List of shipwrecks in May 1885

The list of shipwrecks in May 1885 includes ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during May 1885.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

1 May

List of shipwrecks: 1 May 1885
Ship State Description
Glastry  United Kingdom The hulk was driven ashore 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) north of Yorkshire.[1]
Napoleon  United States The whaling barque was crushed by ice in the Bering Sea on 1 May 1885 and sank. The 36 on board took to the ship's boats and 14 were rescued alive from two boats on 9–10 May by the schooner James A Garfield, then landed by US Revenue Steamer Thomas Corwin. Only one survived from the other two boats, and was recovered by USRC Rush from hospitable eskimos in Siberia in 1887.[2][3][4]
Roady  Norway The schooner sank in the Baltic Sea. Her crew were rescued by Livonia ( Russia). Roady was on a voyage from Frederikshald to Riga, Russia.[1]
Surf  United Kingdom The yacht ran aground at Sunderland, County Durham.[1]

2 May

List of shipwrecks: 2 May 1885
Ship State Description
Summer Cloud  United Kingdom The schooner sprang a leak and foundered 30 nautical miles (56 km) south south west of The Smalls, Cornwall. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from "Hanelong" to Chatham, Kent.[5]

3 May

List of shipwrecks: 3 May 1885
Ship State Description
Alpha  Norway The brig foundered in the North Sea. Her crew were rescued by Charles Kahl (Flag unknown). Alpha was on a voyage from South Shields, County Durham, United Kingdom to Carlscrona, Sweden.[6]
Carlton Tower  United Kingdom The steamship was driven ashore at Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France.[5]
Enrique de Calvet or Enrique Calvet Flag unknown The steamship ran aground on the Shipwash Sand, in the North Sea off the coast of Suffolk, United Kingdom, on a voyage from Shields, River Tyne to Genoa, Italy. She was refloated the following day by tugs and with the assistance of three yawls, one of which was Wentworth ( United Kingdom).[7][8][9]
Wear  United Kingdom The sloop was driven ashore at Whitby, Yorkshire. Her crew were rescued by the Whitby Lifeboat. Wear was on a voyage from Hartlepool, County Durham to Mundesley, Norfolk. She subsequently broke up.[5]

4 May

List of shipwrecks: 4 May 1885
Ship State Description
Enrique de Calvert  Italy The schooner was driven ashore on the Shipwash Sand, in the North Sea off the coast of Suffolk, United Kingdom. She was on a voyage from South Shields, County Durham, United Kingdom to Genoa.[5]

5 May

List of shipwrecks: 5 May 1885
Ship State Description
Beaconsfield, and
Ventnor 		 United Kingdom The steamship Ventnor collided with the steamship Beaconsfield and foundered off Barry Island, Glamorgan. Her crew were rescued by Beaconsfield. Ventnor was on a voyage from Penarth, Glamorgan to Southampton, Hampshire. Beaconsfield was on a voyage from Antwerp, Belgium to Cardiff, Glamorgan.[10][11]
Pleiades  United Kingdom The schooner was run into by the steamship Cumbrian ( United Kingdom) and sank off Ilfracombe, Devon. Her five crew were rescued by Cumbrian. Pleiades was on a voyage from Rochester, Kent to Newport, Monmouthshire.[10]

6 May

List of shipwrecks: 6 May 1885
Ship State Description
Anna Helene, and
Warsaw 		 Russia
 United Kingdom 		The steamship Warsaw collided with the schooner Anna Helene at the mouth of the River Carron. Both vessels ran aground. Warsaw was on a voyage from Grangemouth, Stirlingshire to Dundee, Forfarshire. Anna Helene was on a voyage from Riga to Grangemouth.[11]
Bayard  United Kingdom The ship collided with an iceberg 55 nautical miles (102 km) south of Cape Race, Newfoundland Colony and was damaged. She was on a voyage from Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France to Saint Pierre. She completed her voyage in a leaky condition.

