On November 27, 1908, in a thick fog off Sandy Hook, the lightly laden Panama line steamer Finance, outward bound with 85 passengers, was rammed by the stout steel freighter Georgic, of the White Star line, and went down within ten minutes. Three passengers, who included 19 women and 14 children, as well as others of the crew, were rescued by the boats of the Georgic, which was not damaged.
It was most unfortunate luck for the Finance to encounter the Georgic, which had a somewhat accident-prone career. She twice collided with the dock entrance at Liverpool, on May 23,1896 and August 5, 1901. On March10, 1902, she collided with barque Oakhurst at Liverpool, the latter sustained major damage. On January18, 1903, she collided with the British steamer SS Saxon King off Flemish Cap, although it was the Saxon King which rammed Georgic from the side, the former ship bore the brunt of the damage. On March 21,1904, she collided with the SS Kalabia in St George’s Channel; both ships made it to Liverpool safely.
The Georgic survived all of these calamities until she met her fate in World War I, when she was intercepted by a German merchant raider ship. After removing all passengers and crew, the Germans placed explosives on the Georgic and scuttled her on December 10, 1916.
Sources:
Six Lives Lost when Liners Crash. (1908). The Morning Call, Paterson, N.J., November 27, 1908, P. 1.
Kerbrech, Richard De (2009). Ships of the White Star Line. Ian Allan Publishing, Hersham, Surrey, United Kingdom.
Photo of the Panama Liner Finance in the Main Ship Channel. (1908). Photographer unknown. Photo from Liner Sunk, 4 Lost, Collision off Hook, The New-York Tribune, November 27, 1908, P. 1. Public domain.
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