Aug. 24, 1848 the sailing ship Ocean Monarch burned and sank off Great Orme's Head, Wales. The ship, built
in 1843, owned by the Train Line of Boston was an immigrant carrier and was carrying 396 people including
the crew. She departed Liverpool bound for Boston when a fire was reported to Capt. James Murdoch who
ordered the ship turned into the wind to minimize the possibility that it would spread the fire. This maneuver
proved to be futile as the fire rapidly spread and panic erupted onboard. It is this panic that is mostly
responsible for the high number of casualties.

How the fire started is still unclear as there are several differing accounts but it is clear that it began at the
stern and soon was out of control. At least three other vessels were in the area including the Brazilian frigate
Affonso which was conducting trials, a yacht named Queen of the Ocean and the American packet New World
all of which came to the rescue of the Ocean Monarch.

As the fire consumed the ship panic ensued, women and children jumping overboard to escape the flames,
not waiting for the boats to be lowered, sank into the waters of the Irish Sea never to be seen again. While
Murdoch managed to get two boats launched the rest were lost to the flames. It was reported that the two
boats that were launched headed for Liverpool and made no attempt to rescue others as they should have.

Onboard the situation was grim for those who remained, fire was everywhere and had spread to the masts, the mizzen went first then the main followed by the foremast and the jib boom where several people were hanging
on to avoid the flames, most drowned. While the capt. tried to keep order the desperate passengers, not
accustom to the sea, were completely out of control. Jumping overboard anywhere they could making rescue
more difficult, many paid with their lives. But who can blame them, all they can see is fire and nowhere to go
but the sea. Can one who has never experienced such horror judge the actions of those who have?

The rescue ships were now converging on the scene and the Queen of the Ocean launched her boats saving
thirty two lives. Affonso launched four boats, one manned by the Marquis d'Lisboa and another by Prince de
Joinville, both saved many lives. The Prince was singled out for his extraordinary efforts in the rescue. A
seaman from the packet New World actually boarded the Ocean Monarch and saved one hundred people by
lowering them over the side while the ship burned around him. He stayed at the risk of his own life until all
others had been removed from the ship.

By mid afternoon the Ocean Monarch had burned to the waterline and would sink shortly, capt. Murdoch who
survived, was picked up by the Queen of the Ocean and two hundred and seventeen others by her and the
other two ships but sadly one hundred and seventy nine perished in the conflagration. The actual number could
be higher as many children of immigrants may not have been on the passenger manifest. After the disaster
several passengers claimed that the crew had been derelict in their duty to the passengers and made little
attempt to save them putting their energy into self preservation however, capt. Murdoch seemed to have done
what he could to keep order among the chaos.