Twice She Struck: The Story of RMS Rhone

On October 29, 1867, a powerful hurricane smashed into the Caribbean Virgin Islands, resulting in loss of lives, shipping, and property on an unprecedented scale. The Rhone, pride of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company fleet, fell victim to the storm, crashing onto Salt Island in the British Virgin Islands before splitting in two and sinking with most of her crew and passengers. After being forgotten about for more than a century, this Victorian shipwreck today captivates divers, snorkelers, sailors, historians, explorers, photographers, and daydreaming schoolchildren. The following is an account of Rhone’s story, both above and below the water.