hartlepool history logo
close button

Zanzibar - a general history

Official No. 72664; Code Letters RBKL

Zanzibar left New York on 11th January 1879 on a voyage for Glasgow and Liverpool with a general cargo & a crew of 30 and was not seen again.

There are at lengths hopes that this valuable vessel which, with her cargo is worth fully £75,000 may after all be safe. Thursday’s Shipping Gazette contains the telegraphic information that a vessel called the Wanderer had arrived at New York & reports that on 23 January, when in latitude 36N & longitude 55W they passed a vessel, apparently iron, of about 2000 tons burden, under canvas proceeding slowly. She was flying a flag which bore the letter W in a circle; the same flag as was used by Messrs Wise, her former owners, & like the ZANZIBAR was schooner-rigged-hence the hope that the ship in question was the latter. The ZANZIBAR’S gross tonnage was 2244 tons; her engine power 180 horses (nominal). Her crew were shipped at Liverpool, but two of the engineers resided at West Hartlepool where the steamer was built in 1877 by Messrs Gray & Co. South Durham & Cleveland Mercury 15 February 1879
All hopes are now given up of the arrival of the fine Atlantic steamer ZANZIBAR of West Hartlepool, 2245 tons, which sailed from Boston for Liverpool in the beginning of January & has not since been heard of. She had on board a full cargo of grain, bacon & other produce valued at £30,000. It is supposed that she has foundered during one of the heavy storms which swept the Atlantic in January last taking down with her the whole of the crew, thirty in number. South Durham & Cleveland Mercury 8 March 1879.
ZANZIBAR was posted as missing by Lloyds on 25 March 1879. 30 lives lost.
Lives lost:
Campbell, 2nd engineer, West Hartlepool
White, chief engineer, West Hartlepool

South Durham & Cleveland Mercury, 15th February 1879:
Bound from New York for Glasgow & Liverpool with a general cargo & a crew of 30 all told on 11 January 1879 she disappeared. There are at lengths hopes that this valuable vessel which, with her cargo is worth fully £75,000 may after all be safe. Thursday’s Shipping Gazette contains the telegraphic information that a vessel called the Wanderer had arrived at New York & reports that on 23 January, when in latitude 36N & longitude 55W they passed a vessel, apparently iron, of about 2000 tons burden, under canvas proceeding slowly.

She was flying a flag which bore the letter W in a circle; the same flag as was used by Messrs Wise, her former owners, & like the ZANZIBAR was schooner-rigged-hence the hope that the ship in question was the latter. The ZANZIBAR’S gross tonnage was 2244 tons; her engine power 180 horses (nominal). Her crew were shipped at Liverpool, but two of the engineers resided at West Hartlepool where the steamer was built in 1877 by Messrs Gray & Co.

White, Chief Engineer; Campbell, 2nd Engineer.

Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail, Friday, March 7th, 1879:
THE MISSING WEST HARTLEPOOL STEAMER. All hopes are now given up of the arrival of the fine Atlantic steamer Zanzibar, of West Hartlepool, 2,245 tons, which sailed from Boston for Liverpool in the beginning of January, and has not since been heard of. She had on board a full cargo of grain, bacon, and other produce, valued at £30,000. It is supposed that she has foundered during one of the heavy storms which swept the Atlantic in January last, taking down with her the whole of the crew, 30 in number.

ZANZIBAR was posted as missing by Lloyds on 25 March 1879. 

On 12 July 1880 a message in a bottle was picked up at Ballybunion near the mouth of the Shannon in Ireland. The message read:

‘SS Zanzibar Thursday, 15th January 8pm: We are preparing to leave the ship as she is fast filling. Lee rail under water, fires out for three hours. Crew trying to throw cargo overboard. The weather is moderating a little but there is a great deal of water in the ship & little hopes of saving ourselves.
George Cambell second engineer.’

She was posted as missing by Lloyds on 25 March 1879.

Lives lost January 1879:
Brock, William, 2nd officer
Campbell, George, 2nd engineer, West Hartlepool
Carl, Edward R, 1st officer
James, Charles, 3rd officer
Mackay, Robert, 2nd officer
Page, RO, master
Roberts, Daniel, third engineer
White, chief engineer, West Hartlepool
Winstanley, Elias Joseph, boatswain, 45, Liverpool

Related items :