Sinking of the Atlantic (1873)

The sinking of the RMS Atlantic was one of the most spectacular North Atlantic marine disasters of the late 19th century. In the early hours of 1 April 1873 the Atlantic, a luxury liner, ran aground at Meagher’s Island, Nova Scotia. The vessel, carrying 976 passengers on a regular run from Liverpool, England, to New York, had encountered heavy weather, and faulty navigation led it onto the rocks. Over 500 passengers perished. Every woman died; a single child was saved. The international press seized upon the story of the Atlantic with a zeal surpassed only by that displayed when the Titanic sank.