You're listening to American Shadows, a production of I Heart Radio and Grimm & Mild from

Aaron Manky.

Collins Lines Dimship Company at the bottom of 12th Street next to the East River in New

York was busy. In fact, in 1850 alone, the company launched three luxury ships, the Arctic,

the Baltic, and the Pacific. Owned by Edward Knight Collins, the company had set out to compete

with English luxury ships. The Arctic and her sisterships were designed for speed and

style. A while Collins didn't have the capital necessary to build them himself, had managed

to convince the wealthy investment bank and trading firm Brown Brothers and Company to finance

him. Collins also secured a government contract to carry mail and passengers between New

York and Britain. The combination of luxury, speed, and business quickly earned the line

of reputation of being the grandest transatlantic ships of their day.

On September 13th of 1854, the Arctic Doctin Liverpool, as it had done several times before,

and the crew began preparations for the ship's return voyage. Several prominent passengers

were about to embark, including relatives of both the Collins and Brown families. Also

joining the passengers was Captain James Lucis's sickly son, Willie. A passengers and crew

enjoyed a pleasant journey, until September 27th when the ship encountered thick fog

along the Grand Banks, just off the Canadian coast. Captain Luc ordered a look out to watch

for other ships. The fog was so thick that the watchman didn't see the French steamer,

the Vesta, until it was too late. Although the crew sent up an alarm, neither ship had time

to avoid the collision. The Vesta's steel hull sliced into the Arctic's wooden framework.

A Captain Lucis believed his ship could limp to the nearest port, and the Arctic and Vesta

each continued on their path. Not long afterward, the luxury steamer began taking on water, and

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