This is an IHeart podcast.

This is Lee Habib, and this is Our American Stories, the show where America is the star

and the American people. And we love your stories. Send them to Our American Stories, the show where America is the star and the American people.

And we love your stories. Send them to Our American Stories.com. They're some of our favorites.

Our next story comes to us from a man who's simply known as the History Guy. His videos are

watched by hundreds of thousands of people of all ages on YouTube.

The History Guy is also a regular contributor for us here at Our American Stories.

Today, the History Guy remembers the Birkenhead disaster

and explains where the protocol, women and children first, was first used.

Hopefully, you know, the first rule

of loading the lifeboats, women and children first. But did you ever wonder where this

protocol came from? Well, that's a great question for the history guy,

and so today we're going to talk about an extraordinary story of bravery in the face of horrible

circumstances in the Birkenhead disaster of 1852.

The Birkenhead was an iron-hulled steam-driven, paddle-wheeled troop ship of the British Army.

Launched in 1845, she was a modern vessel, larger, more comfortable and faster than the

typical wooden sail-powered troop ships of her time.

She had a top speed of 10 knots, able to make the trip from Britain to the Cape in just

37 days.

She was safe, too. Her iron hole included 12 airtight

compartments separated by strong bulkheads. 210 feet long with a 37-foot beam, she had

a crew complement of 125 and room for more than 500 passengers. In January of 1852, the Birgen had left Portsmouth with troops from 10 different

...