Victoria (1880)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Victoria
• Type: Double-deck excursion stern-wheel paddle steamer
• Year Built: 1880
• Builder: Rebuilt from hull of Enterprise (burned 1879)
• Dimensions: Length approx. 80 ft (24.4 m); Beam approx. 23 ft (7.0 m); Depth of hold approx. 3 ft 10 in (1.17 m)
• Registered Tonnage:
• Depth at Wreck Site: 3.7 m / 12 ft
• Location: Thames River, London, Ontario
• Coordinates: N 42° 58.582′, W 81° 16.812′
• Original Owners: London & Waterworks Line / Thames Navigation Company

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Victoria was a shallow-draft, flat-bottomed stern-wheel paddle steamer rebuilt from the hull of the earlier vessel Enterprise. She was intended for river excursions between London and Springbank Park in Ontario, equipped with a 60 hp boiler and upper/lower passenger decks.

Description

The Victoria was a shallow-draft, flat-bottomed stern-wheel paddle steamer rebuilt from the hull of the earlier vessel Enterprise. She was intended for river excursions between London and Springbank Park in Ontario, equipped with a 60 hp boiler and upper/lower passenger decks.

History

Operating as a holiday excursion vessel on the Thames River, the Victoria was over-capacity on 24 May 1881. On return from Springbank Park, shifting passengers destabilized the overloaded vessel. The boiler broke free, collapsing the upper deck, leading to capsize and mass fatalities.

Significant Incidents

• On May 24, 1881, the steamboat Victoria capsized and sank in the Thames River near what is today Greenway Off-Leash Dog Park in Kensal Park, London, Ontario. The death toll is commonly cited as between 182 and 198, although no record of the actual count of passengers was ever taken.

Final Disposition

The vessel was lost due to overloading, poor structural integrity, and passenger movement. Salvage recovered bodies but much of the wreck was destroyed or buried. Little remains above sediment today.

Current Condition & Accessibility

No modern wreck survey exists. Site is marked near Greenway Park, London, Ontario, by a heritage plaque. Exact wreck coordinates are approximate.

Resources & Links

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Most victims were London-area residents. Memorial plaque is at the site. Victim lists are compiled on genealogy databases. Many buried in local cemeteries.