1915 – Dec 23, NY steamer Orleanian sails from NYC for Malta, not heard from again– 36

— 36 Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. 1972, p. 72.
— 36 Miller, J.E. “Mysteries of the Sea.” Popular Mechanics, Vol. 46, No. 1, July 1926, p. 8.
— 36 Nash, Jay Robert. Darkest Hours. 1977, p. 696. (Incorrectly has departure date as Nov 3.)
— 36 New International Year Book for the Year 1917. “Safety at Sea.” 1918, p. 609.
— 36 U.S. Steamboat-Inspection Service. Annual Report 1917, p. 17.

Narrative Information

Miller: “The steamer ‘Orleanian,’ of 2,293 tons, sailed from New York for Malta on November 3, 1915 [sic, Dec 23], and was never heard from again. Her path led across the Atlantic, always a stormy place in winter, but one of the busiest trade routes in the world, with dozens of ships within radio call at any time. Yet the ‘Orleanian,’ put to sea with a crew of thirty-six, vanished utterly from the sea, and left not so much as a life buoy behind to tell of her loss.” (“Mysteries of the Sea.” Popular Mechanics, Vol. 46, No. 1, July 1926, p. 8.)

New International Year Book for the Year 1917: “In a severe storm on November [sic, Dec] 26, 1916, the freight steamer Orleanian left New York for Malta and was supposed to have foundered with her entire crew of thirty-six men.” (New International Year Book for the Year 1917. “Safety at Sea.” 1918, p. 609.)

Steamboat Inspection Service (US): “On December 23, 1916 [sic, 1915], the freight steamer Orleanian left New York, N.Y., bound for Malta. An extremely severe storm occurred on December 26, during which it is supposed that vessel foundered with her entire crew of 36 men.” (US Steamboat-Inspect. Ser. An. Report 1917, p. 17)

Wikipedia: “Orleanian. United States. The steamer left New York City for Malta on 23 December 1915 or 1916 [was 1915], and probably sank in a storm on 26 December. Lost with all 36 hands.” (Wikipedia. “List of shipwrecks in December 1915.” 10-25-2020 edit.)

Wreck Site (Lettens): “On December 23d, 1915, the American iron cargo ship Orleanian, left New York for Malta with a cargo of case oil, and went missing. She was not heard of ever since.”

Newspapers

Nov 3, 1915, NYT: “Sailed….Orleanian, from Bordeaux, Oct. 29.” (New York Times. “Foreign Ports.” 11-3-1915, p. 16, col. 6.)

Nov 14, 1915, NYT: “Arrived – Sunday, Nov. 14. …Orleanian, Bordeaux, Oct. 29 [sailed from].” (New York Times. “Shipping and Mails.” 11-15-1915, p. 16, col. 6.)

Jan 31, 1916: “London, Jan. 31. – The American steamer Orleanian is on the overdue list. She left New York, December 23 for Malta and has not since been reported.

“The Orleanian is considered a bad risk, and the 90 guineas per cent reinsurance paid indicates that the underwriters have almost abandoned hope for the vessel.

“The Orleanian, of 2293 tons gross, was built in Glasgow in 1880 and is owned by the Orleanian Steamship Corporation of New York…. [she] carried a cargo of case oils….” (Boston Globe. “Steamer Orleanian Is Probably Lost.” 2-1-1916, p. 15, col. 8.)

Feb 1, 1916: “London, Feb 1. – The American steamer Orleanian is on the overdue list. She left New York Dec. 23 for Malta and has not since been reported.” (Daily Free Press, Carbondale, IL. “Ship Fourteen Days Overdue.” 2-1-1916, p. 3, col. 4.)

Feb 4, 1916: “Capt. Charles R. Bergmann of Melrose is in command of the missing steamer Orleanian and relatives and friends of the captain and his wife, who accompanied him, are greatly alarmed at the absence of news of the vessel now three weeks overdue. The Orleanian left New York Dec 23 bound for Malta, and since she passed out through Ambrose Channel no tidings have been received from her….It is the first trip Mrs. Bergmann has taken with her husband for five years.

“It is feared the Orleanian foundered in one of the series of storms that has kept the Atlantic in a turmoil the past five weeks.

“The Orleanian was formerly the British steamer Alene and was built at Glasgow in 1880. She is owned by R. Lawrence Smith of New York.” (Boston Globe. “Fear for Skipper and Wife.” 2-4-1916, p. 9.)

Sources

Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. Boston: Mariners Press Inc., 1972.

Boston Globe. “Fear for Skipper and Wife.” 2-4-1916, p. 9. Accessed 12-29-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/boston-daily-globe-feb-04-1916-p-9/

Boston Globe. “Steamer Orleanian Is Probably Lost.” 2-1-1916, p. 15, col. 8. Accessed 12-29-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/boston-daily-globe-feb-01-1916-p-15/

Daily Free Press, Carbondale, IL. “Ship Fourteen Days Overdue.” 2-1-1916, p. 3, col. 4. Accessed 12-29-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/carbondale-daily-free-press-feb-01-1916-p-3/

Miller, J. Earle. “Mysteries of the Sea.” Popular Mechanics, Vol. 46, No. 1, July 1926, pp. 8-10. Accessed 12-29-2020 at:
https://books.google.com/books?id=fdgDAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA8&lpg=RA1-PA8&dq=steamer+%22orleanian%22+lost&source=bl&ots=Evm6Aiva3X&sig=ACfU3U2jhb_lBnc7KWMSzU9a767NQ7DWhw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi32_KRi_LtAhVDrlkKHXWtDPwQ6AEwA3oECAEQAg#v=onepage&q=steamer%20%22orleanian%22%20lost&f=false

Nash, Jay Robert. Darkest Hours – A Narrative Encyclopedia of Worldwide Disasters from Ancient Times to the Present. New York: Pocket Books, Wallaby, 1977, 792 pages.

New International Year Book: A Compendium of the World’s Progress for the Year 1917. NY: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1918. Accessed 12-29-2020 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=MCtNAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

New York Times. “Foreign Ports.” 11-3-1915, p. 16, col. 6. Accessed 12-29-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-times-nov-03-1915-p-16/

New York Times. “Shipping and Mails.” 11-15-1915, p. 16, col. 6. Accessed 12-29-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-times-nov-15-1915-p-16/

New York Tribune. “American Streamer Overdue at Malta.” 2-1-1916, p. 13, col. 3. Accessed 12-26-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-tribune-feb-01-1916-p-13/

United States Steamboat-Inspection Service. Annual Report of the Supervising Inspector General, Steamboat-Inspection Service to the Secretary of Commerce for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1917. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1917, 42 pages. Digitized by Google. Accessed at: http://books.google.com/books?id=KqfNAAAAMAAJ

Wikipedia. “List of shipwrecks in December 1915.” 10-25-2020 edit. Accessed 12-29-2020 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_shipwrecks_in_December_1915

Wreck Site. “SS Orleanian (+1915).” Contribution Jan Lettens, dated 6-30-2013 and updated 12-23-2013. Accessed 12-29-2020 at: https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?203109