Subscribe to download
SS Fluorite

SS Fluorite was the second cargo ship owned by Gem Line. She was also the second Gem Line ship without sails. Though this decreased her speed. She was chartered out in 1900 and in 1901, was given back to the Gem Line. She was chartered in 1906 again and she had a famous incident in 1909. She was steaming towards a rock and the sudden astern switch caused her to lose 3 of her 4 propeller blades. She ran aground in 1911 and was deemed a total loss. Her superstructure was scrapped but her hull drifted to open water and sank.
Unlike her four masted sister, she would only fly 3 masts after the main mast was deemed useless. Her middle mast was painted black to hide the soot.