SS Atlantic: The White Star Line's First Disaster at Sea - Softcover

Cochkanoff, Greg; Chaulk, Bob

Softcover

ISBN 10: 086492528X ISBN 13: 9780864925282

Publisher: Goose Lane Editions, 2009

Synopsis

Winner, Dartmouth Book Award for Non-Fiction, Democracy 250 Atlantic Book Award for Historical Writing, and Next Generation Indie Book Award, Historical Non-Fiction

It's a cold April night on the high seas. A ship steams quickly towards port. Aboard are wealthy passengers enjoying their luxurious accommodations. In the holds below, steerage passengers sit in crowded berths, excited about starting a new life in a new world. In the bridge above, the Captain retires for the evening. The lookouts think they see something ahead. Too late, they warn the bridge...

This was the fate of the SS Atlantic, the second ship built by the White Star Line for its new fleet. Built forty-two years before the RMS Titanic, the Atlantic had successfully completed eighteen crossings before it ran aground off the coast of Nova Scotia on April 1, 1873, killing 562 of the 952 onboard. It was the worst trans-Atlantic marine disaster of the 19th century, yet, until now, the full story has never been told.

About this title

About the Author

Greg Cochkanoff had an avid interest in the shipwrecks of Nova Scotia, especially the SS Atlantic. He spent more than 25 years researching, diving, and scouring three countries and two continents for information to write the first draft of the book before he died expectedly in 2008. Bob Chaulk was Greg's friend, who shared with him a love of scuba diving and exploring shipwrecks. He has previously authored Time in a Bottle: Historic Halifax Harbour from the Bottom Up.

From the Back Cover

It's a calm night onboard. A ship steams toward port. Wealthy passengers enjoy their luxurious accommodations. Passengers in steerage sit in crowded berths, excited about starting a life in a new country. Suddenly, there's an ear-splitting noise, and the ship shudders to a violent stop. The ship is plunged into darkness.

This was the fate of the S.S. "Atlantic," the second ship built by the White Star Line. Constructed forty-two years before the RMS "Titanic," the S.S. "Atlantic" completed eighteen trans-Atlantic crossings before running aground off the coast of Nova Scotia on April 1, 1873. The worst trans-Atlantic marine disaster of the nineteenth century, the sinking of the "Atlantic" killed over half the nearly 1000 people on board.

Here, for the first time, is the complete story of this infamous event, complete with passenger list, inquiry results, and the final fate of the wreck -- now a popular destination for scuba divers.

From the Inside Flap

It's a calm night onboard. A ship steams toward port. Wealthy passengers enjoy their luxurious accommodations. Passengers in steerage sit in crowded berths, excited about starting a life in a new country. Suddenly, there's an ear-splitting noise, and the ship shudders to a violent stop. The ship is plunged into darkness.

This was the fate of the S.S. Atlantic, the second ship built by the White Star Line. Constructed forty-two years before the RMS Titanic, the S.S. Atlantic completed eighteen trans-Atlantic crossings before running aground off the coast of Nova Scotia on April 1, 1873. The worst trans-Atlantic marine disaster of the nineteenth century, the sinking of the Atlantic killed over half the nearly 1000 people on board.

Here, for the first time, is the complete story of this infamous event, complete with passenger list, inquiry results, and the final fate of the wreck — now a popular destination for scuba divers.

Edition details

• Publisher: Goose Lane Editions
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 086492528X
• ISBN 13: 9780864925282
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 174