Cospatrick (ship)

The Cospatrick - The Graphic 9 Jan. 1875, from a photograph taken just before she sailed from Gravesend
History
United Kingdom
NameCospatrick
Acquired1862 by Smith, Fleming & Co.
Commissioned1856
FateDestroyed by fire south of Cape of Good Hope in 1874
General characteristics
Class & typeBlackwall Frigate
Tonnage1,199 GRT
Length191 ft (58 m)
Beam34 ft (10 m)
Depth of hold23 ft 6 in (7.2 m)
PropulsionSail
Sail planfull-rigged ship
Complement44

Cospatrick was a wooden three-masted full-rigged sailing ship that caught fire south of the Cape of Good Hope early on 18 November 1874, while on a voyage from Gravesend, England, to Auckland, New Zealand. Only three of the 472 persons on board survived the disaster, which is often considered the worst in New Zealand's history.