The wreck of the Chilean steamship, SS Itata, has been located in 650 feet of water off the port of Coquimbo, in Elqui Province, in northern Chile. The ship sank in a storm on August 28, 1922 with an estimated loss of close to 400. SS Itata is often referred to as Chile’s Titanic.
The discovery is part of an almost two decade long search for the ship. A team of researchers from Chile’s Catholic University of the North (UCN) and the Chilean chapter of global marine conservation organization Oceana were finally able to locate the wreckage using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).
In addition to its sinking, SS Itata may also be remembered for her role in an attempt to smuggle arms from the US during the Chilean Civil war of 1891. What has become known as the Itata incident is credited with contributing to President Benjamin Harrison’s defeat in his reelection bid for the presidency in 1892.