Iron screw steamship Guillermo, built 1879 Thomas Royden,
Liverpool, for Serra Y Font, Bilbao. 1201 tons.
The SS Guillermo collided with SS Roman in the Mersey and was
beached at New Brighton on 21 November 1885. She was outward bound to
Havana. Position of beaching given as 600 yards S by E of New Brighton
Stage. There were no fatalities and some of her cargo was recovered.
MDHB cleared the wreck by blasting between February and July 1886.
Note that an earlier SS Guillermo (b 1872) was sunk by collision
off Anglesey 1879.
[from Liverpool Mercury - Monday 23 November 1885]:
COLLISION
IN THE RIVER. STEAMER SUNK. - Shortly after ten o'clock on Saturday
morning, as the steamer Guillermo, 1201 tons, belonging to Messrs. G.
H. Fletcher and Co. was leaving the river, bound for Havana with a
general cargo, she was ran into by the Roman, a cattle boat owned by
Mr. Richard Mills, which as inward bound from New York with cattle.
The Guillermo, which was struck on the port side astern, in about ten
minutes after the accident, sank. There was considerable excitement
during that time on the vessel, but it is satisfactory to be able to
state that all the members of her crew were saved - several of them by
getting on board the Roman, - and others by being taken on board the
Wallasey ferry steamer, the Crocus, which, being close by at the time
of the collision, went to render any assistance which might be
required. It seemed that the crew were unable to rescue any of their
effects, but we are informed that the mailbags were saved. The Roman,
which also sustained considerable damage about her bows, was able an
hour or two afterwards to steam slowly up to the Woodside stage, where
she landed her cattle, The Guillermo sank about opposite the
Magazines, and her yards, top of her funnel, and part of her port side
are to be seen above the water. The weather was very thick at the time
when the collision occurred. The captain of the Crocus said as soon as
he saw the accident he made to the vessels, and ordered his small
boats to be put off for assistance: but in the meantime those members
of the crew who had not jumped on board the Roman had got into their
own small boats, and were picked up.