SS President, commanded by legendary captain Richard…
March 1841 CE
A British passenger liner that was the largest ship in the world when she was commissioned in 1840, and the first steamship to founder on the transatlantic run when she is lost at sea with all one hundred and thirty-six on board in March 1841, she is the largest passenger ship in the world from 1840 to 1845
The ship's owner, the British and American Steam Navigation Company, collapses as a result of the disappearance.
President is the second liner owned by British and American and is noted for her luxurious interiors.
Designed by Macgregor Laird and built by Curling and Young of London, she is fitted for one hundred and fifty-four passengers.
President is over twenty-five percent larger than the British Queen, the previous holder of the size record, and over twice the size of Cunard’s Britannia Class, the first three of which were also commissioned in 1840.
This had been accomplished by adding a third deck to the design of the British Queen.
As a result, President is top heavy.
She is also underpowered and has the slowest passage times of any transatlantic steamer up to this point.
To avoid litigation, changes had been made to her paddle wheels after her second round trip that had further complicated her lack of power, especially in rough weather.
On 11 March 1841, President had cleared New York bound for Liverpool on her third eastbound voyage.
She is overloaded with cargo to compensate for her roll.
President is last seen the next day struggling in a gale, laboring in heavy seas in the dangerous area between Nantucket Shoals and Georges Bank.
She is not seen again.
Among the passengers is the Reverend George Grimston Cookman, who had served as Chaplain of the Senate, and the popular Irish comic actor Tyrone Power, who is the great-grandfather of the film star of the same name.
The late ship deathwatch will stretch out for months.
Queen Victoria will ask that a special messenger be sent to her if there is news about the ship.
Images
![Original caption: “The Steam Ship President, Lieut. Roberts R.N. Commander. The Largest in the World. Supposed to have struck an ICEBERG on her voyage from New York to Liverpool in March 1841 and sunk with all on board ... by which heart-rending accurrence [sic] 109 Persons perished. Extreme length 275 Feet; Beam 41 Feet; Burden 2366 Tons.” (The original's left margin has been cut off.) The supposition of an iceberg as the culprit was a later notion; the available evidence makes it unlikely.](/media/CACHE/images/uploads/images/The_steam_ship_President/9961bccf0127eef8ba1968ab44e6f5d2.webp)
Original caption: “The Steam Ship President, Lieut. Roberts R.N. Commander. The Largest in the World. Supposed to have struck an ICEBERG on her voyage from New York to Liverpool in March 1841 and sunk with all on board ... by which heart-rending accurrence [sic] 109 Persons perished. Extreme length 275 Feet; Beam 41 Feet; Burden 2366 Tons.” (The original's left margin has been cut off.) The supposition of an iceberg as the culprit was a later notion; the available evidence makes it unlikely.
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