Built as an iron hulled barque under yard 198 by A. McMillan & Son at Dumbarton for Patton, Vickers & Company, at Liverpool.
Launched under the name NORTH CAROLINA. Call sign WTQV. Official No. 76367.
Tonnage 570 gross, 475 under deck and 553 net. Dim. 163.1 x 29.2 x 14.9ft.
Two decks; 1 cemented bulkhead.
1876 Completed, registry port Liverpool.
On a voyage from Bermuda to Liverpool on the first of January 1880 under command of Capt. Alexander Buchan she struck a reef near the outside edge of Bermuda’s southwest corner and sank 8½ miles west and ½ mile south of Gibbs Lighthouse. She was loaded with general cargo under which several bales of cotton and bark.
There is not any indication in Lloyds Register 1879-80 that she ever was owned by Barber, as given on one of the web-sites. Lloyds Register 1879/80 gives still the same owner as built.
27 January 1880 an attempt was made to refloat her, but when pumping out the water, a large anchor broke free, punching a hole in her hull, sending her back to the bottom.
Today she sits upright in a depth of 25 to 40 feet. Her bow and stern are still intact but the midship section has collapsed. She is a well know dive site in Bermuda.
Bermuda 1986 40c sg515A, scott?
Sources. Mr. John D Stevenson. Lloyds Register 1879-80 as given by Gilbert Provost. http://www.webruler.com/gprovost http://www.brown.edu/Research/Underwate ... thcar.html
http://www.skin-diver.com/departments/D ... thCarolina
Additional information:
1880. January 1. The English iron-hulled barque, NORTH CAROLINA, approximately 205 feet in length, about 533 tons. She was launched for the Macmillan & Son Shipyard in Dumbarton, Scotland in October 1876 and was owned and operated by Patton, Vickers and Co. of Liverpool. She was en route from Baltimore to Liverpool in winter 1879, with a general cargo of cotton and other goods, when it was discovered that the rudder was damaged and, on 21 November 1879, she detoured to Bermuda for essential maintenance. The repaired ship left St. George’s Harbour, Bermuda on 30 December 1879 but ran aground on western reef on New Year’s day. There are many conflicting reports regarding the cause of the accident, as there were no problems with either the weather or visibility. The authorities were suspicious of the fact that the cargo was saved so quickly. The ship had the highest insurance classification allowed by Lloyds of London and it was suspected that the NORTH CAROLINA’s captain, Alexander Buchan, was in collusion with someone in Bermuda and had planned to wreck the ship. Today, the wreckage of the NORTH CAROLINA sits upright in 25-45 feet of water.
http://www.bermuda-online.org/history1800-1899.htm