7 May

List of shipwrecks: 7 May 1885
Ship State Description
Suppicich  Germany The brig sprang a leak and foundered off Saba, Leeward Islands. Her crew survived. She was on a voyage from Trinidad to Bremerhaven.[12]

8 May

List of shipwrecks: 8 May 1885
Ship State Description
Helvetia  Belgium The steamship sank in the Atlantic Ocean near Scatarie Island, Nova Scotia, Canada.[13]
Mary E. Fish  United States The pilot boat was run down and sank by the schooner Frank Harrington ( United States) 40 nautical miles (74 km) south west of the Barnegat Lighthouse, New Jersey. The four pilots and her crew were able to escape from the sinking vessel.[14]

9 May

List of shipwrecks: 9 May 1885
Ship State Description
Bertha Bahbruhs  Germany The ship was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean. Her crew were rescued by Adelaide Baker ( United Kingdom). Bertha Bahrbruhs was on a voyage from Doboy, Georgia, United States to Newport, Monmouthshire, United Kingdom.[15]
Langlands  United Kingdom The barque capsized at Swansea, Glamorgan.[6]

10 May

List of shipwrecks: 10 May 1885
Ship State Description
John Edwin  United Kingdom The ship was driven ashore and wrecked near Coatham, Yorkshire. Her crew were rescued by fishing boats. She was on a voyage from South Shields, County Durham to Whitstable, Kent.[12]
Liscard  United Kingdom The steamship ran aground in the Suez Canal. She was on a voyage from Bombay, India to New York, United States.[6]
Mary Louisa  United Kingdom The steamship was damaged by ice and sank off the coast of the Newfoundland Colony. She was on a voyage from New York to the Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland.[16][17]
Scynthia  United Kingdom The steamship ran aground off the Tarbert Lighthouse, County Kerry. She was refloated.[12]
Thorsbjerg  United Kingdom The barque was driven onto a sandbank off Whitehaven, Cumberland, United Kingdom and was wrecked. Her crew were rescued by the Whitehaven Lifeboat. She was on a voyage from Laurvig to Whitehaven.[18][6]

14 May

List of shipwrecks: 14 May 1885
Ship State Description
Lizzie  Cape Colony The steam launch ran aground and was wrecked at East London. Her crew were rescued.[19]
Messina  Germany The steamship collided with the steamship Numida ( United Kingdom) and sank in the English Channel 16 nautical miles (30 km) south of Durlston Head, Dorset, United Kingdom with the loss of ten of her crew. Messina was on a voyage from the Mediterranean to Hamburg.[20]

16 May

List of shipwrecks: 16 May 1885
Ship State Description
Amethyst  United Kingdom The steam yacht ran aground off Jersey, Channel Islands. She was refloated and taken in to Guernsey, Channel Islands.[19]
Clandiboye  United Kingdom The barque was driven ashore and wrecked at Schooner Pond, Nova Scotia, Canada.[19]
Maggie  United Kingdom The schooner was run down and sunk off Great Yarmouth, Norfolk by the steamship Lizzie ( United Kingdom). Her crew were rescued by Lizzie. Maggie was on a voyage from London to Middlesbrough, Yorkshire.[21]

17 May

List of shipwrecks: 17 May 1885
Ship State Description
Copia  United Kingdom The steam yacht was damaged by fire in Gourock Bay. She was subsequently taken in to Gourock, Renfrewshire.[21][19]

19 May

List of shipwrecks: 19 May 1885
Ship State Description
Eliza  United Kingdom The ketch was driven ashore and damaged at Portsoy, Aberdeenshire.[22]
Ireland  United Kingdom The barge collided with the steamship Cygnet ( United Kingdom) and sank in the River Thames at Deptford, Kent. Her crew were rescued by the Thames Police.[22]
Guiding Star  United Kingdom The tug struck the Horse Rock and was beached on the White Sand, where she became a wreck. She was towing the barque Hedwig ( United Kingdom) from Liverpool, Lancashire to Cardiff, Glamorgan. The barque went out to sea.[22]
Liverpool  United Kingdom The Mersey Flat was run into by the steamship St. Kevin ( United Kingdom) and sank at Liverpool. Liverpool was on a voyage from Garston, Lancashire to Liverpool.[22]

