Steamship · lost 1895 · Firth of Clyde, United Kingdom
Wallachia
Captain Walton had just enough warning to clear his men off the forecastle before the Norwegian steamer Flos loomed out of the fog and drove into the starboard bow of the Wallachia. She had left Glasgow for Trinidad and Demerara with twenty-one crew, one passenger and a general cargo of spirits, beer, acids and earthenware, and had already grounded briefly off Innellan.
One lifeboat capsized as it was lowered, but everyone got away in the others and rowed to Toward Lighthouse. Twenty-five minutes after the impact she sank bow first with a violent explosion. She sits upright on mud, the collision gash still visible and her holds still carrying bottled McEwans beer and earthenware acid jars.
- Type
- Steamship
- Lost
- 1895Explosion
- Depth
- 34 m
- Location
- Firth of Clyde, United KingdomFirth of Clyde
Deeper than 108 of the 185 wrecks on the map with a recorded depth.
History and LossLost 1895 · Explosion · Firth of Clyde, United Kingdom.
She left Queen's Dock, Glasgow, at 10am on 29th September 1895, and fog held her off the Tail of the Bank around noon. Just before 4pm she grounded off Innellan Pier and refloated on the rising tide; soon afterwards the 1406-ton Flos struck her starboard side ten feet from the stem.
The Flos kept her engines ahead to hold the two ships together while the boats were launched, and a plan to tow her into shallow water was abandoned when the Flos backed away.
Lost 1895, explosion.
Condition of the WreckIntact.
Intactness
She sits upright on mud, her bow pointing roughly north. A salvage ship took off her masts in October 1895. Part of the foremast rests across the middle hold.
Notable Features
- Boilers
- Cargo remains
- Winch
Sea-Surface Temperature by Month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surface temp | 8.2° | 7.2° | 7.1° | 8.1° | 10° | 12.1° | 14° | 14.6° | 13.8° | 12.4° | 11.2° | 9.7° |
Additional Details9 further fields held for this wreck and not shown above.
- Propulsion
- Steam
- Loss date
- 1895
- Latitude
- 55.8613° N
- Longitude
- 4.9531° W
- Water body
- Firth of Clyde
- War grave
- No
- Protected
- No
- Permit required
- No
- Condition
- Intact
Sources and VerificationEvery fact on this page traces to a published source.
- Historic Environment Scotland (Canmore, NRHE)inspire.hes.scot · Official record5 facts
- UK Hydrographic Officedatahub.admiralty.co.uk · Official record3 facts
- NOAA / NASA JPL MUR SST v4.1coastwatch.pfeg.noaa.gov · Institution or archive1 fact
- Scottish Shipwrecksscottishshipwrecks.com · Secondary source9 facts
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Historic Environment Scotland.
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright and database right.
- JPL MUR MEaSUREs Project. GHRSST Level 4 MUR Global Foundation Sea Surface Temperature Analysis (v4.1). PO.DAAC. https://doi.org/10.5067/GHGMR-4FJ04
A further 6 fields were derived from the wreck’s recorded position rather than taken from a source.
Licences and credits for the open data used on this site are on the Attribution page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Wallachia?
Wallachia is the wreck of a steamship, off Firth of Clyde, United Kingdom, at 34 metres. Wallachia was destroyed by an explosion in 1895.
How deep is the Wallachia?
Wallachia lies at approximately 34 metres, Firth of Clyde.
How did the Wallachia sink?
Wallachia was destroyed by an explosion on 1895, off Firth of Clyde, United Kingdom.