RMS Amazon

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Career (Great Britain)
Contemporary engraving of loss of Amazon
Builder:	R & H Green, Blackwall, London
Laid down:	September 1, 1850
Launched:	June 28, 1851
Homeport:	London
Fate:	Sunk January 3, 1852 following fire, 110 miles (180 km) west-south-west of Scilly
General characteristics
Displacement:	2,250 long tons (2,290 MT)
Length:	300 feet (91 m)
Beam:	42 feet (13 m) over paddle boxes
Draught:	21 feet 7 inches (6.6 m)
Propulsion:	Two side-lever reciprocating engines each producing 800 hp (597 kW) at 14 rpm. Two paddle wheels, 40 feet 8 inches (12.4 m) diameter.
Speed:	– service speed: 11 knots (20 km/h)
Complement:	162 (maiden voyage) Passengers: 50 Crew: 112 Survivors: 21 (estimate)

For other uses, see Amazon (disambiguation).

RMS Amazon was a wooden paddle wheel mail steamer of the Royal Mail Packet Company.

Amazon was laid down on September 1, 1850 at Green's shipyard, Blackwall, London and launched on June 28, 1851.

Amazon departed from Southampton for the West Indies on Friday January 2, 1852, commanded by Captain Symons. At about 12:45 AM on the morning of Sunday January 4, while about 110 miles (180 km) west-south-west of Scilly, a fire suddenly broke out and soon became uncontrollable. Attempts were made to launch the ship's boats but were hampered by the iron cranes that had been fitted and only two were successfully launched. At about 5 AM the ship's magazine exploded and she sank about a half hour later.

21 (estimated) survivors were picked up by the ship Marsden and landed at Plymouth.

The cause of the fire remains unknown to this day, but contemporary reports state that due to the newness of her machinery, it had been necessary to keep the bearings cooled with water and that it had been necessary to stop the ship for about four hours to cool them down.

Her cargo was estimated at about £100,000 and included £20,300 in specie and 500 bottles of mercury for mining use worth about £5,150.