21 May

List of shipwrecks: 21 May 1885
Ship State Description
J.W.J.  United Kingdom The pilot vessel collided with Sea Fisher ( United Kingdom) and sank off Swansea in the Bristol Channel. Sea Fisher rescued her four crew members.[23][24]

22 May

List of shipwrecks: 22 May 1885
Ship State Description
Medea  United Kingdom The ship was sighted whilst on a voyage from Cardiff, Glamorgan to Sourabaya, Netherlands East Indies. No further trace,[25] reported missing.[26]

23 May

List of shipwrecks: 23 May 1885
Ship State Description
Edwin  United Kingdom The ship ran aground off Hjelm Island, Denmark. She was on a voyage from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States to Aarhus, Denmark. She was refloated and completed her voyage.[19]

25 May

List of shipwrecks: 25 May 1885
Ship State Description
George Jeanne  France The fishing brig was run down and sunk in the Grand Banks of Newfoundland by the steamship City of Rome ( United Kingdom) with the loss of 22 of her 24 crew.[27]
xxxx  United Kingdom The ship .[28]

26 May

List of shipwrecks: 26 May 1885
Ship State Description
Corn May  United States The schooner was lost on a reef off Sable Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. Her 24 crew survived.[27]

30 May

List of shipwrecks: 30 May 1885
Ship State Description
Kate Moffatt  United States The tug ran aground in Lake Huron off Blur Point, three miles (4.8 km) above New Presque Isle Lighthouse, Michigan, in dense fog. She then caught fire and burned to the waterline. Her machinery and boilers were salvaged in 1886.[29][30]
Teucer  United Kingdom The steamship was wrecked off Ouessant, Finistère, France. All on board were rescued. She was on a voyage from Singapore, Straits Settlements to Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands.[31][32][33]

