AH-WR-2036

Canadian

Passenger Steamer · Lost 1861 · Newfoundland

The Allan Line steamer Canadian struck an iceberg in the Strait of Belle Isle on June 4, 1861; 35 of 301 aboard died.

Become Captain of Record

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Interpretive Reconstruction, drawn to convey the vessel's era, type and general form. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Built at Greenock for the Allan Line and completed in 1860, the 302-foot iron screw steamer Canadian left Quebec for Liverpool on June 4, 1861, with crew and emigrant passengers. Slowed to five knots in ice and thick weather in the Strait of Belle Isle, she struck a largely submerged iceberg about four miles north of Cape Bauld and sank within half an hour. Most boats got away, but lifeboat No. 8 capsized while being lowered; 35 people died in all. Mail officer James Panton, remembered as a hero, gave up his seat to a woman passenger. Four French fishing vessels rescued the 266 survivors.

Vessel

Built: 1860
Builder: Robert Steele & Company
Yard: Greenock, Scotland
Material: Iron
Length: 301.6 ft
Beam: 35.9 ft
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Steam (screw)
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: June 4, 1861
Cause: Ice
Location: Strait of Belle Isle, about 4 nautical miles north of Cape Bauld
Water: Atlantic Ocean
Voyage: Quebec → Liverpool, England
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: 35
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Not established
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: Not established
Accuracy: Position not established
Nearest: Quirpon, Newfoundland
Region: Newfoundland

No pin: no surveyed wreck position in the sources used.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Partially documented (55/100)

Based on a published secondary account; original records were not independently inspected.

Wikipedia — SS Canadian
Article narrative of construction, voyage and loss (secondary summary of cited books and newspapers).
Norway Heritage — Canadian (2), Allan Line
Confirms June 4, 1861 loss in Strait of Belle Isle ice, capsized lifeboat, 35 lost.
Liverpool Mercury, 22 June 1861 (transcribed by Old Mersey Times)
Confirms loss on 4 June 1861 after striking an iceberg near Belle Isle; 35 lives lost.
Norway Heritage — Canadian (2), Allan Line
Built 1859 at Greenock by Robert Steele; sank 4 June 1861 in the Strait of Belle Isle; 35 lives lost.