Page 490 - Jarvis & Wright: Jamaica Display to RPSL
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Maritime Jamaica: Crashes and Wrecks.
The Wreck of the S.S. Ailsa, 1896.
The Atlas Line of Liverpool, owned by Leech, Harrison & Forwood, operated ships carrying fruit and
mail between the West Indies and New York. The Atlas Line’s S.S. Ailsa was Glasgow built, 1330
tons registered. When outbound from New York she was anchored in New York harbour in thick fog
when the much larger French transatlantic steamer La Bourgogne of the Compagnie Générale
Transatlantique rammed her. The Ailsa’s Captain tried to run her aground, but she sank, albeit
beached in the shallow water of the harbour.
(As a footnote, La Bourgogne’s affinity for fog culminated in 1898 when she was accidentally rammed
and sunk by the by the British sailing ship Cromartyshire in thick fog.)
The mail was salvaged, wet, from the Ailsa wreck and forwarded. When it arrived in Jamaica, the
postmaster, George Pearce, had a label printed, probably by the Jamaica Government printer, dated
17 April 1896 that was affixed to the back of each cover to explain the delay and any damage.
Salvaged cover from Canada to
Kingston.
Canada adhesive washed off.
GPO Jamaica label 17 April 96.
Kingston: 18 April 96.
Returned to Canada.
Boston: 27 April 96.
Toronto: 28 April 96.
