The Suevic (1900), a passenger/cargo liner on the Maenheere Reef, off The Lizard.

A port bow view, just forward of the broadside, of the passenger/cargo liner Suevic (1900) aground by the bows on the Maenheere Reef off The Lizard. The sea state is calm enough in this photograph to show the rocks alongside the port bow and just forward of the bridge. The ship's boat davits have been deployed on three of the five davit points along the broadside. The photographer was at a slightly elevated position on The Lizard looking out over the rocks to the ship.

The negative has been altered with graphite on the emulsion side to emphasise the dark areas of the ship's hull, bridge and funnel and of the rocks below. This is a glass copy negative from an original print.

The Suevic was on passage from Melbourne to Liverpool with 382 passengers, 141 crew members and a nearly-full cargo, including thousands of sheep carcasses worth £400,000. Due to a navigational error the ship was closer in shore and further ahead of their assumed position. Suevic ran aground at full speed on 17 March 1907 and despite attempts to get her off using full stern the ship was stuck. The passengers and crew were removed by RNLI boats from four stations, taking 16 hours. As the bow was stuck on the rocks and lightening the ship did not refloat it, White Star decided to take the advice of their salvage contractors and had the stern section detached using small charges of dynamite. The stern section then steamed in reverse under its own power to Southampton while a new bow section was built by Harland and Wolff.

Object Details

ID: G14102
Collection: Historic Photographs
Type: Glass plate negative
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Gibson & Sons of Scilly
Vessels: Suevic (1901)
Date made: 17-19 March 1907
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Gibson's of Scilly Shipwreck Collection
Measurements: Overall: 254 mm x 304 mm
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