The Circus Ship: The Royal Tar Tragedy

The Royal Tar was a Canadian steamship built in 1835. On October 25, 1836, the ship was on voyage from Eastport, Maine to Portland, Maine. On board were 72 passengers, 21 crew, and a large caravan of animals that were part of a traveling menagerie. The caravan included horses, lions, camels, a tiger, birds, reptiles, and even an elephant. when the ship's boiler ran dry due to a leak. When the boiler became red hot, it ignited the timber and supports above. The crew was unable to control the fire, and were forced to save themselves. Panic ensued, with passengers, crew, and terrified animals trying to avoid the fire. Animals and people jumped overboard, in a horrifying scene. 32 people and all of the animals except for 2 horses perished. Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All episodes can be found at https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com. Original theme music by Sean Sigfried. Go AD-FREE by becoming a Patreon Officer's Club Member! Join at ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/shipwreckspod⁠⁠⁠ Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs Merchandise is available! ⁠⁠https://shop.shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠ You can support the podcast with a donation of any amount at: ⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/shipwreckspod⁠⁠ Join the Into History Network for ad-free access to this and many other fantastic history podcasts! ⁠⁠https://www.intohistory.com/shipwreckspod⁠⁠ Follow Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs ⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Follow on BlueSky⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Follow on Threads⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Follow on Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Follow on Facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices