DARLINGTON
By Capt. Dan Berg
Photo: Darlington's propeller photo by Mike DeCamp.
The steel hulled English steamer, Darlington, was built in
1881 by Swan & Hunter, Newcastle, for W. Milburn &Company, London.
She was 285.5 feet in length, had a 36 foot beam, displaced1,990
gross tons and was powered by 250 h.p. compound inverted engines.
On February 22, 1886, the Darlington was wrecked on Western
Reef, while on a voyage from New Orleans to Bremen, Germany,
carrying a cargo of 5,152 bales of cotton and 15,000 bushels of
grain. According to the New York Times," Captain Richard Ward of the
Darlington made some error in calculating her position, and she
struck on the reefs early in the morning".
Captain Ward was later found negligent by the Marine Board of
Inquiry for failure to post a lookout while approaching the
unfamiliar waters of Bermuda.
The Darlington's crew of 23 and five officers were
transported back to New York aboard the steamship Orinoco.
Today, the wreck lies off the west end in shallow water about 15 to
30 feet. She remains fairly intact but has collapsed onto herself
and lies on her port side. Her rudder Quadrant still breaks the
surface in heavy weather, and her boilers, winches and propeller
shaft are easily recognizable. Within swimming distance of the
Darlington are the buried remains of an unidentified Spanish
Galleon.
The information listed
above was taken with permission from the Book:
BERMUDA SHIPWRECKS, ISBN # 0-9616167-4-1
A Vacationing Divers Guide to Bermudas Shipwrecks,
by Dan and Denise Berg, 6x9 softcover,73 pages.
Retail $14.95
Now also Available as
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 BERMUDA SHIPWRECKS ebook
A Vacationing Divers Guide to Bermudas Shipwrecks
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by Dan and Denise Berg, 6x9, 73 page
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From the first quarter of the 16th century,
 Bermuda became a landmark for
Spanish ships sailing back to Spain from the New World. The desire to sight
Bermuda to confirm their position often ended their voyage as they wrecked
on Bermuda's outer reefs. To this day Bermuda's treacherous reefs have taken
their toll on shipping. The reefs have claimed vessels ranging from ocean
lines to small fishing boats. Bermuda Shipwrecks is the most comprehensive,
accurate, illustrated collection of information, photographs, sketches and
stories ever written about the legendary wrecks around Bermuda. Bermuda
Shipwrecks includes over 100 illustrations comprised of 61 sensational color
photos, 17 rare b&w historical images, 19 stamps, 4 sketches plus one
map. Bermuda Shipwrecks contains a wealth of enlightening information that
gives the readers a nostalgic glimpse into the history and present condition
of over 55 of Bermuda's most popular Shipwrecks.
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