Emergencies and World Disasters
When the Light Lied: How Pomona's Captain Mistook the Shore
20 min•28 september 2026
Om avsnittet
When the Light Lied: How Pomona's Captain Mistook the Shore
Fear of a single misread light doomed 424 people when a Liverpool-New York packet struck a sandbank at 4:00 AM on April 28, 1859 - was one missed sounding the difference between safety and catastrophe? The wreck left 424 dead, a board of inquiry, and a ship still on the Wexford seabed; what exactly did the passengers step into that night?
In this episode, we present the voyage of the Pomona, describe the ship's build and passenger makeup, and follow the navigational mistake that led to the disaster - could a single sounding have revealed the truth about the light?
Ship: Pomona
Date: April 28, 1859
Person: Captain Charles Merrihew
Location: County Wexford, Irish Sea
Deaths: 424
- The Pomona ran hard onto a sandbank at 4:00 AM on April 28, 1859.
- The ship carried 448 people total: 7 cabin, 393 intermediate, 44 crew, plus 4 unrecorded passengers.
- The Pomona was built in East Boston in September 1856 and measured 1,181 tons burthen.
- The light seen off the bow was actually the Blackwater Bank lightship, anchored about 20 miles up the coast from where the captain believed he was.
- A Board of Trade inquiry convened within ten days and centered on the captain's decision not to take soundings after sighting the light.
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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
Fear of a single misread light doomed 424 people when a Liverpool-New York packet struck a sandbank at 4:00 AM on April 28, 1859 - was one missed sounding the difference between safety and catastrophe? The wreck left 424 dead, a board of inquiry, and a ship still on the Wexford seabed; what exactly did the passengers step into that night?
In this episode, we present the voyage of the Pomona, describe the ship's build and passenger makeup, and follow the navigational mistake that led to the disaster - could a single sounding have revealed the truth about the light?
Ship: Pomona
Date: April 28, 1859
Person: Captain Charles Merrihew
Location: County Wexford, Irish Sea
Deaths: 424
- The Pomona ran hard onto a sandbank at 4:00 AM on April 28, 1859.
- The ship carried 448 people total: 7 cabin, 393 intermediate, 44 crew, plus 4 unrecorded passengers.
- The Pomona was built in East Boston in September 1856 and measured 1,181 tons burthen.
- The light seen off the bow was actually the Blackwater Bank lightship, anchored about 20 miles up the coast from where the captain believed he was.
- A Board of Trade inquiry convened within ten days and centered on the captain's decision not to take soundings after sighting the light.
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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