The "Hammonia", "Borussia's" sister ship. The "Borussia" is in the background.
["The Revolutionary World of Great Atlantic Steamships"]In June 1856 the " Borussia " left Hamburg on her maiden voyage to New York with cargo and 402 passengers, about two thirds of the capacity. The officers and crew were German, and Jacob Diederichsen (an engineering veteran of the Prussian navy) ran the engine room. After fighting strong westerly gales for most of the way, groping through constant fog over the final four days, and skirting icebergs on the Newfoundland Banks, in short, a typical westward passage across the North Atlantic, the" Borussia " came safely into New York after a run of sixteen days.
["Dictionary of Disasters at Sea During the Age of Steam", by Charles Hocking, published by Lloyd's Register of Shipping in 1969.]The Dominion liner "Borussia", Capt. Roberts, was an old ship, but was re-engined and boilered in 1871. She first served as a transport to bring troops home from the Crimea before engaging in the trans-Atlantic passenger service of the Hamburg-America Co. Later she was purchased by the Dominion Line for employment as an emigrant ship. On November 20th, 1879, she left Liverpool for New Orleans, by way of Corunna and Havana, with 66 passengers and 54 crew. Her passengers were Lancashire, Yorkshire and Durham farmers who proposed to settle with their families in Texas. There were also a few of the Scottish and Irish agricultural classes. All these emigrants were of the better sort and nearly all were possessed of a small amount of capital.
The ship reached Corunna on November 23rd and embarked a further 64 Spanish emigrants for Havana, Cuba, leaving for her run across the Atlantic with a total of 184 persons. She carried a cargo of heavy goods, among which was a quantity of tin plate. When four days out from Corunna the "Borussia" encountered a S.S.E. gale which continued till December 1st when the wind changed to N.N.W., still with a heavy sea. On the night of the 1st the ship sprang a leak and by morning there was 11 feet of water in the hold, despite the efforts of the steam-pumps, and the engine room was flooded. The boats, of which there were seven, were provisioned and launched, the first under the first officer with 13 passengers and some of the crew getting away in safety. The next, with 20 Spaniards and some more of the crew also got clear without mishap, but the third boat drifted away with two men before it could be filled and an attempt by the third officer to recover it ended in disaster, both boat and men being lost. The third officer then returned to find the "Borussia" sinking. A large number of people still remained on the ship and went down with her.
The sailing ship "Mallowdale" picked up one boat containing the doctor and nine of the crew and took them to Queenstown. The German barque, "Fulda" picked up another party of five. These 15 persons represented the sole survivors from the vessel, the other boats being lost. The total number of persons drowned was 169, including Capt. Roberts and nearly all the officers.
Next - Bernard and Philomena's Children and Grandchildren
Beginning - The Family History of Bernhard and Philomena Bittmann of Michelbach, Baden
Home - Bittmann and Davis Family Genealogy