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Contributed by Deborah Marx 2007-06-25

Portland — The paddle wheel steamship Portland was one of the largest and most palatial vessels afloat in New England during the 1890s. Built in 1889 by, the steamer ran between Portland, Maine and Boston until its loss with all hands in 1898. The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (SBNMS), in partnership with the National Undersea Research Center at the University of Connecticut (NURC-UConn), visits Portland yearly with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to learn about the steamship's construction, why it sank, and the experiences of the passengers and crew during the storm. Portland's loss is New England's greatest steamship disaster prior to the year 1900. Four years of historical and archaeological studies by the sanctuary and NURC-UConn culminated in Portland's inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. The steamship is significant to the history of New England and more specifically to the history of Maine and Massachusetts. The steamship's remains are also the best preserved New England "night boat" yet located. The wooden-hulled paddle wheel steamship Portland measured 291 feet in total length with a maximum breadth of 68 feet. Built in 1889 by the New England Shipbuilding Company of Bath, Maine, the steamer was one of New England's largest and most luxurious side paddle wheel steamships, accommodating up to 800 passengers. For nearly 10 years Portland connected Boston, Massachusetts and Portland, Maine for the Portland Steam Packet Company (later renamed the Portland Steamship Company) without much notoriety. Portland carried thousands of passengers and tons of cargo along the New England coast and earned the reputation as a safe and dependable steamer. In the 1989, maritime researchers John Fish and Arnold Carr, located the wreck, however they did not posses conclusive photographic evidence of their find. In 2002, the sanctuary and NURC-UConn confirmed Portland's location with side scan sonar and ROV investigations of the wreck site. Portland lies upright on a mud bottom with its wooden hull nearly intact from the keel up to the main deck level. The vessel's entire superstructure is missing with only the steam propulsion machinery protruding above deck level. In addition to the wooden hull and engine, smaller cultural artifacts lie scattered inside and outside the hull providing a glimpse of the steamer's passengers and crew. For more information about the Portland and the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary visit: http://stellwagen.noaa.gov