SS Vestris
Encyclopedia
The SS Vestris was a steamship, built in 1912. She was owned by Lamport & Holt and used in their New York
to River Plate
service. She is best known for her sinking, with a loss of over 100 lives.
The Vestris disaster occurred on 12 November 1928 when the Vestris developed a severe starboard list, was abandoned, and sank approximately 200 miles off Hampton Roads, Virginia. Estimates of the death toll vary from between 110-127. Time magazine and the New York Times reported that from the complement of 128 passengers and 198 crew on board, 111 people lost their lives.
The sinking of the Vestris is notable for the loss of life, particularly of women and children, after the vessel was abandoned. The sinking attracted significant press coverage at the time. It has been stated that the sinking and subsequent inquiries had an impact on the second International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea
(SOLAS) 1929.
to River Plate
service. The Vestris was launched 16 May 1912, and made her maiden voyage on 19 September 1912 from Liverpool
to River Plate.
During World War I
, the Vestris was chartered as a military transport to cross the Atlantic Ocean
from the United States
to France
. While on this service she was narrowly missed by a torpedo
in the English Channel
. In 1919, the Vestris was chartered to Cunard Line
and operated six circular services; Buenos Aires
- Liverpool - New York - Buenos Aires. According to A. A. Hoehling the Vestris was among the last ships to be in contact with USS Cyclops
in 1918.
In September 1919 the Vestris, carrying 550, suffered fire damage from a fire in her coal bunkers. The crew battled unsuccessfully to extinguish the flames for four days before either the HMS Dartmouth
or HMS Yarmouth
escorted the ship to Saint Lucia
in the West Indies. Several days later the fire was extinguished.
In 1922 the Vestris was briefly chartered to Royal Mail
. The Vestris sank 12 November 1928.
bound for the River Plate
on 10 November 1928 with 325 passengers and crew. A day after leaving New York the Vestris ran into a severe storm and developed a starboard list. The following day, the list worsened as cargo and coal bunkers shifted and the ship took on water through multiple leaks.
On 12 November, at 9:56am, an SOS was sent out giving her position as Lat. 37° 35' N. and Long. 71° 81' [sic] W., which was incorrect by approximately 37 miles. At 11:04am the SOS was repeated.
Between 11 am and noon, while the ship was off Norfolk, Virginia, the order was given to man lifeboats and the ship was abandoned. Two hours later, at about 2pm, the Vestris sank at Lat. 37° 38' N, Long. 70° 23' W. The rescue vessels arriving on the scene, late in the evening of 12 November and early in the morning of 13 November, were the steamships American Shipper, Myriam, Berlin and the USS Wyoming
.
None of the 13 children and only eight of the 33 women aboard the ship survived. The Captain of the Vestris, William J. Carey, went down with his ship. Twenty-two bodies were recovered by rescue vessels.
Many inquires and investigations were held into the sinking of the Vestris. Criticism was made of:
Lawsuits were brought after the sinking on behalf of 600 claimants totaling $5,000,000.
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...
to River Plate
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
service. She is best known for her sinking, with a loss of over 100 lives.
The Vestris disaster occurred on 12 November 1928 when the Vestris developed a severe starboard list, was abandoned, and sank approximately 200 miles off Hampton Roads, Virginia. Estimates of the death toll vary from between 110-127. Time magazine and the New York Times reported that from the complement of 128 passengers and 198 crew on board, 111 people lost their lives.
The sinking of the Vestris is notable for the loss of life, particularly of women and children, after the vessel was abandoned. The sinking attracted significant press coverage at the time. It has been stated that the sinking and subsequent inquiries had an impact on the second International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea
International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea
The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea is an international maritime safety treaty. The SOLAS Convention in its successive forms is generally regarded as the most important of all international treaties concerning the safety of merchant ships.- History :The first version of the...
(SOLAS) 1929.
History
The Vestris was built by Workman Clarke & Co. Ltd. of Belfast, Ireland, in 1912. She was the third of a class of three vessels built by Workman Clarke, the others being the Vandyck and Vauban. These vessels were built for the New YorkNew 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...
to River Plate
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
service. The Vestris was launched 16 May 1912, and made her maiden voyage on 19 September 1912 from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
to River Plate.
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...
