The 7 Deadliest Shipwrecks of South Jersey
When you see the word shipwreck most people immediately think of the Titanic. However, throughout history the South Jersey coast has been the final resting place for many ships. There have been almost 5,000 known shipwrecks off of the New Jersey coast. Some more deadly than others.
We took a look at a database created by NJMaritimeMuseum.org to determine the most deadly shipwrecks off our shore. Their list included ships and blimps. It also included ships that were run aground on purpose and crew killed after the fact.
- 7
Miraflores (1942)
The Miraflores was a U.S. freighter carrying fruit from Haiti to New York when it was struck by a torpedo from a U-Boat in 1942 off the coast in Cape May. The ship had 34 crew members and no survivors.
- 6
Cayru (1942)
Cayru was a Brazilian freighter steam ship built in 1919 in Pennsylvania. It sank off of the coast in Stone Harbor after being hit by a torpedo by a U-Boat. The ship was headed to New York City with 75 crew members and 10 passengers. 38 people died.
- 5
R P Rasor (1942)
R P Resor was a New Jersey oil tanker built in 1936. 48 people died after being hit by a torpedo by a U-Boat. The shipwreck occurred in February of 1942 in the Barnegat Inlet. There were 50 crew members, with only 2 survivors.
- 4
Vizcaya (1890)
The Vizcaya aka Spanish Wreck was a Spanish passenger cargo ship built in 1872. The ship collided with the Cornelius Hargraves in the Barnegat Inlet in 1890. The Vizcaya was carrying $350,000 worth of cargo in merchandise. The ship lost 69 people.
- 3
Jacob Jones (1942)
The USS Jacob Jones (DD-130) was a U.S. Navy destroyer built in 1918. The ship shares its name with the USS Jacob Jones (DD-61) which was wrecked off the coast of England in 1917. In 1942 the Navy detroyer was struck by a U-Boat torpedo off the coast of Cape May killing 109 out of the 120 crew members on board.
- 2
Mermaid HMS (1779)
The Mermaid HMS was a English merchant ship built in 1761. The ship was chased ashore in Egg Harbor killing 150 out of the 170 crew members.
- 1
Powhatan (1854)
The Powhatan was a U.S. packet ship built in 1837. The ship was built in Baltimore and was sailing from Havre, France to New York, New York. The ship was stranded in a blinding snowstorm killing 340 passengers/crew members.