Panther
Tugboat · United States · Lost 1893 · Long Island & the New York Approaches
An iron tugboat sunk with heavy loss of life six miles off Shinnecock Bay when a hurricane forced her to cut loose the barge she was towing.
Become Captain of RecordSee Shipwreck on Map
The Vessel and Her Loss
The 110-foot iron tug Panther was towing the barge Lykens Valley about six miles southeast of Shinnecock Bay when a hurricane struck on August 24, 1893. Facing towering seas, the tug's captain cut the barge loose; the Lykens Valley eventually washed ashore, while the Panther foundered with most of the combined crews aboard. The iron hull survives largely intact on the bottom and is a known recreational dive and fishing site today.
Vessel
- Not established
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- Iron
- 110 ft
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- Steam, single screw
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Loss
- August 24, 1893
- Storm
- About 6 miles southeast of Shinnecock Bay, Long Island
- Atlantic Ocean
- Not established
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- Combined crews of Panther and Lykens Valley totaled about twenty; three are reported to have reached shore alive and seventeen were lost, though the split between the two crews is not clearly established in available sources.
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- 55 ft
- Intact iron hull, heavily encrusted
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Position
- 40.84° N 72.39° W
- Approximate position
- Shinnecock Inlet, Long Island, New York
Position drawn from published dive-site coordinates for the Panther wreck southeast of Shinnecock Inlet.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Partially documented (68/100)
The precise division of survivors and dead between the Panther and Lykens Valley crews is not clearly established in the sources reviewed.
The Fisherman: Hot Spot: The Panther Wreck
Loss date, cause, casualty figures, wreck depth and location.
Long Island Maritime Museum, Shipwrecks calendar
Confirmation of loss date and pairing with Lykens Valley.