Unknown date

List of shipwrecks: Unknown date in May 1885
Ship State Description
Alert  Sweden The schooner ran aground on Sondre Rosse. She was on a voyage from Gävle to Hull, Yorkshire, United Kingdom.[19]
Alexander  Russia The steamship was driven ashore on Fårö, Sweden.[21]
A. Strong  United Kingdom The steamship struck a submerged object and sprang a leak. She was on a voyage from Varna, Bulgaria to Gibraltar. She put in to Malta.[21]
Bergamo  United Kingdom The steamship ran aground off Öland, Sweden.[6]
Brankelow  United Kingdom The steamship ran aground in the Rangoon River. She was refloated and put in to Rangoon, Burma for repairs.[19]
Catania  Germany The steamship was driven ashore at "Batean", Netherlands East Indies. She was on a voyage from Australia to Singapore, Straits Settlements.[12]
Chancellor  United Kingdom The steamship was driven ashore in the Chandeleur Islands. She was on a voyage from São Vicente Island, Cape Verde Islands to New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. She was refloated and resumed her voyage.[5]
Chandernagor  United Kingdom The barque ran aground in the Pearl River.[21] She was refloated.[19]
Commodore  United Kingdom The brig was driven ashore at Black Head, County Clare.[19]
Christina  Norway The barque was abandoned at sea. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Cork, United Kingdom to a Canadian port.[21]
Decision  United Kingdom The ship was abandoned at sea. Her crew were rescued by the steamship River Lagon ( United Kingdom). Decision was on a voyage from the Clyde to Quebec City, Canada.[12]
Delphin Flag unknown The ship was abandoned in the Mediterranean Sea before 6 May. She was on a voyage from Licata, Sicily, Italy to Lisbon, Portugal.[22]
Earl of Dalhousie  United Kingdom The ship capsized and sank at San Francisco, California, United States.[34]
Elizabeth Kelly  United Kingdom The ship was driven onto the Sables Sand, off the coast of Somme, France.[35]
Fisherman  United Kingdom The tug grounded on an anchor and sank at Cardiff, Glamorgan.[22]
Gem of the Sea  United Kingdom The brigantine was driven ashore at Querqueville, Manche, France. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Llanelly, Glamorgan to Cherbourg, Manche.[11]
Glendower  United Kingdom The steamship ran aground in the Torres Strait. She was refloated and taken in to Batavia, Netherlands East Indies in a leaky condition.[12]
Goethe  Germany The barque was lost at sea. Her crew were rescued by the barque Angantyr ( Norway). Goethe was on a voyage from Darien, Georgia, United States to Antwerp, Belgium.[16]
Gootlieb Flag unknown The ship was wrecked.[19]
Haabet  Norway The brig ran aground on Sondre Rosse. She was on a voyage from Gloucester, United Kingdom to Dantsic, Germany.[21]
Hama  Norway The barque ran aground at "Knollen", Denmark. She was on a voyage from Charleston, South Carolina, United States to Stettin, Germany.[6] She was refloated with assistance and resumed her voyage.[12]
Knight of the Garter  United Kingdom The ship was driven ashore at False Point, India. She was on a voyage from Liverpool, Lancashire to Calcutta, India.[34] She was reflaoted with the assistance of a steamship and resumed her voyage.[21]
Llanishen  United Kingdom The steamship struck the Dolitto Rock, in the Mediterranean Sea, and sank. Her crew were rescued.[21]
Magdalena  Norway The barque was abandoned at sea. Her crew were rescued.[19]
Møn  Denmark The ship was lost at sea. Her crew were rescued by Orion ( United Kingdom). Møn was on a voyage from Denmark to Quebec City.[22]
Norden  Sweden The brig was beached at Stege, Denmark, where she became a wreck. All on board were rescued. She was on a voyage from Gävle to Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex, United Kingdom.[5]
Perseverance  United Kingdom The steamship was driven ashore and sank at Steinort, Germany. She was on a voyage from Kertch to Riga, Russia.[16]
Perthshire  United Kingdom The ship was driven ashore at "Blindland", Falkland Islands. She was on a voyage from Portland, Oregon, United States to London.[21]
Pioneer  United Kingdom The steam wherry ran aground and sank at Sunderland, County Durham. She was refloated on 15 May and beached. Subsequently placed under repair.[11][36]
Roxburgh Castle  United Kingdom The steamship was driven ashore "in the Cluster", 6 nautical miles (11 km) from Turku, Grand Duchy of Finland. She was on a voyage from Cardiff to Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland.[19]
Russie  United Kingdom The steamship was wrecked at Sinope, Ottoman Empire.[21]
R. W. Merriam  United Kingdom The ship caught fire and was abandoned at sea. She was on a voyage from Liverpool to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.[36]
Sunbeam  United Kingdom The ship was driven ashore at Bridgwater, Somerset. She was refloated on 14 May with the assistance of a tug and taken in to Bridgwater the next day.[36]
Thinca  Norway The barque was driven ashore at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. She was on a voyage from Mandal to Halifax.[21]
Tordenskjold  Norway The barque was driven ashore and wrecked on the coast of Nova Scotia. She was on a voyage from Kristiansand to Nova Scotia.[21]
Troqueer  United Kingdom The steamship ran aground on the Finngrundet, in the Baltic Sea. Seven of her crew were rescued; the rest were reported missing. She was on a voyage from Hudiksvall, Sweden to Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire.[37]
Turgot  United Kingdom The steamship collided with the steamship Jersey ( United Kingdom) and was severely damaged.[16]
Twilight  United States The ship ran aground at Bermuda. She was on a voyage from Penedo, Brazil to New York.[5]
Vesta Flag unknown The steamship ran aground at Ljusne, Sweden and became waterlogged.[5]
Warren B. Potter  United States The ship was driven ashore at Barnegat, New Jersey. She was on a voyage from "Macorio" to New York.[16]
Wolgast  Germany The steamship ran aground on the Middelgrund, in the Baltic Sea. She was on a voyage from Riga to Grimsby, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom.[35]
Unnamed  United Kingdom The sloop ran aground on the Morthoe Stone, on the coast of Devon.[34]

References

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