, the Vestris was chartered as a military transport to cross the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. While on this service she was narrowly missed by a torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. In 1919, the Vestris was chartered to Cunard Line
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
and operated six circular services; Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
- Liverpool - New York - Buenos Aires. According to A. A. Hoehling the Vestris was among the last ships to be in contact with USS Cyclops
USS Cyclops
Two ships of the United States Navy have borne the name Cyclops, for the Cyclopes of Greek mythology, a race of giants with only one eye.* The , was an ironclad steamer. Originally the Kickapoo, she was rechristened Cyclops from 15 June to 10 August 1869, and then to Kewaydin.* The , was a collier...
in 1918.
In September 1919 the Vestris, carrying 550, suffered fire damage from a fire in her coal bunkers. The crew battled unsuccessfully to extinguish the flames for four days before either the HMS Dartmouth
HMS Dartmouth (1911)
HMS Dartmouth was a Town-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy launched on 14 December 1910 from the yards of Vickers Limited. She was part of the Weymouth subgroup....
or HMS Yarmouth
HMS Yarmouth (1911)
HMS Yarmouth was a Town-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy launched on 12 April 1911 from the yards of the London & Glasgow Co. She was part of the Weymouth subgroup....
escorted the ship to Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
in the West Indies. Several days later the fire was extinguished.
In 1922 the Vestris was briefly chartered to Royal Mail
Royal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
. The Vestris sank 12 November 1928.
Sinking
Vestris left New YorkNew 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...
bound for the River Plate
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
on 10 November 1928 with 325 passengers and crew. A day after leaving New York the Vestris ran into a severe storm and developed a starboard list. The following day, the list worsened as cargo and coal bunkers shifted and the ship took on water through multiple leaks.
On 12 November, at 9:56am, an SOS was sent out giving her position as Lat. 37° 35' N. and Long. 71° 81' [sic] W., which was incorrect by approximately 37 miles. At 11:04am the SOS was repeated.
Between 11 am and noon, while the ship was off Norfolk, Virginia, the order was given to man lifeboats and the ship was abandoned. Two hours later, at about 2pm, the Vestris sank at Lat. 37° 38' N, Long. 70° 23' W. The rescue vessels arriving on the scene, late in the evening of 12 November and early in the morning of 13 November, were the steamships American Shipper, Myriam, Berlin and the USS Wyoming
USS Wyoming (BB-32)
USS Wyoming , the lead ship of her class of battleship, was the third ship of the United States Navy named Wyoming, although it was only the second named in honor of the 44th state....
.
Death toll
While estimates of the dead vary between 110-127. Time magazine and the New York Times reported the following death toll:- 68 dead or missing from a total 128 passengers. 60 passengers survived.
- 43 dead or missing from a total of 198 crew members. 155 crew survived.
None of the 13 children and only eight of the 33 women aboard the ship survived. The Captain of the Vestris, William J. Carey, went down with his ship. Twenty-two bodies were recovered by rescue vessels.
Aftermath
Press reports after the sinking were critical of the crew and management of the Vestris. In the wake of the disaster, Lamport and Holt experienced a dramatic drop in bookings for the company’s other liners and their service to South America ceased at the end of 1929.Many inquires and investigations were held into the sinking of the Vestris. Criticism was made of:
- overloading of the vessel
- the conduct of the Master, officers and crew of the vessel
- delays in issuing an SOS call
- poor decisions made during deployment of the lifeboats, which led to the two of the first three lifeboats to be deployed (containing mostly women and children) sinking with the Vestris and another swamping
- legal requirements governing lifeboats and out-dated life-preservers
- lack of radio sets in nearby vessels at the time
Lawsuits were brought after the sinking on behalf of 600 claimants totaling $5,000,000.
External links
- The Vestris Disaster. Blue Star on the Web, The History of Blue Star Line and Associated Companies.
- Disaster at Sea: SS Vestris
- Vestris
- MY GOD, THE BOAT IS LEAVING US Gare Maritime account of Lifeboat Number Eight and the Vestris.
- SOS! - A challenge to science Popular Science Monthly, Feb 1929
- Passenger Ship Disasters - Part 5 Ships Nostalgia.
- Jackson Papers - Vestris Index
- List of Missing off the Vestris New(?) York Telegram, 14 Nov. 1928(?)
- List of Rescued off the Vestris
