1897 Rodrigues Island Incident

The **1897 Rodrigues Island Incident** (French: Incident de l'île Rodrigues) or the **Sinking of SS La Touraine** took place over a period roughly spanning from February 16 to February 25, 1897. The disaster is believed to have occurred southeast of Rodrigues Island and caused by a large hurricane. The SS La Touraine was carrying 116 passengers at the time of its last recorded census, among whom was Frédéric, Prince Imperial. It is presumed that all passengers on board perished.

The tragic death of the Prince Imperial had a profound impact globally. Despite extensive efforts to locate the entire ship, only small fragments of it have been discovered. The search for the remaining wreckage continued for some time but gradually waned in significance after the outbreak of the Second Napoleonic War.

## Background

On July 18, 1896, Frédéric, Prince Imperial was ordered by his father Jerome I to travel the vast colonial empire of the French Empire. The main objective behind his order was to publicize his son and to boost the moral in French Africa. The Emperor gave the King of Rome the option to choose his liner he wishes to board and the latter ultimately picked the SS La Touraine.

### From Calais to Bordeaux

The Prince Imperial, Frédéric, embarked on the SS La Touraine (going to Bordeaux) on August 29, 1896, from the Port of Calais. He was initially accompanied by a retinue of 300 royal, political, and wealthy guests. During the voyage, he had the opportunity to interact with various affluent businessmen and members of the aristocracy. Unfortunately, the Prince's conduct and manners left much to be desired. On one occasion, he accidentally stepped on a lady's foot, causing her considerable discomfort.

The ship made a stop at Cherbourg to take on additional passengers who had been invited to meet the prince. However, reports in the media indicated that several passengers chose to disembark, apparently unimpressed by their encounter with Frédéric.

The SS La Touraine arrived in Bordeaux earlier than expected on the morning of August 30, 1896. Upon his arrival, a enthusiastic public crowd greeted the Prince Imperial, and he embarked on a four-day tour of the city. During his stay, he had a meeting with the mayor, Alfred Daney, and participated in a dinner hosted by the mayor.

Throughout the tour, Frédéric visited several significant landmarks in Bordeaux, including the Place de la Bourse. However, an incident occurred during this visit when the Prince slipped on a rock, leading to a public commotion and outcry.

### From Bordeaux to Caracas

Following his visit to Bordeaux, the Prince Imperial continued his journey aboard the SS La Touraine on September 3, this time with a reduced crowd of approximately 120 passengers, primarily consisting of his close entourage. At this point, a change of plans occurred, with the destination being shifted to Caracas, Kingdom of Venezuela. Initially, Mexico City had been selected as the visiting city; however, concerns about security threats prompted the change in plans.

At his arrival on September 12, Frédéric was greeted by his uncle, Xavier I and his eldest son. He was expected to stay in the South America for 14 days, but technical problems in the ship forced him to stay longer, i.e. 3 weeks. He has also made several trips to the Amazon Forrest and reportedly got lost for few hours. There were also several hearsays originating from Brazilian outlets that an Amazonian tribe held the Prince and his company hostage until a sum was paid in return.

In a poor emotional and physical state, the King of Rome made his way back to the SS La Touraine and departed on October 3, 1896. This time, he was joined by only 115 passengers. Interestingly, several potential passengers did not reach the port in time, and Frédéric ordered the captain not to wait for them, seemingly in a rush to depart.

### From Caracas to Gabon

The liner then crossed the Atlantic in 7 days and arrived at Libreville, French Equatorial Africa. During the crossing, those accompanying the prince noticed a significant change in his demeanor. He became remarkably silent and reserved. There were also speculations that he had started an intimate relationship with one of his servants around that time.

On the afternoon of October 10, he reached his destination and was welcomed by a small crowd of colonial leaders and pro-French native chiefs. He had a meeting with the colonial administrator, Charles de Chavannes, who later stated that the Prince showed great interest in his work and in the broader history of Africa.

He remained in French Africa for approximately a month as part of his father's plan to strengthen the reputation and loyalty of African leaders towards France. During his stay, he forged friendships with many local tribesmen and even requested to extend the visit on several occasions. However, by the end of the month, he was exceedingly exhausted from the journey and activities.

### From Gabon to Namibia

He departed behind schedule on November 21, 1896, heading for Walvis Bay in American South West Africa and arrived two days later. There, he greeted the American commissioner and was quite impressed by several technological advancements observed in the colony.

However, his main objective for visiting Namibia was to reach the South African Republic and meet with the Boers. The journey was perilous, but he received reluctant permission from British administrators to pass through British land. He spent approximately one month in the region and forged several friendships with the Afrikaans, including Christiaan de Wet.

During his time in South Africa, he devoted most of his days to sightseeing and exploring the vast safari landscapes of the region.

### From Namibia to Hiernymousinsel

He finally left Namibia on Christmas Eve, 1896 and celebrated the holiday with his cortege on the sea. It was clear to him that the main objective of the trip was to reach Nouvelle-Hollande by March of next year. He made a stop at Lannesburg on December 30, Hiernymousinsel Mandate and spent around one month meeting the European population.

His journey to Hiernymousinsel was characterized as highly unproductive, as the King of Rome made only sporadic appearances. He had aspirations of exploring the island in greater depth, particularly its inland regions, but the local administration thwarted his plans due to ongoing hostilities with the native population. Moreover, it was reported that the natives frequently hurled curses at him during his stay.

### From Hiernymousinsel to Mauritius

He departed from Lannesburg on January 20, 1897, leaving his initial plan behind. His next destination was Port Louis on the island of Mauritius. He arrived there on January 24 and wasted no time disembarking from the ship to explore the island. In fact, visiting Mauritius had been one of his childhood dreams.

