List of shipwrecks in May 1881
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| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Unnamed | Flag unknown | The steamship caught fire and sank in the Atlantic Ocean (37°48′N 9°14′W / 37.800°N 9.233°W). Witnessed by the steamship Saga ( Norway), which found no sign of survivors.[1] |
3 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Aldebaran |  Denmark |
The schooner ran aground on the Goodwin Sands, Kent, United Kingdom. She was refloated with assistance from a tug and the Ramsgate Lifeboat and taken in to Ramsgate, Kent.[2] |
| Catherine |  United Kingdom |
The fishing smack was driven at Sea Palling, Norfolk. Her crew were rescued by the Palling Lifeboat. She was on a voyage from Texel, North Holland, Netherlands to Ramsgate.[2] |
5 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ellen Haworth | United Kingdom |
The schooner was driven ashore and wrecked in the Ness of Duncansby, Caithness. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Runcorn, Cheshire to Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland.[3][4] |
| Ivy Home | United Kingdom |
The steamship foundered off the Butt of Lewis, Outer Hebrides. Her crew were rescued by a fishing smack. She was on a voyage from Sunderland, County Durham to Dublin.[3] |
6 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Alicia | United Kingdom |
The schooner collided with the steamship Bucentaur ( United Kingdom and sank in the English Channel off The Lizard, Cornwall with the loss of a crew member. Survivors were rescued by Bucentaur.[4] |
| Prosperity | United Kingdom |
The schooner ran aground on the Brambles, in the Solent. She was on a voyage from London to Fleetwood, Lancashire. She was refloated and resumed her voyage.[4] |
| St. Helena | United Kingdom |
The barque was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean (46°20′N 36°50′W / 46.333°N 36.833°W). Her crew were rescued by the steamship Hansa ( Germany).[5] |
7 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Amicitia | Germany |
The schooner foundered off Domesnes, Russia. Her crew were rescued by Solide (Flag unknown).[4] |
| Ben Lomond | United Kingdom |
The steamship collided with the steamship Naworth Castle ( United Kingdom) at Copenhagen, Denmark and was beached. Ben Lomond was on a voyage from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States to Stettin, Germany. She was refloated on 9 May and taken in to Copenhagen for repairs.[4] |
| Culmore | United Kingdom |
The steamship struck the Crim Rocks, near the Bishop Rock, Isles of Scilly and foundered.[6][4] The captain and three of the crew lost their lives.[7] She was on a voyage from Valencia, Spain to Liverpool, Lancashire.[4] |
| Felicity | United Kingdom |
The brig was driven ashore and wrecked on Skagen, Denmark. She was on a voyage from Hartlepool, county Durham to Stockholm, Sweden.[4] |
| Hegir |  Sweden |
The steamship ran aground at Maassluis, South Holland, Netherlands. She was on a voyage from Rotterdam, South Holland to Gothenburg. She was refloated and put back to Rotterdam for repairs.[4] |
| Marseilles | United Kingdom |
The steamship ran aground at Berville-sur-Mer, Eure, France. All 120 people on board were rescued. She was on a voyage from Dieppe, Seine-Inférieure, France to Newhaven, Sussex. She was refloated and put back to Dieppe.[4] |
| Redland | United Kingdom |
The steamship was driven ashore at Port Eynon Point, Glamorgan. She was refloated.[4] |
8 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Laura Gillies | United Kingdom |
The steamship ran aground in the Gironde. She was refloated and resumed her voyage.[4] |
9 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Gananoque | United Kingdom |
The ship was crushed by ice off the Birds Rocks and was abandoned by her crew. She was on a voyage from Belfast, County Antrim to Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada.[8] |
10 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Gananoque | United Kingdom |
The barque collided with an iceberg in the Gulf of St. Lawrence four miles (6.4 km) off the Bird Rocks in the Magdalen Islands, Nova Scotia, Canada and sank. Her crew landed on Bird Rocks; they were rescued on 12 May.[9][10] |
11 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Milanese | United Kingdom |
The steamship collided with the steamship Asia ( United Kingdom) in the River Thames and was beached near Gravesend, Kent. Milanese was on a voyage from Burriana, Spain to London.[11] |
| Trinidad |  United States |
During a voyage from Port Huron, Michigan, to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with a cargo of coal, the 140-foot (43 m) schooner sank suddenly in 270 feet (82 m) of water in Lake Michigan near Algoma, Wisconsin, with no loss of human life, although the ship's mascot, a large Newfoundland dog, died in the sinking. The crew abandoned ship in a yawl and arrived safely at Algoma. The virtually intact wreck was discovered in July 2023.[12] |
14 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Jane Jones | United Kingdom |
The schooner sank in Carnarvon Bay 6 nautical miles (11 km) off Porthdinllaen Point, Caernarfonshire. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Swansea, Glamorgan to Caernarfon.[5] |
16 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cornelia | Norway |
The barque was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean. Her crew were rescued by Cambrian Prince ( United Kingdom). Cornelia was on a voyage from Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.[13] |
| Maria | United Kingdom |
The ship ran aground on the Middle Bank, in the Larne Lough.[8] |
| Unnamed | Flag unknown | The ship caught fire and exploded off Heligoland, witnessed by the smack Fairy ( United Kingdom).[8] |
17 May
18 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Norval | United Kingdom |
