Unlike the tragedy of "Newfoundland"s crew, the disappearance of "Southern Cross" remained largely unexplained as no crewmen or record of the voyage survived. While a marine court of inquiry determined that the ship sank in a blizzard on March 31, little evidence exists to verify this. Oral tradition suggests that rotten boards gave out in the heavy sea and allowed the cargo to shift and capsize the steamer. Though the wreck of "Southern Cross" accounted for the greater human loss of the two shipwrecks, some historians argue that the emotional impact of the "Newfoundland" disaster was more intensely felt because of the horrific stories survivors were able to recount.