador
Renews–Cappahayden is a small fishing town on the southern shore of Newfoundland, 83 kilometres south of St. John's.The town was incorporated in the mid-1960s by amalgamating the formerly independent villages of Renews and Cappahayden....
, Newfoundland
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, with the loss of 94 including Betty Munn, a three-year-old girl, in whose memory a statue of Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
was erected at Bowring Park
Bowring Park, St. John's
Bowring Park, located in the Waterford Valley, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, is one of the most scenic parks in the city. Entrance to the park is via Waterford Bridge Road, passing a sculptured duck pond and a statue of Peter Pan. The park land was donated to the city in 1911 by Sir Edgar...
in St. John's.
The sinking of the Florizel and the tragic loss of life, compounded by the controversy surrounding her ill-fated voyage was the subject of a book by Cassie Brown
Cassie Brown
Cassie Eileen Brown was a journalist, author, publisher and editor born in Rose Blanche, Newfoundland, Canada, and moved to St. John's with her family in the 1930s...
entitled A Winter's Tale - The Wreck of the Florizel, ISBN 0-9698767-4-2.
History
The Florizel was primarily a passenger liner, built for the Bowring Brothers to replace an earlier ship, the SS Silvia, which had been lost at sea. Built of steel, it was one of the first ships in the world to be specifically designed to navigate the icyIceberg
An iceberg is a large piece of ice from freshwater that has broken off from a snow-formed glacier or ice shelf and is floating in open water. It may subsequently become frozen into pack ice...
waters around Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
. The vessel was modified each spring to participate in the annual seal hunt
Seal hunting
Seal hunting, or sealing, is the personal or commercial hunting of seals. The hunt is currently practiced in five countries: Canada, where most of the world's seal hunting takes place, Namibia, the Danish region of Greenland, Norway and Russia...
off the coast of Newfoundland. Often captained by Captain Abram Kean, she broke many records on her numerous voyages to the seal hunt.
The Florizel was also used as a transport vessel during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. In October 1914 it carried the first 540 volunteers of the Newfoundland Regiment, the Blue Puttees
Puttee
A puttee, also spelled puttie, is the name, adapted from the Hindi patti, bandage , for a covering for the lower part of the leg from the ankle to the knee, consisting of a long narrow piece of cloth wound tightly and spirally round the leg, and serving both as a support and protection, worn...
, to Europe.
Bowring Brothers were the operators for the New York, Newfoundland and Halifax Steamship Company, Limited. At the time of the Florizels construction it was considered a luxury liner; it had room for 145 first-class
First class travel
First class is the most luxurious class of accommodation on a train, passenger ship, airplane, or other conveyance. It is usually much more expensive than business class and economy class, and offers the best amenities.-Aviation:...
accommodations.
The Bowring fleet of ships of that era were given names from Shakespearean
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
plays: the Florizel was named after young Prince Florizel in The Winter's Tale
The Winter's Tale
The Winter's Tale is a play by William Shakespeare, originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, some modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some critics, among them W. W...
.
Last Voyage
The Florizel left St. John's on 23 February 1918, for Halifax and then on to New York, with 78 passengers and 66 crew. Among the passengers were many prominent St. John's businessmen. Shortly after the vessel left port the weather turned nasty and after nine hours of steaming southward the captain, William J. Martin, assumed that he had rounded Cape RaceCape Race
Cape Race is a point of land located at the southeastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland, Canada. Its name is thought to come from the original Portuguese name for this cape, "Raso", or "bare"...
and consequentially turned westward. However, because of the gale force winds the Florizel had actually traveled just 45 miles and was well short of the Cape. The sea crashing against the rocks at Horn Head Point was white with froth and Captain Martin mistook it for ice and eventually crashed full speed into the rocks. Most of the passengers and crew that survived the initial crash found shelter in the Marconi Shack, the least damaged portion of the ship.
The rescue
An SOSSOS
SOS is the commonly used description for the international Morse code distress signal...
was sent out and received by the Admiralty
Admiralty House, Mount Pearl
Admiralty House, a nationally registered historic site, is located in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland. It was built in 1914 for the British Admiralty as a World War I communications post...
wireless station located at Mount Pearl. By the evening of the 24th the first rescue ships had arrived to no sign of life. The weather had abated somewhat when light was spotted and a rescue attempt was carried out after the storm had calmed. Of the 138 passengers, 44 had survived the initial crash and after 27 hours, the ship struck ground and the last of the passengers and crew were rescued. Medals of bravery were awarded to several crew members of HMS Briton
HMS Calypso (1883)
HMS Calypso was a corvette of the Royal Navy and the name ship of her class. Built for distant cruising in the heyday of the British Empire, she served as a warship and training vessel until 1922, when she was sold.As originally classified as a screw corvette, Calypso was one of the Royal Navy’s...
and HMS Prospero (1910) who had responded to the wreck; these were given by the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VIII
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
, while he was in St. John's in 1919.
The investigation
Captain Martin, who had survived the tragedy, was held responsible for the disaster, because of the lack of soundings taken during the course of the voyage. His certificate was suspended for twenty-one months. It was not until later that Captain Martin was found not to have been at fault. The Chief Engineer, J.V. Reader, had reduced the speed of the vessel as soon as she left port, bypassing the captain's orders to proceed at full speed. This action had caused the ship to make less distance than had been thought. The reason cited for Reader's action was to prolong the trip to Halifax such that the vessel would have to dock overnight and allow Reader time to visit his family while there.Lost passengers of historical importance
- Patrick Laracy, owner of the Crescent theater in St. John's.
- Betty Munn, step granddaughter of Sir Edgar Bowring (a founder of Bowring BrothersBowring BrothersBowring Brothers Limited is currently an operator of retail stores, mostly focused on gifts and home decor, throughout Canada....
). - James H. Baggs (40), curling, Bay Of Island
Passengers Perished
Officers and Crew Perished
Passengers Saved
Officers and Crew Saved
Survivors of historical importance
- J.P. Kiely, owner/manager of the Nickel TheatreNickel TheatreThe Nickel Theatre was the first movie theatre in Newfoundland. Part of the five-cent picture show craze that brought daily movies to almost every city and town all across North America, the Nickel opened in the Benevolent Irish Society's St. Patrick's Hall on July 1, 1907, one of a chain of B.F....
in St. John's.
Bodies Not Recovered
- Francisco Fornas, fireman, Spain.
- Edward Greening, Bonavista.
- Charles Howell, Trinity.
- Gordon Ivany, St. John's.
- Clarence E. Moulton, St. John's.
- Leonard Nicholl, St. John's.
The S.S. Hawk
- Captain Martin Dalton, R.N.R.
- Seaman Daniel Ralph, R.N.R.
- Seaman Michael Whelan, R.N.R.
These men, along with H. Clouter, C. W. Penny, R.N.R., Adolf "Dolf" Morey, R.N.R., G. Westcott, R. Pierson, and J. Budden, also received the Board of Trade Medal for Gallantry in Saving Life at Sea (Sea Gallantry Medal or S.G.M).