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18 November
1874 Cospatrick fire kills 470
En route to Auckland with immigrants, the Cospatrick caught fire and sank off South Africa's Cape of Good Hope. Although the tragedy happened far from New Zealand, it has been described as this country's worst civil disaster.
When the Cospatrick finally sank, 40 hours after the fire had been discovered, two lifeboats were left floating on the empty sea, with 62 survivors – passengers and crew – aboard. Lacking food or water, the lifeboats became separated and one was never seen again.
The second boat was found by a passing British ship 10 days after the fire. Only five of its occupants were still alive, and two of those died soon after being rescued. Of the 473 aboard when the ship caught fire, only three survived.
Image: fire on the Cospatrick (Te Ara)
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