Maritime record MWX1723 - Peru

Foundered/Total Loss (1) Built: 1856 Where Built: Hartlepool Master: H Barcham Construction: felt and yellow metal Date of Loss Qualifier: A Additional sources cited in United Kingdom Shipwreck Index: SEE O3 1973 (news item `100 years ago); LR 1872 No 188(P)

net tonnage

'Supposed Loss of a Liverpool Ship -
A collision has taken place about 16 miles off Portland between the barque EMPIRE. of Boston, and a full-rigged ship, supposed to be the PERU, of Liverpool, which left Portland on Sunday. The EMPIRE has reached Portland much disabled. It is feared the PERU, of which nothing has been heard, has fared worse.' (2)

'Severe Storm on the South West Coast -
... a serious collision which occured about sixteen miles off Portland on the night of Tuesday, between the American ship EMPIRE of Boston...and it is supposed the full-rigged ship PERU, of Liverpool, Donald A. McDonald, from Cardiff for Rio Janeiro, which left Portland Roads on Sunday. From the deposition of the Captain of the EMPIRE it appears that on Tuesday night he saw a strange vessel about two miles distant on the starboard bow. As the ship neared the EMPIRE the master of the latter hailed the stranger, but all to no purpose, and she ran in to her on her port bow. The sea being very rough at the time both ships rolled very heavily and did considerable damage to each other before they could be cleared. It was then ascertained that the EMPIRE had sustained great injury, yards, sails, chains, and port bow being torn away, and the ship afterwards bore up for Portland, where she arrived on Wednesday. The other ship, supposed to be the PERU, is thought to have received very severe damage, but no tidings have been heard of her up to the time of our writing.' (3)

'The Wreck of the PERU -
Last night two seamen belonging to the ship PERU, of Liverpool, commanded by Captain McDonald, arrived at the Sailor's Home, North Shields. They report the abandonment and foundering of the vessel on the outward voyage. The ship was caught in a severe gale, and sprung a leak. The crew took to pumping, at which they worked five days and nights, when, the vessel giving indications of sinking, the crew, who had suffered much, and were greatly exhausted, took to the boats, and were some time afterwards picked up in a schooner, and taken to Bilbao. They were subsequently put on board another vessel, and sent to their homes. These two seamen arrived in the Tyne with the vessel.' (4)

Note - sources 2 and 3 and source 4 seem to describe two different wrecking events. It would appear that the vessel involved in the collision described in sources 2 and 3 was not the PERU, and the PERU foundered after springing a leak as described in source 4. The exact location in which the vessel foundered is unknown. The identity of the vessel described in sources 2 and 3 remains unknown. A possible candidtate for the wreck described by the events in sources 2 and 3 can be seen in record 1598137. (5)

Built: 1856 (1)
Where Built: Hartlepool (1)
Master: H Barcham (1) McDonald (3)(4)
Construction: felt and yellow metal (1)

Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss

Additional sources cited in United Kingdom Shipwreck Index:
SEE.O3.1973 (news item, `100 years ago'); LR.1872 No.188(P)

<1> Larn, R, and Larn, B, 1995, Shipwreck index of the British Isles, volume 1 : Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset Section 6, Dorset (AJ) Vol 1 (Monograph). SWX4541.

<2> Liverpool Mercury, Friday 03-JAN-1873, No. 7786 (Serial). SDO20523.

<3> Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, Saturday 04-JAN-1873, No. 7959 (Serial). SDO20524.

<4> Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, Saturday 15-FEB-1873, No. 7995 (Serial). SDO20524.

<5> NRHE Compiler's comments, 28-SEP-2015 (Verbal communication). SDO19863.

<6> Le Pard, G, 1995-2003, Dorset Coast Forum Maritime Archaeological Database, Shipwreck 720 (Digital archive). SWX8707.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1231742 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Feb 22 2024 3:45PM