The brig was run down by an unidentified screw steamer; the master was drowned, but crew were rescued.[14] |
| Resucitado |  Portugal |
The schooner collided with the steamship Euphrate ( France) and sank. Her crew were rescued by Euphrate.[8] |
| Unnamed | Flag unknown | The steamship ran aground on the Goodwin Sands, Kent, United Kingdom.[8] |
19 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cito | Norway |
The barque was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean (34°42′N 73°21′W / 34.700°N 73.350°W). She was on a voyage from Wilmington, Delaware to Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands and/or Hamburg, Germany. She was discovered on 22 May by Colonist ( Norway), which put four crew aboard with the intention of taking her to a port. Cito arrived at Plymouth, Devon, United Kingdom on 3 July.[15][16] |
| Eurynome | United Kingdom |
The ship departed from Geelong, Victoria for Havre de Grâce, Seine-Inférieure, France. No further trace, reported overdue.[17] |
20 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| A. Strong | United Kingdom |
The steamship ran aground on the Shipwash Sand, in the North Sea off the coast of Sussex. She was refloated with the assistance of a tug and resumed her voyage.[18] |
| Emma | Germany |
The brig was driven ashore. She was refloated and towed in to Whitby, Yorkshire, United Kingdom.[19] |
| Flora | Norway |
The barque was driven ashore on the Isle of Arran, Inner Hebrides, United Kingdom. She was refloated the next day and taken in to Lamlash, Isle of Arran.[18] |
| Reine des Flots | France |
The ship ran aground at Newport, Monmouthshire and sprang a severe leak.[18] |
21 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Duchess of Lanchester | United Kingdom |
The ship was driven ashore on the Holy Island, in the Firth of Clyde.[18] |
23 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ellen Vair | United Kingdom |
The schooner collided with Gertrude ( United Kingdom) and was abandoned in the English Channel 6 nautical miles (11 km) off The Lizard, Cornwall. Her crew were rescued by Gertrude.[13] |
24 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria |  Canada |
While carrying passengers back to downtown London during Victoria Day celebrations, the steamboat sank in the Thames River, due to overcrowding causing her to strike a rock in the shallow river and ultimately capsize. Approximately 182 people drowned out of a total of 600 on board.[20] |
25 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Aimo | Sweden |
The ship collided with Sleipner ( Norway) at Gothenburg and was severely damaged. Aimo was on a voyage from Slite to Grimsby, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom.[13] |
| Grangemouth | United Kingdom |
The steamship was driven ashore on Fidra, Lothian. She was on a voyage from Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands to Grangemouth, Stirlingshire. She was refloated and taken in to Leith, Lothian waterlogged at the bow.[13] |
26 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Vedremo |  Italy |
The barque was destroyed by fire at Mobile, Alabama, United States.[21] |
27 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Huguenot | United States |
The ship struck a rock in the Allor Straits and foundered. Her crew were rescued.[22] |
28 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Fritz | Germany |
The barque was driven ashore at Littlestone-on-Sea, Kent, United Kingdom. She was on a voyage from Danzig to Saint-Nazaire, Loire-Inférieure, France.[23] |
| Mary Hough | United Kingdom |
The steamship collided in thick fog with the steamship Castilian ( United Kingdom) in the River Mersey. Taken under tow by the steam tug Hercules ( United Kingdom), a few minutes later, she was run into by the mail steamship African ( United Kingdom) and sank. Her crew took to the boats and landed at Liverpool.[24][25] Mary Hough was refloated on 10 June and beached at Egremont, Lancashire.[26] |
29 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Darent, and an unnamed vessel |
United Kingdom Greece |
The steamship Darent and a barque were run into by the steamship Southella at Sulina, Romania. Both vessels were severely damaged.[27] |
| Dunvegan Castle | United Kingdom |
The steamship ran aground at Maughold Head, Isle of Man. She was on a voyage from Liverpool, Lancashire to Larne, County Antrim. She was refloated and taken in to Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire waterlogged at the bows. She was placed under repair.[23] |
| Lord Alfred Paget | United Kingdom |
The steamship collided with the steamship Garrison ( United Kingdom) off Whitby, Yorkshire and was severely damaged. Her fourteen crew abandoned her, but one crew member was lost reboarding her. Lord Alfred Paget was on a voyage from South Shields, County Durham to London. She put in to Hartlepool, County Durham.[25][23] |
| Victoria | Canada |
The steamship capsized near London, Ontario with much loss of life.[28] |
30 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Alfeo | Italy |
The barque ran aground at Porto, Portugal. She was on a voyage from Porto to New York, United States. She was refloated and put back to Porto in a severely leaky condition.[23] |
| Flora P. Stafford | United States |
The ship collided with the steamship Haytian ( United Kingdom) and was abandoned. Her crew were rescued by Haytian. Flora P. Stafford was on a voyage from Bordeaux, Gironde, France to the Hampton Roads, Virginia.[22] |
| Pera | United Kingdom |
The steamship was driven ashore in Duncansby Ness, Caithness. She was on a voyage from Montrose, Forfarshire to Liverpool, Lancashire.[23] |
| Princess of Thule | United Kingdom |
The ship was driven ashore and wrecked west of Rosehearty, Aberdeenshire. Her crew survived. She was on a voyage from Runcorn, Cheshire to Boddam, Aberdeenshire.[23] |
