Guttenburg

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This article is about the sea vessel. For the inventor, see Johannes Gutenberg. For other uses, see Guttenberg.

The Guttenburg, a German brig of 170 tons met with hurricane force wind in thick fog and snow of the Goodwin sands, Ramsgate, which drove the brig onto the "south sand head" where it capsized during the storm. The Guttenburg had been carrying 14 survivors from the Canton, which she had found dis-masted and waterlogged off the coast of Newfoundland. The survivors of the Canton wreck were rescued and later delivered safely into the hands of the Walmer lugger Cosmopolite in a chance meeting off of Dover. After that, the Guttenburg continued on, only to become trapped upon the Goodwin Sands; distress signals were fired but were not seen by the harbor authorities because of the weather.

The Deal boatman Stephen Pritchard sent a telegram to Ramsgate harbor, asking for the lifeboat there to be launched. The lifeboat Northumberland, pulled by the Ramsgate steam tugboat Aid began to make a rescue attempt, but the boatmen and harbor tug men were prevented from leaving the harbor by the harbormaster, because he had not received the distress call by the proper means, and regulations had not been observed.

This delay resulted in the deaths of 23 male passengers and crew (including the Deal pilot, Henry Pearson) and six female passengers. The harbormaster was later charged with neglect, but retained his post. James Hogben had been master of the Northumberland since 1852, but never went to sea again, due to the harbormaster's reluctance to act. Isaac Jarman was chosen to occupy the retired coxswain’s position, and held the position of Ramsgate coxswain for ten years, to be followed in 1871 by Charles Fish.