''Harvest Queen'' was a packet ship of the Black Ball Line built in 1854, by William H. Webb, which sank in a collision with the steamer at 3 a.m. on 31 December 1875.

Voyages

The artist

Charles Henry Miller Charles Henry Miller, N.A. (March 20, 1842 – January 21, 1922) was a noted artist and painter of landscapes from Long Island, New York. The American poet Bayard Taylor (1825–1878) called him, "The artistic discoverer of the little continent ...

, a recent graduate of

New York Homeopathic Medical College New York Medical College (NYMC or New York Med) is a private medical school in Valhalla, New York. Founded in 1860, it is a member of the Touro College and University System. NYMC offers advanced degrees through its three schools: the School o ...

, sailed on the ''Harvest Queen'' as ship's surgeon in 1864, under Captain Hutchinson, between

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and Liverpool.

This vessel, though never renowned for fast voyages, as were so many of her sister
clipper A clipper was a type of mid-19th-century merchant sailing vessel, designed for speed. Clippers were generally narrow for their length, small by later 19th century standards, could carry limited bulk freight, and had a large total sail area. "C ...
s, was a noted emigrant ship ... In 1864, when our artist made his first and last voyage in her, common sailors were getting ninety dollars for the trip, and bounty jumping was frequently practised. Many desperadoes, attracted by the high rate of wages, shipped as foremast hands, and stirring scenes were enacted. A
mutiny Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military, of a crew or of a crew of pirates) to oppose, change, or overthrow an organization to which they were previously loyal. The term is commonly used for a rebellion among member ...
, which was luckily quelled without loss of life, broke out twice on the ''Harvest Queen''; and Mr. Miller, among his other reminiscences of an eventful voyage, recalls a day when he was ranged beside the captain on the
quarter-deck The quarterdeck is a raised deck behind the main mast of a sailing ship. Traditionally it was where the captain commanded his vessel and where the ship's colours were kept. This led to its use as the main ceremonial and reception area on bo ...
, revolver in hand, ready to aid in overcoming the mutineers ... When the ship reached New York on her return trip, two of the sailors were drowned in an attempt to escape from her; and the sketches made by Mr. Miller on board include one of a luckless and forlorn-looking seaman, standing at the wheel, who had jumped overboard, but was captured and severely beaten.

While the ''Harvest Queen'' was lying in the Liverpool docks, Miller took a flying trip to London, Scotland, and France, making numerous sketches. When he reached home again, his love of art, freshly kindled by the sight of some of the great art galleries of Europe, and the wonderful ocean scenes which he had attempted to draw on the voyage, proved itself too strong to be overcome. He abandoned medicine, and returned to the practice of art in New York.

Collision and sinking

"The American ship ''Harvest Queen'' ... while beating up the English Channel, having nearly completed her voyage from San Francisco, and, we may suppose, with most of her crew in the forecastle singing, yarning, and getting their "shore togs" ready for the morrow, was cut down by the steamship ''Adriatic.'' She sank almost immediately. Not a soul was saved. A terrible shriek floated across the sea and then all was still. Boats were lowered from the ''Adriatic,'' which cruised about all night, but in vain; when daylight spread over the Channel not a spar nor a vestige of the unfortunate ship marked her grave." ''Harvest Queen'' sank so quickly that the crew of ''Adriatic'' could not identify what ship they had hit, and only a records search later showed who the victim had been. "Before a Court of Admiralty held in New York on the White Star Liner's arrival, testimony was adduced throwing the blame on the ''Harvest Queen'' because her lights were not visible."

References

{{1875 shipwrecks Packet boat Ships built in New York City Sailing ships of the United States Passenger ships of the United States Shipwrecks in the Irish Sea Ships sunk in collisions Maritime incidents in December 1875 1854 ships Barques Ships built by William H. Webb Ships lost with all hands