During his stay in Mauritius, he rested in a luxurious mansion situated on the outskirts of the capital city and engaged happily with the nearby indigenous tribes.

As his presence became known to every individual on the island, they organized a grand festival with thousands of ordinary civilians and indigenous people, all enjoying the company of the prince. It was during this time that he composed a small poem, expressing his admiration for the beauty of the Island of Mauritius.

## Event

### From Mauritius to Rodrigues Island

The SS La Touraine, which was clearly showing signs of defects, was initially expected to undergo maintenance and then return to Calais. A planned Nouvelle-Hollandais liner was supposed to arrive to transport the Prince to Éleuthérie. However, a sudden change in plans forced the La Touraine back into service.

Frédéric postponed his departure from the island from February 1, 1897, to February 14. When he finally embarked on the liner, he appeared to be in a gloomy and sad mood, possibly due to his emotional attachment to the beloved island.

Despite several administrators' attempts to convince the ship's captain to wait until the next morning due to the darkness, their proposal was ignored. The SS La Touraine departed Port Louis at 5:12 PM on February 14, 1897, with a final passenger count of 116 individuals on board.

The last known sighting of the SS La Touraine in motion was near Rodrigues Island at midnight on February 15, 1897.

### Disappearance

The ship was expected to arrive at Éleuthérie by the latest on February 25. The arrival was planned to be highly ceremonial, with large crowds awaiting his arrival. Each day passed with the population waiting, but La Touraine did not appear. By the morning of the 26th, concern grew among the public. Several attempts to contact the ship via radiotelegraphy were made, but there was no response.

On the 30th, it became increasingly apparent that something had gone terribly wrong. Speculation arose that the ship might have returned to Mauritius due to adverse weather conditions or navigational errors. Later that day, it was officially confirmed that the SS La Touraine was reported missing.

### News to Paris

By the 30th, news had reached Paris that the Prince and the SS La Touraine had been officially declared lost. Upon hearing this news, Emperor Jerome I initially believed it to be a mere hoax created by sensationalist magazines practicing yellow journalism. However, as days passed without any updates, Jerome I grew increasingly anxious. He promptly ordered a search for the missing ship and instructed his advisors to keep him updated on the situation regularly.

## Search Missions

### First Phase

The initial ocean expedition in search of the prince commenced on March 1, 1897, approximately two weeks after the ship was last sighted. This search mission spanned from Nouvelle-Hollande to Rodrigues Island and persisted for about ten months during its first phase. On March 12, fragments of the ship's stern were located and subjected to extensive investigation. At that juncture, it was widely believed that the ship had indeed sunk, though the exact circumstances surrounding its sinking remained a topic of debate among researchers.

### Second Phase

Approximately two months following the conclusion of the initial investigation, meteorologists reported evidence of a hurricane that had taken place from approximately February 16 to 25. The hurricane's location was pinpointed south of Rodrigues Island, prompting the resumption of search efforts in the area. Despite the discovery of some traces of copper atoms in the water, no significant findings or wreckage were unearthed during this phase of the search.

### Third Phase

In November 1897, Antoine Joffre, a night-time shift supervisor at the Nouvelle-Hollandais radiotelegraphy center, reported that he had heard some unusual sounds emanating from the transmitters at around 2 AM on February 24, 1897. This report prompted a thorough investigation, but despite the efforts made, no concrete evidence linking these sounds to the SS La Touraine was discovered.

### Additional Phases

Despite some initial investigations, none of them yielded significant results, and the efforts to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of the SS La Touraine and the Prince Imperial significantly dwindled after the outbreak of the Second Napoleonic War. Nevertheless, several adventurers still try to solve the disappearance. The mystery surrounding this tragic incident remains unresolved to this day.

## Official Report

On February 15, 1900, 3 years after the event, the search exploration group authorities published their first and final report to the public surrounding the disappearance.

The SS La Touraine was a modern passenger liner of its time, constructed with steel and equipped with advanced safety features. However, even with its robust materials, it was not immune to the ferocity of the cyclone. On the fateful day, the waters southeast of Rodrigues Island was in the midst of a severe tropical cyclone. The weather was characterized by heavy rainfall, powerful winds exceeding 100 knots, and turbulent seas. The cyclone had developed over the Indian Ocean and had been tracking towards the island for several days.

As the cyclone's intensity increased, the ship's crew would have faced considerable challenges in maintaining control. Initial signs of trouble likely included the ship's erratic movements, intense rocking, and difficulties in maintaining course. It is believed that as the SS La Touraine neared the south of Rodrigues Island, it encountered the most violent part of the cyclone. The combination of strong winds and turbulent seas proved catastrophic.

As the cyclone's fury intensified, the ship's structural integrity was compromised. It is speculated that the vessel may have taken on water due to breaches in the hull caused by the battering waves. Distress signals would have been futile in such extreme conditions, making it impossible for the ship to call for assistance.

One of the most perplexing aspects of this tragedy is the apparent absence of lifeboat deployment. The extreme weather conditions and the vessel's rapidly deteriorating condition likely rendered any attempts to launch lifeboats perilous and ineffective.

## Aftermath

### Funeral

The funeral held in November 1879 for Frédéric, Prince Imperial, was a solemn and somber occasion, attended by Emperor Jerome I and his younger sibling, Charles (later Emperor Charles I). He had been declared King of Rome and Prince Imperial by his father, Jerome I, in the absence of his older brother.

The funeral ceremony was shrouded in mystery, as Frédéric's body was not present. Instead, a fake coffin was used to symbolize his passing.

Remarkably, Jerome I never publicly acknowledged his son's death and continued to hold onto the belief that Frédéric had simply vanished without a trace.

### Popular Culture

The life story of Frédéric and his demise is adapted by Edmond Rostand in his famous play *Le Roi de Rome*.