AH-WR-1304

SS Roraima

Cargo And Passenger Steamship · Canada · Lost 1902 · The Lesser Antilles

A Canadian steamship anchored at Saint-Pierre that was destroyed with most of its crew during the catastrophic 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée.

Become Captain of Record See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Roraima was a Quebec Steamship Company vessel that had just anchored at Saint-Pierre, Martinique, when Mount Pelée erupted on the morning of 8 May 1902. A pyroclastic flow and tsunami engulfed the harbour, setting the ship ablaze and killing most aboard within minutes; she burned for three days before sinking. She now lies upright in deep water, one of the most storied wrecks of the disaster.

Vessel

Built: 1883
Builder: Not established
Yard: Scotland
Material: Iron
Length: 340 ft
Beam: 36 ft
Tonnage: 2700
Propulsion: Steam, single screw
Owners: Quebec Steamship Company

Loss

Date: May 8, 1902
Cause: Not established
Location: Saint-Pierre harbour, Martinique
Water: Caribbean Sea
Voyage: Montreal, Canada (via New York, Bermuda, Barbados) → Saint-Pierre, Martinique (final port of call)
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: 68
Lives lost: 53
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: 160-205
Condition: Upright with slight port list; bow broken, stern separated from the main hull
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: 1970s
Protection: Declared to French cultural heritage authorities (DRAC) in 1977