Perhaps the most tragic shipwreck ever to occur in the waters around the Islands was that of the Schiller in 1875 which signalled the death of 335 men women and children. The Schiller was a German Ferry, one of the largest ocean going ships of her day, she had set off from New York, bound for Southampton and then Hamburg. She carried a cargo of valuable goods such as Gold coins and sewing machines as well as 254 passengers and 118 crew, who were mainly German.

|Job: |Passenger Transport |
|Shipping Company: |(Germany) |
|Date of incident: |7 May 1875 |
|Shipping route: |New York to Southampton |
|Passengers & cargo: |118 crew, 254 passengers |
|Ran aground: |Retarrier Ledge |

She was making exceptional time for her transatlantic journey but was forced to decrease her speed to about 4 knots when a thick fog descended on the evening of the 7th May. Lookouts were posted to try and spot the Light of Bishop Rock or hear the foghorn sound. The Light was never seen and they had fatefully sailed inside the Bishop. She steamed onto Retarrier ledge at 4 knots and after she had reversed off again, a series of freak waves swept her broadside to the ledge, inflicting substantial damage.

Panic broke out along the length of the boat. The attempts at escape were futile and chaotic. Lifeboats (below) were cut loose and crushed due to poor maintenance and two full lifeboats were crushed, killing many passengers, when the funnel fell onto them. There have since been accusations of extraordinary cowardice, men pushing aside women and children in an attempt to reach the boats. This lead to many of the Women and Children having to hide under the main cabin, they were later drowned when a wave tore off the roof and swept the bodies out to sea.

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The Captain fired shots from his pistol in a failed attempt to restore order, cannons were let off but St Agnes and St Mary?s lifeboat crews mistook this distress signal for a customary signal to shore that all ships used of the day. As the Schiller sank further, survivors climbed the rigging; many maimed and killed by flailing chains. One man sheltered behind a body, the bodies brain had been dashed by chains. There was terror of horrific proportions, blood and death would have been thick in the air, children still clinging, petrified to their parents.

The St Agnes gig the ?O and M? went out at daybreak (4:00 am) to investigate a report of the sound of a cannons more than one time. The Crew were taken completely by surprise when they found a mast still visible above the Retarrier ledges. It was clear that assistance would be needed so the ?O and M? picked up five loose survivors and rowed back to St Mary?s to ask for Assistance. Many steamers and ferries from St Mary?s as well as two Newlyn fishing boat raced to the scene to try and save lives. The survivors were few and far between, the sea was littered with debris and lifeless bodies, but some had managed to crawl ashore onto some of the uninhabited islands. Bodies were also recovered for a burial with dignity.

The two lifeboats that did manage to get away from the ship eventually ended up on Tresco, out of the 27 on board, only one was female and there were no children; they all had perished.

The bodies were identified and then buried with all the dignity possible; Islanders were commended on their generosity and sensitivity. One German was insistent on finding the bodies of his two sisters who had been on the Schiller, he had hired out diving equipment and expertise from Penzance, he reportedly found one of his sisters in the clutches of a giant cuttlefish with 12-foot long tentacles. He died of shock 3 days later.

German authorities were so impressed with the way that Scillonians handled the tragedy, orders were sent during the two subsequent world wars, that Scilly and Scillonians should be spared from being bombed or attacked, in recognition of the kindness shown to their countrymen by Islanders, so may years before.