The Royal Mail Steam Ship Rhone was commissioned in 1865 for the Royal Mail Packet Company for the purpose of transporting cargo and passengers between England, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Measuring 310 feet long and with two masts with a 40 foot beam, her design was unusual in that she was powered by both sail and steam. Her bronze propeller was only the second ever built. Deemed unsinkable, she was a favorite among passengers taking the West Indies route because she had lavish cabins and a whopping speed of 14 knots! She had 253 first class, 30 second class and 30 third class cabins. On October 19, 1867, The Rhone pulled up alongside the RMS Conway in Great Harbour, Peter Island to refuel. Although originally scheduled to refuel in St. Thomas, an outbreak of yellow fever had forced both ships to relocate. On the morning of October 29, 1867, Robert F. Wooley, the captain of the Rhone was somewhat worried by the rapidly falling barometers and the dark black clouds forming over Tortola. Because both captains thought hurricane season was over, they stayed put. The first part of the storm passed without much damage, but both ships had dragged anchor. The captains decided to transfer the passengers from the Conway to the unsinkable Rhone. The Conway then headed to Road Harbour while the plan was for the Rhone to make for open sea. Captain Wooley ordered the boilers to be fired up to full steam. Since most of the passengers could not swim, the practice at the time was for the crew to tie them to their beds to prevent injury in the stormy seas, but unfortunately, in this case, it sealed their fates. The Conway made it safely, but the Rhone’s anchor was caught around a coral head. It was cut loose and lies in Great Harbour to this day, but it cost critical time. Captain Wooley decided the easiest route to open sea was between Black Rock Point off of Salt Island and Dead Chest. Between the two islands lays Blonde Rock, an underwater reef located at 25 feet depth. Wooley gave Blonde Rock a wide berth, but just 250 yards from safety, the second half of the hurricane hit. The winds shifted to the opposite direction and the Rhone was thrown directly into Black Rock Point. The story goes that Wooley was thrown overboard from the crash and never seen again. When the cold water hit the red-hot boilers, they exploded, and split the Rhone in half. The ship sank quickly, with the bow section in 80’ of water and the stern in 35’ of water. Of the original 146 people aboard, plus an unknown number from the Conway, only 23 (all crew) survived. The bodies of many of the sailors were buried in a cemetery on Salt Island. Because the mast was sticking out of the water, she was deemed a hazard by the Royal Navy in the 1950s and her stern section was blown apart. In 1967, however, she was turned into a national park and the Rhone became a popular dive site. Today, the Rhone has received many citations and awards as a top wreck site not only for her historical interest but also because of the teeming marine life found existing in her shadows. To explore this wonderful underwater park, contact one of the many dive operations that can be found in the BVI. If you are into wreck dives, they will help you find some of the other amazing underwater vistas that can be explored when you boat the BVI. - Donna
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