Illustrated London News dated 3-2-1855
The iron built screw steamship Perseverance built by Messrs. C.J. Mare&Co. was bought by the British Government to replace the Prince lost off Balaclava, which was of the same line. Commanding officer was commander W.J.S. Pullen. She was to be masted and rigged at Sheerness but a new order sent her to the Woolwich Dockyard. She was there docked in the east dock and the masts were sent from Sheerness, to Woolwich. In the afternoon of Saturday 20th was at the Woolwich Dockyard were rigging and a great part of her fittings completed when there was an accident. It had already become clear that the used masts and rigging were more suitable for a frigate than a long and narrow steamship and it was feared that she would be top heavy. When tide rose was water let in, she was scarcely floated with shores removed when she swayed 3-4 times from side to side, then completely turned over her beam ends in the dock. WSith her foremast resting on the roof of the chapel over the sawmills, destroying 20-30 feet of the parapet but at the same time breaking her fall. Mainyard and foreyard broke. At that moment were 150 men on board, lucking enough just three were wounded.
She was before the Crimean War ordered as the Russian Sobraon, taken over by the British Government in 1854 and wrecked in 1860. The Crimean War found place between 16 October 1853-30 March 1856 between Ottoman Empire, France, United Kingdom and Sardinia at one side and Russia and Greece on the other side. The British Government chartered a large number of merchant ships for transporting troops and stores.
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