SS ''Home'' was a

steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...

packet ship built in 1836 and wrecked in 1837 during Racer's Storm with a loss of 90 lives. She was commanded by

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Carleton White.

History

''Home'' was built for Mr. James P. Allaire, of New York City, a paddle steamer of 537 tons, long and with a beam of , propelled by two sidewheels mounted amidships. Like other ships of her day, ''Home'' had masts,

sail A sail is a tensile structure—which is made from fabric or other membrane materials—that uses wind power to propel sailing craft, including sailing ships, sailboats, windsurfers, ice boats, and even sail-powered land vehicles. Sails may ...

s, and

rigging Rigging comprises the system of ropes, cables and chains, which support a sailing ship or sail boat's masts—''standing rigging'', including shrouds and stays—and which adjust the position of the vessel's sails and spars to which they are ...

as well. ''Home'' was built for river trade, but was converted into a

passenger ship A passenger ship is a merchant ship whose primary function is to carry passengers on the sea. The category does not include cargo vessels which have accommodations for limited numbers of passengers, such as the ubiquitous twelve-passenger freig ...

. Her interior was paneled in deep

mahogany Mahogany is a straight-grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus ''Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Unive ...

and cherrywood with

skylight A skylight (sometimes called a rooflight) is a light-permitting structure or window, usually made of transparent or translucent glass, that forms all or part of the roof space of a building for daylighting and ventilation purposes. History Open ...

s, saloons, and luxurious passenger quarters. A total of US$115,000 was spent converting ''Home'' for ocean voyages, but she was equipped with only three lifeboats and two life preservers. She was uninsured.

Loss

On Saturday, 7 October 1837, ''Home'' left New York City for

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

, South Carolina, with about 90 passengers and 40 crew aboard. ''Home'' had made only two previous voyages to Charleston. ''Home'' struck a sandbar off New Jersey. Unaware of the extent of the damage, her captain proceeded on schedule for Charleston. She encountered the

1837 Racer's Storm ''Racer'' hurricane was a destructive tropical cyclone that had severe effects in northeastern Mexico, the Republic of Texas, and the Gulf Coast of the United States in early October 1837. It was named after the Royal Navy ship HMS ''Racer ...

and started taking on water as she rounded Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. She was put aground to ride out the developing storm. Before rescue operations could be effected the next day, the ''Home'' was torn to pieces by the surf and 90 people died.

Notable passengers lost in the disaster

*The Hardy Croom family of Tallahassee, Florida. Hardy Croom established one of Tallahassee's premier cotton plantations called Goodwood Plantation. *

Oliver H. Prince Oliver Hillhouse Prince (July 31, 1782October 9, 1837) was an editor, attorney and politician, elected as United States Senator by the Georgia state legislature in 1828. Born in Connecticut, he had migrated as a child with his parents to Georgia ...

and wife Mary Prince. Oliver was on the Board of Trustees of the University of Georgia and had been a United States senator from Georgia as well as Georgia State Senator.

References

*
Biography of the SS ''Homes owner, James Peter Allaire
*Flagpole Magazine, p. 10 (6 September 2000).
Contemporary Newspaper accounts of the loss of the ''Home'' 1837-1843

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Home, SS Steamships Shipwrecks of the Carolina coast Maritime incidents in October 1837 1836 ships Paddle steamers