An English passenger named Charles Sansom on board the Ercolano gave the following statement to the Newspaper the Parlamento of Turin: “After having supped with Sir Robert Peel, I went on deck to smoke a cigar. The night was very dark, and the sea exceedingly rough. I was walking backwards and forwards, and was astonished at not seeing anyone at the helm. The captain was in his cabin. I perceived a light at a certain distance, and I informed the helmsman, who made no reply. I repeated my warning with uneasiness, because it appeared to me that the light was coming towards us.”

Ship Type: Paddle Wheel Steam Ship 

Tonnage: 340 tons 

Nationality: Italian 

Year Wrecked: 1854

Location Wrecked between Nice and Antibes 

Reason for Wreck: Collision with the ship the Sicilia 

Lives Lost: 48

Sources: 

https://newspaperarchive.com/guardian-may-24-1854-p-3/

https://newspaperarchive.com/hobart-colonial-times-jul-19-1854-p-2/

https://newspaperarchive.com/london-ladys-newspaper-may-06-1854-p-2/

https://newspaperarchive.com/castlemaine-mount-alexander-mail-jul-29-1854-p-4/

https://newspaperarchive.com/london-express-may-02-1854-p-4/

https://books.google.com/books?id=kY00AAAAMAAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=Ercolano+Sicilia+collision&source=gbs_navlinks_s

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/202632060?searchTerm=ercolano

https://books.google.com/books?id=uB0-gwxTKxIC&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=giovanni+carson+sicilia+1854&source=gbs_navlinks_s

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hnxc9s&seq=16

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179814575?searchTerm=ercolano

https://newspapers.library.wales/view/4348145/4348146/2/ercolano

https://newspapers.library.wales/view/4584860/4584864/21/ercolano

https://newspapers.library.wales/view/4584985/4584987/8/ercolano

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12957519

https://books.google.com/books?id=jWUZAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22Ercolano%22+genoa+marseille&source=gbs_navlinks_s