The Atlantic

THE OTHER WHITE STAR SHIPWRECK: THE ATLANTIC Sailors scavenge the wreck of the The S.S. Atlantic—the other White Star catastrophe—for bodies and valuables. The Atlantic has more casualties buried near Halifax than the Titanic, and its hulk lies on the floor of Nova Scotian waters. (Photo via Nova Scotia Archives. The Titanic isn’t the only sinking connection the White Star Line has with Halifax—another ship has a more prominent connection to the city. On the morning of April 1 1873, the SS Atlantic hit a section of rocks at Mars Head, near Lower Prospect, and sank, losing 565 passengers and crew. “The Atlantic was the second worst steamship disaster in Canada’s history, after the Empress of Ireland...in terms of loss of life,” said Bob Chaulk, co-author of the S.S Atlantic: The White Star Line’s First Disaster at Sea The Atlantic was on route from Liverpool, England to New York—a crossing it had made 19 times before—when the crew decided they needed to replenish their fuel. It was then decided to make a stop in Halifax before continuing to New York. To ensure they arrived safely, the crew was to look for Sambro Island lighthouse, at the mouth of the Halifax Harbour. Surviving crewmembers later reported that they didn’t see the lighthouse, causing the ship to go ashore. The bodies that were recovered were later placed in a mass grave in Prospect, and a monument was erected in memory of the wreck and those who had died. Even though it was a prominent disaster with a strong connection to Halifax, it’s often overlooked in favour of the Titanic’s sinking in 1912. “[The Atlantic] was lost within walking distance of Halifax,” says Chaulk. “As opposed to, say, the Titanic...that was not lost in Canadian waters. It wasn’t even lost in Nova Scotia waters, it was lost on the high seas, but there is a tremendous fascination with the Titanic.” Titanic vs. Atlantic S.S. Atlantic S.S. Titanic Those who lived in and around Prospect April 1, 1873 April 15, 1912 and Terence Bay assisted with the Liverpool to New York, Southampton to New Atlantic’s recovery efforts. They gave N.Y. York, N.Y. survivors a place in their homes and helped Ran aground near Lr. Hit an iceberg in the dark remove bodies from the wreck. Prospect in the mid-Atlantic Local minister William J. Ancient not only 277 in a mass grave in 150 in three cemeteries Lower Prospect around Halifax performed a mass burial service in Lower Prospect, but also wrote the White Star No Haligonians aboard Two Haligonians aboard Line to ensure a monument was placed on the site in memory of the victims. There were also two Haligonians aboard the Titanic: Hilda Slayter who survived and George Wright who perished. The Atlantic, somehow, had none. Garry Shutlak, an archivist with the Nova Scotia Archives, agrees the Atlantic is an important and interesting historical event—the acts of heroism in the aftermath of the Atlantic’s sinking are unforgettable—Atlantic quartermaster Speakman strung a rope from the ship to a spot near shore to help other survivors reach the shore. Shutlak admits the circumstances surrounding Titanic and her sinking were different. The rescue effort at the Atlantic (photo courtesy NS “It was just different time. [The Archives.) Atlantic] was considered much more a human error than an act of God, since they said the Titanic was unsinkable,” he says.” All of these things are part of this [Titanic] mystique.” He added that this mystique surrounding Titanic comes not only from its unsinkable status. The ship sank on ship’s maiden voyage, some of the richest people in the world were aboard—such as John Jacob Astor—and people reported fantastic events during the sinking, like men dressing in women’s clothing to gain a spot on a lifeboat. “The other fascination of Titanic is that we ask ourselves ‘would we have acted as nobly?’ says Shutlak. “Or would we have tried to sneak into a lifeboat?” Men putting their wives in lifeboats and not getting in themselves; Benjamin Guggenheim and his butler dressing up and saying if they were to die, they would do so as gentlemen. Chaulk says that in Halifax, especially around April, there is far greater interest in the Titanic, but thinks that the sinking of the Atlantic should have a greater prominence since it also sank in the same month. “To be fair, many of the nautical buffs of Nova Scotia know about it; a lot of people know about it, but it’s a small percentage of the population,” he says. “It’s a big part of our history.” Note: This piece was a collaborative effort with fellow journalist, Adrian Lee. Adrian made a video on the history of the SS Atlantic. .

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