Rowan left
Clydebank for
Derry, in Ireland, early in the afternoon on 8 October 1921, by arrangement waiting at
Greenock to take on the members of the
Southern Syncopated Orchestra, a jazz band who had been performing in
Glasgow. At approximately 12.15AM, in dense fog,
Rowan was following the coast of Scotland southwards when she was rammed in the stern by the northward-bound American steamer in the
North Channel. The passengers were mustered on deck and had put on lifejackets, when the British steamer , coming to the rescue, rammed her from
starboard and cut her in two.
Rowan sank within two minutes with the loss of 22 of the 97 people on board, including eight members of the jazz ensemble. Survivors were rescued by
Clan Malcolm,
West Camak, and the
Royal Navy destroyer . ==Citations==