SS Utopia

Sketch of the sinking of Utopia by a witness, Ms. Georgina Smith
History
Name	SS Utopia
Operator	Anchor Line
Route	Transatlantic
Builder	Robert Duncan & Co., Glasgow
Launched	14 February 1874
Maiden voyage	23 May 1874
Refit	1890–91
Fate	Sank in Gibraltar on 17 March 1891. Scrapped in 1900.
General characteristics
Tonnage	2,371 GRT[1]
Length	350 ft (110 m)[1]
Beam	35 ft (11 m)[1]
Propulsion	Triple expansion steam engine
Speed	13 knots (24 km/h)[1]

SS Utopia was a transatlantic passenger steamship built in 1874 by Robert Duncan & Co of Glasgow. From 1874 to 1882 she operated on Anchor Line routes from Glasgow to New York City, from Glasgow to Bombay and from London to New York City. After 1882 she carried Italian immigrants to the United States.

On 17 March 1891 Utopia accidentally collided with the moored battleship HMS Anson in the Bay of Gibraltar. Utopia sank within 20 minutes; with a loss of 562^[2] of 880 passengers and crew of Utopia and two rescuers from HMS Immortalité died in the accident. The sinking of Utopia was blamed on "grave error of judgement" of her captain John McKeague, who survived the accident.