The tragedy of neglect: the sinking of the SS Vestris.

Ninety-six years ago this week, on November 12, 1928, the passenger liner SS Vestris sank about 200 miles off the coast of Virginia. A total of 111 people died in the disaster. Though in human cost the Vestris disaster doesn’t rank with the most terrible ship losses of the 20th century, such as the Titanic, Lusitania or Empress of Ireland, in many ways what happened to this ship was even more shocking and sad than these other incidents. The loss of the Vestris was due to sheer negligence and was 100% preventable—in fact, a number of people aboard her knew the ship was doomed the moment she left port on that fateful last voyage.

Although she sailed in the age of floating palaces, Vestris was not superlative in anything—she wasn’t the largest, fastest or most luxurious liner afloat. She was a workhorse. Built in Ireland shortly before the First World War, Vestris was operated by the Lamport & Holt passenger company, usually sailing between New York and the South American ports on the River Plate (Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay). Vestris survived a torpedo attack while serving as a troopship during World War I and a fire shortly after it, but was still perfectly seaworthy. After the war she returned to her New York-South America duties. Unfortunately the Lamport & Holt company didn’t take very good care of the ship, and its crew and management was shoddy.