101 Years on – the Larchmont Tragedy

by Carol W. Kimball, theday.com/Sail-World on 12 Feb 2008 Today, any skipper in a sailing boat would be reckless to assume that a motor powered vessel, whatever size, would give way under the old 'power gives way to sail' tradition. 'Might is right' will always prevail, and there's no question that in a collision, the sailing boat would probably come off worst. But this was not always the case....

On Feb. 11, 1907, in one of New England's worst maritime tragedies, the stately steamer Larchmont sank in icy waters off Watch Hill after a collision with the trim three-masted schooner Harry Knowlton.

The night was clear and starry as the 128-foot schooner, commanded by Capt. Frank T. Haley with a crew of six, sailed over choppy waters in Block Island Sound, a 40 mph wind filling the sails. With the thermometer at zero, the coal-carrying schooner, frosted with ice, was bound for Boston. The mate at the wheel sighted a brightly lit steamer heading directly for them. He blew a warning whistle.

Approaching was the 1,600-ton 252-foot wooden side-wheeler Larchmont, bound from Providence to New York, carrying over 100 passengers and a crew of 52. According to the rules of the road the vessel under sail has the right of way (Editor: Not the case today). The Knowlton's mate expected the steamer to change course, but it plowed straight ahead. With no choice, the schooner rammed the larger vessel on the port side, losing bowsprit and jibboom, banging into the steamer's galley and emerging with pots and pans strewn over the deck.

The small schooner opened up forward, water rushed in and Capt. Haley thought they would go down. The vessel filled at an alarming rate. The crew manned the pumps till they managed to touch bottom off Weekapaug. Then they lowered the lifeboat and made their way to the Quonochontaug Life Saving station.

The collision severed the Larchmont's steam line, stopping the engine and filling the vessel with hissing steam. The first pilot, John L. Anson, was at the wheel. The 26-year old captain, George W. McVay, youngest steamboat commander on the Sound, was noted for his lifeboat drills, but he did not try to organize a rescue. It was every man for himself. As lights went out, McVay gave orders to abandon ship. He ordered lifeboats lowered and shoved off with five of the crew.

Hysterical passengers, roused from sleep, panicked as they piled into the boats with no assistance from captain or crew. Waves engulfed those on the icy decks while some were suffocated below by hissing steam. Twelve minutes after the crash the Larchmont went to the bottom.

Those aboard lifeboats were not out of danger. Boats were unmanageable in the gale and intense cold. McVay decided to let his boat drift the 15 miles across to Block Island. At 6 a.m. on Feb. 12, the ice-coated boat came ashore 300 yards from the Block Island Life Saving Station.

The Coast Guard relayed the news and Block Island roused for rescue. Fishing schooner Elsie, Capt. John W. Smith, located wreckage four miles off shore with eight living survivors, including two women, hanging on grimly. In zero weather, another lifeboat came ashore with nine bodies and one living survivor. At day's end there were only 19 survivors—eight of the crew and eleven passengers. Frozen bodies washed ashore all day. Seventy corpses went to the Providence morgue for identification.

The disaster received thorough press coverage. Photographers swarmed to Block Island and Quonochontaug. Their images reproduced on post cards showed everything from frozen bodies on Block Island to the foundering wreck of the Knowlton. Survivors accused the captain of misconduct. One woman claimed she had begged the captain to take her aboard his lifeboat, but he roughly pushed her away. In an official inquiry in New London, McVay said the accident was due to untrained foreign crews, insisting he had no time to chase around helping passengers. The official verdict on April 22 blamed First Pilot John L. Anson for the collision; he was among those lost and could not speak for himself. McVay was not charged, although he was criticized for cowardice.

Over time the Larchmont was forgotten. But on Aug. 25, 1964, a hot sunny day, scuba divers located the wreck off Watch Hill in 130 feet of water. The old steamer lay proudly, her ancient sidewheels upright.

The wreck became a Mecca for divers.