When the Largest Steamship Vanished: The SS President Mystery

When the Largest Steamship Vanished: The SS President Mystery

The largest steamship on Earth, carrying 136 souls including the United States Senate chaplain and celebrated actor Tyrone Power's great-grandfather, left New York on March 11, 1841-and no trace was ever found. How did a state-of-the-art luxury liner, followed even by Queen Victoria's concern, vanish without wreckage, bodies, or a final message?

In this episode, we follow the ship's design, voyages, passengers, and the decisions made before departure that shaped its fate to ask one question: did the disaster begin in a boardroom over a patent rather than at sea?

Person: Reverend George Washington Cookman Person: Tyrone Power (great-grandfather) Date: March 11, 1841 Event: Disappearance of SS President Builder: Curling and Young

- 136 people boarded the SS President in New York Harbor on March 11, 1841. - The ship was more than 25% larger than the British Queen and over 500 gross tons heavier. - The main saloon measured 80 by 34 feet and the vessel carried up to 154 passengers at capacity. - The President completed its inaugural westbound crossing in 16.5 days at an average of 8.4 knots. - Captain Richard Roberts's westbound crossing in February 1841 took 21 days, five days longer than the inaugural run.

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