Providence (1866) - Service History - Collisions and Other Accidents

Collisions and Other Accidents

Over the course of her 29-year career, Providence was involved in several collisions and other accidents. The more significant of these are listed below.

On September 10, 1875, one of Providence's paddleboxes was damaged in a heavy storm off Point Judith, and the ship was forced to turn around and return slowly to Newport for repairs. On September 28, 1877, a schooner accidentally rammed Providence, the bowsprit penetrating through two staterooms to the inner saloon, but fortunately no-one was injured. On October 19, 1880, off Watch Hill, the port shaft of the eastbound Providence broke. A small propeller steamer named Albatross initially attempted a tow, but the larger City of Fitchburg then arrived on the scene and towed the stricken Providence back to Newport. Mechanical repairs took about two weeks.

Providence's most serious accident occurred on June 22, 1887. At high tide, the steamer ran into the sand spit southeast of Hog Island, and could not be refloated for several weeks. The hull suffered considerable damage, requiring extended repairs, and the steamer City of Worcester (1881) was chartered to operate in her place while the repairs were effected. The following year, Providence was involved in another serious accident when she ran into and sank the steam yacht Adelaide.