Description
In May 1889 the New England Shipbuilding Company of Bath, Maine built a wooden hulled paddle wheel steamship named Portland. In a time when most coastal lines were contracting steel hulled propeller driven steamships, the Portland Steam Packet Company chose the Maine shipyards to build the Portland because of the low cost and abundance of timber still in the area. The Portland’s overall design was not chosen for its speed and seaworthiness, but for its shallow draft and the ability to accommodate a great number of passengers in fine style.
The Portland, called the “Titanic of New England,” sank off the Massachusetts coast Nov. 26, 1898, killing more than 190 people, after it ignored storm forecasts and sailed from Boston bound for Portland, Maine.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.