ined ▁for ▁many ▁years ▁of ▁reliable ▁service , ▁Pennsylvania ' s ▁career ▁was ▁almost ▁prem ature ly ▁ended ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁months ▁after ▁launch . ▁The ▁winter ▁of ▁ 1 8 7 3 – 7 4 ▁was ▁a ▁particularly ▁bad ▁one ▁on ▁the ▁Atlantic , ▁and ▁would ▁prove ▁a ▁tra um atic ▁one ▁for ▁the ▁crew ▁and ▁passengers ▁of ▁Pennsylvania . ▁ ▁Pennsylvania ▁depart ed ▁Liverpool ▁for ▁Philadelphia ▁at ▁ 2 : 3 0 pm ▁February ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 8 7 4 , ▁with ▁a ▁typical ▁small ▁winter - pass age ▁complement ▁of ▁two ▁sal oon ▁and ▁twelve ▁ste er age - class ▁passengers , ▁and ▁some ▁$ 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁of ▁cargo . ▁On ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁February ▁ 2 7 , ▁the ▁ship ▁ran ▁into ▁a ▁h urr icane ▁on ▁the ▁open ▁sea . ▁Gi ant ▁waves ▁swe pt ▁everything ▁from ▁the ▁ship ' s ▁de cks ▁and ▁flo oded ▁the ▁passenger ▁sal oon , ▁while ▁the ▁ship ▁strugg led ▁to ▁retain ▁head way . ▁At ▁around ▁mid night , ▁a ▁m amm oth ▁wave ▁sl ammed ▁down ▁upon ▁the ▁vessel , ▁swe eping ▁away ▁all ▁the ▁lif eb o ats ▁and ▁lif era ft s , ▁and ▁breaking ▁the ▁for eb oom ▁and ▁all ▁four ▁of ▁the ▁ship ' s ▁forward ▁h atch es . ▁Water ▁began ▁pour ing ▁into ▁the ▁holds , ▁until ▁they ▁were ▁about ▁one ▁quarter ▁full . ▁T rag ically , ▁the ▁huge ▁wave ▁had ▁also ▁swe pt ▁away