3-034-877 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Wreck of the mail steam-ship Rangoon at Galle - Kadir Rocks at the entrance to Galle Harbour, 1871. 'The Peninsular and Oriental Company's mail steam-ship Rangoon, conveying the passengers and mails from Australia, was lost in a most disgraceful manner...being stupidly run upon the rocks while going out of Galle harbour, Ceylon...in the calmest weather, and sinking a few hours afterwards...The vessel was a screw steamer, of about 1776 tons, 450-horse power... [She] was in charge of a local pilot at the time of this disaster...the Rangoon was already alongside of the rock, and with two or three tremendous shocks she struck, knocking more than one hole in her plates aft, which holes at once began to leak. This left no time for anything but immediate action. Water was gushing in so fast that the only chance of keeping it under lay in the steam pumps and machinery being kept working...She was turned in the direction of a couple of large sailing vessels, the Berenice and the Sydenham, lying from two to three miles off the harbour, and the passengers were got into the boats, amid some confusion, and were carried to these ships...Luggage and a portion of the mails were got into the boats, and, as the Rangoon was fast filling, all on board left her'. From "Illustrated London News", 1871.