SS La Bourgogne
Ocean Liner · France · Lost 1898 · Nova Scotia & Sable Island
The French liner La Bourgogne sank within minutes of colliding with a sailing ship off Sable Island in 1898, killing more than 500 people.
Become Captain of RecordSee Shipwreck on Map
The Vessel and Her Loss
Vessel
- 1885
- Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée
- La Seyne-sur-Mer, France
- Iron hull, wood superstructure
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Steam, single screw, auxiliary sail (four masts)
- Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (French Line)
Loss
- July 4, 1898
- Collision
- About 60 miles south of Sable Island, Nova Scotia
- Atlantic Ocean, off Sable Island
- New York, United States → Le Havre, France
- Not established
- 725
- 562
- Louis Deloncle
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
Position
- 43.00° N 65.60° W
- Approximate position
- Sable Island, Nova Scotia
Commonly cited approximate position south of Sable Island; not a modern surveyed wreck position.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (80/100)
Exact casualty totals vary slightly between sources, and the precise resting position of the wreck was not confirmed in the sources reviewed.
Board of Examiners of Masters and Mates, Halifax, N.S. formal inquiry transcript, 1898
Official inquiry findings on the collision and its cause.
The New York Times, 7 July 1898
Casualty figures and contemporary account of the disaster.
Wikipedia, cross-referenced with contemporary press
Voyage details, casualty range, and litigation history.
