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In the distance appear tombstones inscribed with various disasters, including mine, railway, and ship accidents. Since this cartoon appeared a few weeks after the Bywell Castle, a large cargo ship, collided with the Princess Alice with the loss of 600 lives — almost certainly the worst Thames ship disaster ever — the foremost tombstone bearing the words “Steamboat Accident” (image) refers to that event.

Fun, which included an elegaic poem entitled “Off Woolwich, Sept. 3” on September 11th, complained in “Ghouls” about “the revolting and, to us, unnecessary details, described by some of our contemporaries, regarding the late calamities,” suggesting that “some of the London newspapers should combine, buy a coal-mine or two, start a railway company, also invest in some shaky steamboats. It does seem such a pity to be solely dependent on Providence for the supply of accident material. The morbid-minded portion of the public, who delight in gloating over senational nastiness, might have their appetites tickled at exactly the right moment if such a company (limited) were started” ([25 September 1878]: 127). — George P. Landow

Details of the Illustration above and Related Material

• “The Great Disaster on the Thames: Collision between the Princess Alice and the Bywell Castle, near Woolwich.” (major article)
• Operations at the Scene of the Disaster
• Crowd Outside the London Steam-Boat Company’s Office at Woolwich (illustration)
• The Saloon Steam-Boat Princess Alice (illustration)
• The Bywell Castle, Screw-Steam Collier, as she lay at Deptford after the Collision (illustration)

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Last modified 24 March 2016