'SAVED FROM THE SEA'

130 years on, the 'forgotten' disaster off Mersey coast

- By WESLEY HOLMES ECHO Correspondent

THROUGHOUT the long history of the White Star Line, Liverpool's once-thriving shipping line that dominated oceans all over the world, the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 is undoubtedly its most infamous disaster, resulting in the deaths of around 1,500 people.

Other major losses, such as the SS Atlantic, the RMS Republic, and the Brittanic in World War I also received major attention, and have cemented their place in maritime history.

But one White Star Line disaster has apparently fallen out of memory. It has been 130 years since the Germanic passenger liner crashed with the Cumbrae, an inward-bound Glasgow steamer, in the Crosby Channel on December 11, 1895.

Built by Harland and Wolff, the 455ft-long Germanic was the sister ship of Britannic and could carry over 1,700 passengers.

The disaster was reported widely at the time, appearing in British national newspapers and The New York Times, as the Germanic was bound for New York.

But it was quickly forgotten, possibly due to an incredible stroke of luck: not a single person died.

According to contemporary reports, the two vessels were navigating in heavy fog when they collided around eight miles off the coast of Crosby.

The Cumbrae didn’t stand a chance as the enormous liner ploughed 14ft deep into its side, and it rapidly started to sink.

The Germanic was commanded by Captain Edward R. McKinstry, and its passengers were among the privileged classes of both Britain and New York.

On board was Lord Dunraven, a member of the House of Lords and former Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, and members of the John Hare theatre company, including leading West End actress Ellis Jeffreys.