When the German steamship Vulcan was built in the late 1800s, modern steamships were on the verge of putting sailing ships out of business. The steam engines were not considered entirely reliable, though, and the masts of the steamships were retained for a transitional period.
Deep: 18-20 metres
Build: 1872
Length: 44.7 metres
Width: 7.5 metres
Shipwreck: 1873
Ship type: Cargo steamer
In May 1873 the Vulcan had loaded 500 tonnes of rye in Kronstadt, outside Saint Petersburg, for onward transport to Bremen. But she never reached her destination, instead capsizing and sinking on 28 May outside Fårö Missloper on the northeast coast of Gotland.
A few weeks after the sinking, a wreckage auction was held in Fårösund. Among the items salvaged from the wreck site were two nearly new cutters, sails, blocks and ropes.
The shipwreck is preserved to a length of about 40 metres, and the main wreck area lies at a depth of 18–20 metres. Parts of the stem, the stern with rudder, and the entire steam boiler and engine have been preserved. The stem, which protrudes 1–2 metres above the seafloor, is relatively intact with starboard side up.
Part of the pine deck can be found on the port side of the steam boiler. The boiler, with engine and propeller shaft, is estimated to be in its original location in the remains. The large steam boiler is 2.5 metres in diameter and 2.7 metres long.
Since research on this type of ship is neglected, the Vulcan provides us with information and stories about a time when the Industrial Revolution took off in earnest and forever came to change the world.
The Vulcan has been assessed by the County Administrative Board of Gotland to be a historically valuable wreck and has thus been declared an ancient monument.
Deep: 18-20 metres
Build: 1872
Length: 44.7 metres
Width: 7.5 metres
Shipwreck: 1873
Ship type: Cargo steamer
