The Wreck of the William Brown: A True Tale of Overcrowded Lifeboats and Murder at Sea

by Tom Koch

A maritime disaster that shocked the world.

Seventy-one years before the loss of the "Titanic," another ship sank in almost the same spot after striking an iceberg at maximum speed. Three-quarters of the passengers--poor, mostly Irish emigrants--were lost, including at least fourteen who were thrown from a lifeboat to lighten it. Not a single sailor died.

When the tragedy of the "William Brown" threatened to expose the dangers of the profitable emigrant passenger trade, a collection of politicians, lawyers, and reporters on both sides of the Atlantic conspired to indict the only seaman who was a hero of the disaster. The trial gave rise to the concept of "lifeboat ethics": how to decide who gets saved when resources are limited.

"A fascinating read."--"Chesapeake Bay Magazine"

"A gripping tale of the sea. . . . You should make a place for this one on your bookshelf, nautical or otherwise."--"Burgee"

"More than a horrifying tale . . . also a penetrating examination of the causes."--Denis Wood, author, "The Power of Maps"

"Tom Koch's re-creation of a notorious 19th-century case of shipwreck and murder on the high seas makes absorbing reading."--Michael Phillips, maritime historian, Plymouth (England) Naval Base Museum

"Gripping tale of a 19th-century shipwreck that should have been, but wasn't, a catalyst for major shipping reform."--"Quill & Quire"

Genres: Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2003

About the author

Tom Koch is Adjunct Professor of Medical Geography at the University of British Columbia, a consultant in ethics and gerontology at Alton Medical Centre, Toronto, and Director of Information Outreach, Ltd. He is the author of fourteen previous books, including Thieves of Virtue: When Bioethics Stole Medicine (MIT Press).

Reviews

[Tom Kavanagh · Rating 2 out of 5]

BORING

[CJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1841, the packet ship William Brown, carrying a load of immigrants to the new world, hit an iceberg and sank--mere miles from where the Titanic would sink 71 years later--drowning hundreds and leaving the rest in a death-struggle on the lifeboats. The shocking part is that not a single member of the William Brown's crew perished, and in fact they tossed 14 passengers out of the lifeboats to their deaths for fear of "overcrowding," only to be rescued a day later. The book details both the history of the packet trade, the circumstances that led to the wreck, the wreck itself, and more interestingly, the scramble afterwards by the British and American governments to find a scapegoat to blame who would keep focus off the mutually profitable Irish emigration trade.

The machinations of both governments are nearly as appalling as the actions of the crew members who, in darkness, heaved defenseless passengers out of the lifeboats into the freezing waters of the Atlantic. It's a fascinating book, though it is not nearly as detailed as some other maritime disaster books due to the time period and the fact that the members of the crew and most passengers did not keep diaries or written records. However, Koch has been able to track down many of the legal papers and do an excellent job of covering the trial itself.

On the whole, a decent and interesting book, though nothing particularly spectacular in the genre.